Will I notice a difference?

[vqdriver]

True temper verus tubing vs ox platinum?
I have the option to upgrade tubing for a nominal fee but don't know if its something with a tangible benefit.

[Peter P.]

I personally don't believe you will notice a performance difference.

Weight savings between 2 high end tube sets is less than 1/2 lb.; not even the weight of a waterbottle.

You shouldn't sweat the tubing; spend the money on the upgrade if you want the bragging rights and if it doesn't come with a limited warranty. Otherwise, pocket the savings.

[Doug Fattic]

As a framebuilder I pay a great deal of attention to the wall thickness and diameter of tubing I use. Differences can greatly change the way a frame feels and the choice will depend on the weight and power of the rider. It isn't about the weight of the frame. Both types come in various wall thicknesses but Versus tends to be heavier gauges and OX lighter. Platinum OX is heat treated. This means it is less likely to dent. So to me the question should be about any differences in wall thickness. I'm guessing they will not be the same and that the OX will have a thinner walls. If that is the case you can tell the difference.

[AngryScientist]

True temper verus tubing vs ox platinum?


i'm wondering what you mean. i think i'm correct in assuming that true temper is a company, and ox platinum is a tubeset. in other words, true temper produces multiple tubesets, just like columbus and reynolds do; ox platinum is just one tubeset true temper makes, what is the base tubeset?

[CNY rider]

You really should sort through this with your builder.
One data point: I have a Hampsten Giro 88 made from OX Platinum.
I love, love, love the ride.
For reference, I weigh 150 pounds and have the power output of a mosquito.
Could that bike have been just as good from another tubing? No idea. That's what you rely on your builder for.

[Joachim]

i'm wondering what you mean. i think i'm correct in assuming that true temper is a company, and ox platinum is a tubeset. in other words, true temper produces multiple tubesets, just like columbus and reynolds do; ox platinum is just one tubeset true temper makes, what is the base tubeset?

True Temper Versus is a tubeset.

[ultraman6970]

IMO will depends a lot of the rider, some guys can't notice c r a p and other riders notice almost every detail in a frame at the 1st minute of riding it.

Ox platinum and verus are very different tubes, as the builder forumite said a lot of differences, the mayor factor is the taste of the rider IMO. Some guys dont like certain tubes for certain bikes... and w/o knowing how the tubes behave is hard to tell if you will notice or not.

The frame size is a factor aswell, some tubes does better in small sizes than big ones in the general stiffness of the frame, obvious anyways.

Had a tesch made with S3 tubing and was nice, but did not blown me away tho, no idea about the verus and ox platinum. It is a thing of tastes.

OP the question is really hard to answer, sadly try and error is costly.

[oldpotatoe]

True temper verus tubing vs ox platinum?
I have the option to upgrade tubing for a nominal fee but don't know if its something with a tangible benefit.

What's the builder say?

[lhuerta]

Required reading: http://www.habcycles.com/m7.html

Enjoy, Lou

[SlackMan]

i'm wondering what you mean. i think i'm correct in assuming that true temper is a company, and ox platinum is a tubeset. in other words, true temper produces multiple tubesets, just like columbus and reynolds do; ox platinum is just one tubeset true temper makes, what is the base tubeset?

True Temper Verus (not Versus) is a tubeset. I saw a similar comment above, but I thought you might still be confused by the spelling.:)

Shane

[vqdriver]

yes, i will have a conversation with the builder about it when we get closer to the build date. but for now, i'm in the queue and am just daydreaming of different possibilities - which is kind of a fun part of the whole process, no?

in any case, i've had a few columbus frames, but no true temper or reynolds so i'm lacking a frame of reference.

[bluesea]

Not that it's salient to this particular discussion, but with some builders you can specify tube set. Others it's a subject that doesn't even come up. Ymmv

[Doug Fattic]

The difference you might notice between different tube sets is not going to be based on the manufacturer (True Temper vs. Columbus) but rather on what the diameter of the tubes chosen and what is their wall thickness and even where the butts are located. For example True Temper makes a wide variety of thicknesses and diameters in its Platinum OX line. The builder will chose among that group which of those tubes best fits each customer. If a builder is looking for a 1 1/8th inch top or down tube, he can pick from OX Platinum 03, 04, 05 or 11. The ones that are .7/.4./.7 mm thick vary in how long the tubes are as well as how long the butts are on each end. There is also one with .8/.5/.8 walls and in addition there are the Gold models in between. So there are a number of choices within the same model of tubing. And of course True Temper makes other thicknesses in other lines and other manufacturers have a wide variety of options for each tube available.

To further complicate matters as a builder I plan where those butts are related compared to where they are mitered. Over the 38 years I’ve been making frames I’ve developed philosophies of what tubing to use and where the butts should be located. I take a dim view of someone with less knowledge and experience trying to tell me what to use. You either trust that I know what I’m doing or you go with another builder. That doesn’t mean there isn’t consultation and maybe a choice between 2 options depending on how the customer will be using the bicycle.

Different builders use different business models of tubing use. Ideally each tube is chosen individually for a specific custom frame. This of course increases the builders cost and time to order each one individually. Buying in volume greatly reduces the price. One can also spend more or less time placing the miters in relation to the butts of the tubes. The easiest thing is to place the first miter on the end with the shortest butt and take all the extra length off of the long butted end. The ideal placement is probably different however and takes more time to execute. I certainly teach my framebuilding students the longer version of where to place the miters and it isn’t how I described it earlier. Savvy business builders recognize that customers understand price much better than wall thickness and miter placement and base their build methods accordingly.

[Bikerist]

What Doug said!

[Peter B]

<snip>

To further complicate matters as a builder I plan where those butts are related compared to where they are mitered. Over the 38 years I’ve been making frames I’ve developed philosophies of what tubing to use and where the butts should be located. I take a dim view of someone with less knowledge and experience trying to tell me what to use. You either trust that I know what I’m doing or you go with another builder. That doesn’t mean there isn’t consultation and maybe a choice between 2 options depending on how the customer will be using the bicycle.



This. Trust your builder. The brand on the frameset is more meaningful than the brand of the tubes.

[palincss]

True temper verus tubing vs ox platinum?
I have the option to upgrade tubing for a nominal fee but don't know if its something with a tangible benefit.

You will possibly notice a difference in the tubing diameter and thickness, but I doubt highly you will notice the difference in the metallurgical composition of the alloy. Note, however, that certain combinations of diameter and thickness may be available only in one brand.

[rounder]

I asked Kelly Bedford what he built my bike with. He said it was a mix of OX platinum and Columbus. That sounded like he knew what he was doing and good to me. Did not question him further.