WSJ article on TI bikes

[Alan]

Interesting article on WSJ site. It is a pay site but if you refresh your browser you should be able to get in. Maybe they have been lurking here.

https://www.wsj.com/articles/why-serious-cyclists-are-paying-more-for-titanium-bikes-11551374180

Alan

[Black Dog]

Buried behind the paywall.

[ColnagoC59]

marketing piece no doubt. The WSJ puts these out regularly. Do the companies pay for the positive coverage? Reminds me of the NYT real estate section talking about new developments

[vincenz]

Able to post the full article?

[glepore]

More or less its a short piece about how ti has become an artisanal material rather than a performance choice.

[ColnagoC59]

More or less its a short piece about how ti has become an artisanal material rather than a performance choice.

wow! talk about salient points. the same article could have been written just about anytime over the last three decades

[cmbicycles]

"THOUGH STEEL, aluminum, wood, bamboo and magnesium alloy have all been used to craft stylish bike frames, carbon fiber is today the go-to for serious cyclists with lots of cash. Glued and reinforced by epoxy resin, it can now be mass-produced and shaped to achieve an optimum balance between weight, comfort, aerodynamic performance and a mystic quality known in cycling jargon as “stiffness” that efficiently transfers power from your legs to the wheels."

Blah, blah, blah... It looks like a reprint of a Bicycling magazine article from 15 years ago.

[happycampyer]

What does this even mean:

The material didn’t always have performance cachet. When Mr. Rosenbloum first started riding titanium rigs, they were considered prosaic, “the quintessential choice for dentists and doctors,” he said.

Today, titanium is still associated with saying ahhhhh—but in a different way. At the affluent, design-conscious end of the road- and mountain-bike market, titanium frames are objects of desire, the cycling equivalent of rare vinyl records. Though you can find off-the-peg titanium bikes, the now-trendy material has found its niche in the custom frame market.Curious how the writer comes across someone like Darren Crisp—he’s off the beaten path in a market that’s already off the beaten path.

[vincenz]

Sounds like the writer could be in the 20s or 30s. For this generation, I can understand the feelings towards ti bikes in a world of carbon. I don’t fully agree with the analogy of “rare vinyl records” though. Remove the word “rare” and it’s not so inaccurate.

I think he may be referring to how the material was perceived in the past versus present. Back then, I don’t think ti was considered “exotic” in a world full of metal bikes anyway, but today I can see how it can be. Not sure what dentists and doctors have to do with it though, unless he was referring to its price (but what’s that have to do with being prosaic)?

[berserk87]

I can't get into the article, but do have a question:

Does the article reference that Ti is a great material for those that want a durable frame that is more impact and corrosion resistant than other types? My decision to go with Ti had nothing to do with any of the points he attempts to make about being prosaic.

[HenryA]

The article is fairly shallow as is appropriate for a mainstream publication. Its not written for the cycling tifosi. It does hit one strong chord - that there exists a craft based on the use of one material that some may think to be outmoded.

As strange as it sounds, Ti bike frames are now a curious niche in the bike industry. The realm of one man or small shop artisans. Or at least thats the thrust of this article.

[echappist]

"THOUGH STEEL, aluminum, wood, bamboo and magnesium alloy have all been used to craft stylish bike frames, carbon fiber is today the go-to for serious cyclists with lots of cash. Glued and reinforced by epoxy resin, it can now be mass-produced and shaped to achieve an optimum balance between weight, comfort, aerodynamic performance and a mystic quality known in cycling jargon as “stiffness” that efficiently transfers power from your legs to the wheels."

Blah, blah, blah... It looks like a reprint of a Bicycling magazine article from 15 years ago.

either that article needs some editing and/or the writer has no idea what s/he is spewing

CF reinforces epoxy; not the other way around...

[Veloo]

Can't get past the paywall but wonder if it's this same Lee Marshall.

https://twitter.com/leenelmezzo