Maintenance on Titanium Frame

[bicifan1]

Looking for some practical advise on how best to care for a Ti frame. Hand wash only? What cleaners do you use? Is either laundry or dish detergent in a bucket of warm or cold water a good idea? Also, any recommendations for cleaning electronic derailleurs and disc rotors?Titanium

[nortx-Dave]

I have a satin brushed finished Lynskey R330. I clean the frame with regular mild soapy water if it really needs it. But for maintenance touch ups to make it look good I use Pledge furniture polish in the spray can. Shines it up really nice.

[prototoast]

The most important piece of maintenance on a titanium frame is making sure you don't get aluminum parts seized to the frame via galvanic corrosion. Anti-seize over grease helps but if you're in a wet climate I would make sure you remove/clean/grease your bottom bracket every 6 months or so. Same with aluminum seatposts.

Superficially, the frame can handle whatever you want, and any cleaning/brushing is purely cosmetic and at your discretion.

Disc rotors I clean with rubbing alcohol.

For regular bits, I like to clean with a "waterless" car wash type solution, and if things get really bad I just hose it down.

[GonaSovereign]

Pull, clean, lube the seat post regularly.
Pull, clean, lube the bb threads occasionally.
Both are likely dissimilar-to-ti materials and can stick in a unpleasant way.
The rest should be cosmetic.

[bicifan1]

Thanks, Gonal The seat post,clamp, and the threaded bottom bracket are all Ti.

[booglebug]

Don’t forget the rear derailleur bolt needs attention also, had to drill one of those out in the past

[aaronf]

Curious what BB you have that has Ti threaded portion? Most are aluminum for weight purposes.
I can’t think of any but that certainly does not mean they don’t exist of course.

[jds108]

Originally Posted by bicifan1

Thanks, Gonal The seat post,clamp, and the threaded bottom bracket are all Ti.

Then you need to worry about galling. I even once had a Syncros Ti post get stuck in my Merlin. The ridged surface on the post was enough the get the galling started.

[JMT3]

I’ve had many titanium frames and when sold they looked new, even the 2008 Lynskey R320 I had for 10 years and is now ridden by the friend I sold it to.

I would house it down when dirty and dry with a chamois. If some place got marked or scratched I would remove the scratch with a green scotchbrite pad. The are will be shiny for a day or two then fade and blend in to not be seen at all. I too would polish it up with either Pledge or Turtle Wax quick detailer.

I’m now on a Litespeed T3 disc as my main road bike. Nothing rides like a well built titanium frame.

[5oakterrace]

I had a titanium seatpost get stuck in a titanium frame. There was an aluminum sleeve inside the seat tube. Seatpost came out with aluminum sleeve attached to it. Took a LOT of twisting. Had to heat the seatpost and sleeve over the kitchen stove. Those different metals heat at different temps (Sheldon brown tip). Finally got it loose. Greasing all those parts is prudent. Gotta check them regularly.

[redir]

One of the reasons I got a Moots was so I would not have to look after it all that much. I think you can throw anything at it and it will be fine.

Good reminder on the seat post though. I'm going to get to that tonight.

[Spoker]

For me absolutely nothing on 25 y/o frames. No seizing of bolts either.
Have a few alu frames with stuck seatposts.