ti for gravel

[boomforeal]

"researching" my next gravel frame last fall, i noticed a high proportion of the bikes posted on this site were titanium

then, in the "Tell me about your dream gravel bike" thread dbnm started last week, it seemed like virtually every bike posted was ti

R3awak3n noted that the material is

Originally Posted by R3awak3n

kind of perfect for gravel

why is that?

[Hilltopperny]

Originally Posted by boomforeal

"researching" my next gravel frame last fall, i noticed a high proportion of the bikes posted on this site were titanium

then, in the "Tell me about your dream gravel bike" thread dbnm started last week, it seemed like virtually every bike posted was ti

R3awak3n noted that the material is


why is that?

I think it’s based on durability. I have owned steel, aluminum, carbon and titanium gravel bikes. All were high end bikes and they all had their own merits. All rode wonderfully and depending on how and where you ride would be a good choice, but titanium really is a lifetime material.

I prefer the titanium bikes ride characteristics and after a pretty bad wreck in early November my bike was fine! The Gentleman behind me who was also on a Drifter pulled a spoke through on one of his wheels and my rear wheel had been knocked out of true and a snapped spoke. Both frames were absolutely fine despite both of us flying off of our bikes at around 15-20mph and sustaining some pretty nasty injuries. I have some rash on my hoods,needed a wheel trueing and a new spoke. Injuries for the other rider included a hospital stay for slight concussion, broken ribs and multiple hand fractures requiring surgery. I lucked out with some serious road rash and bruised possibly cracked ribs.

That is a testament to how tough those frame sets are. Not sure a carbon bike would have cracked, but I would have been pretty nervous riding it after an impact on pavement like that. It would have likely dented at the very least if it were lightweight steel or aluminum.

I think titanium gives a good balance of comfort and performance as well. Riding on and off road means different things to different people especially with the ever changing bikes being made for this genre. I prefer a non suspended bike that is durable, comfortable and responsive.
Maintenance is relatively low and the look is pretty classic.



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[colker]

Originally Posted by Hilltopperny

I think it’s based on durability. I have owned steel, aluminum, carbon and titanium gravel bikes. All were high end bikes and they all had their own merits. All rode wonderfully and depending on how and where you ride would be a good choice, but titanium really is a lifetime material.

I prefer the titanium bikes ride characteristics and after a pretty bad wreck in early November my bike was fine! The Gentleman behind me who was also on a Drifter pulled a spoke through on one of his wheels and my rear wheel had been knocked out of true and a snapped spoke. Both frames were absolutely fine despite both of us flying off of our bikes at around 15-20mph and sustaining some pretty nasty injuries. I have some rash on my hoods,needed a wheel trueing and a new spoke. Injuries for the other rider included a hospital stay for slight concussion, broken ribs and multiple hand fractures requiring surgery. I lucked out with some serious road rash and bruised possibly cracked ribs.

That is a testament to how tough those frame sets are. Not sure a carbon bike would have cracked, but I would have been pretty nervous riding it after an impact on pavement like that. It would have likely dented at the very least if it were lightweight steel or aluminum.

I think titanium gives a good balance of comfort and performance as well. Riding on and off road means different things to different people especially with the ever changing bikes being made for this genre. I prefer a non suspended bike that is durable, comfortable and responsive.
Maintenance is relatively low and the look is pretty classic.



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Steel has quite a long life. How many steel frames from the 70s and 80s are around? Just look at ebay.. Titanium is lighter than steel by 1/2 lb and gives a comfortable ride while not corroding. Rust is steel´s achilles heel.
I have seen wonderfull aluminium bikes. From Klein Mountain Bikes to Cyfacs and Gaulzettis. A gravel bike made of Easton´s advanced butted aluminium should be a rocket and cost less than titanium. Since you are riding on big fat tires an aluminium frame is perfect. If Klein was alive they would be king in the gravel scene.

[oldpotatoe]

Originally Posted by boomforeal

"researching" my next gravel frame last fall, i noticed a high proportion of the bikes posted on this site were titanium

then, in the "Tell me about your dream gravel bike" thread dbnm started last week, it seemed like virtually every bike posted was ti

R3awak3n noted that the material is


why is that?

Titanium lasts forever, the ride never changes. BUT, I'd add other 'metal' bikes..Steel, even well made aluminum can too.

BUT, the market is carbon, carbon, everywhere. Once the 'molds' are paid for(for that type), a carbon frame is pretty inexpensive to make..both in terms of materials(carbon and glue) and the labor. So, even tho carbon is the worse choice for a dirt bike(crash and damage worthiness and longevity)..expect to see that material dominate the
'market'..

[Hilltopperny]

Originally Posted by colker

Steel has quite a long life. How many steel frames from the 70s and 80s are around? Just look at ebay.. Titanium is lighter than steel by 1/2 lb and gives a comfortable ride while not corroding. Rust is steel´s achilles heel.

I have seen wonderfull aluminium bikes. From Klein Mountain Bikes to Cyfacs and Gaulzettis. A gravel bike made of Easton´s advanced butted aluminium should be a rocket and cost less than titanium. Since you are riding on big fat tires an aluminium frame is perfect. If Klein was alive they would be king in the gravel scene.

I agree that steels real Achilles heal is rust and aluminum does make for a good gravel bike material, but the Zanconato I had had a nice ding in the top tube from handlebar strike because of how thin it was drawn. It was likely the lightest disc brake bike I have ever owned as it was a 1x set up with carbon wheels.

I recently picked up a rigid aluminum Stache and it is the most fun I have ever had on a snow/winter/fat bike! It is lighter riding and feeling than any of the other 29+ bikes I have ridden and the geometry just makes it feel like a rocket.


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[colker]

Originally Posted by Hilltopperny

I agree that steels real Achilles heal is rust and aluminum does make for a good gravel bike material, but the Zanconato I had had a nice ding in the top tube from handlebar strike because of how thin it was drawn. It was likely the lightest disc brake bike I have ever owned as it was a 1x set up with carbon wheels.

I recently picked up a rigid aluminum Stache and it is the most fun I have ever had on a snow/winter/fat bike! It is lighter riding and feeling than any of the other 29+ bikes I have ridden and the geometry just makes it feel like a rocket.


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That ding didn´t compromise the safety of the bike. It´s a scar. It gives personality. Aluminium makes great climbing bikes.

[Hilltopperny]

Originally Posted by colker

That ding didn´t compromise the safety of the bike. It´s a like a scar. It gives personality to the bike. Aluminium makes great climbing bikes.

I agree, I just wonder what would happen in a more high speed/impact situation. The Zanconato was a rocket and extremely nice ride. I wouldn’t have hesitated to keep it if it wasn’t redundant!


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[madsciencenow]

I went back and forth between Al and Ti for my incoming gravel rig from Zanc. I’ve previously owned a Routt and as stated the material is rather perfect for gravel. I’d still own that bike if the head tube had been shorter. Anyway, I decided on Al because it’s a bit cheaper and a tad less weight. As mentioned, it’s softer than Ti so in a crash it may get dinged up and if a rock catches it at the right angle with enough velocity it’s more prone to a ding. Knowing this, I still opted for Al as it’s a little cheaper and I just wanted to try an Al bike built by Mike. I don’t get to ride gravel more than once or twice a week and what I do ride isn’t massive nasty stuff for the most part. In addition, I like to move fast so Al just seemed to make sense.


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[Clancy]

I wonder if a sub-conscious appeal for titanium has to do with appearance in the shape of the tubing? A titanium frame with round tubes looks much more traditional than the often exotic shapes and curves of carbon and to a lesser extent, aluminum.

I love the look of a titanium frame, combines the look of a classic, traditional steel frame with the advantages mentioned.

[madsciencenow]

Personally, I like the aesthetic of Ti welds over Al but a little color is nice too.


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[Likes2ridefar]

Durability for me. I rode a carbon bike the last 3 years, many of the miles on smooth gravel, and occasionally a trail or very rough gravel.

I crashed more times in that time period than I ever did on a road bike (never over the 10 years prior to moving to arizona and finding miles of amazing gravel... not counting racing)

And then there are the rock strikes. One in particular looked liked it cracked the frame on the down tube, but I was assured it was just a huge chunk out of the paint on the carbon.

I would choose steel over gravel for cost (surly, etc) to keep the frame low cost. Even wheels I’d think twice about carbon. My ksyrium all roads look very beat up and worn after 2 years. And most of that is from just a few trail rides mixed into gravel routes.

[weisan]

Why I choose Ti?

So I can concentrate on riding and forget about the freakin' bike!

Oh...you can do that with any material?

You go do that and leave me...and my Ti bike alone!

[R3awak3n]

My reasoning on TI being perfect for gravel is exactly what everyone been saying.

Lighter than steel and not having to worry about rust. I can count the times my gravel bike has been filthy and I am too tired to clean it for a few days. Steel probably be fine but I would take more care of it, chips and water getting in is not great in the long run. TI bikes are usually unpainted ao they can really take the abuse and still look good. It also seems that they are doing some cool stuff with 3D printed titanium allowing bigger tires with road cranks and short chain stays.


AL is great but a bit more fragile, you will still have chips in the paint and ride will probably be a little more uncomfortable (even though AL is rumored to be unforgiving and cause fatigue, my rock lobster is a pleasure to ride so I can imagine that a nicely designed AL frame paired with a nice fat tire will be fantastic, be decently light and much cheaper than TI which to me the only negative is price)

[AngryScientist]

if we're talking about the ideal material, and the ideal overall bike, that's cool, and all well and good for the discussion, but i think for a lot of people, these discussions can be a bit dangerous.

it sometimes seems like when we talk about gravel bikes, you can go down the road of thinking that you need a bespoke titanium bike, fitted with 200 bucks worth of tires, carbon wheels to keep the weight down, wireless drivetrains and hydraulic brakes.

you're easily into 5 figures when you think about a bike like this.

just want to remind everyone that to go out and have fun riding off pavement doesnt NEED the tip top of the line.

[madsciencenow]

Originally Posted by AngryScientist

if we're talking about the ideal material, and the ideal overall bike, that's cool, and all well and good for the discussion, but i think for a lot of people, these discussions can be a bit dangerous.



it sometimes seems like when we talk about gravel bikes, you can go down the road of thinking that you need a bespoke titanium bike, fitted with 200 bucks worth of tires, carbon wheels to keep the weight down, wireless drivetrains and hydraulic brakes.



you're easily into 5 figures when you think about a bike like this.



just want to remind everyone that to go out and have fun riding off pavement doesnt NEED the tip top of the line.

Fantastic point, Nick and one that I think needs to be strongly considered when buying a gravel rig. I had to remind myself about this a number of times.


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