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I got a ti quill on some Nitto compact drops
Didn't have to open the quill up much, it was mainly just getting them in at the right angle. Bit of a pita tho
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In theory, titanium should be more flexible since it's a softer material than aluminium or steel (please correct me if I'm wrong)
You're wrong :)
Oh, you wanted me to expand on that? First, hardness is not the relevant metric, although in many cases greater hardness correlates with the property you do want, which is elastic strain limit. When you open up a clamp, you strain the inside surface most, and you need to keep that strain within the elastic limit of the material. The amount of strain for a given amount of bendage depends on the wall thickness, with thinner being better. In that regard, bicycle grade Ti and steel generally win over aluminium, because they are stronger so people use less of them. They also have a higher elastic limit than common aluminium alloys, which is why they are used for springs and aluminium alloys aren't. The TL;DR of all this is that you can open up Ti and steel clamps more than aluminium ones, and you can probably open Ti ones even more than steel ones given the alloys and tempers likely to be used on bicycles. The bigger question is why you're even considering the purchase of a Ti stem in the first place, it's a poor choice for all the same reasons as it's a poor choice for frame tubes.
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MCamb
gbj_tester
@Sig_Arlecchino
Getting compact bars in quill stems can be a major PITA but the penny trick definitely helps. I was wondering whether I can do the penny trick on titanium stems as well or whether there is a higher risk that they crack. In theory, titanium should be more flexible since it's a softer material than aluminium or steel (please correct me if I'm wrong). Would be nice to know before I buy a ti stem since I definitely want to use compact bars.