Show us your Titanium! - Ti and Stainless bikes

That is even nicer now!

Thanks, yeah the shot peened finish is really nice in the flesh too has a nice texture to it.

@PhilDAS Thanks. Out of interest, how do you tell?

I agree with @PhilDAS, that looks very much like Ti to me.

Steel and aluminium are lighter / more reflective generally.

what makes you think it isn't titanium? is the price to good to be true? Is it badly listed? From a manufacturer/framebuilder, that isn't listed as making titanium frames?

Looks like Ti and the welds don't look like Alu.

@cornelius_blackfoot I just wasn't sure how you could tell the difference purely from an image. The frame I'm watching usually has a 'ti' decal on it, but this one doesn't. I know anyone can add or take off decals though. I know this manufacturer make titanium, aluminium and steel frames.

Uninformed opinion - those chonky dropouts look like titanium... and look (squinting) like they have the same design as https://mensmountainbike.info/titanium_rock_lobster_team_ti_mountain_bike_large_hope_brakes_hubs_mavic_rims.php

Yep, looks like a Rock Lobster Team Ti; can even see a little glimpse of the down tube decal in the pic.

Contrast with some aluminium looking dropouts on e.g.

Thanks all and yes, it is a Rock Lobster.

The filler on aluminium welding is much thicker/blobbier than steel or Ti.
It's raw which means it's either Ti or Stainless and there aren't any or many stainless mountain bike off the shelf frames that I can think of. And you can also just tell from the weld but it's difficult to articulate how

I went for it and won.

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Nice!

What are your plans for it?

Rub it down first with a very think oil that will make it shine.

Many (most?) Taiwan-made Ti Rock Lobsters came out of the factory coated in some kind of clear-coat so don't react the same as raw Ti. This one may be different...

I'd love a Rock Lobster. But Paul's queue is over a year long nowadays.

Edit: actually that may not be true. His website says 7 months.

That's 7 frame builder months, so 14 months.

I know that was tongue in cheek but in all seriousness, everything I've heard about Paul is that he is absolutely fantastic to work with and everyone is very happy with the end product. If he says it'll be X months, it'll be X months and sometimes even faster.

My Serotta, Louisa’s Van Nicholas (thanks BMMF) and Louisa at High Beech

My Serotta, Louisa’s Van Nicholas (thanks BMMF) and Louisa at High Beech

Alas, it’s just a bottle.

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Bugger!! They don’t fit in the rear!! Looks like it’ll have to be 32mm then

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Here's my recently upgraded GF ti which rides a treat

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