Show us your Titanium! - Ti and Stainless bikes

It's luminous qualities shine through.

That is a lovely frame. I really like the unfussy, straight seat stays.

Ruined by putting white tape on in September though. :P

not really, the idea is the commuto x bike is going to be the winter trainer, so this is now solely for Sunday best, dry clear day riding, hence the addition of white pedals (were previously black)

Are you a professional photographer?

Ed, I could give you the 80's soft focus porno effect and even make your mug look attractive

see my other posts from today for further evidence of the quality of my work

How do you like that bike? Have you also got something carbon to compare it with?
Lovely build sir

I have a modern carbon 'beast' but looking to get a alu crit racer and a steel (853)/ ti bike - not sure what to go for first...

i love the Ti Mather, still feel like kid with the xmas present I really really wanted, it is rare for me to see another bike and think "want". it was built for a specific purpose, long rides at a decent pace sadly i probably can't deliver on the second half of that but can ride it for hours without discomfort. i am sure a modern carbon frame can be lighter, but the intention is for the bike to last more than 3-4 years, hence titanium over carbon as a frame choice

This may be of interest:

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Passoni-Titanium-Handlebar-Stem-/261102383123?pt=Cycling_Parts_Accessories&hash=item3ccaea3013&_uhb=1#ht_483wt_1417

Re 3D printer, I don't understand the "stress releaving" in the oven part. Are you trying to heat and shake up all the molecules so once it cools it makes sure they've all together?

Yeah why not.

new bartape, 2ndhand fizik and new speedplays put onto the Mather on Friday, took it out for a ride today

http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8171/7992066533_0008a0dae2_h.jpg

iPhone generally have great camera, and somehow you managed to make it look like an aftermake digital point and shoot from the early noughtie.

I blame Fox for this, but - Sabbath Silk Route frameset for a winter beater?

Mainly because that's the first one I've seen that I can buy within the magic cyclescheme £1,000.

The Silk Route is a touring bicycle, could you not find an audax frame within the price range? an audax frame would be a perfect combination of a proper road bicycle with the necessary mount for mudguard and rack (The September is one).

I noticed that when I looked at the frame more closely. I have no need of a racks though.

I blame Fox for this, but - Sabbath Silk Route frameset for a winter beater?

Mainly because that's the first one I've seen that I can buy within the magic cyclescheme £1,000.

I've a Silk Road frame, it's awesome, feels like a nice hybrid between carbon and steel and is damn light so I don't plan on changing it anytime in the distant future...

that said-I got it on ebay for a pittance with crabon fork from a guy who clearly hadn't ridden it and was 'upgrading to a lynskey'.

I think buying RRP i'd be looking for something a bit more artisanal-from what i understand the Sabbath frames are chinese built (not that I have anything against this per se) and just marketed by the UK firm. I saw a Ti Merckx earlier in the year that just about broke my heart for less than a grand so if you bide your time...

i think Sabbath design their own bikes, especially their top end ones, not seen anyone else putting out ti frames like these

lulz. that's not my fave offering from them tbh-mine caught them at the more gentle phase of the 'broken limbed dog taking a shit' phase of their design evolution.

they might design them but they aint manufactured in blighty for sure. Still very nice bikes .

it's fucking ugly, but now not looking as odd as it did when it first came out - there seem to be more bikes with weird curves

the thinking behind it all makes sense, more so than the helix twist of lynskey frames

doesn't seem too far away from the dogma 2 or cento uno, but something about the skinny ti tubes and lack of paint job make it look a bit more offensive. daresay if i rode it i would probably be impressed enough that I wouldn't want to throw it out of bed for farting however.

i think Sabbath design their own bikes, especially their top end ones, not seen anyone else putting out ti frames like these

Titanium has an incredibly high melting point. Must have been some radiator that this bike got leant against...

^ It's like a titanium version of a De Rosa Tango.

It's the downtube that does it for me :(

ti riders, is anyone able to tell me if I am likely to really feel / notice the difference between a butted and plain guage ti frame? I have recently come into a little money, and am considering a new frame.

I am sorely tempted by a Burls road frame. I think they represent good vfm, personal service, built to specification frames at a quick turn round. However, like the more basic van nic, lynksey etc it is plain guage tubing. I realise that butted tubing is thinner in the middle and thus makes for a lighter build. However, I could do with being thinner in the middle and thus a lighter build, and am confident that I could easily make the weight saving from myself!

Is it worth the considerable extra £££? Is there something obvious that I have missed?

NB: I realise that I could have a nicely butted Rourke 853 type affair for similar money, but really fancy ti.

Scoble will recommend the 853 vs plain gauge Ti so it must be true.

If you're dumping a load of cash on the build then I would recommend going somewhere like Fatbirds that has a lot of Ti suppliers in stock and trying a few out for a couple of hours and seeing what tickles your trout the most.

Quote Kent Eriksen .. "We use 3/2.5 straight gauge tubing from Sandvik and Haynes. We have done a few bikes with butted tubes, but it takes away a lot of stiffness and we normally suggest going with a thinner wall straight gauge tube as it will give a more consistent ride quality and maintain the integrity of the bike a bit better."

Quote Kent Eriksen .. "We use 3/2.5 straight gauge tubing from Sandvik and Haynes. We have done a few bikes with butted tubes, but it takes away a lot of stiffness and we normally suggest going with a thinner wall straight gauge tube as it will give a more consistent ride quality and maintain the integrity of the bike a bit better."

I find these difficult to accept as the words of an engineer.