For many, Titanium is the ultimate material to have a bike made of, for others it has an almost exotic quality, always spoken about but never explored as a serious option. In years gone by Titanium has been in a realm of its own, offering a select few a bespoke package at (usually) a very high price. However, recently the price of titanium bike has plummeted, somewhat democratising the market and finally allowing this once allusive material to be much more readily available. The price has come down mainly due to refinement in the production process. What was once a niche and bespoke material that was notoriously difficult to work with has surged in popularity and thus brands have had to work at ways of bringing prices down in order to compete in this new emerging corner of the market.
Lots of people consider the holy trinity of steel, aluminium, and carbon to provide everything you could possibly need in order to cover all potential uses and styles of bike. From steel’s historical classic looks and low price to aluminium’s stiffness and carbon’s super lightweight credentials, it would seem that all bases have firmly been covered by these three materials. And yet titanium manages to chisel out a section of this covering for itself.
For starters, Titanium is lighter than steel, and stronger than both aluminium and steel. This alone gives it an edge over its fellow bike building materials. When you combine that with its extreme durability – a titanium frameset should last a lifetime if looked after properly – the benefits are stark. On top of that there is its almost mythical ‘ride quality’. If you’ve ever had the pleasure of meeting one of Titanium’s more hardcore fans, I’m sure you’ve heard of this quality it possesses. It can perhaps best be described in brief as providing the springy responsive feeling that steel brings whilst combing the stiffness required of a performance frameset.
If that wasn’t enough then we also have to mention its distinct colour, something that instantly sets it apart from any other bike in the bunch. There’s a reason most titanium bikes come without a regular paint job that you see on many aluminium and carbon bikes – the deep grey that Titanium naturally offers is at once rigid, stealthy and strong looking whilst also sufficiently bling, shiny and fashionable.
To summarize, titanium’s shroud of mysticism is slowly being peeled back and revealing an incredibly strong, stiff and good looking material for brands to expand their range with. While there’s still a way to go before the cost of the framesets truly matches the lower end of aluminium and carbon bikes, its lower price does mean that for many a once impossible ‘bespoke’ option becomes much more available.
You can view our all titanium bikes and framesets here.
