(Pete Cresswell) wrote:
RE/

Who has a ride made with this wonder metal ? I intend it to be my next ride
( 50 cm + - & compact geometry as I prefer a low standover height) I'd love
to hear recommendations of brands models etc form anyone who has currently
or previously owned a Ti bike. TIA



I've got a Seven Duo.

I need a titanium frame like I need another hole in the head - and if my wife
ever finds out I spent enough on a freaking *bicycle frame* to feed an entire
Somalian village for a month, she'll probably have me committed.

But I'm also too long in the wrong places for a proper fit on a production bike
and it seemed like just a matter of time before I'd lose in the little game I
was playing with spacer stack and bar rise on my Ellsworth....and it's like size
15 shoes: you just can't get 'em at Kmart.... At the time, Seven seemed like the
only game in town for a custom FS...and they only did titanium.

I'm happy with what Seven made for me. At first I was more than a little
irritated with them for sticking to their design despite my input. In the end
they saved me from myself.


Only caution I'd offer is strictly hearsay: I've heard that titanium must be
welded in some sort of special gas envelope...and that people have gotten
titanium frames made in (Russia, I think...) that looked great upon receipt, but
whose welds went bad within a year - something about the maker welding them
without the gas envelope.

the "gas envelope" is absolutely crucial. it's not unknown for a
manufacturer to neglect the importance of having the shielding gas
running through the inside of the tubes being joined as well as the gas
coming from the welding torch. i doubt the broken frame came from
russia - they've been using that material in significant quantities for
a long time. while q.c. on some of their exports is bad, they should
know what they're doing.

to inspect a tig welded ti frame, look inside the bb & head tube & see
if you notice coloration in the heat effected zone - these are areas not
usualy brushed clean like the tube exteriors. colors like yellow & red
are kinda ok. others like blue or even black indicate excess oxygen in
the weld. oxygen makes ti brittle - it's its achilles heel.