Titanium-carbon bikes - why?

Lumen

Bored today, was browsing the Enigma website.

They are lovely looking machines, and I'd dearly love one, but there's something that bothers me.

The high end ones have carbon seatstays/chainstays, and all of them have carbon forks. Why?

Surely the appeal of a Ti bike is the toughness/durability, and the aesthetic appeal of metal. If the most safety critical part of the frameset (the forks) is carbon, then you're putting your faith in that. If you choose carbon for ride quality, and trust its strength, why not just get the whole bike in carbon and save yourself a few hundred grams (and euros)?

AFAIK Litespeed are the same in using carbon forks.

Would a fully Ti frameset be crap?

E@gle.

i think carbon front fork is to reduce vibrations easier ride etc, but i never liked the idea of carbon rear forks makes the back end kick out a little

blorg

Received wisdom is that titanium is not a good material for a fork. Apparently they end up somewhere on a continuum between very flexy and very heavy. Carbon forks on the other hand are both lightweight and stiff (although you could probably say the same about carbon bikes vs. titanium ones )

Every major titanium bike manufacturer specs carbon forks (a few have a steel option for touring bikes.)

Forks are also _very_ cheap compared to frames, RRP on my frame is over 15x the fork that came with it (and it's a decent fork ) So you could see the fork as something replaceable.

Agree with the carbon back end thing though, don't know why you would buy a ti bike and want a carbon back end.

biker_joe

Here's one for the mix !!! i have an Olmo, 1 year old, an is Carbon with some
Titaniun weaved in !! I don't know of other manufacturers who do this ???

But yea Ti in general does n't absorb the shock very well ......hence the
carbon forks .....

Biker Joe

Lumen

OK, did a bit of Googling and as suggested Ti is crap for forks. Flexy and susceptible to cracking.

Morati used to do them, but are now defunct.

However, you can still get them from Sibex for cross bikes or MTB.

Hmmm. Full Ti Cross Bike.

Anyway, I understand how one could view forks as a consumable compared to the frame. I read on the Enigma forums that they can replace the carbon stays if necessary, although it sounds a bit funny to me.

I wonder what a Ti frame with steel fork would be like (apart from heavy, obviously).

abcdggs

so what's the point it Ti if it's heavier than carbon and less comfortable??

BostonB

E@gle. wrote: »

...i never liked the idea of carbon rear forks makes the back end kick out a little

Why is that?

E@gle.

BostonB wrote: »

Why is that?

well seeing as the bike is lighter at the rear, when u put a bit of power through the pedals its going to kick out a little meaning its not as stiff

DirkVoodoo

abcdggs wrote: »

so what's the point it Ti if it's heavier than carbon and less comfortable??

It's pretty much bomb proof, all the benefits of steel with none of the corrosion problems.

Lumen

abcdggs wrote: »

so what's the point it Ti if it's heavier than carbon and less comfortable??

- It ends with "ium". Thus, it is a stepping stone to unobtanium.
- Stone age, bronze age, iron age. Metal defines civilisation.
- The T-1000 in Terminator 2 had "mimetic poly-alloy" construction – an intelligent liquid metal. If it had been "liquid plastic" the script would have read "he can form spoons and stirring weapons". Not scary.
- Aliens use advanced metal alloys the likes of which we have never seen on earth.
- It's shiny. Shiny things are better.
- It doesn't need to be explained.

sy

Lumen wrote: »

- It ends with "ium". Thus, it is a stepping stone to unobtanium.
- Stone age, bronze age, iron age. Metal defines civilisation.
- The T-1000 in Terminator 2 had "mimetic poly-alloy" construction – an intelligent liquid metal. If it had been "liquid plastic" the script would have read "he can form spoons and stirring weapons". Not scary.
- Aliens use advanced metal alloys the likes of which we have never seen on earth.
- It's shiny. Shiny things are better.
- It doesn't need to be explained.

Don't forget that all life form evolved around the carbon atom;)

sy

biker_joe wrote: »

Here's one for the mix !!! i have an Olmo, 1 year old, an is Carbon with some
Titaniun weaved in !!
Biker Joe

Olmo, now thats a blast from the past. Used to race on an Olmo 531 db tubing with full chorus groupset and wolber wheels, tubulars of course! Didn't think they were still in business. Sounds like a cool machine biker joe. Where did you purchase?

abcdggs

Lumen wrote: »

- It ends with "ium". Thus, it is a stepping stone to unobtanium.
- Stone age, bronze age, iron age. Metal defines civilisation.
- The T-1000 in Terminator 2 had "mimetic poly-alloy" construction – an intelligent liquid metal. If it had been "liquid plastic" the script would have read "he can form spoons and stirring weapons". Not scary.
- Aliens use advanced metal alloys the likes of which we have never seen on earth.
- It's shiny. Shiny things are better.
- It doesn't need to be explained.

the first point should have been skip to the last point

TinyExplosions

abcdggs wrote: »

so what's the point it Ti if it's heavier than carbon and less comfortable??

The weight gains are marginal, and it's far from less comfortable, in fact it's more comfy! Carbon frames are usually designed to be stiff stiff stiff, so you feel all the road, and can put the power down most efficiently. Ti frames have more of the natural flexibility in them, similar to steel, so they eliminate the road buzz and give you a smoother ride. As already stated, they are also pretty much bombproof, as they're impervious to water, and while it's not an easy thing to day, they can be welded if you break a frame -with carbon, it's pretty much a one shot deal -you break it, it's done

biker_joe

sy wrote: »

Olmo, now thats a blast from the past. Used to race on an Olmo 531 db tubing with full chorus groupset and wolber wheels, tubulars of course! Didn't think they were still in business. Sounds like a cool machine biker joe. Where did you purchase?

Yea they are still going strong, I've had a few now ...... Humphries Cycles in Finglas still bring them in ... I think there are only about 4 of my frames on the road here ! I have an Techno kt in White and black ......

http://www.olmo.it/

Biker Joe