Gray Matter
May 16th, 2008 by Guitar Ted
I spend a lot of time scouring the inner-web-o-sphere for all the latest in 29″er stuff, so I’ve been noticing a marked uptick in titanium offerings. In some ways, I find it rather odd.
First off, these rigs all seem to be appearing at a time when the economy would seem to indicate that it’s not the right time. You probably realize that titanium is a spendy frame material, (the Inbred here is rumored to be coming in at $1850.00 just for what you see there) With costs of living on the rise, a titanium frame introduction seems a bit more iffy right about now. Yet that doesn’t seem to be stemming the flow of new frame offerings in the grayish metal one bit. I can think of at least four companies right off the top of my head……whoops! Make that five! ,……that have introduced, or announced plans for a new titanium frame in the last six months.
Then there is the “green” factor, which I haven’t seen brought up in regards to titanium. With all of today’s concerns about the environment, I am reminded of how enviromentally unfriendly refining titanium is. Titanium doesn’t exist in nature as an element on it’s own. It is intermingled with other elements that have to be refined out of the titanium using vast amounts of energy and some pretty nasty chemicals. Not the sort of backround any “greenies” would be proud of, I would think. But to be fair, steel, aluminum, and carbon fiber are no real gems in that regard either. Perhaps Calfee has it right and we should all be riding bamboo rigs, eh?
There are those, who over the course of the years, have touted certain “benefits” of titanium that I find amusing too. Like it’s resistance to corrosion. Okay, fine. It resists corrosion. But how many of you out there have ridden the same steel bike that has rusted out from underneath you? Not many, I’m sure. Then you have to wonder, what about aluminum? Yeah, yeah….fatigue life, blah blah….. Again, I don’t see mass evidence of aluminum frames breaking that would scare me into buying a titanium frame. At least not to the degree that it would overcome the cost barrier. Then you have the “it’s the last frame you’ll ever buy” arguement. Yeah………..right! Bikes are like Pringles, you can’t just buy one!
Well, however it may be, we are going to be seeing a lot of new titanium bikes rolling out soon. And to be perfectly honest, some of them are just plain hot! I love the looks of some of these new rigs, and titanium is a great riding material. If you ever get a chance to ride one of the gray metal steeds, do it. You’ll be amazed. Would I own one? You bet! And it may be sooner than later!
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It seems like the market will be pretty saturated with Titanium 29ers real soon. Will there be room for all of them? Especially with two major “brands” sourcing their frames from Lynskey - who already makes and sells their own in house Ti 29er frames?
If it is true that the Lynskey produced Vassago will be a couple hundred less than Brant’s Lynskey produced Ti Inbred 29er - will that have a negative impact on On One’s sales here in the US? I’d think it would. Although maybe Brant see’s his real market for these Ti Inbreds in the UK/Euro market and that price difference doesn’t bother him. Or perhaps the geometry differences will be enough to separate the two. I personally would spend more for the On One over the Vassago (if those were the only two options)
With that said, if I could afford a Ti frame - I’d work with Scott Quiring on a custom. His prices and his quality of work that I’ve seen are spectacular. I’d be willing to wait on a Quiring for less than or equal money than some of the non-Chinese Ti offerings that are either already available or on their way to the marketplace.
Let’s see if I can capture them all:
1. Carver - XCAD frames
2. Niner - not sure who but overseas right?
3. On One - Lynskey
4. Vassago - Lynskey
5. Lynskey - (do all three differ in terms of geometry? I know the On One and Vassago do, but are the Lynskeys completely different from the other two?)
6. Does Litespeed do 29ers and if they do - does Lynskey do those too?
7. Under the radar but available - Grendel Bikes (overseas) http://www.grendelbikes.com
8. Voodoo - overseas
And I didn’t included Moots, Eriksen, Black Sheep and a few others into the mix either (not sure if they do stock frames or just customs in Ti)
And then you’ve got Quiring, DeSalvo, Strong, Kish and probably 4or 5 others that I forgot to mention.
Man o Man that’s a lot of options!
Those Jones ti frames are real hot too. Im pretty sure you wont find too many frames identical to any of those.
Seems like Moots should even be at the top of the ti 29er list. Am I mistaken to think they were the first company to produce a modern 29er of any kind with the Mootoo-X frame? If I was buying a ti 29er frame that has to be the top of my list. Unreal build quality… plus I like the idea of a YBB to help take the sting out of the hardtail.
“Am I mistaken to think they were the first company to produce a modern 29er of any kind with the Mootoo-X frame?”
Yes. And in fact it took them a few years to even figure out how to leave enough room for a Nanoraptor in the rear triangle. Wes Williams built the first 29″er in the spring of 99′, and it was Ti btw, and also the first 29″ FS frame that was finished and shown at Interbike in 99′. It was also made of Ti.
The current fascination with Ti though is mainly because it is there and being offered by as many as that list above indicates. However the price of the material is going up daily and it will be interesting to see how long people will support it? I have no gripes about Ti though and there are 4 bikes in my garage made of it. But I would not spec it on anything I need built from now on. But my personal biking needs are simplifying for use as a tool, not a toy.
A quote from G-Teds own blog —
“Everyone in Crested Butte knows that the modified 28″ers were the first to roll the Nanoraptors, but the first purpose built bike for those tires could arguably be said to be that Moots.”
Referring to that of who created the 29er. The argument is between either Don Cook or Wes Williams both in Crested Butte at the time with Cook as being the one with Kent Eriksen of Moots to build the first purposeful 29er while Williams was massaging his 28 inch version bike for the new nanoraptor tires.
http://g-tedproductions.blogspot.com/2007/08/who-dunnit.html
I knew I had read something of the order but didnt recall the details… either way like GT said… probably doesn’t really matter.
Link to follow from GT’s own blog referring to what I thought to have remembered.
“Everyone in Crested Butte knows that the modified 28″ers were the first to roll the Nanoraptors, but the first purpose built bike for those tires could arguably be said to be that Moots.”
Check it out here… http://g-tedproductions.blogspot.com/2007/08/who-dunnit.html
Wow, just a little opinionated there. Eh, Ted?
JOn: Yeah? What’s wrong with having an opinion?
Try it from this angle. Wes was building 28″ wheeled bikes specifically for use as mtn. bikes when the 52/47 700c Nano came into play. All it took was to mount the tires and it was a 29″ wheeled mtn. bike. It is not like he took a touring bike and stuffed the tires on it.
What matters is that 29″ is.
I dont really care that much my man. I just thought I had read that somewhere and was happy to find out my brain does actually retain some bits of what goes in.
I didnt mean to offend or prove I was right.
Seems like they were some cheap titanium frames before dual suspension bikes took over in the 26er world.
Could be we’ll see the same for 29ers since a 29er hardtail is a viable machine unlike it’s poor relation, the 26er hardtail.
Titus should be on the list, with a hardtail (Fireline 29) and a ti Racer-x (my ride, love it).
One more for the list! Chinese made?
http://www.evertibikes.com/29r.htm