From Cyclist.co.uk
Cyclist’s library of titanium bike reviews is unrivalled. Here are some of the best we’ve tested so far
The best titanium bikes offer something a little different from the standard range of carbon fibre and aluminium bikes, and even steel. Titanium is in many ways the ideal metal for cycle frames; it’s lighter than steel and more resistant to dings than either aluminium or steel. Plus, it doesn’t rust, so although there’s no reason not to paint a titanium frameset, it’s more typically left bare and either brushed or anodised, which allows titanium bikes to stand out from the crowd.
Titanium is more tricky to weld than other metals, so the best titanium bike frames exhibit the framebuilder’s welding skills at their best. Welding fishtails are usually exceptionally neat, if they’re visible at all; Passoni, for example, spends around 40% of its titanium framebuilding time finishing its welds to the point where they disappear and Ribble’s 3D printed junctions are also near-invisible.