What about titanium?

Titanium. That word elicits desire among many cyclists. Titanium is that ultimate lightweight metal that doesn't bend or rust like steel, break like carbon fiber or produce a harsh ride like aluminum. It is also makes for some of the more expensive bikes you could buy.

I have one titanium road bike that is a "wall hanger". It is a 1974 or 1975 Teledyne Titan which was one of the first mass produced road bikes. The Classic Rendezvous site has some excellent information on the Teledyne. It's very, very light. However, the Teledyne, because it was produced with what some would say the incorrect grade of titanium was often prone to fractures at the bottom bracket or seat post binder. Mine was at the seat post and it has been professionally repaired by Ti Bicycles in Portland, OR.

Now, there's another one hanging out in my shop for some overhaul work - a 1989 Spectrum of my dad's. The frame was provided by Merlin but all the finish and paint work was done by Spectrum (who is still in business and produces beautiful custom bikes).

The Spectrum weighs between 18 and 19 lbs and is very stiff. This particular model has probably close to 20,000 miles on it with no sign of slowing down. It should be noted these photos are before any clean up has been done.









I will say, however, you should always check your components. While swapping out some pedals this past week I discovered both lightweight, CNC machined crank arms had significant cracks in them from possible over torquing of the crank arm bolts. This could have been catastrophic for my dad had one snapped in half while he was riding. Make sure you are regularly inspecting your bikes for damage and cracks that could prove to be disastrous.