Looking for some feedback on what frame material I should be looking to for my new bike. From the small amount of investigation and advice I've gotten so far, Titanium seems to be the way to go given my riding habits. I'm a 43 year old part time racer/club rider who is looking for (you guessed it) the best all around bike that would combine sprinting, climbing, and some longer 80 to 150 mile rides. During the season, I typically will ride between 150 and 250 miles per week and my current frame is aluminum (Trek 2200).

I have 3 manufacturers in mind (Seven, Serotta, and Independent Fabrications). I know that I want the custom build frame benefits, but the essence of my question is whether to go with all Ti or some combination of Ti/Carbon that these manufacturers offer. My concern is that if go straight Ti, I will give up some degree of comfort on the longer rides, but if I go with the Ti/Carbon combination, I will give up some of the stiffness and performance I want during sprints and climbing.

Any input that you would like to share with respect to these manufacturers or Ti vs Ti/Carbon frames is much appreciated

I think Ti is the best material you can get , so getting an all Ti is the best way to go. Cheers!

As a general rule, mixed material frames don't bring much, if anything, to the party. You have extra joints, which add weight and are potential failure points, and you can design the combination of stiffness and resiliency with straight Ti or a Ti/CF mix. In the big picture, frame material is not as important as frame design (geometry, tube shape, tube wall thickness) for comfort issues, and tires and saddles are very important as well. A well-built straight Ti frame will be just like steel except lower maintenance (if not painted), lower weight, and higher cost.

I think Ti is the best material you can get , so getting an all Ti is the best way to go. Cheers!


i dont mean to be a boob, but whats the advantage of Ti over carbon? aside from the durability issue?

If you're going to go Ti, go Ti. CF add-ins won't make for a better bike.

And since you're playing in the pricing stratosphere, throw Moots into the mix.