Hello,
I know there are other forums about steel vs titanium, but my question to you guys is not about the differences between the two for a road bike. I wanted to tell you a little about myself so that you can understand where I am coming from. I have not rode a bicycle in about 14 years. The last time I rode a bike was when I had a Gary Fisher hard tail mountain bike. I eventually sold it because it was too big for me. Well, fast forward about 14 years and I am a married man with 2 kids. I have gained a little weight over the years and really want to get back into riding a bike; preferably a road bike. I weigh about 230 pounds (am also about 5' 11") and my LBS keeps telling me to stay away from Carbon due to my weight. Well, first of all, I honestly don't really want a Carbon racing bike or an aluminum bike. I have researched enough on my own and have decided that I want to look at building my first (and hopefully last) steel or titanium road bike. I am by no means going to use the bike for racing. I want to use it for long rides in the country, riding with friends, and to get some exercise! This will be my one and only bike for a while and probably my only road bike I will ever purchase (I know you are thinking, "Yeah right!")
From looking online and reading these forums, I have seen a few names in the business that make both steel and titanium. I have a few worries about a custom steel road bike in that I tend to sweat a lot and like another rider mentioned on this forum, I am afraid overtime it is going to rust my bike. I also at times may ride my bike in the rain and thus I am afraid of the steel rusting. I like everything that I have read about titanium and how it is such a great metal to use for a road bike, but my main point of this thread is to ask you guys that have the experience building a custom steel bike and/or a titanium bike what is the approximate cost difference that I am going to be looking at? Has anyone had a custom steel bike built for them and a custom titanium bike done as well?
If there is any more information you guys and girls can give to me to help my decision for my first road bike build, it would be greatly appreciated.
I know there are other forums about steel vs titanium, but my question to you guys is not about the differences between the two for a road bike. I wanted to tell you a little about myself so that you can understand where I am coming from. I have not rode a bicycle in about 14 years. The last time I rode a bike was when I had a Gary Fisher hard tail mountain bike. I eventually sold it because it was too big for me. Well, fast forward about 14 years and I am a married man with 2 kids. I have gained a little weight over the years and really want to get back into riding a bike; preferably a road bike. I weigh about 230 pounds (am also about 5' 11") and my LBS keeps telling me to stay away from Carbon due to my weight. Well, first of all, I honestly don't really want a Carbon racing bike or an aluminum bike. I have researched enough on my own and have decided that I want to look at building my first (and hopefully last) steel or titanium road bike. I am by no means going to use the bike for racing. I want to use it for long rides in the country, riding with friends, and to get some exercise! This will be my one and only bike for a while and probably my only road bike I will ever purchase (I know you are thinking, "Yeah right!")
From looking online and reading these forums, I have seen a few names in the business that make both steel and titanium. I have a few worries about a custom steel road bike in that I tend to sweat a lot and like another rider mentioned on this forum, I am afraid overtime it is going to rust my bike. I also at times may ride my bike in the rain and thus I am afraid of the steel rusting. I like everything that I have read about titanium and how it is such a great metal to use for a road bike, but my main point of this thread is to ask you guys that have the experience building a custom steel bike and/or a titanium bike what is the approximate cost difference that I am going to be looking at? Has anyone had a custom steel bike built for them and a custom titanium bike done as well?
If there is any more information you guys and girls can give to me to help my decision for my first road bike build, it would be greatly appreciated.