Titanium is hard to work with, it is expensive, it requires really expensive tooling and regular changing of that tooling to keep it sharp.
Welding titanium can be a challenge, its properties when heating means it needs to be designed carefully and handled properly by expert welders.
There are lots of reasons why a company might go with carbon, aluminium or steel, but we have decided to go with Ti for a few simple reason:
Titanium is 100% recyclable.
If you break your frame we cut out and weld in a new tube, sort out the heat treating and send it you back. The frame does not need to be filmed being cut in half and sent to landfill.
Keeping the frame raw means we don't need to replace frames because of paint defects, they don't look old after one gritty winter and they can be polished up to a shine after years of use.
We have seen bikes needing to be replaced due to having graphics not installed properly and lacquered over. If your graphics are looking tatty, or if you decide to change the colour theme of your rig, simply peel the high quality graphics off and replace them with some others.
We don't give them "years" so last years frame is reduced in value, all the bikes we make have have value. The value is in the fun and the exclusivity.
Ti frames do not corrode in those salty winter miles.
You don't need to use harsh chemicals to clean the bike, as there isn't a shot peened finish that grabs onto the mud. In fact water is usually good enough to keep keep the bikes pretty clean.
The "standards" we use are the most common we can get away with, with the exception of the T47 BB, but that has so many other advantages that we wont go into here.
The frames have a "spring" in the metal, those forces from riding need to go somewhere, having a really stiff frame, will do an amazing job of transferring that force to the weakest part of the frame, usually bearings, axles, CSUs. This causes creaks and wear that you would not usually expect. That "spring" helps reduce those forces and is a bit more forgiving on your components.
We use big old bearings where we can, they simply last longer. We use common bearings, none of those imperial internal races, metric outer races! (we have seen them). You can order bearings from us, or down the road at your local bearing supplier.
Titanium for us is just a better material for a bike frame than a lot of the other options available.
Making frames less disposable and of higher quality reduces our impact a bit on the world. That is a good thing is you ask us!
