The World’s Best Performance Road Bike. (And It’s Not Carbon…) 

I wish I was sponsored by the Ti industry! That would be awesome! 😍Unfortunately Litespeed won’t even sell to dealers anymore, they do everything direct. That frame is my last one… 😢

Yes, sounds like a Litespeed sponsorship, especially when you forget to mention Lynskey Performance Ti frames. David Lynskey was the original founder of Litespeed and sold the company in 1999, then formed Lynskey Performance several years later. The Lynskey family has over 60 years experience in high end metal fabrication. Lynskey frames are just as good as Litespeed and usually are priced lower and come with a threaded BB shell as standard, which cost extra on Litespeed. However not sure about availability in the UK.

@@kennybinns6279 I showed both them and Moots in the video.

Wow, that’s very kind of you! ❤️

Is it that simple? Surly it very much depends on thickness and design of the shell? 🙂

@@reginaldscot165of course. But, I suppose we are all after frames that weigh less than 1300g (as an absolute max).

Thank you 🙏🏻 ❤️

You did a great job finding it! I’m sure you will love it! Very happy riding and be safe. ❤️🙂👍🏻

@@reginaldscot165 thanks so much! 😀👍🏻

Congratulations, excellent choice. 👍🏻🙂

Thank you! Sounds like an awesome bike you have. ❤️ All the best and safe riding! 🙂👍🏻

I would love to own a Time!

Excellent comment! Thank you and you sound like you have a lovely collection of bikes! 🙂👍🏻

It’s true they don’t self destruct, but… they are more prone to damage due to a careless owner, less forgiving of silly mistakes and they do definitively get softer with age. Just the nature of the material wanting to revert to its original form. 🙂

@@reginaldscot165 I'm no expert but that frame didn't seem soft to me even with untold miles on it, it seemed as stiff and nice as my new(er) Emonda I'm riding now.

@@reginaldscot165 there is no "definitely softer with age" on cf bikes.

@@S9999Frank They will all be landfill within 5 or 6 years.

I have now worn out seven carbon fiber bikes over the course of the last 20 years (three of them in the last nine years.) If you ride them a lot, like I do, they fail, full stop. I have never had one last more than 30,000 km, although the one I am currently riding (a 2020 S-Works Diverge) seems to be much more robust than the two Diverges I wore out before it. Back when carbon was a newer thing, some of those bikes only lasted one year (

With titanium it’s not simple. But steel it’s definitely possible. 👍🏻🙂

Fantastic! ❤️

What a story! I wish I lived that close to their factory. 😁 Safe riding!

Hah - I have the same bike and had the same buying experience (live in Johnson City).

What a wonderful comment! Good on you. And yes, never follow the flock! 🐑 🐑🐑🐑🐑 😂

I couldn’t agree more! Both technologies have their pros and cons. 👍🏻

Rim brakes are inferior technology. If they offered a significant advantage, they by professional riders who take earn their living by winning races. Just stop. It’s not a conspiracy, Alex Jones. Disc brakes are better.

20 years?

@@the.communist Google '2003 Giant OCR Touring'.

I just can't buy a discbrakebike, wanted a lynskey helix ti frameset but it only comes with disc sorry not gonna but it, caliper brakes or no buy for me. I'm sure they'll make a return in the near future.

So by your logic a steel frame is actually a carbon frame because steel “alloys” (yes steel is also an alloy) contains carbon? Titanium frames have almost nothing in common with aluminium frames. They don’t suffer from micro-fractures with fatigue life. They don’t corrode. They are more compliant in general. (The opposite of stiffer) They can’t be hydro-formed. They are much more durable… In fact I’m struggling to think of one similarity between aluminium frames and titanium frames? They are both made of metal… they both contain some aluminium… that’s it. 😁 In fact in my personal experience a much better comparison can be made with steel and titanium. They are much more similar in ride quality and durability than aluminium. Except steel is about 2X the weight of titanium and can rust.

Lovely 🥰

Can do 👍🏻

Can do 👍🏻🙂

I hope so! 😁👍🏻

No experience, I think they should make a rim brake version because supposedly it’s the lightest disc bike they have ever made. So by that logic it’s lighter than the T1SL disc, therefore if it was made in rim it would be the New worlds lightest titanium bike frame. But they won’t and as far as I’m concerned buying a disc brake road bike is pointless. MTB yes, gravel yes, but not road. 🤷🏻‍♂️

Excellent 👌🏻 🙂

Nice comment. 👍🏻🙂 Trust me, the T1SL is more than stiff enough. 😉

It’s lighter and I think a bit more comfortable. That’s all. 😁 the rake is about the same. 1 1/8 I believe

Thank you very much, it was a difficult subject to explain but I tried to do it in an easily to understand way. 😁 I think it worked out ok. 😉

I think they do a city bike with a straight handle bar called the CHEROHALA CITY. It’s the cheapest option if you just want to ride. Unfortunately it’s disc only. If you want a proper road bike, light, with rim brakes, comfortable and fun to ride then yes, 100% get a T5. Really great bike. ❤️

@@reginaldscot165 thanks for the prompt response Reginald! Much appreciated! I will watch all of your content from now on :-)

@@reginaldscot165 I actually wanted a bike with drop bars so the T5 it is. Thanks!

Plenty of ways to make more money buddy. 🙂 I heard a 15 year old kid on RU-vid the other day made 50k drop shipping. I saw a young lad make 15k in 5 minutes on day trading. If you are commenting here you have the internet, if you cycle you are probably smarter than your average guy, I’m sure you can come up with a plan. All the best and safe riding! ❤️

@@reginaldscot165 Thank you 😎

That’s unfortunate and frustrating. What year was the bike made? I know when the company changed hands they stopped warranting some of the older frames.

😮

Rim for road. ❤️

I’m glad I could help! I hope! 😂 Safe riding!

@@reginaldscot165 🙂👌

I just built one with the same Dura ace for a friend. 6.5kg 👍🏻🙂

That’s very true unfortunately. 👍🏻

The young module of titanium is almost exactly the same as aluminium. Thus when having the same weight the two frames will most likely have very similar stiffness properties. However it is far more difficult to hydro-form titanium tubes compared to aluminium. Therefore the design of the frame can't be tuned as much as for titanium. When it comes to corrosion resistance aluminium and titanium are both mainly subject to galvanic corrosion only. But titanium is not a noble metal. It will corrode too. However there is one advantage to titanium over aluminium: it is less brittle than aluminium. However I personally think that it is just plain and simply not worth the money. And then there is no such a thing as a bike for life. After some time you get older (10years) and you will require a different geometry and bike setup. I have for example made well over 150k on a very plain and cheap aluminium frame for a road bike from decathlon. It wasn't pretty and the BB alignment left to wish for. However it was fitting me very well and that was the most important factor for me to stick to it. A steel frame in similar usage (long distance riding) wouldn't hold up. Sooner then later it will be eaten up by rust.

Titanium can crack, but it’s normally a problem with poor heat treatment of the welds rather than a flaw of the material. Perhaps you were unlucky, very unlucky! Because there are some very old Titanium bikes on the second hand market still in perfectly good condition. Also they do tend to have a lifetime warranty and it looks like that was respected with whoever you bought from So that’s good! 🙂 Also I bought a very expensive custom carbon bike that cracked on me in only 4 months of use! But I didn’t get a warranty refund and I never bought carbon again! 🙂

@Reginald Scot Well my point exactly, no material is perfect or perfectly constructed. Titanium is a difficult metal to work with and all manufacturers have problems with their frames. Titanium is not some wonder material that prevents that. Conversly any frame can last a lifetime if constructed annd treated well.

​@@proh26 😂

Thank you very much. Simple answer is cost, carbon forks are cheap because they are mass produced. 🙂

The simple answer is because in my particular circumstances. (Riding on the road, fast, in a country that doesn’t get snow or ice.) it’s better. But there is a stack of reasons why it’s better in road bikes in general… I’m planning to make a video on the subject soon.

No Idea, but Litespeed are the best in titanium technology.

@@reginaldscot165 I will definitely keep that in mind, sir. You may want to take a peek at the Dolan brand, as well. They get good reviews. If you're curious, that is. But thanks for the rapid response. It will no doubt serve as a strong influence on my decision. Keep up the good work, Mr. Scot.

Dolan frames are made in China and Dolan stick their decals on them.

T5 or if you can them second hand T6

Awesome! 😇 🙏🏻 Thank you! 😁

Yes there was a bad period to buy a Litespeed. But the T1 is on a different level. My friend just got one and he can’t believe how it rides, like nothing else. ❤️

If you have tried modern carbon rims with rim brakes its completely a different experience. I remember the old rims, in the wet you have zero friction. I was riding in the rain on my new rims and it was incredible breaking. ❤️

True, peer pressure is the main reason people choose carbon in Brunei. They don’t want to be the odd one out, it’s especially strong in Asia.

​@@reginaldscot165 And here I am, still riding on aluminium after 11+ years of riding. I now have two aluminium road frames, one rim brake (already built a year ago at home) and one disc brake (only has its groupset, everything else isn't bought yet).

You will be surprised to hear I still use 23mm tyres. I haven’t found the need to go bigger on my T1SL yet and they fit really nicely on my carbon rims. 🙂 Thank you for the comment! Ride safe!

​@@reginaldscot165 Have you ever tried wider tires?

That sucks! I had a similar experience with a custom made carbon bike in the early 2000s. No warranty. 😭

Depends if you consider CO2 a problem and also depends how you get your energy I guess? Maybe Ti should be 0.5 for that. 🙂

​@@reginaldscot165 Logic error. Regardless of whether you see CO2 as a problem or not, nothing changes the different emissions.

Great comment! Hope your new/used bike is awesome. 🙂👍🏻

770 for a frame? That is light! Yes definitely because mine is a size ML. 🙂

Yes they look impressive, aero and stiff, i think they make the weld thick and then sand over them to make it smooth, they also use 3D printing I believe? But it makes for a heavier build and they are on the pricey side… but still, very pretty. 👍🏻🙂

I will gladly explain! 🙂 Because when working on the bike I clamp the seatpost, so it’s much better to have a titanium one. I also pick the bike up by the post and I clamp lights and bags to it, so having something that doesn’t mind having dirt rub against it for hours is a major advantage. 😁 Also it’s also more comfortable than a carbon seatpost in the same dynamiter. 👍🏻 As for the fork, many reasons, 1) to make a fork in titanium in that shape would be very Difficult and expensive, carbon is a cost saving material in this situation. 2) they can outsource production to other companies. 3) in a head on crash you are likely to damage the fork, so it’s cheaper to replace. 4) it’s possible to get lighter forks. As 3D printing improves I’m sure a titanium one of quality and Low weight will become available. Then I will definitely buy one! 🤭

@@reginaldscot165 Ok, thanks for reply :) Bike looks like a beast with those wheels on, have to say :D very nice channel for cycling related stuff btw

It looks great but lightness is only one factor.Being heavier doesn't make a bike bad.

Wonderful! 😍

Is it more or less common than carbon or aluminium cracking? Are there people still riding on 30 year old Ti bikes? (Yes 😉) Yes some of the older ones cracked in the early days when Ti was a new material and nobody knew how to weld it properly. But that was 38 years ago. Don’t forget, many Ti bike come with a 10 to 15 year warranty on the frame as well. So if anything is going to happen you would expect it in the first 10 years. 👍🏻

Great comment and weight can also be solved by equipment choices. 🙂👍🏻

“Ti frames are not bulletproof.” The video seems to show they are. 😅

Good point 👍🏻

Titanium… it’s the thinking man’s bike material. 😉

Excellent! ❤️

I couldn’t find any information on “titanium frets?” Other than guitar strings. 😁 It can suffer from galling, but no more than other materials, I haven’t found my titanium frames react to anything yet. 🙂

Some things here that I don’t agree with but it’s some good subjects for future videos so I appreciate the food for thought! 🙏🏻 Thank you for your input and all the best! 👍🏻🙂

Always the same marketing BS ever time someone criticizes the bike ballast. What you proclaim isn't true.

@@rosomak8244 Mhmmm…marketing BS? 🤔 interesting…

@@sa330jpuma Yes you a lying. Disc brakes don't perform better and they are far less reliable in esp. in the mountains. They don't perform any better in wet. The worst thing is that they fail almost instantly when they fail without any real notice. On the other side: they require finickle constant maintenance and they add unnecessary weight to the bike both directly as well as indirectly through increased requirements on the frame due to the inferior force application. They are a fanaberia for people who don't ride seriously and they where forced on the professionals.

@@rosomak8244 Hi, many thanks for your detailed reply. I am just wondering about your „vibes“, you must have had loads of problems with disc breaks causing lots of frustration on your side. I am sorry for you if this is or was the case. But you are also correct, disc breaks are generally in need of more maintenance compared to their rim brothers. Additionally, the first generations of roadbike disc brakes had loads of issues like stuck brake pistons and also fading when they got hot. Is it maybe possible, that you have one of these older series on your bike? Never the less, also with disc breaks you need to have a certain break „technic“ to get a certain system cool down in between heavy break events, same like with rim brakes. Maybe it is also an different „perspective“ you got? As former national team engineer I have obviously no big problems to vent and adjust disc breaks to the „point“. You might laugh, I still have a nice Cannondale SuperSix with rim breaks…I live in the Alps and sometimes when I take it for a ride here, down the 24% slopes, I scare my ass off that my modern carbon wheelset is not „melting“ away. And yes, you can imagine, I have specific brake pads for my rims, no worries 😉 I remember years ago on the same route getting into rain, I was partially not able to get the bike slowed down enough, able to safely get the needle turn downhill done. I guess we have many of colleagues with the same experience getting the rim flanges downhill dry enough able to get friction on them, especially using Carbon wheel sets. This never ever happened to me and all my colleagues anymore after switching over to disc breaks years ago. But if you only ride in flat or „hilly“ areas, you might not be able to feel the differences between the two break systems which is especially along the border zone of the doable more than only noticeable, especially for pro riders. Same like in the Formula One, it’s usually not the fastest car which will win, it is the one with the best break system or combination of, allowing them to break just a bit later than the competitors keeping the speed up. Newer roadbike disc break systems having also more distance from the break pads to the disc itself and the partially annoying scratch sounds are history now too. Wondering why all Mountainbikes have disc brakes if they are so badly performing 🤔 Yes, I also still know the times where we used the first hydraulic Magura rim brakes…and yes, we all were happy when that era was ending and we could turn to disc brakes. Never the less, I guess you are now on rim brakes riding, if not please approach a good service center and maybe evaluate to change break callipers to new generation ones if compatible. Greetings and I wish you always a safe and great relaxing ride ✌️🚵🏻‍♂️🚴‍♂️

True 👍🏻 I considered it for my steel bike but for the cost I decided against it. 🙂

@@reginaldscot165 i have a custom frame made of XCR. Highly recommended. Was hard to choose against ti by the builder said there are more tube shapes in xcr than in ti and hence it would have been easier for him to tune the ride quality. And the bike is indeed even better than I would have ever expected

Wonderful! I’m sure any will be a bike you will love. ❤️🙂

It’s a big question, nothing is 100% safe, even tubeless. Everything is about compromise to some extent. I think it’s possible to be light and have a good quality tyre that shrugs off most road debris but I will explain more in a video I’m working on now. 😁👍🏻

Ah, the polymers holding the carbon could deteriorate

The glue does yes.

Some people do use titanium forks, but they are very expensive because titanium is hard to shape to that level… but 3D printing is getting better. 😁

@@reginaldscot165 Anecdotal I know. But I've seen more Titanium frame failures than any other material. Nearly always cracks near welds. And including ones manufactured by Litespeed.

Not familiar with them.

That’s sad. I know some riders who had them for 20+ years so far. If you live in the US there are a few people who can repair that. 👍🏻

Hard but not impossible. 😉

The weird tubes are there to improve performance. But you can get most Ti bike in more traditional cheap shapes, Moots are like that and yes they are expensive. But you can get custom build Ti from China for $900 USD now and there is also plenty floating around on the second hand market. 👍🏻🙂

@@reginaldscot165, like I said, i’m a bit embarrassed that I dislike these tube shapes. Bicycles should be about function, not fashion. It’s kind of like people who want their bicycles to have traditional thin tubes and double triangle construction. I just need to get over it.

That I couldn’t say as I have never ridden that bike. But if you can pick one up second hand why not! 😁👍🏻

No. Not because they aren’t good. But because Litespeed are the best bike for the lowest cost when it comes to Ti. You could buy a Moots for example, but it will cost more and be less advanced? You could buy a Chinese frame, but it will be as heavy as a house and probably not that great on build quality… it will however be cheap. So go LS, you get a lifetime warranty and it’s an awesome bike. 🤷🏻‍♂️

@@reginaldscot165 What about a Falkenjagd?

I own a T1SL and agree Litespeed are good value for money. But there are other fantastic builders out there especially a lot of the smaller custom brands like Mosaic, Speedvagen and Ericksen. Also the tech advantages are overblown with a Ti bike as none of them are remotely aerodynamic so IMO its more about the craftsmanship, ride quality, durability and appeal.

That I don’t know. But the LS one is good

I have had a PNP ti post for 26 years on my Bianchi still good.27.2x250mm ,180grams.

Thanks, such as? 🙂

I already explained that.

Because it is not the best material, as it is too expensive for an item that is lunlikely to be maintained and serviced much more than 10 years, it is heavier than carbon, and not easily shaped into an aero shape. It is good only for people who love the feel of metal, just like steel bikes. Good enough for riding, but not cutting edge tech like carbon is.

This one does. Trust me. I have had all bike material types and this is like nothing else. I just built one for a friend who normally rides the TCR and he’s said it’s amazing, so good he doesn’t want to ride his TCR anymore. 😂 (was said to be in the top 10 of stiffest bikes by the professional reviewer!)

Thank you, I’m really glad you enjoyed the video, this one is special to me, it’s one of those videos I wanted to make for a long time and is on a subject I feel is important. Hopefully it is beneficial to people to see frame material in a different perspective. 🙂🙏🏻

I will agree that the moots welds do look lovely. But I’m getting better tube manipulation, lower weight and less cost. If you don’t care about weight then why not buy a steel bike? Looks the same as a moots? Or a Chinese frame, again they look same as moots because moots don’t bother with complexity in their designs. That reduces work and cost for them, but rather than charge accordingly they are some of the most expensive Ti bikes out there? Yes, double not triple butted. About frame cracks. 1) LS have been doing this longer than anyone else so you would expect to see more of their bikes with cracks. 2) they are always pushing the boundaries of what is possible. For example the T1SL. When you push boundaries you sometimes find the limits of the material. Hopefully that’s what the lifetime warranty is for. 3) They have changed hands as a company and at 1 time they were owned by people who sort profit over quality. If you check the dates on the cracked frames online they are most common in that time frame. You can still see people on the LS Facebook page riding LS bikes that are 30+ years old. Moots are nice, but they are boring conservative bikes that cost way too much and are too heavy for the price. Why not use the amazing material of titanium to its fullest advantage? 🤷🏻‍♂️ All the best and ride safe! ❤️

Good choice 👍🏻

Good thing the T1SL has a replacement hanger then. 🤭 it’s also made of titanium and fixed with 2 screws. 👍🏻

@reginaldscot165 ?titanium screws.. I would advise not so they shear.. but then I guess, you'd need a new derailleur!

@@timhull8664 Screws from titanium are fine. Aluminium is problematic.

@@reginaldscot165 it looks like one piece in the video sorry.

@@The2808erik no problem! It’s because it’s all the same material so it blends in. 🙂👍🏻

My answer to that is if you do a Google search for dose titanium corrode: “Titanium has outstanding corrosion resistance.” And in all the years I have worked with titanium and serviced titanium bikes I have not seen any corroding on the titanium itself. Second answer would be, if titanium is toxic as you insinuate then why do they make camping cups and cutlery 🍴 out of titanium? And why do they use it in both medical equipment and in implants. For example I have several titanium plates and screws in my skull.

​@@reginaldscot165well it depends on used alloy for medical purposes i think, they are different

Ok so 1 examples doesn’t invalidate the point of the video. Also I said “i” have never ridden an alu frame I consider comfortable. In comparison with the titanium or steel frames I have ridden. Also if it was a cross frame how big were your tyres? Are you comparing like for like or 35s with say a carbon bike on 23s?

@@reginaldscot165 But your premise was the best material for a frame and you knocked points off from aluminum for comfort. It CAN be comfortable that was my point, depends on the frame-builder. Finding the "best" material should take into consideration the 1 example (BTW not one they built thousands of them for at least themselves and 3 other manufacturers) No it was that cross frame compared to other steel and aluminum frames (Ritchey, Redline and a custom AL frame) all running the same wheels and tires. You did hit the nail on the head though, "frame comfort" is literally far less important than the seatpost, wheels and tires, so much so that I have a Canyon gravel bike that would be incredibly more jarring without the carbon post, which makes it feel very smooth.

Did it not long ago and it was fine, I think the rims got to about 40C, the main factor was my lack of skill to be honest. That and the hills were so steep that slowing down was causing the back end of the bike to lift! Any more power and I’d have flipped the bike. 😅

Ha ha yes indeed. 😁

Yes it’s almost impossible at the moment. Hopefully someone will work it out before we all drown in broken carbon frames! 😂

I agree, disc for dirt rim for road. 🙂👍🏻 Nothing, I paid them.

That’s cool, what makes them better? 🙂

@@reginaldscot165 Check them out. 3D printed titanium.

Great 👍🏻 🙂

I agree with the first part. 🙂 But Lynskey didn’t work for NASA, don’t have anything as light as the T1SL and haven’t been doing it as long as the guys at Litespeed. (Because they sold off the company and turned their backs on making bikes for years.) LS and LY prices are similar and LY also use cost saving aluminium shims in their bikes according to LS? But… yes, they do make lovely bikes. 👍🏻🙂 Safe happy riding! ❤️

@@reginaldscot165 Sorry Reginald, you really have no idea what you are talking about. David Lynskey started Litespeed. He brought years of experience working with Titanium to Litespeed from working with his father in their machine shop all the way back to the early 1960s. (who actually did do work for the aerospace industry with titanium) No one at Litespeed ever had more experience than the founder himself and I hardly believe anyone who was on the original staff, hired by David Lysnskey, is still working at Litespeed today. But David Lynskey IS working at Lynkskey performance. When he sold Litespeed, he remained on staff for two years as a consultant. The reason he decided to leave is that the new owners of Litespeed were more interested in cutting corners to improve profits than they were in making quality bike frames. He remained out of the bike frame bunsiness only for the duration of his non compete clause which was two years. (David did not turn his back on making bikes, he turned his back on making inferior bikes to boost profits and it was only for two years). When you claim that Litespeed has more experience building bikes than David Lynskey you make a claim that is absolutely absurd. Tell me the name of they guy at Litespeed who has more experience working with titanium than David Lynskey. Can you give me his name? No you can't because he does not exist. You claim that Lynskey does not make a bike as light as the T1SL but Litespeed does not make a performance bike as stiff as the Helix Pro. A few grams is not as critical to a performance frame as stiffness and it is possible with component choice to get a M/L Helix below the UCI weight limit so what exactly is your point? The idea of absolute lightness as the primary goal in frame building has even been abandoned by the carbon frame builders, or haven't you noticed? The way you make a frame lighter is by removing material. Not rocket science here. But when you remove material there is a cost in terms of durability. Lynskey understands this and chooses to innovate in ways that don't compromise on quality and durability. In the end you get a bike that performs better and lasts longer. Finally, Lynskey is a family owned business that exists to make the best titanium bike frames for a reasonable cost. Litespeed is owned by a corporation that exists primarily to make a profit. Which company do you think is more likely to "cut costs". When you claim that LS says Lynksey cuts corners by using aluminum shims do you know exactly what that means? Where and how are these "shims" used? (if used at all). And if they are used, is it for some functional purpose or to cut costs? Do you know? And do you really trust anyone at LS to tell you the truth about Lynskey? Come on, give us all a break and start being honest.

@@robertpreato3891TLDNR…what was the middle bit…?

Cool!

@reginaldscot165 BTW. Its made by Enigma, think the frames are imported.. but its super comfy..

Partly correct. The way most people do it is fill the frame with inert gas and use a nozzle on the torch that emits a stream of gas called as gas shroud or gas shield. 🙂

You must be trolling. Has to be the funniest comment of the week so far. 😂

@@reginaldscot165 nope not at all I was perusing your channel and found many inaccuracies tbh. If you do research you will find that my statements have factually sound engineering foundations.

If we look at the carbon fibre sheet itself then perhaps we can say it has a very long lifetime. But to build a frame, we need epoxy resin etc and they all have limited lifetime, like when exposed to UV ray, etc.

@@jojoanggono3229 Firstly many new epoxy resins have UV resistant properties regardless the top coat protects (paint or lacquer) the structure from UV rays, secondly the "limited" functional life of epoxy if it isn't over stressed is far beyond the life expectancy of a human. These are accepted engineering facts.

Yes I do, you can get in contact with me via my IG account at “Bike Doctor BN.” 🙂👍🏻

@@reginaldscot165 I don't have an IG account. Is there another way I can contact you?

Thanks, yes cheaper and easier to make.

Sometimes yes. But i suppose to be fair most frames don’t like being crashed. 😁

Maybe I do! Would need to find some new bikes to try. However the material just doesn’t lend itself to comfort. If you make the frame tubes thin to improve flexibility then they will crack sooner as aluminium doesn’t do well under repeated stressing. (Unlike steel or Titanium) the only way I know to make an aluminium frame “comfortable” would be to design it to take very large tyres and give it a slender carbon fork and seatpost? Feel feee to name a aluminium bike you think I should investigate further. 👍🏻🙂

@@reginaldscot165 ;) I am not an engineer, but the damping is very similar between materials. Carbon fiber can be better (depending on the construction method and materials used). However, 20 years ago, all road bikes were the same. These days, we are not at the same point and bike geometries have evolved well enough to provide better solutions. There are many alu options out there that are as confortable as steel or titanium, ceteris paribus (wheels, tires, seatpost). With the advantage that the aluminum frames can be more evolved, light, super cheap and durable. I love TI and steel bikes. Comfort is not where they stand out IMO :D

That's just my take on comfort. :D

To give and idea: I have made two Transcontinental races, one with a Steel bike and other with an Alu bike. No problem with both. And we can qualify this race as a good test, I would say.

Yes, my last carbon frame only lasted 6 months before it cracked. I have seen plenty of carbon MTBs snapped as well. Carbon doesn’t like impact. The orientation of the weave won’t help you much, because it’s a crushing force and carbons strength is in tensile loads. The only way you could make a carbon tube as strong as that Ti tube in that test is to increase the wall thickness. It would need to be almost a solid tube with as little hole running down it as possible. And the grit rubbing on the tube would still significantly damage the tube surface. Also that carbon tube would end up being about 3 or 4 times heavier than the Ti tube by the time it was thick enough. That would make the point of using carbon totally redundant. For example, space X tried making their rocket fuel tanks from carbon fibre. It didn’t work, they kept collapsing under the load and making them stronger would have required so much material they would have been too heavy. So they switched to stainless steel! The steel tanks ended up being not only stronger but lighter than the carbon. 🤷🏻‍♂️

@@reginaldscot165 Fortunately for carbon fiber the crushing load of a truck running over a tube is irrelevant to a bike frame. I just watched Ben Delaney review a litespeed gravel bike, and he showed how flexy it is compared to a CF bike. He did mention that you are robbed of power if you are putting down power. I also watched a touring the Lynskey factory, and I have to admit, I was a little disappointed. The fabrication did not look much more than made in garage level. The workers are talented I am sure they are nice high quality bikes though, and I really want to like them because they are made in USA. I am looking at the pro GR. I also just watched a video touring the Giant bikes factory in Taiwan, and it could not be further from the Lynskey factory. The infrastructure and tooling and technology used is amazing. You make it sound like CF bikes frames are a cheap easy to manufacture alternative. You could not be further from the truth. The machines and tooling probably cost hundreds of millions of dollars. Each bike frame mold cost like 150 grand each. The testing performed was amazing. You mention space X using stainless, and yes I am sure you found one cherry picked example where CF was not the ideal material. Tell me how many formula 1 cars, jumbo jets, fighter jets, supercars, tour de france race bikes are made from welded titanium tubes? How much technological innovation is created each year in titanium bike frames manufacturing and design? Carbon fiber design and manufacturing is evolving by the minute. If CF bike frames are so cheap and easy to make, they would be made in USA. Only frames made here are metal welded, because they are easy to make and the tooling is cheap, and there is no competition to innovate. Such a shame that we ceded CF fabrication to overseas companies. I don't mean to mean to argue, just telling you what's going through my head as I decide to get the Lynskey GR pro or Trek checkpoint SL, Giant Revolt Advanced. I do think the chance of damaging a CF frame over a long period of ownership is higher. But I don't think the performance is there. You can just do so much with CF in terms of engineering. Your video was very good, and your bike is beautiful.

@@reginaldscot165 I do think titanium could make a bike frame that performs as good as CF, but it would take the engineering innovation, and massive infrastructure and tooling similar to what CF uses. It would take hydroformed, fully 3D shaped sections that also have fully varying thickness. Metal stamping varying thickness sheet could also be used. 3D printing also offers to advantageous properties. The current fabrication technology of titanium bikes is probably close to 100 years old.

Totally agree 🙂👍🏻

The most modern aluminium frame I tried was the Bowman Palace R. So quite modern and it got 10/10 in cycling media. However, it’s far from comfortable. I also tried a Allez and many of the CAADs, 8/10/12, non are what I would describe as “comfortable” in comparison with steel and titanium. Maybe they have gotten better, but this is a comparison of materials and in relative terms aluminium just doesn’t feel as good as steel or Ti. Could you name some examples of a comfortable aluminium bike please? I’d do my best to borrow one and try it. 🙂

@reginaldscot165 I built my son an Ultegra dressed bike using a Scott frame 7005 aluminum. Obviously it doesn't ride like my Lynskey but it rides almost as well as the 4000 dollar Specialized I rode last year **I don't remember the model**. However I am a large rider 6'4" 220 so my experience might differ from others. Side note, have you tried a Lynskey Helix? It is a unique bike

I’m not sure I follow? 🙃

@@reginaldscot165 : LOL! See the chainring?

That’s definitely debatable. A subject for another video for sure. 😁👍🏻

@@reginaldscot165 Maybe I am using the wrong pads but all of my bikes have carbon wheels and rim brakes and they don't function as good as the alloy wheel with rim brakes

@@se7ensnakes I have got Campagnolo Bora wheel sets with the AC3 brake track finish and when used with the Campagnolo pads the braking is on par with alu rims... in dry conditions. In the wet it is a whole different story though, so when the weather forecast is shite I am on my disc brake bike :D.

It’s not 6.8kg it’s 6.4kg. 6.5kg on a non race day. (I use heavier tyres for training.) 😎 But your wheels are heavier than mine, your group set is heavier and probably you weren’t using TPU tubes? 🤔 🤷🏻‍♂️

Eh? What drawbacks? 😳 I almost bought a Xcr frame, but they are really expensive and still way heavier than titanium? Stainless can also still rust in the right conditions. But maybe I need education, please explain. 🙂👍🏻

It has to me made of 316 marine grade s/s of known origin (I. E aerospace grade)

​@@reginaldscot165 top shelf stuff is usually expensive yes, but so is top shelf Ti. Litespeed is not top shelf Ti, no offence. Ti frames are very well known to crack. Ti used in other industried doesn't matter as those properties depend on specific application. With stainless you get no corrosion and no cracking.

​@@cosinus_square My XCR Cinelli had corrosion and my cable stop broke off due to either corrosion or contaminated welds. No more XCR for me.

@@stephenang499 Hey I have a Cinelli XCr Magic Mirror. What should I be aware of mate, please share, I love my bike!

Never tried it. 🙂

So does aluminium… and titanium… oh and carbon 😁

Your correct, the grades on steel measures a lot of things including how corrosive they are.

Imagine if Rolex started making bike frames with the corrosion-resistant 904L from their foundry

That’s very true! Happy to admit that. 😉 But it’s partly repeated bad experiences. 🤭