Steel Or Titanium

[JCroxton1]

Have been chatting with the guys at my LBS about my next tour, planning to head down France during the Euro's next summer, and I'm thinking I'll need a new bike for the trip. They have 2 bikes in particular that have caught my eye. Both from Dawes, the Super Galaxy 853, which has a Reynolds 853 steel frame, OR the Ultra Galaxy Titanium. Both of which have similar components, but I'm trying to weigh up whether it's worth the extra £500 to go for the titanium frame - don't know a huge amount about either material when it comes to bike frames.

I've had a ride around their car park on both, but it's hard to get a feel for the bike without taking it for a proper ride. Any advice would be greatly received.

 

[Spoked Wheels]

Have been chatting with the guys at my LBS about my next tour, planning to head down France during the Euro's next summer, and I'm thinking I'll need a new bike for the trip. They have 2 bikes in particular that have caught my eye. Both from Dawes, the Super Galaxy 853, which has a Reynolds 853 steel frame, OR the Ultra Galaxy Titanium. Both of which have similar components, but I'm trying to weigh up whether it's worth the extra £500 to go for the titanium frame - don't know a huge amount about either material when it comes to bike frames.

I've had a ride around their car park on both, but it's hard to get a feel for the bike without taking it for a proper ride. Any advice would be greatly received.

For touring I'd go with steel.... just about anybody can weld steel tubes. With TI you need a specialist.

 

[Drago]

Steel. Can't think of any NET advantage to Ti for the purpose you haven in mind, though it can look very Purdy.

 

[AndyRM]

For touring I'd go with steel.... just about anybody can weld steel tubes. With TI you need a specialist.

Amen to that.

 

[graham bowers]

Titanium is probably more nickable.

 

[JCroxton1]

Seems pretty unanimous, how does the Reynolds 853 compare to the 631?

 

[craigwend]

Alternative to Dawes (even though I have a Galaxy) both steel & Ti -
http://www.spacycles.co.uk/products.php?plid=m1b17s0p0
if you have a 'epic' frame fail - your only in Europe ... getting it repaired might not be your biggest priority ..

 

[sidevalve]

if you have a 'epic' frame fail - your only in Europe ... getting it repaired might not be your biggest priority ..

Ever tried to find a titanium 'repair shop'? At a moments notice - even out in the backwoods of good old UK ?
Sorry but 853 is a superb frame material and will make a brilliant tour bike.

 

[swansonj]

I have long subscribed to the conventional view that steel has the advantage of allowing it to be repaired more easily.

But just out of interest, how many people here, in practice, have ever actually had a frame break and need welded repairs on a tour?

 

[Fab Foodie]

Seems pretty unanimous, how does the Reynolds 853 compare to the 631?

They are the same alloy except 853 is air-hardened and is thus stronger. It means 853 builds into a slightly lighter and stiffer frame. On a Galaxy which is no lightweight I doubt you'd notice much difference except the price. 631 is more than good enough.
My Audax bike is 853 and whilst fairly stiff is also long-distance comfortable so both tube-sets would be fine. I see no value in Titanium touring bike.

 

[sidevalve]

But just out of interest, how many people here, in practice, have ever actually had a frame break and need welded repairs on a tour?

Me. Long time ago I admit and the repair didn't look pretty but it worked.

 

[StuartG]

The Ti advantage of weight saving is pretty well swamped by the loads you carry when touring. You won't detect the difference. Get steel, save the money and spend it on something more useful - like better maps or nicer rooms.

 

[srw]

The Ti advantage of weight saving is pretty well swamped by the loads you carry when touring. You won't detect the difference. Get steel, save the money and spend it on something more useful - like better maps or nicer rooms.

I suspect this is right. The Ti bike is only half a kilo lighter than the steel, which in the grand scheme of things is nothing. If, however, the bike is going to be used for not-touring as well as touring the difference might be worth having. Both steel and titanium are lovely to ride in terms of shock absorbance, and the point about catastrophic frame failure being repairable is just not worth the worry.

 

[Origamist]

Seems pretty unanimous, how does the Reynolds 853 compare to the 631?

It's more expensive. For touring, 631 would be fine.

 

[Onyer]

I am a great fan of Titanium bikes as they are super smooth to ride. I have not ridden a steel bike since my school days, many many years ago, so I can't give you a comparison. I wouldn't worry about whether you will need to have the frame repaired as the chances are very small that you will be in that situation. Plus Ti will last you a lifetime as it will not corrode or rust. But 13kg for the Dawes? That sounds very heavy to me.