Shimano Branded Mystery Frame/Bike Titanium(?) What is It??

[StevieBob]

Hello All,

Have not been posting in a long while now. But this frame/bike has me coming back here because I need the expertise of this forum!

So I bought this bike this week and the frame has no branding except for Shimano stickers. The bike is build up with high end Shimano kit, the parts include:
XTR ST-M950 M951 shifters and brake levers.
XT M739 V-Brakes, Rear Mech, Crank.
CX 400 Front Mech (strangely enough)
Deore LX Parallax hubs on FIR MT 232 Rims.
RST Mozo Pro SL front fork

So all that puts it around 96/97 right?

Now to the fun stuff. The frame is from a strange material, I think it is titanium because I do not know what else it could be :S But The finish of the metal looks weird to me, but then again I have no real experience with titanium. The frame is not magnetic anywhere! The tubes are not thick and the welds are very neat (so no aluminium then??), seat tube and top tube have a 12,2mm diameter. The walls are 3mm thick on head and seat tube. The frame is 1600grams on a 50cm (seat tube) sized frame! That is pretty good stuff and I think another argument for titanium?

So considering it has only Shimano stickers with no clear coat over them, but they are put on there very professionally and the high end Shimano parts I think this is a promo/demo bike or something? Shimano has done this and they never build frames themselves. The only marking the frame itself has is: H744, on the drive side drop out. So the question is: WHAT THE HECK IS IT???

Pictures below! Note: I made the pictures after washing the frame but I did not dry it so it has watermarks (they came off easily with a buff with a slightly damp cloth).

IMG_7991 (1) by Stephen Lauret, on Flickr

IMG_7992 by Stephen Lauret, on Flickr

IMG_7993 by Stephen Lauret, on Flickr

IMG_7994 by Stephen Lauret, on Flickr

IMG_7995 by Stephen Lauret, on Flickr

IMG_7996 by Stephen Lauret, on Flickr

 

[Magpiegifts]

Can you find any corrosion anywhere?

 

[StevieBob]

NONE!!! No pitting either! Only scratching on the chain stay where there was chain suck, but even that is minimal. Other argument for Titanium right? Aluminium would have had deeper scratching on that spot as it is softer.

Correct me if I am wrong please!

 

[jimo746]

Re:

Stainless ?

 

[StevieBob]

Re: Re:

Stainless ?

That is what I thought in the start too. But it is not magnetic at all, inside, outside, where ever. Can a stainless steel frame of 50cm come in at 1600grams? I really do not know. You think it is stainless?

EDIT: If it is stainless, what frame builders build stainless steel frames of quality (I think it is quality, good welds, no pitting etc and not heavy)?

 

[troje]

It appears titanium to me. In particular the dropouts and the welding.

 

[troje]

What’s that QR code on the downtube?

 

[StevieBob]

I think it would be "polished" titanium right?

I was looking at titanium frames from the 90's and the seatpost clamp thingy looks very Marin, the brake mounts too....Anybody else thinks so too?

What’s that QR code on the downtube?

Haha no info there, that is a "ticket" "vignet" to ride your bike in nature areas/reservations that are being managed by a Dutch NGO called "Natuurmonumenten" (nature monuments, is the direct translation )

 

[troje]

Ah, so the bike is actually used!

I would say a Litespeed produced, non branded showbike for Shimano. Somewhere mid ‘90s. The positioning of the top tube mounted cable stops is interesting and could give a clue.

 

[ishaw]

Re:

It might just be a generic shiman9 decal, had plenty of them myself.

Can't help with the frame id aside from saying it looks ti, and dies look marin esque. Did they have their brand name on the drop outs like their steel frames?