Things weighing less or more than expected?

[bikeworkshop]

At 950 grms they’re the weight of a heavy steel fork

950g might have been the weight of a heavy steel fork in 1995.
Now it's 1.5kg! Surly is close!

 

[ferrus]

Shocking - in every way!

 

[bikeworkshop]

Powerful braking force at the dropout adds some weight requirement obvs.
My steel salsa cromoto fork is around a kilo, light at the price of £200

 

[ferrus]

Personally I think Ti forks are a more worthwhile upgrade than a Ti frame.
A compliant steel frame with decent Ti forks gives a sweet, light and supple ride that doesn’t seem to be available today

 

[bikeworkshop]

Personally I think Ti forks are a more worthwhile upgrade than a Ti frame.
A compliant steel frame with decent Ti forks gives a sweet, light and supple ride that doesn’t seem to be available today

Certainly cheaper per kg.
And as there's a huge supply of nice steel frames for almost peanuts, it's a big saving

The frame could save 3/4kg, but could add £500* to the bill.
The fork could save half that for a quarter of the upcost.

*(These figures are all plucked from the æther with superb discretion)

 

[BlackCat]

A steel tube should be superior to a ti rod in weight and flex.

Did anyone make a saddle with tubular ti?

I think one of the later Flite Evos might have had hollow Ti rails.. but no doubt some one will be able to confirm or correct..

 

[sheppf1000]

Funny you should mention that… I picked up a complete bike earlier this year with a similar steel railed Vector and instantly whipped it off for a Ti tailed Bontrager.. but as I (scientifically) weighed them both up in my hands.. they felt pretty much the same - which was confirmed by the scales. I think the Ritchey saddle in question has hollow rails, which goes some way to explaining it…

However… to complete the explanation, I think you need to reflect on how heavily marketed titanium was as an elite material for “Team” riders and other such badasses back in the ‘90s - and how heavily we all bought into that. The titanium premium was probably more to do with this marketing (and therefore manufacturer margin), than all the supposed real world space-age lightness hoo ha.

That said. I frickin’ love titanium.

Absolutely….I'm a marketers dream with titanium!!!

 

[bikeworkshop]

I think one of the later Flite Evos might have had hollow Ti rails.. but no doubt some one will be able to confirm or correct..

I think that's true.
I had one on my vit t, 136g iirc.
Comfortable if you wear cycling shorts and get out of the saddle a lot. And you get on with the flite shape.
It was torn apart in an offroad crash.
Now pretty valuable, but I would think a full carbon saddle is probably lighter.