Titanium Muddy Fox in name only

[Tsundere]

£300 - Hyde
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/135007491213

 

[bikeworkshop]

Is it one of those Russian jobs?

 

[d8mok]

Is it one of those Russian jobs?

I believe they are steel (cheap steel) but called titanium edition

 

[bikeworkshop]

I thought the dropout/stay weld looked a bit ti - there were a lot of titanium coloured steel and alu frames 95/96, but this is verging on dishonest!!
Muddy fox went quickly from innovative brand to bullsh1t.
Remember the muddyfox girls?
Pretty soon after this.

 

[shepp]

How can you tell it’s not titanium ?

 

[Twozaskars]

I find ti frames have dropouts that look like they are machined from a single piece rather than pressed / the rack bits brazed on and then more obviously welded to the stays, where this looks brazed as there are no obvious welds, potential rust around the top tube cable stop, no welding around any of the cable stops suggesting they're brazed on.

 

[d8mok]

How can you tell it’s not titanium ?

Many hours of needless FB marketplace has taught me what to look for.

Dropouts are a clear giveaway on this one. Plus I’m aware of the bike anyway as I once had someone tell me one was Ti when I knew it wasn’t.

 

[bikeworkshop]

Ti tig welds are similar to steel tig,

and although ti is often a little more fluid and even looking, this is probably only due to the higher average quality point of the frame.

Luckily, Steel and ti can easily be identified from each other with a magnet.

Ti mig welds look a little like steel mig
- but a migged steel frame will weigh so much you can barely lift it.
Ti Mig frames are a cheapo product, - raleigh did some, but they are quite rare.

Aluminium tig welds
are a similar size to steel or ti mig, but look more lapped and less blobby.

Ti, steel and aluminium all have a different "ring" , although overall weight and tube diameter have to be taken into account, so experience is necessary.
The tubes of different metals also have a different temperature to the feel.
Again experience is the best teacher.

 

[ferrus]

Also you seldomly get tapered diameter stays on Ti frames. A bit of bending and ovalising maybe but they’re generally always built from straight tubes, except on a couple of top end frames.

 

[bikeworkshop]

Also you seldomly get tapered diameter stays on Ti frames. A bit of bending and ovalising maybe but they’re generally always built from straight tubes, except on a couple of top end frames.

Meanufacture is so much smaller scale, offering less choice.
cast parts are rare.
Dropouts tend to be cut or cncd.

Main tube diameters tend to be 1/8" up on steel, bottle bosses are more often rivnuts.

But these details give you a guide, from a distance.

The magnet test is unequivocal - although stainless is surprisingly weakly magnetic.