I'm very hopeful of getting a decent bonus come January and will have around £500 to spend on a quality frame. My biggest issue at present is I can't decide between a ti frame or a dekerf. I've always had a hankering for both (ive never actually ridden either) but if I want some decent bits to go on it I can have one or the other. So all you chaps that own either type of frame or have ridden them, what do I go for? I'm also happy to consider something else if anyone has a good suggestion.
Tough choices - Ti or Dekerf?
- Thread starter nathanman
- Start date
Nope, I own neither and have never ridden either.
I'll give an opinion though
For your £500 you're looking at second hand for either, but apart from my bias I would go for the DeKerf.
The titanium will be more rated and expensive for the material and there are a lot out there, some better than others.
A DeKerf is steel, but still costs an outrageous amount brand new. Why? Because they are designed and fabricated by a legendary frame builder and designer.
Kind of like if two sports cars are £200k, one has every luxury available, one doesn't even have a CD player. Which one drives better?
I'll give an opinion though
For your £500 you're looking at second hand for either, but apart from my bias I would go for the DeKerf.
The titanium will be more rated and expensive for the material and there are a lot out there, some better than others.
A DeKerf is steel, but still costs an outrageous amount brand new. Why? Because they are designed and fabricated by a legendary frame builder and designer.
Kind of like if two sports cars are £200k, one has every luxury available, one doesn't even have a CD player. Which one drives better?
I have both. But to be honest it'd make more sense to not look at Ti as a choice but a specific Ti bike as a choice. Ti bikes are just like all other bikes, they're all different. Ride differently, weigh differently, cost differently.
A dekerf is a specific choice. A 'Ti' isn't.
So, if it were me, and it was between a dekerf frame (steel) and a Ti Kish, personally, i'd probably choose the kish. If it were a Dekerf steel SL or a Ti Inbred or a Ti Marin Team Tit, or indeed my previously owned Merlin Echo, I'd be choosing the colour of my new Dekerf.
Get yourself a Ti frame in mind and then choose.
Either way you'll probably end up with a lovely bike.
A dekerf is a specific choice. A 'Ti' isn't.
So, if it were me, and it was between a dekerf frame (steel) and a Ti Kish, personally, i'd probably choose the kish. If it were a Dekerf steel SL or a Ti Inbred or a Ti Marin Team Tit, or indeed my previously owned Merlin Echo, I'd be choosing the colour of my new Dekerf.
Get yourself a Ti frame in mind and then choose.
Either way you'll probably end up with a lovely bike.
It has to be said, 2nd hand Ti often ends up being a really good deal.
It seems to drop in price horrifically as soon as it becomes 2nd hand, but is usually absolutely no problem structurally and usually still looks good ten years later.
My personal mantra.....
"One can never have too much titanium".
It seems to drop in price horrifically as soon as it becomes 2nd hand, but is usually absolutely no problem structurally and usually still looks good ten years later.
My personal mantra.....
"One can never have too much titanium".
"A dekerf is a specific choice. A 'Ti' isn't."
+1 - just so! A DeKerf at that money will be "used", so the simple Q of availability becomes an issue! Plenty of titanium around, but best to at least have narrowed the choice down to a few brands.
I've never had a DeKerf so I can't comment on desirability compared with the few Ti that I have owned. If given a blind choice I'd go Ti - they keep their finish very well and while they do indeed differ I've never ridden one I didn't like.
Have fun window shopping!
+1 - just so! A DeKerf at that money will be "used", so the simple Q of availability becomes an issue! Plenty of titanium around, but best to at least have narrowed the choice down to a few brands.
I've never had a DeKerf so I can't comment on desirability compared with the few Ti that I have owned. If given a blind choice I'd go Ti - they keep their finish very well and while they do indeed differ I've never ridden one I didn't like.
Have fun window shopping!
And reading this posted in For Sale the other day
"I have a DeKerf Team ST that has just returned from being refurbished (at great expense!) by Chris Dekerf in Canada.
The frame had broken in the usual place by the bottom bracket so it's been beautifully repaired - as only the original builder can!" (my italics)
would certainly not push me towards a DeKerf. Broken? USUAL place? Oh dear.
"I have a DeKerf Team ST that has just returned from being refurbished (at great expense!) by Chris Dekerf in Canada.
The frame had broken in the usual place by the bottom bracket so it's been beautifully repaired - as only the original builder can!" (my italics)
would certainly not push me towards a DeKerf. Broken? USUAL place? Oh dear.
oldave":3roxsqro said:
ST = Soft Tail = relies on flex in the chainstays. No surprise then a failure near the b/b which one assumes is the chainstays is likely. DeKerf stuff is top notch, not aware of his regular hardtails being anymore or less prone to failure than any other high end steel builder.
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