New titanium frame ebike coming from Bolton Bikes

[Deacon Blues]

I just watched a youtube video showing Bolton Bike's new titanium framed ebike that they plan to have for sale sometime in early 2022.

In the video he commented that no one has produced a titanium framed ebike before and I commented that Watt Wagons has been producing a titanium ebike for a number of years.

One thing about Bolton's upcoming titanium ebike that I really like is the silver coloured wheels. I normally prefer black, but the silver wheels with the unpainted raw titanium looks awesome.
If I can get silver coloured wheels on my ordered FS titanium UC I'll go that route.

 

[Cuz Vinny]

I just watched a youtube video showing Bolton Bike's new titanium framed ebike that they plan to have for sale sometime in early 2022.

In the video he commented that no one has produced a titanium framed ebike before and I commented that Watt Wagons has been producing a titanium ebike for a number of years.

One thing about Bolton's upcoming titanium ebike that I really like is the silver coloured wheels. I normally prefer black, but the silver wheels with the unpainted raw titanium looks awesome.
If I can get silver coloured wheels on my ordered FS titanium UC I'll go that route.

Typical Chinese TI frame, you can buy them on Alibaba and several other places. Nothing special here.

 

[Cuz Vinny]

Here’s one with an interesting combo of TI and Carbon tubing.
Note: this is not and EBike frame

Titanium Bike Frame With Tapered Head Tube, 142x12 Dropouts, Inner Cable Routing, Combined With The Carbon Manufacturers, Factory - Customized Products - Xi'an Yongwei Metalwork Co.,Ltd

As one of the professional custom titanium bike frame with tapered head tube, 142x12 dropouts, inner cable routing, combined with the carbon manufacturers, CHANGDA is able to offer you light weight and fashionable titanium bike frame with tapered head tube, 142x12 dropouts, inner cable routing...

www.ti-bikes.com

 

[Merle Nelson]

I've never looked into Ti welding but from what I've read (here on this forum?) I would want to be pretty certain they were using the right weld shielding steps etc.

 

[fooferdoggie]

Typical Chinese TI frame, you can buy them on Alibaba and several other places. Nothing special here.

plus what difference would it really make to the ride?

 

[Cuz Vinny]

plus what difference would it really make to the ride?

Not enough for me to fork out the extra $$$$

 

[AleksR]

plus what difference would it really make to the ride?

Much lighter

 

[greeno]

Ti bikes are good for road bikes but not for Off Road riding. Yes their lighter but they F L E X quite a bit IMO. Titanium frames were all the rage back in the 90's when I was racing in the US. A lot were badged under various brands but the only guys that made good use to them were the climbers. Anyone that was a sprinter or pack worker would of torn them up. They looked cool though.

 

[Merle Nelson]

Ti bikes are good for road bikes but not for Off Road riding. Yes their lighter but they F L E X quite a bit IMO. Titanium frames were all the rage back in the 90's when I was racing in the US. A lot were badged under various brands but the only guys that made good use to them were the climbers. Anyone that was a sprinter or pack worker would of torn them up. They looked cool though.

Wow, sounds like you have the inside "skinny". I didn't realize "what's old is new again" could apply to Ti frames.

When WW has a FS Ti frame available, what about it wouldn't have the flex be better for MTB? And what kind of "torn up" were you personally aware of?

I was thinking Ti in the SR71 was what allowed it to expand and contract so much for each flight and not break up.

 

[bexamous]

Ti bikes are good for road bikes but not for Off Road riding. Yes their lighter but they F L E X quite a bit IMO. Titanium frames were all the rage back in the 90's when I was racing in the US. A lot were badged under various brands but the only guys that made good use to them were the climbers. Anyone that was a sprinter or pack worker would of torn them up. They looked cool though.

I always liked this bike when I was a kid, pivotless and ti frame just flexed. Looking back its dumb, haha. But at time I thought it was neat.

 

[Merle Nelson]

What do you think of as dumb about? If it works....

(I better get back to bed so I'm ready for work tomorrow.)

 

[bexamous]

Not going to only flex in one direction, and hard to adjust suspension when frame is flexing.. let you fancy shocks do their job.

Other thing I'm reminded of, back in 90s again was some company making frames out of some type of plastic... instead of FS bike just a HT with a frame that could flex. Kinda sounds like it wouldn't work, but I forget what magazine actually got to ride one and liked it. And then one of the big bike companies bought them and that was end of that.

 

[Merle Nelson]

Thanks for your thoughts and perspective.

 

[Deacon Blues]

This bike should be on Bolton Forum, not WattWagons Forum.

Bolton Forum

Discuss the brand, its products and upcoming models.

electricbikereview.com

Too bad you're not the forum's moderator.......

I didn't start this thread to promote Bolton's ebikes. I started it because Bolton made the statement that he was going to do what nobody had done before....produce a titanium framed ebike, which is false.

 

[greeno]

Litespeed is one major builder of titanium frames and bikes that was around back in the day that are still in business today. There is also a guy in SD named Bill Holland that's a frame builder who started to do Ti frames in the early 90's. I used to get my rides from him and he's also still in business. Always went with steel for my own preference. The small/skinny riders ( climbers ) rode Ti bikes as they couldn't generate enough power to adversely flex their frames in a negative way. Flex is ok to a point, but more flex means less efficiency in moving forward. Back then they didn't have dual suspension mountain bikes. I had an old GT that was aluminum and a "Rockshock Judy" front fork with 2" tires and I thought I was cutting edge.
FWIW Im pretty sure Titanium weighs more than Carbon for the same size tubing, Ti is more dense and it's actually more weaker than carbon pound for pound. Who knows fads come and go so maybe Ti will make a comeback, what do I know.

As far as "torn up" goes I rode with two guys (sprinters) that broke their frames at inopportune moments. Would they have broke a steel or aluminum frame, don't know but they sure bragged a lot about have a "super frame" and we teased the heck out of them after they broke em.
They didn't get Ti again so...
Just an observation from way back when.

 

[Leon S. Kennedy]

More people should post comments on this video that the claim that this is one of the only titanium 1000 watt bike that exists is FALSE. Bolton also sells what looks like a rebadged Frey's at a markup

 

[Fast n' Furious]

Absolutely FALSE - that TI is "actually more weaker than carbon pound for pound".
Collide blocks of 1 ton of Ti with a 1 ton of carbon at (say Mach 1) equal velocity and see what survives.
Objectively, 'Carbon' is "plastic" (CRP) - plastic being the polymer matrix the carbon is bound in, like fiberglass is glass fibers in a plastic matrix.
Subjectively (anecdotal), Ti frames last forever. Carbon for three - four, maybe five years before considered unsafe (if under vigorous use).
Carbon fiber - the lightest material - being plastic allows for enclosed, streamlined battery housing molds.
Hydra's carbon loses 5lbs off the UC - but it's stripped.
With UC, dump 2lbs of rack/ fasteners (not that I will), 1lb getting rid of those Moloko Steel bars, and that extra +2lbs the lightest (R'hoff or K'nay) IGH weighs for a chain (which I did) and viola! Hello -60lbs.
The KINEKT weighs +560gms (I love mine). Stuck there, but I don't use fenders, so I'll lose some more weight.
What offsets the (full race - drool, drool) Hydra's 'weight win' is the additional rear suspension. The price those who seek excellence pay.
I bet the TI full suspension stripper would come in awful close to Hydra's weight - and be an heirloom - but the (old school) battery makes the kids go "eewww". More for me!
One really has to stretch to show carbon better at anything Ti can do, 'cept weight and material price - and that's not very much.
The best costs more (and mark my words, the price will rise a great deal in the near term) and weighs 1.09 more.

 

[JRA]

Not sure how this neco thread popped up on my screen but couldn't resist placing my favorite Ti bike, and I owned several bitd, here. It was made in 1999 by Wes Williams of Willits Brand Bicycles as a proof of concept that the burgeoning interest in FS could be well adapted to the new 29" wheel size that was supported by WTB's 700c Nanoraptor 52/47 tire. Thanks Mark!

The bike rode like a dream but was no race bike stiffness wise it was the opposite actually and that is what made it work.