From Thorn Audax Mk3 brochure - grain of truth or total BS?
A load of FUD I think
Titanium frames are fairly light, they
ride very well
This is correct. They aren't magically super light but are just a bit lighter than the equivalent in steel.
but it is extremely
expensive to have
the required fittings
This is not my experience. And there are several custom Ti makers now how could add whatever fitting you like
and furthermore, all titanium frames
that we have known, have also broken!
This is frankly rediculous. All frame materials can and do break. For instance, Chris Hopkinson when he did RAAM had a failure in his Ti Lightspeed Blade. Steel for instance, SJS made someone I know an "indestructible" frame, a single but with tandem tubing. They broke it in a few weeks
It is usually impossible to repair a
titanium frame.
I've not tried this yet but it seems a bit far reaching to say it is "impossible"
I have an old 531 frame in the garage which would be nice to repair but it is not economically viable. Perhaps that is what they mean? But surely that applies to any frame. Another point that SJS sometimes make in their sales blurb is that if you are touring in the wilds somewhere steel can always be welded back whereas Al and Ti requires special gear. Fairy nuff to that point- if you are going to be crossing Canada or something
Perhaps there are some
titanium frames, being made today, or
which may be made in the future, that won’t break... but we
doubt it.
I doubt it too. This is an irrelevant point
We certainly wouldn’t want to risk such a huge sum
of money
If you compare the price of a Thorn with a Ti Condor then there isn't much in it. It is not a "huge sum" in the scale of bike buying. A steel frame that is "almost" as good as a Ti frame will cost almost the same amount
when steel is almost as light,
almost....
much more durable
Hmm, I would say that Ti is more durable than steel. If steel is properly cared for it will last a lifetime. If it isn't it will fall to bits in a few years. Ti copes better with abuse.
(and could be easily repaired if necessary),
Agree, it
is easier to repair
rides better,
No it doesn't. I have a Al, steel and Ti bike. The ride quality of the Ti bike is best. Most people I've talked to agree that Carbon and Ti bikes give the best ride, then Steel with Al last.
This is assuming that all other things are equal like the bike fitting.