Titanium bolts as alternative gram saver?
Moderator: robbosmans
I've used quality nylon bolts for bottle cages. Alloy works too.
I'm ok with Ti skewers but aluminium skewers make me nervous.
I've had motorcycles with aluminium swingarm pivots and wheel axles. As long as the part is designed for that material it's fine. But bike wheel skewers are sized for steel, not al.
I'm ok with Ti skewers but aluminium skewers make me nervous.
I've had motorcycles with aluminium swingarm pivots and wheel axles. As long as the part is designed for that material it's fine. But bike wheel skewers are sized for steel, not al.
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It really depends where they are used and what you are replacing. Ti is a great choice for some areas, not so much for others.
When I can I use aluminium or carbon - Water Bottle cages.
Pedals - Ti spindles as aluminium would break. But...I have seen hollowed out steel about as light - and stiffer than Ti. For a big rider - I'd go steel, for smaller Ti.
Hub Axle - depends. Steel or Aluminium in big cross section is better than Ti IMO as both have less flex.
BB spindle - I used the Campy Super Record Ti BB spindle in 1982. Too much flex. In a BB30 BB I could see a carbon, or Ti tube
Spoke - I've use all three materials. I think steel is the best. Might buy a new Ti spoke wheel if funds support it for climbing.
Then you have the maintenance / softer material issue. It is better design to use a soft light material where it can be replaced easily. An aluminum derailleur hanger is the best choice. If you crash - it bends rather than breaking your derailleur. What may be best under ideal conditions, is not under real world conditions.
Anyway - I would use Ti for a very few places. Brake bolts, derailleur bolts, seat bolt on some, Cassette cogs and freewheel body.
When I can I use aluminium or carbon - Water Bottle cages.
Pedals - Ti spindles as aluminium would break. But...I have seen hollowed out steel about as light - and stiffer than Ti. For a big rider - I'd go steel, for smaller Ti.
Hub Axle - depends. Steel or Aluminium in big cross section is better than Ti IMO as both have less flex.
BB spindle - I used the Campy Super Record Ti BB spindle in 1982. Too much flex. In a BB30 BB I could see a carbon, or Ti tube
Spoke - I've use all three materials. I think steel is the best. Might buy a new Ti spoke wheel if funds support it for climbing.
Then you have the maintenance / softer material issue. It is better design to use a soft light material where it can be replaced easily. An aluminum derailleur hanger is the best choice. If you crash - it bends rather than breaking your derailleur. What may be best under ideal conditions, is not under real world conditions.
Anyway - I would use Ti for a very few places. Brake bolts, derailleur bolts, seat bolt on some, Cassette cogs and freewheel body.
I have a tandem and I want to shed some weight. Any volunteers to help me calculate the weight savings for 67 bolts?
Rear brake (disk) 12
Front brake (V) 5
Stem (front and rear) 15
Cranks (2 timing rings + rear triple rings) 20
Water bottle 6
FD 3
Seat post collar 2
Seat post clamps 4
Total 67
Rear brake (disk) 12
Front brake (V) 5
Stem (front and rear) 15
Cranks (2 timing rings + rear triple rings) 20
Water bottle 6
FD 3
Seat post collar 2
Seat post clamps 4
Total 67
to use ti just to shave some grams will cost alot of $ per gram save.
i admit that in some of my bikes they all have ti bolts on them.
brake calipers,stem bolts,seatpost,clamps etc.
i do use a torque wrench on them with the recommend setting , so far i had been lucky
but some of my riding friends did feedback to me that the ti bolt for his roter snap off..
and from there on. he never used them on his rotors anymore.
but still used them on non stress area
i admit that in some of my bikes they all have ti bolts on them.
brake calipers,stem bolts,seatpost,clamps etc.
i do use a torque wrench on them with the recommend setting , so far i had been lucky
but some of my riding friends did feedback to me that the ti bolt for his roter snap off..
and from there on. he never used them on his rotors anymore.
but still used them on non stress area
I found these AL chainring bolts on ebay. It says they save 16g. over equivalent steel ones. Since I have steel 20 bolts on my tandem the total weight saving is 16g x 4 = 64g. So that's $.53 per gram saved or $240 per pound saved. That sounds like a pretty good deal. I wished I had 200 of these bolts on my tandem.
http://www.ebay.com/itm/Shimano-Dura-Ac ... 1c4378730a
http://www.ebay.com/itm/Shimano-Dura-Ac ... 1c4378730a
pdlpsher1 wrote:I found these AL chainring bolts on ebay. It says they save 16g. over equivalent steel ones. Since I have steel 20 bolts on my tandem the total weight saving is 16g x 4 = 64g. So that's $.53 per gram saved or $240 per pound saved. That sounds like a pretty good deal. I wished I had 200 of these bolts on my tandem.
http://www.ebay.com/itm/Shimano-Dura-Ac ... 1c4378730a
Comparable http://fairwheelbikes.com/kcnc-sl-doubl ... -5299.html
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- HammerTime2
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Then your tandem would weigh 784g more.pdlpsher1 wrote:I found these AL chainring bolts on ebay. It says they save 16g. over equivalent steel ones. Since I have steel 20 bolts on my tandem the total weight saving is 16g x 4 = 64g. So that's $.53 per gram saved or $240 per pound saved. That sounds like a pretty good deal. I wished I had 200 of these bolts on my tandem.
Last edited by HammerTime2 on Sat Aug 02, 2014 2:16 am, edited 1 time in total.
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Weight savings of Ti bolts is nice, but so is the corrosion resistance - no more rust. Especially nice for stem bolts.
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At 220 lbs I'm hard on equipment. I put on high milage to. I have use ti bolts for 20+ years, I also have used ti skewers. If I use good quality stuff and torque them correctly, and maintain them at proper torque ( they can stretch over time so they should be retightened periodically), they are fine on a road bike. That said, over the decades I have had a few issues, but that can be said about any material or bike component IMO. I use nylon bolts for my water bottle cages, they can be iffy and should only be used on areas that are unlikely to have heavy loads. After 4 years with the nylon bolts, never a failure. Your weight savings on a total build using ti bolts and such, could be 100 grams possibly, but if your going to live in fear of bolt failure it is not worth the stress. Confidence in your equipment is vital
WW Velocipedist Gargantuan
Titanium bolts purchased from reputable source is great way to cheaply and easy shed some weight. Best part is that you can use Ti bolts no only on bike, but also as dmp mentioned, on shoe cleats. Small bolts like derailleur limiter bolts won't save much, but big bolts liek seatpost bolts can save a lot for just one bolt. For 200$ you can save roughly 150-200g going to Ti bolts. Same weight savings on the frame if you already have a light frame would cost you 10 times that. Using nylon bolts on unused bottle cage holes would save even more grams.
I use Ti screws almost everywhere including pedal spindles on my race bikes, never had an issue.
I use Ti screws almost everywhere including pedal spindles on my race bikes, never had an issue.
Still fear to use titanium?
Quote from Fair Wheel Bikes:
Bolt Material: One question we wanted to answer was if there was a noticeable difference between stems with titanium and steel bolts. We selected a few random stems and tested them both with titanium and steel bolts and found no meaningful difference in deflection in stems with one material over the other.
Source: http://fairwheelbikes.com/c/forums/topi ... m-review-3
Quote from Fair Wheel Bikes:
Bolt Material: One question we wanted to answer was if there was a noticeable difference between stems with titanium and steel bolts. We selected a few random stems and tested them both with titanium and steel bolts and found no meaningful difference in deflection in stems with one material over the other.
Source: http://fairwheelbikes.com/c/forums/topi ... m-review-3
Racing is a three-dimensional high-speed chess game, involving hundreds of pieces on the board.
CBA = Chronic Bike Addiction
OCD = Obsessive Cycling Disorder
CBA = Chronic Bike Addiction
OCD = Obsessive Cycling Disorder
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