Living The Ti Life: Exploring Titanium Gravel Bikes

Oct 26, 2022 Planet X
Living the ti life exploring titanium gravel bikes

More cyclists are choosing to ride titanium gravel and adventure bikes these days, and after taking a closer look at these sleek machines, it’s not surprising.
 
Using titanium as a frame material has many cycling-specific benefits. 
 

STRONG, LIGHT AND DURABLE


Titanium gravel bikes can be 45% lighter than steel bikes and they are stronger than their aluminium siblings


First of all, it is very light, maybe not as light as carbon fibre, but when you look at titanium’s strength-to-weight ratio you can forgive this slight weight increase, for the impressive durability gained. Especially when you experience a titanium gravel bike’s renowned super-smooth ride quality.

 
Titanium gravel bikes can be 45% lighter than steel bikes and they are stronger than their aluminium siblings, plus because titanium is naturally corrosion resistant it can be left unpainted giving these bikes their unique appearance.

 titanium gravel bike sleek good looks


Titanium boasts unparalleled fatigue endurance, this means if you care for it properly, your classic elegant finish will look as good in 30 years as it did when you first bought it.

The sleek good looks attributed to titanium bicycles aren’t something that will be here today and gone tomorrow either. Titanium boasts unparalleled fatigue endurance, this means if you care for it properly, your classic elegant finish will look as good in 30 years as it did when you first bought it. 
 
This longevity means a titanium gravel bike can be a 'bike for life'. 
This is further backed up by an excellent ride quality, another addition to titanium's long list of attributes, so a titanium gravel bike will also be a bike that you'll want to ride for life.
 

EXCELLENT RIDE QUALITY

Titanium frames provide a super-compliant ride. This is achieved by using a combination of wide and narrow tube diameters, essentially creating a spring-like quality. The wide tubes bring strength and the narrow tubes provide compliance.
Titanium's high strength-to-weight ratio means the frames can be built using wide tubing to bolster the narrow tubes, without suffering detrimental weight gain.

titanium bike narrow and wide tubing


The wide tubes bring strength and the narrow tubes provide compliance. 
 
This compliant ride quality is really important when looking at buying a gravel bike. Choosing titanium over other frame materials will give you an extremely versatile bike that can transition and adapt from road to rough ground with ease, plus it will take year-round abuse from the changing seasons making it a great choice for daily commuting duties.
 

BUYING A TITANIUM GRAVEL BIKE

Overall, 'going Ti' when selecting your gravel bike will bless you with a beautiful, durable, versatile and great-riding bike.
All of these qualities in one bike must make it expensive I hear you say, and yes there are many over-priced titanium bikes in the market today but here at Planet X, we have a selection of pro-level titanium gravel bikes available at fair-prices meaning you can get a bike for life, for less than you thought.
 
Let us take a look at one of our gravel top picks, The tried-and-tested Planet X Tempest.

planet x tempest campagnolo ekar titanium gravel bike
Tempest Titanium gravel bike

The Tempest is one of our favourite bikes, and for good reason.
 
At home over rough terrain but equally as capable on the tarmac, the titanium Tempest is a gravel bike at heart that's capable of covering the miles on road, helping you to take your adventures further than before. 
 
Gravel-specific geometry produces a sharp yet predictable ride and tyre clearances of up to 48mm provide space for big tyre grip needed when things get sketchy.
 
Double water bottle mounts and pannier mounts enable you to load it up with baggage for your next multi-day adventure or make it a dependable daily commuter.
 
Using relaxed geometry, a supple titanium frame and plenty of tyre clearance, the Planet X Tempest offers all-day comfort off-road from a beautiful, durable bike that you can ride for life. 

planet x tempest explore the range
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