Sports Then and Now

Dating back as far as the 1960s, the first-ever titanium bikes were being built by a progressive race bike manufacturer known as Teledyn. The California-based bike company developed the Titan model in the 1970s, which quickly caught on as a high-performance titanium bike.

Since then, titanium bikes have maintained an authoritative reputation in the greater world of bicycles. Well-known for its durable resilience, outstanding longevity, lightweight frame, and corrosive-resistant properties, titanium has become a hot commodity across all types of cycling, ranging from road to gravel bikes and competitive racing to leisurely touring.

Titanium Takes Bloom in the Bike World

Titanium didn’t attract widespread attention as a high-end bike frame material until the 1990s. When tour racing and the bike technology that went with it picked up traction, any performance advantage was exploited to its fullest potential. Titanium is lighter than steel, more robust than aluminum, and easy to work with compared to carbon fiber. It wasn’t before long when numerous race bike manufacturers jumped on the bandwagon. From tour riding to triathlon, titanium gained popularity in all calibers of cycling.

Carbon was at the time, and still remains to be, one of the most common mainstream materials for performance cycling. It can be easily mass-produced at relatively efficient costs and delivers incredible weight advantages without compromising on ample strength.