Re: Zack Baldwin's uni from Defect!


Hey there, yep I have The Ti now, it's an awesome uni. I'm not entirely
sure of what titanium alloy it is, but it's extremely lightweight (400g
or so?... which is over 100g lighter than the 2nd lightest.. Triton).

It was Dan's who let Zack borrow, who then sold it on to Isaac
LeMasters, who then traded it on to me. :)

For the Triton, I first talked to Dmitry about a design similar to my
'Ti' frame, as it was the initial inspiration for producing titanium
frames. That design was rejected (advised against, actually) because
the way that the tubes of the crown join the legs at a 45 degree angle
wasn't good for tubing as thin as 1mm. KH and Dominas can do this as
aluminium tubing can be obtained in thicker 2mm. It's all to do with
weld-contact area, nothing to do with material strength. If alu tubes
were 1mm thick at that join area, they'd snap like crackers.

My Ti just about holds up to that design, but it needed to later have
'cross-welds' welded across the 45 degree join to further reinforce it.
It works really well, and I bet it'll outlast any aluminium frame out
there right now; but I decided to pursue an overall better design for
the Triton Sponge.

The Triton's crown design is pretty much as strong as can be for a
tubed crown. It's also the stiffest frame by far out there, (you can
hardly flex the legs together), when I compared it to several steel
frames I've used and the XTP and KH. Though its price tag is quite
high, it can't be helped as the costs of raw materials is extremely
high, much more so than common taiwanese aluminium. Still, with the 1mm
tubes, the Triton is also the most resistant frame to dents and
scratches, those who own one will know this well. You'd have to crash
down as hard as you can with a hammer to even put a small ding into
into it (yep, it's been tried as a test, and there was hardly any
denting). Scratches don't really even show up due to them blending very
well with the raw titanium colour. I'd say confidently, and in all
honesty, that after having used almost every high-end frame there has
been for trials, the Triton is confidently the strongest, lightest, and
stiffest. What's more, it's got a warranty against any breakage or
fault, and titanium can always be rewelded at any point back to 100%
strenght, or even greater if you want reinforcements. (aluminium and
steel rewelding isn't as successful for frame strength due to their
properties).

Overall, I'd say titanium is the greatest of the three major metals
used in uni frame building. Though alloys vary, titanium is far far
more reliable than any aluminum alloy currently. All frame makers know
this, but alu is great as it's cheap whilst being light...

A tiny handful of people are fussing over the Triton's slightly thicker
legs nearer the bearing holders. They extend larger towards the bottom
to provide maximum weld-contact area to the bearing holder for optimum
strength. However, if you're still fussed about the aesthetics, then
just specially request for the legs to be made straight-blade (like the
XTP and Domina legs are). It'll save even more weight at the same time.
I wonder how much a slimmed down version will weigh? CNC'd crowns,
CNC'd bearing holders... they are all possibilities for the future, for
the Triton is almost endlessly modifiable, placing it in a far more
advantageous position than its rival aluminium (and steel)


--
Sponge

MSN: pissoffthepublic@xxxxxxxxxxx feel free to add:)


*"If you're *** at trials, go do flat."- Joe Hodges*


*'TRITON SPONGE' (http://tinyurl.com/2r7jk6)*
-Titanium frames, available in 19", 24", 26", 29", 36"-
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Sponge's Profile: http://www.unicyclist.com/profile/11883
View this thread: http://www.unicyclist.com/thread/68991


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