You usually have to dig deep into your pockets for a titanium racer. Very deep. Some manufacturers supply just the frame set for 5,000 euros. The offer from mail order company Radon - 2,000 euros for a complete bike - seems almost immoral. The calculation begins in Nizhny Novgorod. During the Cold War, nuclear submarines and MiG fighter planes were still being built en masse in this Russian industrial metropolis. The company where former defence workers weld titanium frames today is simply called "Titan". Radon obtains the frames from there via the German importer "Kocmo", which itself sells titanium frames under this name. Radon's "Road Titanium" is an independent design that differs from the Kocmo models in details such as the head tube, dropouts and cable stops as well as its own geometry.
Titanium is processed as an alloy with aluminium and vanadium; the most common alloy is TiAl3V2.5, from which seamless, end-reinforced tubes can be drawn. Titanium is corrosion-resistant and less sensitive to dents than aluminium, but processing it is complex. Welding, for example, must be carried out in an inert gas atmosphere because the material becomes brittle on contact with oxygen. In addition, the hard material requires expensive special tools and time-consuming manual labour, which drives up production costs. This is one reason why radon is produced on the Volga and not on the Rhine.
In the laboratory test, the bike achieved average values for the stiffness of the bottom bracket and steering head. Weighing just under 1,400 grams, the frame with classic headset is on a par with mid-range aluminium frames. The finish of the satinised titanium surface is very good, the weld seams are open and finely scaled before the eye of the beholder. Pleasing: Radon grants a five-year warranty on the frame set without racing exclusions.
The bike's equipment list, which is headed by Shimano's "Ultegra SL", is remarkable; Radon only switches to cheaper parts from FSA for the bottom bracket and crankset. However, as the bikes are built according to the modular principle, the Titan can be easily converted or upgraded.
But even with the favourable equipment package, riding the "Road Titanium" is pure joy. The racer purrs flawlessly over the roads, the gears and brakes work perfectly. Thanks to its short wheelbase of 975 millimetres in combination with a short caster, the bike is agile and remains controllable and stable even on fast and winding descents. However, the short wheelbase can lead to problems with foot clearance, depending on shoe size and the position of the pedal plates under the sole: The tip of the shoe then hits the front wheel when steering.
The Radon's good comfort rating is the result of the usual parameters: the sloped frame has a slightly sloping top tube so that the slim seatpost (27.2 millimetre diameter) can be pulled out relatively far. The fork is only moderately compliant, but overall emphasises the comfortable design of the frame - many competitors are now using significantly stiffer forks without any need.
The "Road Titanium" combines the elegant appearance and robust nature of titanium with high-quality features - fully suitable for everyday use, with an exclusive touch. Radon plans to offer around 50 to 60 of these this year. However, Nizhny Novgorod reports that the Russian defence industry is ordering more titanium again, and the price of the raw material is already rising. It could be that the bargain time for titanium will soon be over again.
PLUS: Price/performance, equipment
MINUS: Size 60 only suitable for riders up to 1.80 metres
*test bike frame size greased; **projected measurement from centre of bottom bracket to upper edge of head tube/saddle/head tube rise at 75 cm seat height (centre of saddle frame-upper edge of head tube); ***adjusted weight for frame size 57 and fork steerer length 225 mm; ****the grade includes further individual grades, which we do not print for reasons of space.
Photos: Matthias Borchers
