Titanium is over hype

[Jah_rastafar_I]

I've been thinking about getting a bicyle for exercise & transport but if you got a nice bicycle will alway have to worry about bicycle thieves.

Just imagaine what an attractive target a 2lb bicycle would be

Yup anyone that actually leaves his expensive bike in the open especially those made of titanium is just asking for it to be stolen period.

Bike theft is very common in sinkieland.

 

[Unrepented]

For your benefit, in PRC, same foreign brand, imported item can cost three times or more than the same model manufactured in PRC. And PRC themselves prefer to pay a premium for the imported ones.

Japs has better production and QC control in PRC.

I don't usually trust PRC brands, but US brands with manufacturing outsourced to PRC (or elsewhere), the design and quality control is there.

 

[johnny333]

I bought a pair of titanium reading glasses in a US Borders store some years ago for about US$30. It's of US FosterGrant branding and packaging, but off-the-shelf stuff and marked made in China.

For me it's the quality of the whole package, frame, lens and the practitioner selling me my spectacles. Isaacs has an opthamologist checking my eyes & not just a dispener with a diploma. They even do a pressure test on my eye balls

I used to go to other cheaper opticians but had problems with wrong prescription & bad workmanship. Since going to Isaac I haven't had any problems.

That doesn't mean that I won't consider getting a second pair from BKK using the prescription from Isaac Whenever I travel I always carry a second pair just in case of accidents.

 

[Jah_rastafar_I]

For me it's the quality of the whole package, frame, lens and the practitioner selling me my spectacles. Isaacs has an opthamologist checking my eyes & not just a dispener with a diploma. They even do a pressure test on my eye balls

I used to go to other cheaper opticians but had problems with wrong prescription & bad workmanship. Since going to Isaac I haven't had any problems.

That doesn't mean that I won't consider getting a second pair from BKK using the prescription from Isaac Whenever I travel I always carry a second pair just in case of accidents.

So you buy from this store?

http://www.isaacs-optom.com/index.html

It looks very professional. I just visit the shopping centre near my home and there are a few shops. Some just sell you contact lens without needing you to go for a check up with them.

Anyway the store that i always visit have some titanium specs but should be the cheaper type and they were very light but should be poor quality.

 

[johnny333]

Yup anyone that actually leaves his expensive bike in the open especially those made of titanium is just asking for it to be stolen period.

Bike theft is very common in sinkieland.

Don't have to even be a titanium bike, anything that looks half decent has the potential to be stolen :(

That's why the only bikes I've seen parked at the MRT stations are really old & beaten up looking

Those with nice bikes need a car to drive somewhere e.g. East Coast Parkway before they can cycle. Kind of defeats the purpose of using a bicycle for cheap transportation

 

[johnny333]

So you buy from this store?

http://www.isaacs-optom.com/index.html

It looks very professional. I just visit the shopping centre near my home and there are a few shops. Some just sell you contact lens without needing you to go for a check up with them.

.

Yes I go to their Clifford Centre branch.

Remember when I got my first contacts from them, I went almost everyday for almost 2 weeks to ensure a proper fit. Each time had some dye put in to check the fit

That was when Ms. Ong was the opthamologist there. She passed away but they do have competent people there.

 

[Jah_rastafar_I]

Don't have to even be a titanium bike, anything that looks half decent has the potential to be stolen :(

That's why the only bikes I've seen parked at the MRT stations are really old & beaten up looking

Those with nice bikes need a car to drive somewhere e.g. East Coast Parkway before they can cycle. Kind of defeats the purpose of using a bicycle for cheap transportation

Or just cycle home. Or join cross country bike groups.

 

[Jah_rastafar_I]

Yes I go to their Clifford Centre branch.

Remember when I got my first contacts from them, I went almost everyday for almost 2 weeks to ensure a proper fit. Each time had some dye put in to check the fit

That was when Ms. Ong was the opthamologist there. She passed away but they do have competent people there.

what? U went everyday for 2 weeks? Just to check if the contacts are a proper fit?

I mean that's 14 days why take so long?

 

[king_of_abalone]

been wearing a pair emporio armani made in italy titanium frames for the past 4 years. so far so good.

i wash and rinse it with soap every day during shower and dry it with my bath towel afterwards, as if it is part of my body. not a big deal. i guess keeping it clean is important as perspiration is corrosive (sodium) and in singapore it is difficult to avoid perspiring. that is my unscientific opinion.

 

[king_of_abalone]

So you buy from this store?

http://www.isaacs-optom.com/index.html

It looks very professional. I just visit the shopping centre near my home and there are a few shops. Some just sell you contact lens without needing you to go for a check up with them.

Anyway the store that i always visit have some titanium specs but should be the cheaper type and they were very light but should be poor quality.

try those shops at parkway parade basement... a few of them can negotiate. branded and non branded frames and lenses available.

can also try those at bras basah complex. also can nego one.

actually the new KSL mall in JB has some spec shops that look pretty modern. not sure about the prices... but they do carry lots of branded stuff. as for authenticity, it's your call.

 

[johnny333]

what? U went everyday for 2 weeks? Just to check if the contacts are a proper fit?

I mean that's 14 days why take so long?

Back then there were only soft & hard lenses. If you had to use a hard lense a proper fit was important so that the eye ball could breath.

If you are a contacts user, it's usually for 12+ hours at a time. In my case had to use hard lens because of astigmatism. I also had a high prescription where a good fit was important.

 

[Jah_rastafar_I]

Back then there were only soft & hard lenses. If you had to use a hard lense a proper fit was important so that the eye ball could breath.

If you are a contacts user, it's usually for 12+ hours at a time. In my case had to use hard lens because of astigmatism. I also had a high prescription where a good fit was important.

Oh yeah i forgot about hard lenses.

 

[Ramseth]

For your benefit, in PRC, same foreign brand, imported item can cost three times or more than the same model manufactured in PRC. And PRC themselves prefer to pay a premium for the imported ones.

Japs has better production and QC control in PRC.

PRC goods manufactured under licence of foreign brands are not usually available in PRC. These outsourcing contracts are usually for export only.

Japan of course have their own brands and QC established and reputable. Just pay the price and you can buy it. Japan and PRC are incompatible comparisons. No foreign brands can afford to outsource to Japan.

 

[soikee]

World's number titanium bike, the Litespeed Ghisallo, its frame weighs in at only 1.99 lbs.QUOTE]

I LOVE the looks, OMG 770g for frame, my camera lens alone weight much more than that.
It is amazing. US $6000 oh expensive. when the wind blow, the bike will fly away.[/quote]

$7700 for the frame is just part of the cost.

Add on $3800 for Dura Ace group set (gears), $3000 for a set of Reynolds racing wheels, $500 for Frizik
carbon saddle, $3400 for ITM latest white carbon-stem, seat-post, handle-bar and Dura Ace pedal.

Total damage: $18400.

If you want to splurge a little more, go for a pair of LightWeight carbon wheels which costs about $7000.

 

[lifeafter41]

i doubt it will happen to my titanium frame, it is made in japan, very solid, cannot find in singapore.

cost me about 1000 sin dollars with the lens.

http://www.bostonclub.co.jp/catalog/list.php?brand=japonism&genre=HIGH STAGE

No problem with the frame so far. Cost me about S$800 including lens, not sure about the type of material titanium though it is an alloy , but it has serve me well for the last few years, albeit the screw problem, but it has since been taken care of. And it is ok now.

 

[Yoshitei]

Nothing mysterious lah

The optician wasn't surprised that my frame broke, it seems that titanium is vulnerable to human sweat and over time it will give way.

Titanium has the highest strength to weight ratio. Therefore, if weight is a concern, titanium would provide greater strength per gram of material then steel or aluminum would.

It is also the only material resistant to organic acid, hence it is widely used as an implant as it will not react to any forms of body fluids.

Only concentrated sulfuric and hydrochloric acids can damage titanium.

However, titanium comes in many grades.

I used titanium parts on both my bicycles and motorcycles. Even after decades of abuse, they still look good as good as when they were new.

 

[Yoshitei]

Been a long time since I rode a bicycle, anyone remember Raleigh

I thought carbon is the preferred material for bicycles, it's light & strong Or is it now titanium & carbon combination

Carbon is lighter and stronger, but stress points still have to be manufactured out of aluminum.

I had a Trek YSL 300, that was a really beautiful bike.

 

[Jah_rastafar_I]

From what i have noticed here. Seems that bikes made from titanium all look like brand new and can take abuse but yet a number of bros here know titanium glasses need to wash them regularly to prevent the sweat from damaging the metal when it's actually sweat resistant?

It seems that only specs in the 1k range are truly titanium.

 

[Yoshitei]

I'm using one of those small frames because of my heavy prescription. Smaller frame means smaller lenses which cuts down on the weight.

A frame of this type is more fragile than those full frame types which I used to wear in my younger days when my prescription was less :(

I often wash the lens with soap & water but never considered the frame needed as much care

A bike frame doesn't come into contact with one's body sweat. While whenever I'm awake I'm wearing my spectacles so there's lots of body contact on a daily basis.

The spectacles lasted about 5 years, when normally I change spectacles. As the frame is damaged I can't use it as a spare pair

Could it be titanium coated rather then titanium?

I've been using titanium eye wear for years without issues, from Nikon to Mont Blanc and Cartier.

 

[Jah_rastafar_I]

Yet if you try a cheap of specs made of titanium say 200 bucks. The seller won't tell you it's titanium coated but titanium. I wasn't aware that real titanium actually cost even more thus some ppl might have the mistaken perception that their 200 titanium specs are just coated and not the the real thing and then it spoils much easily too.