ControlTech have been producing road and mountain bike components since the late 1980s, starting with just one alloy bar-end design and now offering everything from bars and stems to wheels and cranksets. Over the years they've used aluminium, carbon fibre and scandium, but never titanium – until now.
The material's excellent strength-to-weight ratio has apparently convinced them to give it a go, despite the fact titanium is notoriously difficult to work with, and for 2012 they have a new TiMania range made up of a handlebar, stem, steerer tube spacers and seatpost.
The stem is made from 6Al-4V titanium and has a one-piece monocoque body, with 'windows' cut into the bar and stem clamps to shave weight. It's available with a five-degree rise in 90, 100, 110 and 120mm lengths; the latter is claimed to weigh 138g.
Ti bikes are often praised for their 'soft' ride feel, and bars and posts made from the metal generally have similar buzz-damping capabilities. This does depend on tube sizes and wall thicknesses, however, and ControlTech claim their new handlebar is "the most rigid titanium flat cross-country bar ever". Made from double-butted 3Al-2.5V Ti, this oversize (31.8mm) pipe is 660mm wide and has a five-degree backsweep. Claimed weight is 195g.
The inline post combines a 3Al-2.5V shaft with a 6Al-4V head and carbon fibre lower saddle rail cradle, giving claimed weights of 190g (27.2x350mm) to 239g (31.6x400mm). It's available in 27.2 and 31.6mm diameters, and 350 and 400mm lengths. Pricing for the new TiMania bits has yet to be confirmed.
