How Are Titanium Bikes Made? | Moots Factory Tour

[@agusglauber]

What an amazing factory, and talented artisans. Every bikers dream to work in a place like this, with people like them. Great video. Love industry insider features.

[@rgmtb]

This was really cool to see! The quality is over the top!

[@aydnkkns]

soulrider.bike/ turkey titanium steel bike

[@gcn]

Thanks Agvs, glad you enjoyed it just like we did!

[@chrislinhares7311]

Really? It doesn't seem that fun to me. Add to that the noise, chemicals, and breathing hazards.

[@JuanPerez-tw5gu]

I'm a fabricator and welder and I would love to work here

[@Naturalhighz]

Absolutely brilliant. would love nothing more than a costumized titanium bike! The fact that they've kept up with time and put disc brakes, more clearance for wider tyres is just fantastic. Can't imagine a more enjoyable bike than those.

[@yukonchris]

I love learning about small companies that are still significantly motivated by pride. While their products will, by necessity, be more expensive, the experience of designing, constructing and owning something like that will almost certainly be more satisfying and meaningful, even if each of those steps takes longer to achieve. The days of easy come, easy go, are ruining the planet and have already taken any sort of pride out of the process. I for one, congratulate Moots for doing their own work, and doing it with obvious care. Hopefully, we can see more videos like this one from real manufacturers and not just business models that outsource. Thanks for the excellent video!

[@dblairw]

GCN - Absolute BEST video ever ! Really appreciated the step by step walk through of how a legendary Moots bike frame is manufactured. The painstaking attention to every detail and sheer pride of hand craftsmanship by the Steamboat team were evident at every turn. "Worth every penny" is an obvious understatement when Moots comes up in the conversation :-)

[@gcn]

Thanks DblairW!

[@kevinbuja4373]

When we used to weld, titanium, zirconium, and tantalum for the weld bead was “bright is right.” Meaning the bead is bright and shiny, any other color the weld is contaminated. 1) The “tube” around the tungsten is called the “cup”. And there are different size cups and well as different size torches. 2) A “straw color” weld generally means the weld a little hot. 3) All the welds have to be “back purged”, meaning gas is on the back side, or the side opposite where the torch is.

[@jamesthompson3881]

I own a Raleigh full titanium bike which I bought in the mid 90s..still going strong. Beautiful bike for climbs, long rides and sprinting to the finish

[@JosephDiaz]

Finally got my first Moots and it's a dream. It was probably being made around the time of this video. I scanned the heck out of this vid but didn't see it anywhere.

[@JosephDiaz]

@Brainjock My build is a monster cross YBB that soaks up rough gravel roads. I have also ridden a Vamoots RSL. That bike was stiff as hell and super buzzy. Being that that is their road race bike, makes sense. They really do tailor the ride quality for the intended use. My custom Mountaineer YBB definitely doesn't beat me up as much as my stiff steel CX/gravel race bike. That's exactly what I wanted.

[@muldoontransmission]

Got a custom geometry moots route rsl last year. It’s been such a joy to ride. Stiff when out of the pedals, but compliant on the bumpy bits of road. Seeing this video makes me a proud owner. What an awesome facility.

[@robertmecalis7189]

I still ride my titanium road bike bought it back in the 90s sometime don’t even remember when and I love it.

[@RudiDwiHartanto]

Man moots is one of my favorite bike brand for their iconic design. Simple yet strikingly cool

[@ronbyers9912]

Reminds me of the Waterford Crystal tour I took earlier this summer in Waterford, Ireland. Super skilled workers who take great pride in their work.

[@akarilotube]

I had a Litespeed 6/4 Palmares back in the day and it was incredible, that said, I've always admired the Moots craftsmanship/ welds as second to none. Awesome stuff.

[@RESolberg]

OMG Watching So try to bend that tube was more fun than I've had in a long time... Thanks 😊

[@jayernster7869]

Thank You to GCN for yet another superb video. I am a VERY proud owner of a Moots RSL Vamoots road bike. I had it made for me because I tired of the Taiwanese and Chinese invasion of the bicycle market. Best purchase I ever made. I come to tears when I get on the bike and when I dismount off it. I wish everyone could ride a Moots once in their lives. Thanks to the gifted, talented and dedicated artisans at Moots for making such sweet bikes and allowing the GCN crew to film it all. Made in Steamboat Springs, Colorado USA!

[@jorgedario1000]

People ignore how complex is to build a bike whatever material is , your video help to be moe awardness about this, thank great video very smart explanation.

[@WorldwideDarts]

Back in the 1990's when I was in Colorado I always wanted a Moots. A couple local mountain bikers had a Moots and they were awesome!

[@bhumiriady]

This is super cool and awesome! The process of producing titanium bikes is so amazing and fascinating! I really like it so much!

[@aydnkkns]

soulrider.bike/ turkey titanium steel bike order

[@andersnilsson973]

Not that exciting. It is basically the same process as making something out of high strength or stainless steel.

[@EarthSurferUSA]

I find all manufacturing processes interesting, so I became a machinist and earned manufacturing engineering degrees. Now I have my own business making cool stuff for RC cars mostly, (one man show, usually making more money than any union worker in the world). Did you know that you can become a God? Yes you can. When you think of a product, develop it, produce it and sell it, you are bringing something of value into existence that did not exist before. That makes you a "GOD OF MATERIAL GOODS!!" It makes all of mankind a little better. Let the state call their "workers" hero's, (who produce nothing and live off others taxes who do). Be a God! :)

[@jameswitte5676]

Please do a comparison of a Moots and a high end carbon bike with the same components and tires. Thanks and keep up the great videos.

[@rgmtb]

I have a much higher respect for these builders now. What a cool video to see the build process! Thank you and thank Moots too!!!!

[@6ft8incyclist]

MOOTS Has always been the best, top shelves. But so is Si he does great videos like this one.

[@petinka721]

Love see Si visit factory! Thanks GCN!

[@josephwoodard5878]

Wow -- what a great story and well told by Simon. Please keep them coming.

[@DrNPCabd]

Amazing workshop, love to see inside factories working...there is where dreams come true...👍👍👍

[@craiggreen4388]

Great vid, I've wanted a Moots ever since I saw a my first one in a mag back in 1993.

[@mlenz2553]

I was trying to remember when I first saw moots, think it was late nineties. Titanium frames are just so gorgeous.

[@Alexdrod]

I bought a Moots six months ago and it was a huge mistake.... Because I loved it so much I bought another yesterday.

[@zyghom]

A factory with passion. And products as well. Nice video as well.

[@MrTimstaaa]

What an absolutely fantastic video guys. Just to see all this in detail is excellent. It gives the general public the knowledge to be able too see what these guys do to make a bike. It'd be great to see more videos like this.

[@TheoreticalCyclist]

This is your best video this year so far! I hope I cam put my hands on a Moots bike some time int the future!

[@AaronGoodTimes]

Really cool process. Thanks for showing us this.

[@neilshannon9930]

Your welding looked pretty good Simon.

[@hedleykerr3564]

That was a great video of the Moots factory nothing better than Si talking about Ti! You said you were there 18 years ago you must have been in town for the World Mountain Bike Ch. in Vail CO? Have always liked Moots, I've have a Litespeed Catalyst have had it now for 25 years turned it into a gravel bike a few years ago Ti last forever! Again great job showing us the process!

[@simonrichardson5259]

That’s some good knowledge! I was indeed in town for that.

[@Fixingeverthingwithaengine567]

That place reminds me of where I use to work in pa.I worked for Calfab inc.They make golden and jazzy chairs.Power carts for the elderly.

[@GF-ql5du]

I’ve had my ti bike since 2004. It is indeed my forever bike. I love every ride on it.

[@simon4043]

Utterly superb presentation. Lighthearted, funny, yet satisfyingly technical for us engineering buffs State of the art bikes from a state of the art factory If only I could afford one :(

[@green_building]

This video tell a lot and its great that you were interviewing the owner at the end of the video.. i like his personality 👍

[@jagadeeshkumar2091]

Si knows his metallurgy, I am quite impressed by the detail he goes about the various processes.

[@fightingpeacock1244]

Same. Although it's scripted, GCN did their homework before tackling this project. Very well put video.

[@IanJG1974]

Being a Ti bike owner this has been one of my favourite GCN videos ever.... Well done Si, very interesting. Moots bike review comings soon...? 😁

[@0s0sXD]

YES PLEASE MOOTS BIKE REVIEWWWWWWWWWW

[@JimLangley1]

Great video! "If they made that out of titanium it wouldn't have rusted" Cracked me up, Si - thanks for the laugh ;-) Really enjoyed the tour - thanks very much for bringing us along!

[@Cappy609]

I bought a titanium Litespeed over ten years ago, and sold it to a friend after only a year. Smooth almost to a fault. I have never had the pleasure of riding a Moots, but I'm sure they must be awesome. Tom Kellogg from Spectrum Bicycles in Trexlertown, PA also was a wizard in titanium and did work for Merlin Bikes as well as his own in-house custom bikes. As to how long materials last, my steel Eddy Merckx is 13 years old with 40,000 miles on it, and it rides like new. And my Jamis aluminum 15 year-old with 60,000 road miles on it is going strong. Both bicycles have had saddles, wheels, and various components replaced, but the frames are solid. I think craftsmanship is key. Obviously Moots cares, and it's why they have such a great name in cycling.

[@Cappy609]

Oh I mentioned Tom because I also own an all steel 1990's Pinarello that was repainted by Tom.

[@ImranShaikh-gh2wd]

Last time you rode the moots Routt 45 in Iceland I bought the bike, this jus wants me to buy another one. Moots are expensive but the paying for a handmade product that will last a long time and not need changing is great for the planet. I really want a hard tail frame now, saving up....

[@scallywagswagger2318]

When you say 'reactive to oxygen' I think what you meant was 'explosive when heated to high temperatures in the presence of oxygen'. High temperatures being weld conditions. The vanadium is probably the bit of the alloy that curbs this tendency (if I recall my metallurgy correctly), so that's why it's not outright explosive, but that is the biggest part of the reason you have to use Argon for annealing or welding anything containing titanium. :)

[@GHinWI]

The main reason for the Argon is that titanium when alloyed with oxygen forms a brittle phase known as “alpha”…they call it “alpha case” when you get a layer of this on the surface of a weld.

[@weldmachine]

I am more interested in Motorcycles than Bicycles. But it was great seeing the manufacturing of a high end product like a Titanium Bicycle Frame. Always good to watch video,s that give some insight into how people manufacture a product. Especially products they are passionate about. Thanks for the tour. Peter.

[@gcn]

Glad you enjoyed it Peter! We thought so too and love that it draws people from outside of cycling to enjoy it

[@kevinknutson7205]

My moots is my pride and joy :-)

[@michaelkaye4998]

Kevin Knutson what kind did you get? Road, gravel, or mountain? I’m going to do the tour in September.

[@kevinknutson7205]

@@michaelkaye4998 I have a Vamoots CR. I updated it with the Ultegra R9000 and Enve 4.5 SES.

[@gcn]

Lucky you! 😍

[@kevinknutson7205]

@@gcn expect to see it the bike vault submissions this week :-)

[@kevinknutson7205]

@Brainjock I weighed it today at 8.25 Kg. (Never weighed it before, I need to lose weight before I start asking my bike to lol)

[@JSiuDev]

Not only a life time, these frames can last for generations. 👍👍👍

[@tonyvaldiconza3914]

I own two Moots, a 2006 Compact and a 2018 custom Vamoots RSL. I also have a 2013 Alchemy Xanthus, 2016 Breadwinner Lolo and 2018 Cervelo S3 Di2 Disc. The Moots are the smoothest riding of all these bikes and my go to bike for long rides.

[@gcn]

You lucky thing! 😍

[@brentwhittington1184]

Thanks Tony! Really happy to hear how you’re loving our bikes!

[@chriss2295]

I have a Mongoose titanium hard tail mtb frame from 20+ years ago. Still looks new.

[@techstryker]

I ❤ it titanium is a best elements of bicycle . .❤ my noakhali bangladesh.

[@md.moinulislam9467]

Very good and unique product.....its frame is very slim and lightweight super aerodynamic look and feel.... Just a speed machine with comfort...!

[@mindbomb2000]

AMAZING video. Nice to see the craftsmanship so well presented.

[@davidwebster2616]

Outstanding video! I can appreciate there's a different crowd/mentality when owning a titanium bicycle. Almost a cult following perhaps? Pride in ownership as well.

[@bicyclist2]

Yes. I've seen what you're talking about.

[@colinthompson5881]

Stunning dream bikes, become even cooler over time. Best factory tour film ever👍

[@chrisscott8362]

♥️ my titanium bike. It is my favorite. ( don't tell the others).

[@tonyhussey3610]

chris scott Haha I fully understand this comment, I was looking for a new mountain bike on my phone while bikepacking with my cross bike and felt like I was cheating ...

[@haldyordan2316]

I love owning one but my wallet does not.

[@raymonddelorney4603]

Great video. My titanium is made in the UK by Enigma Bikes. Truly fantastic company and beautiful bike.

[@gcn]

They're lovely!

[@caperider1160]

I am a proud owner of Moots YBB. A very comprehensive coverage of a high end titanium factory

[@atfsgeoff]

I think 50 years is selling these frames short. There will be Moots titanium frames from the 90s and 2000s still rolling down the road in the year 2100.

[@okantichrist]

atfsgeoff They May come a day when little Johnny might inherit great grandfather Fred’s old moot 🤔

[@benjamindminor7552]

So will my collection of steel bikes and my aluminum things will last if you take care of them doesn’t matter what material there made from.

[@MaplePanda04]

Benjamin D Minor Aluminum tends to fatigue after a lot of load cycles

[@101perspective]

@@benjamindminor7552 Agree. I've had my $150 Schwinn bike for over 20 years now and it still looks new. I highly doubt it will last anywhere near as long as one of these titanium ones. However, even with inflation I can probably buy 15 to 20 more aluminum bikes for less than one of these titanium ones. Plus, like the guy at the end says, many of their customers upgrade to newer titanium bikes anyway that have better tech, etc, incorporated into them. That said, I could see it still being well worth the money for very hard core and professional riders.

[@bigwangmark]

Life of the bike is a Moot point really given the human race probably will have wiped itself out by then.

[@harimathur2191]

Unfortunately couldn't get a Moots shipped to Mauritius. But got a Dolan ADX Titanium... rides like a dream. And them Dolan guys like any custom/ small business we're like old mates throughout communication along the bike build. Sir John might recognise himself... 👍 Ti 👍 Si 👍 GCN

[@charlesnewkirk2309]

One of the best fabricating videos I've seen on bicycle engineering great job

[@granduerslater1739]

these process just blow my mind!by next time i buy a frame for sure a titanium one!

[@gsrossco]

Great video, I bought a custom Dean Ti, also made in Colorado 14 years ago. Still rides beautifully, nothing like riding a Ti bike. Love the Moot bikes.

[@theoverengineer]

Thanks for making this video so detailed and very accurate. (That "3-D printed" part sure looks like a casting with brake mounting surface milled onto it.)

[@thecyclingmaker]

Looks like a 3d printed and blasted part to me, plenty of info on the web about Moots' parts like that

[@HybridlifeOrg]

Amazing factory with amazing quality. Thank you so much for sharing this very good document about Moots that I didn't even heard before.

[@julesgraham6186]

Fantastic material for bike frames! I have a 1994 Clark Kent F14 MTB frame and it looks as good today as the day it came out of the factory! CK where based in Denver Colorado but they were a short lived venture running from around ‘89-96ish when they folded

[@duncanshirkey1820]

Fantastic to see the enthusiasm for hand built Ti bikes, I loved watching the video. I've been the proud owner of an a Merlin Mountain for over 22 years, still going strong and after converting it to disk brakes I'm sure it will outlast me. as you say, a bike for life!

[@skulengu6854]

.005in. is equivalent to .127mm. The last time I used a micrometer on the wall of a cut open aluminum can, it was .004in. (.102mm). A sheet of binder paper is .003in. (.076mm). Most tooling for firearms have a tolerance of .0002in. or smaller, especially if it is a rifling button (the tool that forms the spiral grooves in a barrel).

[@gcn]

Thats an incredibly tight tolerance. Thanks for putting it all into a useful context for us

[@georgiaguardian4696]

This is high end material that can last decades and decades.

[@thomasdiaz5116]

Great to see where and how my dream bike (2016 Frosthammer) was made. I will definitely call ahead for a tour while in the area. Thank you for sharing!

[@CentristRN]

I love how the industry has come back around to Moots. The YBB idea has survived so many trends because it works.

[@RaptorV1USA]

i built one for my buddy 20 yrs ago and he's still riding it along with newer Moots Ti frames...

[@A-Tango]

I love my Moots - great video about this wonderful company.

[@EarthSurferUSA]

Nuke Proof in the 90's had a very good welding fixture. The 1 inch thick jig plate was cut out in the middle, (like a doughnut hole), and the frame tubes were held with v-blocks, (set with a "master frame") in the center of the hole. The fixture can then be rotated 360 degrees on it's stand, and the welder was able to access both sides of the bike in one operation. Weld a bit, flip the fixture, weld a bit on the other side, flip again when ever needed by the welder. One fixture did it all, and it proved to help keep the frame straight by evening out the welding on both sides when ever the welder wanted to weld a portion on the other side.

[@charliedillon1400]

I wandered into the original Moots shop in the weird geodesic dome building years ago and asked for a recommendation for a medium difficulty MTB route in the area. They sent me on a grueling five hour death march. Some of the best singletrack in Colorado but not really a "medium" ride lol!!

[@Unknownaurus]

This is one of my favorite videos you guys have put out. As soon as you flashed the drawing I paused the screen and I geeked out when I saw how tight the tolerances they use are. FYI "5 thousandths" is 0.005in or about 0.1mm. I think I was more shocked about the angle precision listed on the drawings. And think about how tight that is, when you picked up the long tube it would flex under its own weight far more than 0.1mm.

[@arbjful]

You are right..0.1 MM isn’t much in engineering practices, it’s actually not a very high tolerance

[@Blackhawk556.]

@@arbjful 0.1mm on a bike isn’t much? Just think about how small one millimeter is

[@remkojerphanion4686]

Quality is everything, and Moots prove it.

[@mosca3289]

Beautiful craftsmanship and materials.

[@johnnydoe66]

A Moots has always been at the top of my dream bike list. Problem is that I can't decide which model; Routt 45 or Farwell. Maybe one day I will be able to afford both. 😁

[@davidide1525]

Unfortunately 2 high speed crashes. One on a carbon bike , and one on a Moots , both road bikes. The carbon was covered under my insurance and the Moots ( no damage ) I am still riding with over 50,000 k on it. Still looks great too.

[@LaughingSaint66]

You could try not crashing every other day !! 😂😂🤪

[@benjamindminor7552]

If your carbon bike had insurance coverage what is your point.

[@jonb77]

@@benjamindminor7552 I'm thinking David's point is that his Moots is not designed or built as a throwaway or disposable product which ties in, as the company boss stated, with their environmental and craftsman built ethos.

[@morganbrown8950]

Great video, titanium bikes are so wonderful to behold, especially those built by the artists at companies like MOOTS.

[@cyclenutter2715]

wow another awesome, informative and interesting factory tour GCN!! Wish my videos were that good😕

[@gwenheddle]

Hi Cycle Nutter checked your channel out and really liked the oakley unboxing video😀

[@b.r.3232]

That was cool. I liked the detail you presented. Much different than other tour vid.s I liked it, thank you.

[@thomaschaltry2084]

I’ve raced a Titanium Serotta Concour for the last two years and love it. It helps in a crash when your bike is made out of the same thing as a fighter jet.

[@anythingatall8550]

True but titaniom is actuly pretty soft its just lighter its not stronger than steel or harden steel

[@jseski9209]

at 5:52, started to chuckle... at 5:55 got a full LOL :D thanks, Si, that was brilliant (albeit a bit at your expense). Super video, dude!! I absolutely love my Moots, thoroughly enjoyed this vid, thanks!

[@daveed4475]

Superb video. Thanks, now I want one.

In love with this brand now! Thanks

[@joegomes1352]

This is one of my dream jobs,I love small bike companies where the employees actually ride

[@yewnammak750]

Great video, more of this sort of content please. Cheers

[@Chiro75]

Loved this! I just picked up a used Merlin and it’s amazing, so the allure of titanium can be very real. Makes my Waterford 1200 feel like a tank!

[@dsiegristable]

Merlin is offering a trade-up program right now! You can get a new Ti bike for next to nothing if you trade in your old one. They're now made in Boulder, Colorado under the same roof as Dean titanium!

[@markconnelly1806]

Nice video. Those bikes are awesome. Titanium is definitely a good choice. One thing I can say though is that steel bikes, when cared for properly, can last a lifetime too.

[@truderides2243]

Cool factory, look like brilliant bikes there is just something special about a titanium bike

[@Orphiel]

wonderful video Si really enjoyed it getting well informed for my next N+1 really looked like you enjoyed yourself and some epic riding opportunities

[@josephbingham1255]

The SR-71 Blackbird utilized titanium. At that time the USSR was the world's main supplier. A shell company was set up for purchasing so the Soviets would not know the titanium was for the U.S. military. It was discovered the chlorine in tap water had a corrosive effect on titanium require the aircraft had to be washed with Distilled Water only.

[@khieljerusalem9208]

Wow bike, bike is part of my life here in the philippines specially this time when transportation is so pricesy, Bike help the pilipino a lot hope have one of that, Thanks for the vids.

[@frankkottwitz6279]

Own 2 Moots they are great and the factory tour is awesome can’t have too many Moots!

[@LuckyJack99]

Fantastic craftsmen and awesome company. Best bike I've ever had - love my Moots. Great vid as always !

[@d.k.1394]

thanks 4 showing all that...tomorrow i am going to set up one the same........

[@Roaming50]

I had a Sanvik produced Kona Hei Hei 3/2.5 Ti hardtail back in the 90s. I loved that bike but times changed and now I ride a plastic bike. But, I would sell my first born for a Moots Ti gravel bike. I have always loved Moots, and a YBB gravel with a Lauf fork on front could be very entertaining.:)

[@michaelmagee6428]

How about doing a show on Dean Titanium bikes?? Just down the road in Boulder, CO. I"ve got 2 Dean MTB's and love them both. Equal time???? Titanium bikes are AWESOME!!!

[@pastagreyhound]

I've got a DEAN Ti seatpost on my 1997 GT Zaskar. I built it up as a 1x9 with a rigid fork and the bike is @23lbs. Thomson stem doesn't hurt either!

[@mitchellkasdin1899]

DOM. Drawn Over a Mandrel. Dimensionally very accurate with little to none variance in OD measurements. It’s “Bang On.” the gap space is about .008 or 8 thousandths of an inch., from a cursory guess? Pretty much aerospace tolerances. You need some margin of error to make the frame lay flat on a plane so you don’t get the rear chain stays splayed or angled and you’re wondering why the bike doesn’t track straight. A single sheet of copy paper is 2-3 thousands of an inch thick as a reference. Their frame welding fixture is very nice. So was their in house tube bender. Cool Video!

[@zafraleoangelo1373]

Love gcn,Number one fan , every day i am waiting for your videos,hoping giving me a cheap road bike

[@neiln62]

Very impressive From someone that has been riding a Lynskey for 10 years. Seems like a very similar story except they’re in Chattanooga, TN.

[@monteman59]

Would like you guys to visit the Litespeed factory they have amazing tube shapes 👍

[@UltPred]

Wow that was awesome. I got into welding and tig because I wanted to get into bike frames. So I have a descent knowledge of what there doing. Never happened so I got out of welding. Super sexy to see. I still prefer metal frames over carbon. Thanks so for a great vid