Hi! This is a question that I imagine will simply be a matter of preference. Anyways, I have several vintage steel bikes (I really need to downsize) and one aluminum bike from approximately 2000. I'd be interested in acquiring a bike of a different build material, to compare and have more variety. But I'm not really a serious enough cyclist to justify something new; rather, I'm looking for something that's towards the bottom of its depreciation curve that could be sold in a year without taking a big hit. And while I'm not horrendously out of shape, my own fitness (lack of) is a larger variable than buying a bike that's brand new and 2% more aero. My use case isn't racing, but sorta-quick rides that usually range from 20-60 miles.
And so: I've found a nearby "Spectrum" Titanium road bike that was fairly high-end back around the year 2000. It has 9-speed Ultegra, Ksyrium ES wheels, CK headset, carbon fork and cranks, and the frame is a custom-specced Merlin that was painted and assembled by Tom Kellogg. Probably a $7000+ bike for whoever first bought it, adjusting for inflation. At $800, it's on the more inexpensive side of Titanium bike I can find near me. There's a couple that are slightly cheaper, but they are lower spec, even older, or need work.
Alternatively, I could get a 2012-ish Specialized Roubaix sl3 for $600. Carbon fiber frame/fork, wheels that are not anything special, and Ultegra 6700 or 6800, not sure.
So… is it worth the premium to buy old Titanium?
by gregn8r1