Before reading this, you should probably read and familiarize yourself with the "About Titanium Handlebars" at the top of this article. Titec Titanium handlebars have found wide acceptance with cyclists because of their price and the fact that Keith Bontrager has lent his reputation, as a bike parts designer of note, as to their integrity. Titec handlebars are reported, by people in the know, to be made in "China" (mainland China), though they are imported into the United States by "brokering" the transaction through a Hong Kong sales office. Where they are made, or anything about their origin is deliberately left un-mentioned on the package. Titec, (based at 2295 Ringwood Ave., Suite A-1 in San Jose, Calif, with the now expired Mr. Mitsutani as a principle) arranges the importation of two Titec Titanium handlebars. The PG bar is the least expensive of the two. It's made of straight gauge Titanium 3Al-2.5V alloy tubing, so there is no wall thickness variation from end to end. The PG doesn't have a bulged center, the handlebar has a finished outer dimension of 22.2mm from end to end and uses a 1.9 inch long split plastic shim to build out the handlebar center to the standard 25.4mm. Using this plastic shim is a wise move. Occasionally, with metal shims, a creaking noise develops as the handlebar flexes within the binder tube of the stem. The plastic shim eliminates this potential problem. The Titec PG is 555mm long and made only with a 3 degree bend. The wall thickness is .8mm and the outer surface has a sand blasted appearance in a dark Titanium Grey. The inner diameter of the bar at the end is 20.2mm. The weight of the handlebar itself is 146 grams, while the shim weighs 7 grams bringing the pair to a total weight of 153 grams. $ Price in Catalog
The Titec 118 Titanium handlebar has the same origin as the PG bar, though the packaging again makes no mention of it. The 118 is made of Titanium 3Al-4V tubing which is internally butted to reduce the total weight. Though the internal wall thickness may vary the outer diameter end to end is 22.2mm, so this handlebar requires a shim to build its center diameter out to the standard 25.4mm. Thoughtfully, one of the 1.9 inch long split Black plastic shims used with the PG bar is included. The Titec 118 is 555mm long and made only with a 3 degree bend. The outer surface appears to have a sand blasted appearance in a dark Titanium Grey. The wall thickness at each end of the handlebar is just 3/10ths of a millimeter. We cut a Titec 118 in half lengthwise to make some wall thickness measurements. We found at the center, the wall thickness front and rear was 1.00mm thick. In the area of the bend, the wall thickness had reduced to .89mm Over the remaining 7 1/2" length to the bar end the wall thickness was reduced to .35mm. (The cut bar is on display in our retail store.) Included with the 118 bar is a pair of B.E.R.T.s (bar end re-inforcement things). These are finely machined aluminum tubes with a 21.2mm outer diameter that slide snugly into the ends of the handlebar. With these 20mm long aluminum tubes in place, the handlebar ends are less susceptible to being crushed by an externally mounted (cinch style) handlebar extension. The inner diameter of the bar at the end is 21.5mm. The weight of the handlebar itself is 117.5 grams, while the shim weighs 7 grams, and the B.E.R.T.s weigh 6 grams bringing the pair to a total weight of 130.5 grams. $ Price in Catalog
This arrived too late for review. The is an aluminum handlebar also made off shore. It has a 5 degree bend with a laser etched logo in Black or Silver.
Color-BK-S $ Price in Catalog
