IN BRIEF
State Bicycle Co. adds a titanium frame to its fixed-gear range with the Ti Track. The main tubes are Grade 9 titanium (3Al/2.5V), shaped one by one by the brand’s production team, while the dropouts, bottom bracket shell and head tube are Grade 5 (6Al/4V). On the official store, the complete bike is listed at €1,416.95 and the bare frame at €885.95 from France; the American brand quotes its prices at $1,599.99 and $999.99. The detail that stands out for a bike badged « track »: the geometry takes tyres up to 38c, and front and rear caliper brakes are included.
| Price (complete bike) | 1 416,95 € |
| Price (frame only) | 885,95 € |
| Frame | Grade 9 titanium (3Al/2.5V), aero-formed straight tubes, tapered head tube |
| Dropouts, bottom bracket, head tube | Grade 5 titanium (6Al/4V) |
| Fork | Carbon, carbon steerer |
| Claimed weight | 17 lb 13 oz (size 49, riser handlebar) |
| Sizes | 49, 52, 55, 58 and 61 cm |
| Tyre clearance | 35c maximum recommended on the spec sheet; State also states « up to 38c », with 38-40c having been fitted by users |
| Gearing | 48×17 |
| Wheels | 700c alloy rim, 30 mm depth, 19 mm internal — 1,049 g front / 1,124 g rear |
| Rear hub | Flip-flop fixed / freewheel, sealed bearings, 32 spokes |
| Tyres | Vittoria 30c tyres |
| Brakes | Front and rear calipers included |
Fixed-gear is a market counted mostly in aluminium and steel. State Bicycle Co., based in Arizona, is slipping a titanium frame into it: the Ti Track, announced on 29 July. The main tubes are straight-gauge Grade 9 (3Al/2.5V), while the dropouts, bottom bracket shell and head tube are Grade 5 (6Al/4V), the harder alloy kept for the areas that take the load. The brand describes a sandblasted finish, polished titanium logos and « no paint to chip ».
The State Ti Track banks on tubes shaped one by one
The brand stresses the tube work: « every Ti Track frame is aero-formed by the production team, shaping each titanium tube for stiffness, ride comfort and a silhouette you will not find on any other frame on the market ». The material argument is a classic one and State owns it as such: titanium « does not fatigue, corrode or rust like aluminium and steel ». Hence the positioning shown on the product page, « the bike you never replace ».
A track bike that swallows 38c
This is the line that stands out on the spec sheet. A track frame usually makes do with thin tyres, for want of room between the chainstays and under the fork. Here, State claims clearance « up to a 38c tyre », a width more readily associated with sturdy urban bikes or light gravel. The rim supplied follows the same logic: 19 mm internal width, a figure that goes hand in hand with wide tyres. The tyres fitted as standard are Vittoria in 30c.
Another sign that the Ti Track is aimed at the street as much as the velodrome: front and rear caliper brakes are included, and the rear hub is a fixed / freewheel flip-flop. Two handlebars are offered, a compact road bar or a wide riser bar with Vans grips. The spec sheet does state, on the other hand, that pedals are not included.
Titanium at a price rarely seen
On the brand’s official store, the complete bike is listed at €1,416.95 and the bare frame at €885.95 from France. State is an American brand: it quotes its prices in dollars, $1,599.99 for the complete bike and $999.99 for the bare frame. The build chosen explains part of the price: in-house Black Label crankset in 170 mm, chainring in 144 BCD bolt circle, 48×17 gearing, 27.2 mm seatpost, alloy wheels with a 30 mm deep rim weighing 1,049 g at the front and 1,124 g at the rear. The titanium is in the frame, not in the finishing kit.
Five sizes are offered, from 49 to 61 cm. The weight given on the spec sheet is 17 lb 13 oz in size 49 with the riser handlebar, the brand noting that it varies with size. The announcement says nothing about a metric equivalent. On lead times, the page states shipping within one to two working days, and allows for a one to two week wait when the bike goes through the assembly workshop.
A titanium frame with no paint, 38c clearance, brakes included and a hub that flips round: the spec sheet describes a bike cut out for the street. For a machine whose name says « track », that is quite a step sideways.
