What is titanium anodizing?
Unlike aluminum anodizing, which uses dyes to saturate the porous structure of the metal, titanium anodizing relies on an oxide layer which coats the metal. Using an electrical current, and carefully controlling the voltage and amperage, a thin layer of oxide crystal is grown on the surface of the metal. Light refracts through this crystalline layer, creating optical color as a prism would!
What colors are possible with ti anodizing?
The colors achievable in ti ano, in order on the voltage scale, are brown, purple, blue, blue-silver, gold, peach, pink, turquoise, and green. Fades are possible between colors which are adjacent on the voltage scale, as well as across any range of colors in their order. Certain multi-color graphic layups are possible, as well as marbled color, multi-texture layups, and splatter ano. Please check out the galleries for lots of examples, or inquire with specific ideas!
What kind of durability should I expect from my anodized titanium?
Ti ano color is roughly as durable as the bead-blasted texture on a bike frame. It will be susceptible to wear where it is repeatedly rubbed or scuffed - this means that you should expect wearing where a bottle is inserted and removed from a King Cage, or heel rub on your eeWings if your heel contacts the crank arm while pedaling. This would be considered normal wear.
Different colors are made of thicker or thinner oxide layers - the applied voltage determines how thick the oxide grows, which determines the color perceived. This means, necessarily, that certain colors are thinner than others - in particular, take care not to rub purple or bronze with anything abrasive, those colors will show scratches more readily.
Should I use protectors where I expect wear?
Since anodized color is roughly the same hardness as the titanium itself, it will wear where abraded. It is always a good idea to use clear vinyl protectors where you expect abrasion - with frame bag straps, or if heel rub is a component of your fit, as examples.
An important bit of advice, however, if you plan to pursue protectors: be aware of the possibility of tearout! The oxide layer is bonded to the metal on a molecular level and won't peel or flake off on its own, but it is possible to tear it off if strong adhesives are applied and not removed carefully - this is referred to as tearout.
If you apply a vinyl protector and would like to remove it, the best practice is: Use a heat gun to heat and soften the adhesive. Remove it using a shearing direction, folding the vinyl back on itself rather than pulling it away from the surface. Remove it very slowly, letting the softened adhesive release from the surface gradually. Doing this, 99% of the time strongly bonded adhesives will release without taking any color with it.
If I send in a frame for a refinish, will all of its scratches and scuffs come back smooth?
In some cases yes, in some cases no. I’ll always go through the frame and soften any scratches, but I typically won’t attempt to make them go away completely. Usually, making scratches disappear requires sanding them out. Tube walls on many high level frames are often very thin, and I’ll never do anything that could potentially compromise the frame’s integrity.
After handling my King Cage with my bare hands, the color looks different. What’s the reason for that?
Because the color is created optically by refracting light through the oxide layer of the ano, skin oils and road oils may alter or dull the color. Consider it as being similar to how fingerprints mark stainless steel appliances. You can clean oils off of your cage using a soft and clean cotton rag or blue Scott shop towel and denatured alcohol or Windex. Water marks which the alcohol doesn't remove can be cleaned with a wet paper towel. You can also rub it down with clean, bare hands and Dawn dishsoap when you’re washing your bike. Take care not to use anything abrasive.
Can I return cages if I don’t like the color?
You’re absolutely welcome to return purchased product, but it needs to be in as-new condition. For cages, that means they shouldn’t have fixing bolt impressions from installation onto the bike. Please check color match with your frame before installing them.
What is the small dab of epoxy inside one of the backstraps on my cage?
That dab is present on every single cage that we anodize, and serves a very important purpose. When King Cage welds the cages, they leave a vent hole in that spot for weld gasses to escape. Prior to anodizing, I seal the weld hole with a syringe and a dab of epoxy - this prevents chemicals from getting inside the cage's tubing during the anodizing process. This is necessary to prevent chemicals from getting trapped inside the cage’s tubing and causing the cage to fail prematurely.
Can you do black King Cages?
I do not offer any - but if you’d like black King Cages, consider black powder coated cages from Myth Cycles. They can be found here.