How Much Weight Can Titanium Bolts Really Save?
Tom Bowers Cycling
February 08, 2026
Titanium bolts are often sold as an easy marginal gains upgrade, lighter, stronger, and more premium. But how much weight do they actually save on a real race ready bike?
In this video, I swap a full titanium bolt kit onto my Time Alpe d’Huez road bike, weighing every bolt as we go to see where the real savings are… and whether the final result matches expectations.
We’ll look at titanium vs aluminium vs steel hardware, durability benefits, and whether this upgrade makes sense for performance or is mostly bling.
Kit used in this video:
https://s.click.aliexpress.com/e/_c3mRsEET
https://s.click.aliexpress.com/e/_c3QNzQSF
https://framesandgear.com/en-gb/products/framesandgear-direct-mount-derailleur-hanger-for-time-shimano-shifting-black
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0:00 Intro — Can titanium bolts save real weight?
2:51 Rear derailleur bolt upgrade
4:04 Direct mount hanger swap
4:30 Brake caliper bolts
8:09 Front derailleur upgrade
8:55 Chainset bolts
10:11 Shifter hardware upgrade
11:27 Titanium vs aluminium explained
13:24 Final bike weigh in
14:09 Was it actually worth it?
15:50 Summary and recommendations
Keywords: titanium bike bolts,cycling marginal gains,bike weight reduction,road bike upgrades,titanium vs aluminum bolts,bike weight savings,lightweight bike build,cycling gear experiment,road bike weight test,titanium bolt kit review,bike component weight,time alpe d huez build,cycling performance upgrades,light bike mods,road bike hardware upgrade,marginal gains cycling,cycling tech upgrade,bike weight experiment,titanium cycling parts,lightweight cycling gear
Sunshine Savings/Seasonal Savings
ScrewsBicycle speed transmission titanium screws for shimano R8150 R9250 road bike
Created: February 08, 2026The Bicycle speed transmission titanium screws for shimano R8150 R9250 road bike is not mentioned in this video.
AI-Summary
Creator Links
Bicycle speed transmission titanium screws for shimano R8150 R9250 road bike
SPARTS bicycle disc brake titanium screw for shimano R9270 brake system titanium bolt nut
Created: February 08, 2026The reviewer does not specifically mention the 'SPARTS bicycle disc brake titanium screw for shimano R9270 brake system titanium bolt nut' as a distinct, named product. The transcript discusses a general 'S parts titanium bolts' kit designed for a Dura Ace Di2 groupset, which includes various bolts for components like brake calipers, derailleurs, and shifters. The reviewer installs and weighs these bolts throughout the video, focusing on weight savings and durability compared to stock Shimano hardware.
AI-Summary
Pros
- The titanium bolts for brake caliper mounts offer a 'massive' or 'huge' weight saving (e.g., stock 13.9g vs. S parts 6.1g).
- Titanium is 'significantly stronger than aluminium' and 'more corrosion resistant', making bolts less likely to seize or round out.
- For certain parts, like the front mech bolt, the S parts kit is specifically designed for Dura Ace, providing the 'perfect size' where generic titanium bolts might be too long.
- The titanium preload cap for the chainset 'uses a standard hex bit' instead of the 'rubbishy, annoying little star tools' on the stock plastic one.
- The reviewer recommends swapping the bleed port screws on Shimano hydraulic shifters to titanium to avoid rounding the fragile stock aluminium bolts, noting the S parts version has a 'far more durable T-25 head'.
- The titanium compression nut bolts for the shifters offer a weight saving (S parts 2.6g each vs. stock).
Cons
- For parts where Dura Ace already uses aluminium, swapping to titanium can actually increase weight (e.g., rear derailleur B-bolt: stock 3.0g vs. S parts 4.1g; pad pin: stock 0.7g vs. S parts 1.0g).
- The overall weight saving from the full titanium overhaul is minimal (estimated 30-40 grams), which is within the margin of error of the scales.
- The cost is high ('nearly 100 quid'), making it hard to justify for weight savings alone.
- Some bolts, like the bleed port screw, were heavier than stock (stock 0.9g vs. S parts 1.1g), though the reviewer considered the durability upgrade potentially worthwhile.
Creator Links
SPARTS bicycle disc brake titanium screw for shimano R9270 brake system titanium bolt nut