My 2 cents - baring in mind that I'm quite unbiased in this regard - older Ti frames from reputable companies are very often seriously undervalued, imo... Back then - early 90's, many of the big cycling companies were getting into/possibly about to exit their fascination with titanium... Frames produced during that era, were - for the most part - very well made, with frame breakage issues not really featuring... My guess is that this probably has much to do with the simple fact that there were (relatively) many competitors in the market - and this in turn ensured decent quality titanium being sourced, and being properly welded/designed etc... It was towards the end of the boom-period, when it became apparent that Ti was probably unjustifiably expensive as a frame material - and several other options became more acceptable, that some companies were accused of cutting corners - to some extent with R&D, but more frequently, with the quality of the titanium being used... 'Exports' from the old USSR and China were certainly bandied about - and this, if you believe the web-forums, even filtered into the most reputable of Ti frame companies... Do a bit of research in frame breakage involving Ti, and you would note that it's often limited to a particular year (or two) of a particular model... Obviously there are exceptions, but the general feeling out there is that such incidents can most often be attributed to certain cost-basis decisions being taken by the companies in question... Regarding your Victoria - do some research into its status and frame-reviews back in the day. If by all accounts the company, and the frame was rated - and the frame still appears to be in good nick, I would be pretty confident in it not becoming a problem... As someone here pointed out - if it hasn't broken by now, it probably wont... And at the risk of really stirring the pot, Ti (along with steel?) is probably one of the few frame materials that can offer this sort of longevity 'guarantee'... As stated - I'm biased. I'm no lightweight - and whereas I don't go bombing off serious drop-offs etc. - my weight being hammered downhill, puts some serious stress on a frame. I'm still on a 1994 Ti HT - never had a smidge of problems... I'm also in the process of taking the plunge on a 2001 Ti softail. Bit more nervous about it, due to the inherent stress that is 'built-in' to the frame, purely due to its design... So I guess what I'm saying is, old-skool geometry issues/technology aside - if it's a hardtail/roadbike, made by a reputable company - then even if it's old - "they simply don't make 'em like they used to... Hope this helps!
