best titanium frame for under 1k?

billy whippet

any suggestions? ideally race (rather than touring) geometry but MUST have eyelets for guards for winter training. ideally 1k would buy frame and fork. many thanks

gkerr4

i don't think you will get any branded ones for that - certainly not from the usual suspects (enigma, VN, Sabbath etc..)

you can get an unbranded one from china for that though - can't remember the name of the company but there are a few people who have bought one direct from china - they will make it to your spec so eyelets etc shouldn't be a problem.



oh just remembered it - XACD - thats the company:
http://www.xacd.com.cn/index1.htm

red dragon

Van Nicholas Yukon. Outstanding.

billy whippet

VN possible for £900 - but only a relaxed audax frame with eyelets or a race frame without... what choices are there for a race frame with eyelets ... budget 1k ish, can creep up if worth it

billy whippet

sorry, yes, just seen yukon on fat birds... does look nice

Monty Dog

Xi'an titanium, also trade as Tilon and Xi'angda - you could get two custom frames for a grand - the guy there, Porter is quick to replay and will happily answer any questions. OK, you get no warranty, but when you've got a spare who cares? Just be certain what you want in terms of geometry and fittings and you should have no problems.

greg roche

Sabbath's September is 999 frame, fork and headset for 2010....

billy whippet

is that Xi'an titanium in china? have you bought one? or know anyone who has?

hopper1

I just got a Yukon from Fat Birds... Looks great, but don't pick it up till Friday...
They also have Sabbaths, and I think you can get a Sabbath at £909!
Also, Sabbaths are now available in all various finishes... £100 extra for polished.
Have a word with Richard.

softlad

billy whippet wrote:

. what choices are there for a race frame with eyelets ...

that's a contradiction in terms - if it's a race frame, it won't have eyelets....

billy whippet

sorry, not meant to be a contradiction - just mean don't want an 'upright' touring/audax frame

AidanR

I've got an XACD frame, but I haven't finished building it up yet. The welds seem pretty neat but that's about all I can tell you at the moment. You can order exactly what you want (mine's a light tourer with integrated rear rack, for example) but it helps if you know your way round a technical drawing. They will build exactly what is drawn so you need to make sure it's perfect - it's not like going to see a frame builder, and common sense isn't necessarily always applied. I'm still ruing not noticing that one of the eyelets I asked for wasn't drawn how I tried to explain to them... not the end of the world though.

billy whippet

thanks aidanR - am an architect so, yes, do know my way round a drawing! can i get them to match the geometry of an existing bike?

mtbhenry888

planet x pro road Ti £999
Planet x sportive Ti £999

made by Lynksey performance, the best IMO

doyler78

mtbhenry888 wrote:

planet x pro road Ti £999
Planet x sportive Ti £999

made by Lynksey performance, the best IMO

That's frame only - no fork. That'll set you back another £145. The road has no eyelets for mudguards however the sportive does. Great frames though. I have the sportive.

AidanR

Yup. I suspect they probably have various geometries on file, but I pretty much made up my own after researching the subject... though I've ended up with pretty much the same as my old Thorn Audax.

Specialized have very detailed geometries on their site if not, as do a few others.

mtbhenry888 wrote:

planet x pro road Ti £999
Planet x sportive Ti £999

made by Lynksey performance, the best IMO

I imagine these will best XACD quality easily, but they don't have eyelets. If you can live without that, though, they'd undoubtedly be a good bet. I went down the custom route as I loved the idea of designing my own bike, and wanted something a bit unusual. Also, I'm a fan of fatter tyres (32c) and you just can't get that on stock frames (with mudguards).

doyler78

AidanR wrote:

Yup. I suspect they probably have various geometries on file, but I pretty much made up my own after researching the subject... though I've ended up with pretty much the same as my old Thorn Audax.

Specialized have very detailed geometries on their site if not, as do a few others.

mtbhenry888 wrote:

planet x pro road Ti £999
Planet x sportive Ti £999

made by Lynksey performance, the best IMO

I imagine these will best XACD quality easily, but they don't have eyelets. If you can live without that, though, they'd undoubtedly be a good bet. I went down the custom route as I loved the idea of designing my own bike, and wanted something a bit unusual. Also, I'm a fan of fatter tyres (32c) and you just can't get that on stock frames (with mudguards).

The sportive does

AidanR

Sorry, I stand corrected. It's a rack it can't take. Not the raciest geometry but if I was after a conventional frame I'd be sorely tempted.

donnie murdo

Planet X Sportive Ti made by Lynskey

http://www.planet-x-warehouse.co.uk/?page_id=1113

Burls could custom one for you
around the £1k mark

http://www.burls.co.uk/index.php

I think that you will be pushed to find a frame and fork combo in Ti for a grand or under unless you look at second-hand.

galatzo

Check these

http://www.fattreadbikes.co.uk/offers

Titus Solera 2007 maybe some left

billy whippet

thanks for advice... am wavering between VN Yukon and Sabbath September

giant_man

Try and get to the London show billy whippet and see both bikes, or see them at dealers closer to yourself of course ...... try and get test rides on both machines, only then will you be able to gauge which feels better for you ....

dulldave

Galatzo wrote:

Check these

http://www.fattreadbikes.co.uk/offers

Titus Solera 2007 maybe some left

The 52cm is gone

They are on ebay for anyone who is interested. The frames are 2007, like the ones shown here:
http://www.rakkar.no/racer/solera/

Monty Dog

I've dealt with XACD / Xi'an - if you can read a technical drawing and know what geometry / specification you want then you are only limited by your imagination - particularly if looking for something more unusual e.g. bigger clearances, disk brakes etc. I've had mine for 4 years - quality is workmanlike but effective but no worse that the likes of Van Nicholas, Burls or Sabbath amongst others - who all come from the Far East anyway. Setavento used to use Xi'an and had a good reputation but gave up for personal reasons.

ronthechef

I also have an XACD frame, done around 15000KMs on it, great frame for the money

I really have given it a good kicking, cyclo cross, touring, racing, plenty of wet weather training rides


http://ronniethescot.blogspot.com/2007/ ... -bike.html

HonestAl

I was going to vote for the PX frame too, (I've got a pro road) but they've just got new stock in and the price has gone up by £100 to £1099. However they're saying there's a "bonkers deal" coming next week of frames only...

billy whippet

thanks for all advice. as a matter of interest, what does a XACD / Xi'an frame cost and weigh (say 52cm)?

STEFANOS4784

HonestAl wrote:

I was going to vote for the PX frame too, (I've got a pro road) but they've just got new stock in and the price has gone up by £100 to £1099. However they're saying there's a "bonkers deal" coming next week of frames only...

Lol no doubt the 'bonkers deal' will be 100 quid off lol (joke, p-x usually seem great value for money)