Originally Posted by
kipibenkipod
But if I'm willing to drop the repair issue and pay for custom frame, wouldn't it be better to go for titanium for its long life?
You want to leave a titanium frame bike locked up and walk away from it? Not me. I chose painted steel just for this reason alone. I don't leave my Ti bikes where I can't see them. It's up to you if you want to do that. You don't need to go custom to get a Ti touring bike frame. Litespeed makes a nice one.
You could get painted ti. But it is very hard to repair on the road, and steel bike frames last.