All of these responses are well written and right on. The question of which material to buy is a good one, sort of like asking the question, "I want to buy a sports car, should I buy make is Germany one or Japan?" Both are good, well engineered but offer different ride characterists.

Having riden both and using a Ti Merlin as my primary bike, I then to like it more. If I were club racing, I would probably buy a Giant carbon frame and race that and save the Ti as my special bike. A good question for you would be your body size and weight so that the individual frame will not fit you but accomodate your mass. A heavier rider will not feel as beat up, so to speak, from a real stiff frame. Some of those Ti frames will be more rigid that others. Which ever you choose, make it a bike with a life time manufactures' replacement policy, particularly if it's carbon. Along those lines, the Ti frame should last a life time.

Let us know what you buy. Litespeed, Merlin, Seven, Dean, and even the Macalu from Excel sports are all great Ti frames. I've never really looked at the Airborn, but they are priced such that one can get a Ti bike for not a huge sum. There are so many carbon frames to choose from these days. Of course the Trek are domestically made and have proven them selves in France. I recently look at some of the new Kestrels (I use to own a 200 EMS) and even though they are made in China, they are excellent frames. The shop owner told me that they are probably better frames than the older ones because the resins that are used in China are not allowed domestically, but they yield a better stonger frame. He said that Kestrel are directly involved with the design and manufacturing quality control - something that other carbon frame sellers are not. A number buy carbon frames and put their name on them but they are not really a product of that company's design and development.

Hey, if you really can't deside, Merlin makes a frame with large Ti lugs and chain stays and carbon main tubes. Bring you gold card though...