Which are your top 2-3 Ti frames?
 

What are your top 3-4 Ti frame choices? Maybe a small custom and 1-2 "larger" companies. If I had to choose, I'd probably say:

Moots (prob the Vamoots disc RSL or regular RSL)
Seven (prob Axiom)
Indy Fab (not sure which model)
Alchemy (Ailos)

I know Lynskey is popular but I'm probably going to skip that brand. I like some of the smaller individual guys (Potts, for example) but have not listed any due to long long wait times and some I have no idea about quality and if they will be around if issues arise.

Why do I ask this? Well, I have a couple of nice carbon bikes, a decent aluminum bike, but no Ti. That will be my next ride. I want something relatively stiff that pedals well with just a little bit of compliance for those 70-80 mile rides but most will be 20-40. I do not want something too mushy or soft...it has to be a good climber. So I was starting the thinking process, and need to do some research. I will probably be buying a new MTB next, after which I'll target a Ti bike. The build will be Dura Ace di2 or Dura Ace mech (undecided...prob mech).

Moots is local to me, as is Alchemy. Moots is a bit of a drive but an awesome one. Being local is not a must...just a cool coincidence.

I'm a big fan of Moots although I own a Seven. I assume Moots does something similar to Seven but when Seven foes custom, it's more than just geometry. By using varying tubeset and wall thickness, they vary the ride. I wanted light but also stiff in the bb and rear. They got it perfect and I had virtually no flex with sprints and standing on quick uphill climbs.

I'm no expert on Ti bikes but I just built at Vamoots RSL. Dura Ace 9000 mechanical.

Went from a Lemond Washoe to this. Amazing ride. Very noticeable difference.

This photo is just prior to the fitting.

http://bikeforums.net/attachment.php...hmentid=520321

Both these sounds really appealing. Do you guys also take them on long rides with decent comfort? I don't need a couch like the Roubaix SL2 but just a little to smooth out the buzz. Light and a nice climber- that I can dig. I'll figure out the build later.

I have a Lynskey, and don't think I'll ever need another Ti frame (unless I wreck this one). It really is a great bike, but I still love Moots and Van Nicholas.

On the other hand, my n+1 will probably be an Al race bike.

The Van Nicholas- I have heard of them. Need to do a little more research. I must say that it does disappoint me to not have a threaded BB option with some of these, though maybe less critical on a road bike, I suppose. The Alchemy gives me that option, at least. Still, it is something to determine the importance of and I am sure Praxis (maybe even Chris King) makes PF BBs that work very well and do not creak.

Only reason I would say to include Lynskey, is cost. I would LOVE a Moots for the name, and little else. The R230 I had was the best riding frame I owned. My next road bike will likely be an R240 disc. They all seem to have it down to a science at this point, only one is quite a bit less. That said, if you can afford a Moots/Seven and the like, I would say go for it. It would be awesome to look at and ride!

I've had a Firefly on order for almost a year. It will be ready in a month. I am enjoying the custom build process.

I see that Ti welds are now an object of pride. So well crafted you see every stroke of the arc, like a metallic flat caterpillar holding the joint. It's nice but I would much prefer a seamless look, as though the join had been cast. I am totally ignorant on welding so bear with me. I wonder if the welds could be polished so that the seam disappears. I seem to remember old Ti bikes did not have much of a seam at the joints. No biggie.

They say a bird in the hand is worth two in the bush. And I have two in the hand, both TiCycles. I see little need to look further.

One tie-breaker for me is that TiCycles wil build anything if you can convince them you really want it and know what you are talking about. That includes both concepts and details. They built me a road dropout fix gear specific bike with dropouts that are both as long as a track ends and allow the wheel to go just as far forward without removal issues by opening down. It included a chain peg so flipping a double-sided wheel is easy, fast and done with clean hands. (Also came with traditional fastback seat stays, not their trademark wishbone. I completely forgot I asked for the traditional look on our first phone call. Done like they build all their bikes that way.)

The first bike was more standard but still a few touches that were different. Rear brake is turned around, forward of the seatstay, something I started doing on older sidepull braked bikes a few years ago. Simplifies maintenance by putting the cables and adjusting screws on the same side as the derailleurs. No drawbacks. And it looks cleaner from behind.

They built both bikes with front end geometry I asked for, not what they normally do. Both bikes are quick, just like I love. Both bikes feel like they were built just for me, steering, weight balance, fit, 3 WBs, stiff enough to be a joy climbing, a blast over rough roads, clearance for the tires and fenders I use.

They are local and they already had built me several stems so I knew they were a pleasure to work with.

Ben

Mosaic. I don't have one but it would be at the top of my list.

Dean and Holland, because they build with Exogrid (Ti-carbon) tubing. Dean even builds one with Ti fork

Passoni, Nevi, Wiesmann.

There is a fetish regarding welds in any metal that is based on the belief that the skill of the craftsman and the integrity of the joint are seen in the near perfection of the welds. Grinding/filing/polishing the slight imperfection smooth is regarded as heretical. According to that belief the very slight visible imperfection is actually perfection. Basically one pays to see the excellent welds and revels in them. If you smooth the welds out, they could have been crappy to begin with, and that just wouldn't do. I happen to disagree, believing as you do that a perfectly smooth joint would be more pleasing. And if you can take away the bumps and get to a smooth seam that has no voids in it, how could that have not have been a functionally good weld in the first place? But then I don't like bubbles in my crystal glassware either. Go figure.

I am currently waffling back and forth between a Seven and a Moots. I have local dealers for each, and I'd like to support an LBS with this bike purchase. The waffle comes down to whether I want to get a "made for me" frame or not. There's a certain appeal to getting fitted for a Seven and ending up with a frame that I had a hand in making decisions on. Moots you get what they make, with a few potential options unless you want to spring for full custom. However, a Moots will likely have better resale (if that matters) due to the frame not being a full custom.

I was on a charity ride last weekend and rode with a couple different folks on Ti bikes. One woman I know from work (but didn't know that she rode until a couple weeks ago) was on a Seven she had made for her right after they opened. She said that every time she wants a new bike, she just updates the group and puts bar tape on it. Another young man was on a Litespeed frame that his father had owned for many, many years. New groupset, new bike was the comment again.

I love the look of some of the Firefly, Eriksen, Dean, Kish, and Baum bikes that I've seen. However, I'm trying to stick with a bike I can get from a LBS at this point.

This is easy: Firefly, Independent Fabrications, Moots

@Chandne be careful what you wish for. Once you get a Ti bike you may want to get rid of your other bikes.

+1. My next bike will be the Holland Exogrid. Here's a fun video on the making of
Holland Cycles

Between Moots and Seven, you can't go wrong. I'd pick the hotter one, which in my opinion is the Moots, in part because it's from Steamboat.

I was in the market for a ti bike a long time ago. Coveted the Litespeed Tuscany and Vortex but both were too expensive. Decided on a Dean, but then bought a magnesium frame from Paketa.

Well, I was going to suggest Guru as a friend of mine has two very nice Ti frames from them.
Then I saw this, so carry on.

Not to threadjack, but I'd be interested to hear why the Moots is hotter.

If anything were to happen to my Litespeed built Merckx, I'd be in contact with Kent Eriksen Cycles.

Because Moots is from Steamboat and I'd rather support the local builder. That's also why I'd choose a Mosaic.

Some really nice options, that I need to read about (I do that for hours and hours) so I can learn more. The Holland looks impressive too. If I end up with a Ti bike that makes me want to sell all else, there is only one solution...sell all else and save for a second Ti bike from someone else. Money is not an issue because the cost diff between two may only be $1,000 - $2,000 max. For a bike I will likely keep for years and year, that is not a problem.

This is why I posted the question. I don't know enough about Ti bikes and can't pretend I know enough about the top ones. I don't want to buy one, spend a ton of cash, and then wish I had bought something else. That would be a really remorseful and disappointing experience, and one I have gone through few times in the MTB word. I appreciate all the information and feedback and questions.