Planet X Ti Frame Sale

D!armu!d

Has anyone here bought a titanium frame from planet x? The price & reviews look good, but wondering if any first-hand opinions out there:
http://www.planet-x-warehouse.co.uk/?p=5940

Ryder

Fantastic. Light and very responsive. No flex (am heavy at 87kg). But have nothing to compare it to, never had a carbon frame

blorg

Carbon is every bit as good as titanium, a hell of a lot cheaper, and almost always lighter too. You would buy titanium because you want something a bit different and are not that concerned with price/weight ratio. I have owned several bikes in both materials and currently have two Ti bikes and two carbon ones.

The PX frames are made by Lynskey who were the founders of Litespeed, so they know what they are doing. They get very good reviews.

There may be durability benefits to Ti, maybe not. I know several guys with unpainted Ti bikes and you really couldn't tell the age of the frame, they look pretty much the same whether 1 year old or 10.

DirkVoodoo

Must resist temptation. Currently looking at a frame for a winter trainer...I'm happy with Aluminium.

Tawfee

From my limited experience of riding a Ti Van Nicholas Chinook & a carbon fibre Spesh Roubaix, i found the ti to be a more engaging ride, a bit like a good steel frame. Its irons out the rough bits but gives a nice bit of feedback. The Roubaix in contrast I found to be a lovely comfortable bike, but a little bit dull.

I picked up one of the Planet X Ti Sportive frames lately. I was looking for something that had a similar feel to steel, but with more stiffness in the bottom bracket area. Won't be able to say how it rides til next year i'd say due to budgetary constraints, i.e. i'm skint:(. Lovely looking frame though in an understated way which is the way I like it. For some reason the frame I got takes a 31.6mm seatpost rather than the 27.2mm it should take according to the planet X site.

The tax man

Tawfee wrote: »

For some reason the frame I got takes a 31.6mm seatpost rather than the 27.2mm it should take according to the planet X site.

I wondered about that when I ordered mine. I don't think mine is shipped yet,due to no stock of forks. Must ring them tomorrow.

Tawfee

The tax man wrote: »

I wondered about that when I ordered mine. I don't think mine is shipped yet,due to no stock of forks. Must ring them tomorrow.

I didn't notice til I received mine as I already had a spare 27.2mm post. Got a bit of a surprise when it fell into the seat tube!
Got onto Planet X & at first they were as surprised as me, but it turns out they got a batch of Sportive frames with the larger diameter seat tube without noticing themselves.

blorg

Tawfee wrote: »

I didn't notice til I received mine as I already had a spare 27.2mm post. Got a bit of a surprise when it fell into the seat tube!
Got onto Planet X & at first they were as surprised as me, but it turns out they got a batch of Sportive frames with the larger diameter seat tube without noticing themselves.

You can use your existing seatpost with a shim. I'd have a tendency to prefer a frame with the 31.6 seatpost, it is becoming more standard with modern race bikes. Personally I think it feels stiffer although that could all be in my head. The PX frames are a fair bit lighter than the likes of the VN Chinook AFAIK, it is a bit of a weight.

Lumen

blorg wrote: »

You can use your existing seatpost with a shim. I'd have a tendency to prefer a frame with the 31.6 seatpost, it is becoming more standard with modern race bikes. Personally I think it feels stiffer although that could all be in my head.

Is a stiff seatpost a good thing? Or rather, is a flexy seatpost a bad thing?

I'm struggling to understand why my cheapo-framed aluminium Planet-X is so unbelievably comfortable (more so than either of the carbon bikes I've owned); the top suspect is the 27.2 Ti seatpost.

A long time ago I used a suspension seatpost on a drop-bar hybrid conversion, and I don't remember feeling like it made me any slower.

D!armu!d

blorg wrote: »

There may be durability benefits to Ti, maybe not. I know several guys with unpainted Ti bikes and you really couldn't tell the age of the frame, they look pretty much the same whether 1 year old or 10.

That's whats drawing me towards a Ti frame. I read somewhere that the frame doesn't degrade over time and has a more or less unlimitless life, unlike carbon. Not sure how true this is but I would prefer to have a frame that just needs to have the groupset undated every so often rather than the whole bike.

niceonetom

Lumen wrote: »

I'm struggling to understand why my cheapo-framed aluminium Planet-X is so unbelievably comfortable (more so than either of the carbon bikes I've owned); the top suspect is the 27.2 Ti seatpost.

The Uncle? Could this comfort have anything to do with the big squishy tyres on high-spoke-count wheels? And the fact that cyclo cross frames are generally designed to be less stiff than road bikes?

I suspect that the increase in seat tube girth owes more to the vogue for beefier top and down tubes at the BB area, and the fact that seat tubes, if they're thick at one end, tend to stay that way along their length. But I think thicker seat post look better too.

I think a sus seatpost would make me slower too.

blorg

D!armu!d wrote: »

That's whats drawing me towards a Ti frame. I read somewhere that the frame doesn't degrade over time and has a more or less unlimitless life, unlike carbon. Not sure how true this is but I would prefer to have a frame that just needs to have the groupset undated every so often rather than the whole bike.

Basically why I got my Litespeed Archon too, had been a dream bike and I looked on it as a frame I would basically never have to replace.

Lumen wrote: »

Is a stiff seatpost a good thing? Or rather, is a flexy seatpost a bad thing?

I think a stiff seatpost feels like you are getting more power/faster in a race or indeed non-race situation, whether this is actually the case or not is another matter. As Tom says the with of the rest of the tube might also be relevant but having used both 27.2 shimmed and 31.6 on the same bike I do think there is a difference just with the post.

Anyway, you can still use a smaller diameter seatpost in a shim so the wider tube gives you the best of both worlds.

I'm struggling to understand why my cheapo-framed aluminium Planet-X is so unbelievably comfortable (more so than either of the carbon bikes I've owned); the top suspect is the 27.2 Ti seatpost.

As Tom says it is a cyclo cross bike FFS. My Tricross is also absurdly comfortable, and that is with a cheap aluminium post. If it was the post surely your Scott would have felt the same when you had that same post in it?

A long time ago I used a suspension seatpost on a drop-bar hybrid conversion, and I don't remember feeling like it made me any slower.

I used to use a USE suspension post myself, (e.g. a good one) it definitely slowed me down. Or it was annoying, whether it actually had any effect or not on my speed. I was glad to swap it for a carbon post. Much stiffer feeling but still comfortable. And that was on a touring bike, not a racer.

Lumen

niceonetom wrote: »

The Uncle? Could this comfort have anything to do with the big squishy tyres on high-spoke-count wheels? And the fact that cyclo cross frames are generally designed to be less stiff than road bikes?

I'm using the same wheels and tyres as on my road bike. I don't own any low spoke count wheels.

I was using the Ti seatpost on my Addict, but it is incredibly stiff and I haven't put many miles on that; my main benchmark is the Cayo.

Anyway, my Planet-X Uncle John is just smooth, smooth, smooth. This recent return to aluminium has been a bit of a revelation tbh. Maybe it isn't very stiff; I know that stiffness is worth 5-10W/300W or whatever (90s steel vs 2009 carbon), but I don't feel any slower.

I know Blorg has ridden many more bikes than me over many more km, and has experienced superior ride quality from carbon bikes compared to aluminium ones, and I understand the received wisdom that carbon can give both stiffness and comfort, but my own personal experience is that whilst carbon is invariably stiffer, this stiffness doesn't feel any faster, and the comfort benefits are possibly overstated.

Anyway, I'd really like one of these Ti bikes.

blorg

Lumen wrote: »

Anyway, I'd really like one of these Ti bikes.

My general feeling is that they represent excellent value at the £799 price point, and are better than most of their competition. Weight is of course only one consideration but they are a lot lighter than the likes of the Van Nicholas (indeed they are lighter than even VN's top end frame @ €1,999.)

niceonetom

Lumen wrote: »

I'm using the same wheels and tyres as on my road bike. I don't own any low spoke count wheels.

I thought you were riding around on knobblies in some sort or HTFU training? No? Anyway, even on the same wheels a cyclocross frame should be more comfortable and less stiff because on soft terrain excessive stiffness makes you slower. Giant make a big deal about how they've managed to reduce the stiffness of their carbon cyclocross frames relative to their road frames which struck me as weird at first.

Lumen wrote: »

Anyway, my Planet-X Uncle John is just smooth, smooth, smooth. This recent return to aluminium has been a bit of a revelation tbh. Maybe it isn't very stiff; I know that stiffness is worth 5-10W/300W or whatever (90s steel vs 2009 carbon)

It's not smooth because it's made of aluminium, it's smooth becuase it's a 'cross bike. You can get bone shaking alu bikes and bone shaking carbon bikes (I'd guess your scott is a touch uncomprimising), and you can get springs made out of carbon fibre. Material is a red herring. You know that.

Lumen wrote: »

...but I don't feel any slower.

Fell schmeel. Show me the data! Graphs and such!

Lumen wrote: »

Anyway, I'd really like one of these Ti bikes.

Agreed.

The tax man

No point me ringing them because my frame and bits arrived this morning.
My seat tube has a shim installed,did yours Tawfee? Looks like it takes a 27.2 post.
I couldn't check with the 27.2 post I ordered because it's out of stock. Only found this out when I read the packing list.AAAAGGGGHHHHH!!!

petethedrummer

Lumen wrote: »

Anyway, I'd really like one of these Ti bikes.

So did you buy that Ti bike yet?

Lumen

petethedrummer wrote: »

So did you buy that Ti bike yet?

Nah, maybe next winter. I would dearly love a custom Enigma Esprit, but I'm done for bikes this year, quitting whilst even (bought 3, sold 3).

Caroline_ie

PX Ti Frames don't exist in XS or XXS ... it's a shame. Booo Planet X

petethedrummer

Lumen wrote: »

Nah, maybe next winter. I would dearly love a custom Enigma Esprit, but I'm done for bikes this year, quitting whilst even (bought 3, sold 3).

Yeah, If I decide to go for a fancy bike Ti is looking like an option, as long as its at Planet X prices.

blorg

Lumen wrote: »

Nah, maybe next winter. I would dearly love a custom Enigma Esprit, but I'm done for bikes this year, quitting whilst even (bought 3, sold 3).

Winter trainer?

Lumen

blorg wrote: »

Winter trainer?

...and posh commuter.

According to Mark Reilly @ Enigma "going custom means you can have virtually anything you like, including clearance for guards on the Esprit".

So maybe an Esprit with wheelbrows and a rear (Ti?) rack. Let the stoning commence. :pac:

D!armu!d

Or as an alternative, have seen this frame for €1k in a shop here (on a fixie here but is a road frame). It's a few years old so does that have any effect on the quality of the carbon? I could get it under the cycle to work scheme whereas couldn't get the Ti frame...

Lumen

D!armu!d wrote: »

Or as an alternative, have seen this frame for €1k in a shop here (on a fixie here but is a road frame). It's a few years old so does that have any effect on the quality of the carbon? I could get it under the cycle to work scheme whereas couldn't get the Ti frame...

I assume you don't mean that frame exactly. "The upper tube is a bit loose from the lug".

Nice looking though. €1k for a "few years old" old carbon frame doesn't seem great value.

D!armu!d

Lumen wrote: »

I assume you don't mean that frame exactly. "The upper tube is a bit loose from the lug".

Nice looking though. €1k for a "few years old" old carbon frame doesn't seem great value.

It's not that exact frame, the one in the shop is new and that's one of the few pics I could find online. What I'm wondering though, is has the technology in carbon moved on much since then (from what I can see the frame dates from 2002/3).
I know I could get a planet x carbon frame for cheaper, but can't use the cycle to work for it.

Lumen

D!armu!d wrote: »

What I'm wondering though, is has the technology in carbon moved on much since then (from what I can see the frame dates from 2002/3).

As far as I could tell when researching high end stuff, there have been significant improvements in stiffness/weight and possibly durability/weight in the last few years. There are still large differences in stiffness/weight between different manufacturers within the same model year (e.g. 1200g framesets that are stiffer than 1450g framesets, with no apparently durability penalty).

I'm not sure any of that really matters much - as long as the frameset is stiff enough and strong enough the weight is a bit irrelevant; I'd rank prettiness over weight any day, and it is a pretty frame.

For a frame of this age I'd want it to be warrantied in some way by the shop, or very cheap.

Just my 2c, I don't know much about Looks.

Tawfee

The tax man wrote: »

No point me ringing them because my frame and bits arrived this morning.
My seat tube has a shim installed,did yours Tawfee? Looks like it takes a 27.2 post.
I couldn't check with the 27.2 post I ordered because it's out of stock. Only found this out when I read the packing list.AAAAGGGGHHHHH!!!

No shim with mine. I've a feeling that it was only when I got on to them about my seat tube being a different size to what's on their website that they actually realised they had a stock of frames in 31.6mm.
They offered to discount their seatposts but the one I was looking at (Thompson Elite) is still £49. Think i'll ask them to send me a shim instead.

granda

was just wondering about the ti frames from planet x as i heard they have now changed suppliers from lynskey but i cant find out who the new supplier is and as i'm looking for a ti bike/frame say this one

http://www.planet-x-bikes.co.uk/i/q/CBPXTIRDLTD/planetx-ti-pro-road-sram-red-ltd-edition

so what do people think of this one or should i go with my original idea and build upa lynskey frame from crc with a rival groupset

G rock

granda have you looked at the van nicholas frames?

a complete van nicholas bike is pretty much top of my list for the new year

fatbirds.co.uk have frame and fork deals i think

ktz84

The new frames are made van nicholas.

granda

if they are made by van nicklas ,which model are they as to be honest i would prefer to buy in ireland if possible rather than abroad.the planet x frame would be about the same price as the on i would be building up with a lynskey frame so
is there any reason i should choose planet x over a lynskey build ( beside cash) would one be better than the other,btw i,m a leisure cyclist who likes to do a few sportives so i'm not looking for an all-out racing machine just a bike i can enjoy for many years to come.

blorg

Everything being equal I would choose a Lynskey over a Van Nicholas, but it of course depends on the bike. I own a VN and a Litespeed.

G rock

blorg wrote: »

Everything being equal I would choose a Lynskey over a Van Nicholas, but it of course depends on the bike. I own a VN and a Litespeed.

Any major reason? Is the light speed anther step up again?

blorg

G rock wrote: »

Any major reason? Is the light speed anther step up again?

Just brand snobbery, which is entirely appropriate with a Ti bike. If you wanted lightest, stiffest or best value you would be buying carbon. Lynskey founded Litespeed and have a lot of history making Ti bikes (which I believe they still do themselves in the USA.) Van Nicholas are made in China and I'm not sure their design is quite so sophisticated; they are good bikes but don't have the same history or brand associations as Lynskey/Litespeed IMO. I would see VN very much like Planet X. I also own two carbon Planet Xs and consider them great bikes- but if I could swap my PX frame for something like a Look or a Time, sure I would. But these options are not remotely in the same price bracket.

granda

blorg wrote: »

Just brand snobbery, which is entirely appropriate with a Ti bike. If you wanted lightest, stiffest or best value you would be buying carbon. Lynskey founded Litespeed and have a lot of history making Ti bikes (which I believe they still do themselves in the USA.) Van Nicholas are made in China and I'm not sure their design is quite so sophisticated; they are good bikes but don't have the same history or brand associations as Lynskey/Litespeed IMO. I would see VN very much like Planet X. I also own two carbon Planet Xs and consider them great bikes- but if I could swap my PX frame for something like a Look or a Time, sure I would. But these options are not remotely in the same price bracket.

so what you mean blorg if you want to show off buy a lynskey frame or if you want a good bike to ride and enjoy buy planet x/van nickolas but either way they are pretty much the same

G rock

hmmm might have to save for longer/harder/both now. i'm a terrible show off!!

blorg

granda wrote: »

so what you mean blorg if you want to show off buy a lynskey frame or if you want a good bike to ride and enjoy buy planet x/van nickolas but either way they are pretty much the same

It's not just about showing off but also your inner emotional/non-rational satisfaction with the bike. For most of us a bike is more than just an object and we want something we can love. You don't love with your head but your heart. This is at the end of the day why you buy Ti as if you just wanted a damn good riding light bike you would just go buy a carbon Planet X for £999, which weighs the same and rides very similarly to my €7,200* Litespeed (*I did at least get it half price in a sale.) You don't buy Ti because it makes sense, any more than you buy steel for that reason. You buy it because you want it. So you are out of the realm of practicality already.

As a brand, comparing similar class bikes Lynskey>VN (IMO) as Trek>PX. But it would depend on the bike and the price; for the same money I would take VN's top end bike over Lynskey's entry level one for example. Same as I would take a carbon PX over an aluminum Trek... but I would take a Madone over the PX any day. But the prices of course are not the same and you have to take that into consideration also. You also need to look at stuff like weights and owner reviews as to the ride quality of the bikes.

CramCycle

blorg wrote: »

any more than you buy steel for that reason. You buy it because you want it. So you are out of the realm of practicality already.

You buy Steel because it is AWESOME which is also the reason you want it /thread :P

granda

so after many hours of searching and head scratching this is the frame i've settled on
http://www.enigmabikes.com/bike/bike-enigma-esprit.html

Lumen

granda wrote: »

so after many hours of searching and head scratching this is the frame i've settled on
http://www.enigmabikes.com/bike/bike-enigma-esprit.html

I have one. It is nice, although I suspect that the ride quality is slightly better on the compact frames.

Make sure they give you the finish you want. They got mine wrong, which was very annoying.

granda

thanks for that lumen