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My Roadrat is starting to show it's age, partly as rust is appear on the dropouts. <span style="font-size: 0.8rem;">I'd like to replace it with a titanium equivalent but not having much luck with options.</span>
I did debate getting some sort of road bike and sticking bullhorns with Metrea brake shifters. But my fixie taught me that the long low position doesn't do my lower back much good any more.
I've never got on with drops so road bike is out. Plus too much of my commute is on off bike paths.
Must have discs and at least 32x700c clearance. New or second-hand frame.
Does need to be sensible money so alas the amazing firefly frames are off my list.
The nearest I've seen is an Enigma Escape flat bar which is nice, but I'd like something else to consider too.
I'm wondering if a 29er MTB frame might be a good route but not sure what to start looking at.
I would also consider a bespoke frame but oddly I've drawn a blank on finding any British titanium custom builders.
Any suggestions gratefully received!
Brian Rourke in Stoke makes bespoke frames in 953. A riding mate has a road frame. He loves it, it looks a beaut and he compares it favourably to his titanium bike.
A titus silk Rd fom planet x is pretty bonkers for £1k. I got one for my wife for similar duties. Only down side is its boost spacing and comes with very wide wheels.
In the tradition of recommending what you own, I reckon my Ribble CGR Ti would take some flat bars pretty well. Very upright position and can take up to 46c tyres.
Sonder Camino Ti flat bar?
Kinesis Tripster frame build perhaps?, I built my v1 with jones bars and it rode extremely well.
<span style="font-size: 0.8rem;">[img] 
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that tripster looks like my Ti fargo. which is kinda what you want.
fitted with 2.35 big apples and full guards. pefect.
I think I want to avoid a road bike with flat bars. I've tried this before and always ended up with a bike that's too short and upright. Ends up more like an old fashioned town bike.
That's why I like the Roadrat as it's a flat bar road bike with the "right" geometry
Ted James will build custom titanium, might be spendy though.
Snowdon Paradox 38? Titanium flat bar road/gravel bike
Carbon not Ti - but a Giant Fastroad Advanced 1 with some lighter wheels is what I've gone for, can take up to 35c, stock wheels & tyres are extremely weighty so I picked up some Mavic Ksyrium SL and Panaracer GK Slicks for not much and dropped about 0.8kg off the wheel system. It's comfy and nippy.
Simpson Frameworks in Kendal build custom frames, they made one for a friend in Titanium.
Ted James is a great shout! My colleague has a road bike in stainless steel which is wiork of art! Also just realised he used to go by Super Ted in the days of fixie mania.
Had seen the Snowdon before and like the look of it. Have they gone bust? Their website seems to have closed.
What is it about drop bars you’ve never got on with? Any decent road frame can be set with some nice swept back bars for a good relatively upright fit. Enigma is a good choice. I like Soma Sparrow bars - a bit like Jones in terms of sweep, looks like @somafunk has had the same idea
A custom Rourke 953 is an excellent choice. There’s not much in it between nice stainless steel and titanium really.
No thanks on a Giant carbon. While I have been tempted by carbon before, even Rob Warner couldn't convince me to get a Giant after the warranty farse!
I've tried drops several times and just never liked them. Everything from not having my fingers on the brake levers as in used to on a mountain bike to getting a stiff neck in the drops. Plus they don't work well for dodging pedestrians. On shared cycle paths.
If I had a longer commute then maybe but don't need it at the mo.
Worth getting in touch with @Sam at Singular. He does small order Ti frame runs and custom tweaks to standard frames. He recently did a tweaked Ti version of the new Peregrine which looks fantastic. Loads of people have built their Peregrines with Flat bars anyway so it would be a good starting point. He knows enough about adapting frame fit for drops and flats to make sure you get what you need for the bars you plan on using.
Burls?
Have you considered the Sonder Broken Road? Probably more into the 29er hardtail mould that you mention, but it depends how you build it.
I've had 3 Roadrats since 2009(?) - Mrs a11y still has my first one in use now. Mine gradually became more off-roady as my commuting routes evolved with different fork for extra clearance etc. Swapped to a Titus Mutsu a few years ago, a near-identical copy of the Broken Road but no longer available. In true Planet X fashion it was far cheaper than the Broken Road but it works well enough for me that a Sonder would be worth every penny if I was buying again.
My XL with a 490 A-C eXotic monocoque fork, 700x50, full 'guards, flat bar and barends, plus a 150mm dropper...
Don’t get. Burls. Single worst customer experience yet had and the frame was not great either. Shout if you’re interested in a 56cm singlespeed frame 😄
Rourke very nice; I have a 953 fast road/race bike which is lovely and direct and a 853/921 (main triangle/stays) Audax bike which is lovely. All with drops though.
I’ve just fitted flats to my RG EVANS singlespeed rough stuff bike and that’s very pleasant. He’s based from Colchester if that’s any good to you? He’s done a few rando geared bikes too.
https://flic.kr/p/2ofPKJX
Out of personal interest. What would be the general differences in an standard XC MTB (i.e sensible head angle) vs a hybrid.
Sorry to detract from the OP's original question, but I'm in a similar position and just wondering if XC frames would open up the options)
Cheers
a few years ago Budnitz was top of the tree for online piss taking of Ti urban bikes
https://budnitzbicycles.tumblr.com/
Craft bikes looks worth a shout too. As does the Sondor.
Thanks everyone that's a few options to explore in more detail.
Take a look at Olsen bikes?
I love a flat bar bike, drops just don't work for me.
an Enigma Escape flat bar which is nice
And this is bloody lovely! I might have to look in to these a bit more as a C2W frame.