On-One / Planet X bikes and components

Whoever bought it is likely to receive the wrong size

Any thoughts on why one (me) shouldn't get Tempest?
I'm thinking that for now I had enough of buying and selling bikes all the time and want to settle for a good long while on something. Doing some thinking I decided that it should be something gravel-ish — I don't race, I don't do MTB, but I do like my field paths and forest trails. Also I want something titanium because I never ridden Ti — bought Litespeed, but had to leave behind with zero miles logged. Not only that, but Ti is supposed to be for life, and that sounds good to me. So the question is — will Planet X Ti be actually for life or I should be aware of them? My concern is that warranty would be pretty difficult for me, since I'm in EU, not UK.
Options I have in mind are:

• Tempest frameset — relatively cheap, I have good wheels and Force group on hand, the rest are pretty easy to get my hands, and everything is standard, which is very big pro
  
• Tempest Rival/Force — still relatively cheap, I don't have to build it, just assemble. I had to leave all my tools behind as well as all my bikes, so that would be convenient. I'll swap wheels and sell stock one and group I have off to offset some cost
  
• Merlin All-Road Steel frameset or complete bike — cheapest option, standards are standard, modern, blue (like me some blue), good tubes. On the flipside I've heard quite a bit about Merlin's spotty QC and that fork is fugly as sin
  
• Rondo RUUT Ti — ungodly expensive, proprietary front brake adapter, but will be here in two days, easy warranty, variable geo fork, great looking and in-house developed frame
  I'm torn, as you see, so to sum up, here's three of my questions:
  
• Is Planet X titanium bikes any good or are they snapping like twigs?
  
• Are they any other budget-ish Ti options I'm missing? Say, up to €2K for frameset.
  
• If I order frameset from PX and add headset in customization, would they install it or just throw in the box?
  

Any thoughts on why one (me) shouldn't get Tempest?

I've got a Tempest gravel with an Ultegra/GRX mix. I really like it. One day it might crack, but it shows no signs of doing so to date, and it rides really nicely. I like it.

If I order frameset from PX and add headset in customization, would they install it or just throw in the box?

They'll just throw it in the box. But the headset bearings just drop into place, so that's not really an issue.

Orro ti.

2600 pounds for frameset is a bit much for me now, that's pushing RUUT complete prices. But looks pretty sweet with that variable trail fork.
@Brommers ooh, so it's integrated headset? Got it, missed it somehow. That surely makes it easier.
For how long you've had your Tempest?

Another thumbs up for the Tempest here. I use it as my daily commuter with 38mm tyres and guards, hasn't missed a beat in 2.5 years including being hit by a van. It's fun off road too with 50mm tyres, seems quite stiff but I can't compare it to any other similar bikes.

Wouldn't get a ti or carbon bike....doh.

Are the tool kits, yes I got the recent email, any good?

Why? Is there any reputation? Or you're against carbon and ti in general?

No idea about reputation, I recently bought a second hand lurcher. My first carbon bike and I'm not sure about how good carbon is to being abused. Hence the doh.

As for Ti, welding that stuff is very difficult and never sure that it is done properly. Is the pipework still aviation fuel line?

2600 is to be expected for a decent ti TBH, cheaper ti are more prone to cracking (anecdotal from experience in workshop).

Sonder do cheap ti too.

If you’re in the EU; best to source one from there really, warranty a headache from a 3rd country.

My first carbon bike and I'm not sure about how good carbon is to being abused.

Very good, in my experience. I've killed steel and Ali frames before. Never carbon. Well, not yet.

As for Ti, welding that stuff is very difficult and never sure that it is done properly.

It's really not. You have to back purge it, but that's about having the correct fixtures. Welding Aluminium is far, far harder.

Is the pipework still aviation fuel line?

Never was, as far as I know. Most decent Ti frames use butted tubing, and I can't imagine that aviation fuel lines ever used butted tubing.

ooh, so it's integrated headset?

We, no. Ignore that. I was getting confused with another gravel bike. 44mm headtube, so it'll need the headset cups pressing into place

I finished building mine up just before Christmas 2022. I've done 750km on it. I still like it.

My Kish is straight gauge and I’d say they were decent, but then it is a city bike. So was spec’d for robustness.

The weight benefits for titanium are less for butted tubes than they are for steel. There are undoubtedly plain gauge titanium frames out there, but most use butted tubes.

I think only one of the Chinese factories uses butted tubes, no idea about elsewhere though.

Yeah I was under the impression that 90% of the chitanium frames were made of plain gauge. I think even some of the uk builders are using plain gauge.

I've killed steel and Ali frames before. Never carbon. Well, not yet.

Same, but I definitely treat my metal frames a lot worse (because they're cheaper so I'm not so precious about them) oh and no one has driven their car into any of my carbon bikes yet...

I remember my mate in Oz riding (and eventually breaking) on of these
http://www.xacd.com.cn/product.asp?rootcl=1&cls=1

"Ti3A1-2.5V tubing" no mention of butted tubing I can see.

There's other internet chatter that says XACD will do butted ti for higher price.
https://www.mtbr.com/threads/experience-with-xacd-frames-parts.73170/page-2

Butted vs straight gauge.
With everything else being equal;
If you want a titanium frame because of its durability and practicality go straight gauge.
If you want a marginally lighter frame go butted.
Titanium is less dense so both tube types absorb vibrations and shocks very well.
Stiffness is more about tube size and shape than tube thickness.

Titan Is more flexible than steel so plan gauge will suffice anyway.

Worked in bike shops for 15 years; seen more cracked ti frames than any other material, which is absurd given they make up like 0.05% of bikes out there.

Sure, more victims of the ‘bike for life’ myth are gonna bring their busted ti frane to a shop than a cheapo aluminium one, but it’s still remarkable how crack-prone they seem. Especially given how there are literally no cheap titanium brands. The cheapest is still gonna be 5-10 times the equivalent quality aluminium frame.

Anecdotal of course, but this seems to be most shop-workers’ experience. So anecdote x hearsay = my truth and I’d only buy titanium as a punt.

Still thinking about a custom-geo waltly though…

My experience echoes your, our most recent date Engima.

Seven seemed to less crack-prone.

It's the Seven buyers not the manufacturers that have the crack problem

jk of course we all live as one big bike family