You don’t always know within the first few hundred metres if you’re going to like a bike, but I took to the Planet X Pro Road Ti Sportive immediately.

It harks back to the good ol’ days of titanium — not so surprising, given its heritage. Planet X has sourced this frame from Lynskey, founders of Litespeed before they sold up to go it alone under their own family name. So, they know a thing or two about titanium bike frames, and it shows.

The mainly round, double-butted 3Al-2.5V titanium tubeset delivers a very positive ride experience. There’s feedback, but none of the jarring that is present in so many modern designs, so for me, the skinny, curved seatstays worked a treat.

When you climb out of the saddle, the bottom bracket stands firm, as does the headtube, so Lynskey has delivered performance and comfort, a characteristic of an expertly constructed ti frame. This sportive model has an extra-long wheelbase, making it super stable, though not the quickest handling, but a good balance has been struck.

The package includes a fair bit of Planet X’s own-brand kit, but it’s all good stuff. The fork (Planet X SL Pro Full Carbon) and wheels (Planet X Model B Aero rim) were particularly impressive.

Verdict

Clearly, at this outstanding price there must have been a few corners cut, but besides more basic dropouts than Lynskey’s own House Blend frames, it’s hard to see where. The Planet X Pro Road Ti Sportive is all-round top notch. Shimano R600 deep-drop brakes were the only deviation from Dura-Ace, providing tons of clearance for mudguards and bigger tyres – perfect for winter mileage.

Reviewer: Stu Bowers