Self build frame advice

If you're looking similar to Ti but a bit different Paul Milnes, currently have the stainless Genesis Equilbrium Disc for £900 giving you some for your bits and bobs; http://www.paulmilnescycles.com/genesis-equilibrium-disc-931-2016-reynol...

I dealt through a guy in the UK who took dimensions and provided a spec to Walty who about 2 months later sent a frame over, which he then built up into the bike to my spec. The frame has all internal routing for brake hoses and DI2 cabling, mounts for discs, no rack or mudguard eyes, no drilling for rim brakes etc, you can pretty much spec what you want. Unfortunately the guy who did this all for me had family issues so no longer offers this service, but if you feel confident in speccing a frame then Walty will deal direct, they manufacture frames for various brands in the West, but will happily do one offs, just google Waltly Titanium. They will provide a very detailed technical drawing of the frame with dimensions so you can be sure you are getting what you want. The total build was just shy of £3k, about £800 was the frame, c£1k for the group set and the forks (Whiskey) retail for about £400, wheels are also Chinese carbon. Have a look at this website for all things titanium and often Chinese !  http://www.spanner.org.uk/

Your mileage may vary on press-fit bottom brackets, but suffice it to say I've heard the most headaches with PF30 and BB30 - not just with the bearings and cups themselves, but with their 30mm-spindle cranks as well. My bike is based around the BB86 shell, and so far I have not had any problems with it after going through two bottom brackets and a crank swap.

In the past, press-fit bottom bracket tools were a little too expensive for my liking, but nowadays you have cheaper options. Wheels Manufacturing, an American firm famous for their machined rear derailleur hangers, introduced their PRESS-7 universal bottom bracket press tool sometime last year, and I got mine for just around US$35.

Here are my impressions on the tool:

https://accidentalrandonneur.wordpress.com/2016/11/11/tool-review-wheels...

I'm currently looking at doing the same and have decided to wait for the updated Bowman Pilgrims which should be available before the year is out.

Does the Kinesis 4S disc frameset meet your requirements? 

http://www.kinesisbikes.co.uk/Catalogue/Models/Racelight/4S-DISC

Not cheap, but as well as being a disc brake frameset it will also allow you to fit (long drop) rim brake calipers if you have some kicking about and haven't the cash just yet for discs, disc wheels etc.  Sportier geometry than your Giant Defy, I think. Mudguard (and pannier rack) provision with clearance up to 30mm with full guards, supposedly. Internal and external cabling options, too. Just a thought. 

Maybe not to your tastes, but how about a Chinese titanium custom build?

 I used Waltly and was delighted with the result.  I think the total cost including a titanium fork was around £800.

You get to specify brake type, dropout type, whether or not you want rack/mudguard mounts etc.  

Fairlight cycles do the the Faran and Strael bike frames with large tyre capacity, rack and guard mounts. Threaded bottom bracket Frames are about £600. Reynolds tubing.

I can suggest several options, materials:

1) Aluminium - Cannondale CAAD12 disc (Sigma had a deal - quite cheap, but BB30 bottom bracket), Kinesis Aithein Disc (BSA bb), Bowman Pilgrims (BB86). All of these ones are very light and racy for a disc brake frames - I've heard a lot of praises across the board for all of them. Mason Definition is more "endurance" which I don't think you'll notice in the speed front, but what a lovely frame - expensive.

2) Steel - Genesis Equilibrium Disc (BSA), Mason Resolution (BSA), Fairlight Strael (BSA), Enigma Elite Disc (BSA), Rourke custom build 853 (BSA). I have Equilibrium and it's not too relaxed. Mason is similiar, Fairlight and Enigma are more aggressive. Mason and Enigma are pricey.

3) Titanium - Kinesis Ti GF disc (BSA), Enigma Evoke (BSA), Genesis Equilibrium Disc Ti 2016 (BSA). They are all pricey, except maybe Genesis (last year's model if you can find it).

4) Carbon disc frame are generally difficult to find, if you want to hit a good price spot of 2k. Nothing comes to mind - other than ready made, off the shelf carbon disc bikes that you can have for about 2k.

My favourites: From group 1), you can't make mistakes. Every build would be great as it would allow you to get Ultegra build + good wheels easily.

Group 2), I'd recommend Genesis (cheap - £500 GBP). Fairlight is very interesting (I think around 900), while Mason and Enigma are lovely and probably out of reach.

Group 3), tough...unless you can find a used frame.

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Mason make two very lovely frames that fit your brief.

https://masoncycles.cc

I built my own bike from a Canyon Ultimate Al SLX frameset. Very enjoyable, but not in any way cheaper than buying a complete bike. I only did it because I needed to replace a crash damaged frame and had all the other components.

Just pay your local bike shop a few quid to press in the bottom bracket (cost me about 12 quid) if you go press fit and don't fancy buying the tools. I'd have preferred threaded, but found it limited my choice of frames dramatically. Can't say press fit has been a problem for me, but others have written horror stories about them, so who knows.

Internal routing is fine if the frame come with guides as the canyon does. Simply roll them up and keep them in your tool box, makes internal routing simple.