Def' don't base your judgement on the material of the bike.

years ago, carbon was a problem. Today, it's not a problem unless you have a major crash, then again, aluminum, steel, mixed al and carbon and even Ti frame will be tweaked too. So really no different.

Aluminum being unforgiving is due to the oversized tube the designers use. It's not the material. Ti have much higher modulus than Aluminum.

48cm with 700C wheel may pose some difficulty with frame geometry and toe overlap problem. Steer tube & head tube is going to be very short less than 10cm and this will result in premature wear of the head set.

Brand of bike, try different one to see which you like. So many brands to choose from. or you can go full custom bike if you have $$ to spare. Custom where the frame is tailored to you.

We all have our own biases so go with what makes you feel good and avoid people who have a chip on their shoulder about material.

One thing to note though. Ti frame using 6Al/4V composition do have problems with cracking. The material is just too stiff and brittle. So stay with 3Al/2.5V composition for Ti. I've heard 2 or 3 cases where the 6Al/4V Ti frame cracking.

There are duds made in every material. Its more of craftsmanship problem not the material or the design.

If you want a smoother ride, look at the rear triangle. If the seat stays are curved, then chances are pretty good that the frame will give you a smooth ride.

Anyway, set the price range you want to narrow your search. Then try the different makes. You can spend $2,000-$10,000 for a bike thesedays...

Personally, I would be looking at how the frame fits and the groupo I get for the $$. I don't care to spend extra for DA, settle for Ultegra though its bit heavier. SRAM force I like with the double tap feature. And if its Campy I'll use Chrous anything less just isn't worth it. And for the price, Record just doesn't do it for me. Chrous is a much better deal.

Having said that, I may be getting a DA cause I might be able to et the groupo for about the same cost as Ultegra at retail

Smilingcat