20" Brompton clones: Cranston D20 vs LitePro S20D vs Hexati Ti frame? Worried about future part compatibility
Hey all, hoping to get some informed opinions before I commit. I'm set on a 20" wheel Brompton-style trifold (which I understand is not "true" Brompton geometry). The three options I keep circling back to:
Cranston D20, aluminum, disc brake, seems to be one of the more popular 20" clones floating around AliExpress / various resellers.
LitePro S20D, also aluminum, disc brake, 11kg, 9-speed. LitePro seems more established as a parts brand, which makes me think aftermarket support might be easier.
Hexati / Comeplay titanium frame from tibicycles.com. They offer a couple different "titanium tri-fold 20inch" and sell individual Ti frames/components. Pricier but obviously the dream long-term. One thing I did notice which drove me to write this post is how distinctly different these two frames look, even though they are both 20 inch. See this one versus this. Unless my eyes are playing tricks on me here, there would seem to be minor differences throughout each frame. Or maybe it could be the angle the photo was taken making stuff like the rear fork look "taller" in the latter listing? I'm just not sure.
My situation: I'd like to start with one of the aluminum bikes (D20 or S20D) and upgrade individual components to titanium over time, seatpost, handlebar, stem, fasteners, maybe rear triangle eventually. The endgame would potentially be swapping the main frame itself out for a Ti one down the road (probably from Hexati).
My questions:
Between the Cranston D20 and LitePro S20D specifically, is there a meaningful difference in build quality, geometry, or hinge design? Or are these basically the same frame coming out of similar factories with different stickers?
How standardized are the dimensions across 20" Brompton-style clones? I know the standard Brompton world has well-known specs (74mm front OLD, 112mm rear, etc.). Is the 20" clone ecosystem similarly consistent? The LitePro 20" frames I've seen list 100mm front / 135mm rear OLD with 33.9mm seatpost. Does the Cranston match? I noticed the rear rack designs are different between the two, so it got me wondering about how the rest of the bikes match up.
If I buy 20" Ti parts from Hexati later, am I rolling the dice on fit? Specifically thinking about seatposts (diameter), handlebar/stem clamp sizes, rear triangle/dropout spacing, hinge pin compatibility.
Has anyone actually swapped a 20" clone frame for a Hexati Ti frame? Did the rest of the build transfer cleanly?
Basically I want to avoid the situation where I sink money into Ti upgrades on a Cranston and then find out the Hexati frame uses subtly different spacing/diameters and half my parts won't carry over.
Any first-hand experience appreciated, especially from anyone who's done a partial or full Ti conversion on a 20" clone. Thanks!