6'4" 190lbs dude looking to buy a custom steel frame for under $1k

[boze]

I just got hit by a car this morning on the ride to work and cracked/bent the seatstays on my Viner Comp. it was a 64cm deda 12.5 lugged steel frame - not the lightest or the stiffest or particularly fancy - i got it from gvhbikes because it fit me and built up with ultegra 9 and some cheap wheels it was $1400 shipped.

but now it's dead and they don't carry my size anymore - but who does really.

so i love steel frames and i figure i can shop for a new one and move my stuff onto it. but beyond that i'm clueless.
The left overs of my bike that will be the "build kit" i guess include:

Easton SL90 fork (uncut) with a 1" steerer
MavicOP/ultegra wheels that are serving me fine
brooks saddle
ultegra 9sp triple - 5k on it but with a new chain, cassette and cables

sorry if this is TMI at this point.

my riding habits are 4 to 20mile commutes depending on weather and 20 to 50 mile rides along the potomac in dc on the weekends or whenever i can swing it.

i've written doug at curtlo - i'm not really feeling an XO tubeset but that S3 looks like a fine choice.

seriously though, this whole broken-frame thing isn't even a day old so i'm trying to get info to make the right decision so i can get back in the saddle with a quickness.

i'm open to the idea of local builders in the DC metro area too if the quality and price is competitive.

thanks so much,
boze

[Nessism]

S3 is paper thin and pretty iffy in my opinion for someone your size. The other True Temper tubes are good quality though so no worry there.

For a cheap but good quality frame check out Tom Teesdale http://www.tetcycles.com/

Only thing negative I've heard is about his paint. Ask him about options there.

[dbohemian]

I think Curtlo cycles would be a fine choice. Good work.

I would not recommend the S3 set for a person of your size and weight and considering that this bike will be used 50% of the time for commuting. You would be better served from a oversized thicker walled set.

I would also consider replacing your fork. Depending on what happened in your wreck it may not be the safest thing to use any longer. In addition, any decent custom frame will be made around a particular fork height.

1k is a pretty low budget figure. Honestly, it is pretty hard with recent material cost, insurance and overhead increases for a seasoned veteran to hit that mark. 1300-1500 might really open up your options in builders and get you something that you can cherish for a long time.

All the best.

Dave Bohm
Bohemian Bicycles

[jimblairo]

I have a 63.5 Marinoni custom frame made from Zona that cost me 875$ cdn.

[BikeWNC]

If you are interested in a nice carbon frame, I have a 62cm Calfee Luna Pro that is like new within your budget. I think it has a steel-like feel to it while being lighter and rust proof.

[jfmckenna]

boze I am same size as you and I was looking for the same thing. I also suggest Curtlo. I didn't get one since I finally settled on a Moots but the Curtlo's are in your price range and seem like a really good deal. After extensive searching the only bad review I ever came accross about Curtlo was the paint chipping sometimes.

[bullwinkle]

Check out Mercian:

http://www.merciancycles.com

They may have something in the showroom that they can ship right away. If not, new orders are currently taking about 5 to 6 months to delivery.

[workscollective]

For a reasonably local framebuilder check out Clark Custom Cycles. Damien Clark is the framebuilder and he can work up pretty much anything. As with anything custom frame prices are dependant on what you want and need but a grand is a reasonably good starting point for him. I've got a singlespeed mountain frame from him and have a road on order (3 back on his list of frames to make)

http://www.clarkcustomcycles.com