mstateglfr 

I dont need to scavenge any more, but still do for many bikes that I keep or refurbish. Even still, for my keeper builds, if Im out on gravel and ever complain that a butted Tange Prestige tubed chromoly bike is a tank with a crap ride, I need to put my bike down and walk home.

Mr IGH

"steel is real"

noglider 

Some bikes sell really cheap on craigslist. You could buy one of those and move your components to a frame that you buy as a complete bike. Some bikes that are not expensive ride great.

Squeezebox

If you really enjoy cycling why do it on the cheap?? Spend $2-4K less on your car and buy a better bicycle, DUH!!!

vdub6541

That concept works well if you're not into both

Here's my old baby. Sold her last year to get something I could daily at school and pay down some loans. I try to fill the void by working on bikes now

mstateglfr 

And here comes squeeze to provide sage advice.**


** <----- those are sarcastrisks

grolby

Note that no one has said you can't have tons of fun on an inexpensive frame set. And it's really all relative. A Surly or a Soma rides like crap... compared to a Ritchey Swiss Cross, which is probably not as nice as some much more expensive high-end custom frames like a Waterford or Sachs or something. But in the grand scheme of things, they're fine, and if you don't care, you don't care. I would just like people to be a little less blinkered by the "steel is real" malarkey. You gotta put down some bills to get a steel bike with a truly notable ride quality. The budget frames, no matter what they're made of, aren't going to give you that. If "crap" is too strong a word for you, let's just say "generic." Most of the inexpensive steel and aluminum frames out there feel kind of similarly wooden. The differentiation between them will be in handling and the tires you use.

MudvilleStomper

And of course, by Transition I mean Traitor. Wander frameset for CHEAP...

Mr IGH

steel-is-real

ksryder

Went through this recently, needed a cheap frame quickly. In addition to the New Albion Privateer someone else mentioned, I strongly considered the Fyxation Quiver. Funky RD hanger, horizontal dropouts, and split seat stay so you can run SS, geared, or belt drive. However, I couldn't find anyone with actual real world experience. Ultimately I bought a used frame off a local Facebook swap and shop group for $250.

Ronsonic 

For me the shopping and wrenching are part of the hobby so it makes it a lot easier financially. You'd be amazed at how little I can build a bike for.

mstateglfr 

Same for me. I would go broke because of the sheer number of bikes I have. If I demanded they all be better than 4130 chromoly butted tubing, I would have less bikes overall. Having only a couple that are higher quality tubing has allowed me to have many styles of bike because the rest are just good solid chromoly tubing.
My next build, a black mointain cycles frame, will be fantastic and a ton of fun to ride even though itll be lowly butted taiwan welded 4130.