Originally Posted by owise

I've had time to think and evaluate my position in this matter. And after receiving some rather good suggestions, and some constructive brow beating, I returned to the LBS and carefully looking over all the new bikes in stock. The options, colors, styles, and the prices. I liked the new Gary Fisher 29er's, they were going for a little over a grand, super light, carbon, the works. And the Trek 8000 fuel I think he called it was also quite pricey at a couple grand. I asked him about customs, and the talk eventually settled in the thousands range, two thousand, four thousand, six thousand dollars and up yikes!!! That 820, chrome moly frame is going to get a custom make over. I have a friend up in Sanitaria Springs "Lord's Welding" He can weld a front fork to an Ice cream cone (extremely exaggerated here but I hope you get my point) and I have another friend who is a teacher at BOCES Auto body repair, for a donation, and the paint, I can have a student custom paint my frame, everyone benefits here. These guys certainly wouldn't mind the extra business either. I'm sure there are better frames out there to customize, but I think I'm starting out with a pretty good one. Bike Forum has links to some of the top bike parts sites around. I'll be riding before summer.