Originally Posted by
redxj
You will find a wide range of bikes used for brevets. The 200K I did early this year I noticed, carbon, ti, aluminum road bikes, custom steel, vintage steel, and a handful of recumbents. The main thing is comfort over a long distance. Personally to me that means steel and fatter tires, and I choose vintage. I ride a
83' Nishiki Seral with everything replaced except the frame and fork. I didn't need to replace everything, and would have been fine with the original components for the most part. I changed out parts to make it suit myself and my riding more.
A local rando I just met, who's done several full series, rides a Waterford. He doesn't use fenders, racks, or much storage beyond pockets, a Camelback, and a moderate saddle bag - probably smaller than a Pendle. Not using a front bag, he has no need for low trail in the front.
Anybody know if Waterford makes low trail? I could see a custom builder without low trail experience refusing to go there if he can guarantee a good result without doing that, or just leaving low trail custom to builders who understand it.