Originally Posted by
alvingogo
hmm any frame recommendations on frames with road/cross geometry? and will it really make that much of a difference on a long ride?
This was suggested already by homebrewk, but I thought I would bring it up again since it still fits your needs: the
Wabi Special. It is available both as a complete or as a frameset.
Also, the
All-City Nature Boy isn't a bad choice either. It is also available as both a complete and two grades of frameset:
Basic Cromo 4130 or
Columbus Zona.
Of course, there are the ubiquitous
Surly Cross-Check and
Steamroller, the latter being available as both a
complete and a frameset as well. (I know the Steamroller is a "track" bike, but a quick look at the Geometry specs reveals otherwise.)
Then there is the
Salsa Casseroll frameset, which may be a bit to relaxed and "old man" for you.
Another complete that may be a good place to start or draw inspiration from is the
Masi Speciale Commuter.
If you want bottom of the barrel, you can always buy the
Motobecane Fantom Uno.
Finally, if you are set on track geometry I would go for the
All-City Big Block, available as both a
complete and a frameset. It is capable of fitting larger tires and fenders, two things most track legal frames cannot do.
This is by no means exhaustive, but hopefully it will give you a good sampling of high quality, practical framesets and complete bikes that should fit your specified needs fairly well given that they are set up correctly. Good luck!
Cheers
lverhagen
EDIT: I forgot to state why road or cross geometry may be better for your needs. Basically, the slightly more relaxed angles and wider clearances found on most road and cross frames do less to transmit road imperfections into one's body, thus you will experience less fatigue and be able to ride more comfortably and more efficiently for both longer distances and in less than ideal conditions. You can also fit larger tires or fenders in many more road and cross frames than true track frames.
Also, if you are not opposed to buying used, there are many high quality steel used road framesets available almost anywhere you look (ebay, craigslist, For Sale threads on BikeForums, people you know, basements you creep in at night, garages you creep in during the day, newspaper classified ads, etc.)