Originally Posted by
mconlonx
Roll your own: find a frame at bikeisland (kilo), get a 5sp wheelset (BI, or Soma Iggy), swap what parts you can from other bikes you have, a well stocked parts bin, or helpful people on BF... Pake C'mute frame would work, is cheap, but does not have butted tubing.
Consider the Torker Graduate as a starting point--could do a drop bar conversion if you want, commuter amenities, but again not the better tubing you want.
Or a used drop bar bike with a decent frame, swap out the wheels/drivetrain.
Guess it's a moot point now since I got the bike I wanted, but because I like to hear the sound of my own typing: yeah I thought about these options and the main problem is that a complete build is a pain in the ass with installing the headset cups, selecting a bottom bracket that yields a straight chainline, etc, etc. Also:
-Only the "TT" version of the Kilo frame is available at bikeisland and its geometry is even tighter than the WT (which is already pushing it)...although it does also have the fender/rack brazeons which are absolutely necessary.
-Torker Graduate is actually pretty close to what I want with the front hub brake (and I already have one built into a 20" wheel and will now eventually rebuild to 700c for my new Kilo)...but the frame is a horrible "trimoly" mix of hi-tensile tubes welded to chromoly tubes, yuck!
-I'm also pretty particular about my dropouts because I've found that chain tugs enable me to run my chains until they literally snap (making them one of the longest wearing parts on my bikes), so most road frames would not be suitable and even the forward facing horizontal drops of the Windsor Oxford were turning me off a little (but, hey, for a $200-$300 bike you have to make sacrifices).
Plus separately purchased IGH wheelsets cost almost as much as an entire bike!:
$190 for the Bikeisland Nexus 3-speed (front+rear) vs $200-$300 for an entire Windsor Oxford
$280+shipping for the Soma Iggy (rear only) vs $450 for an entire Kilo WT5
...so yeah I'm not willing to spend that kind of money to roll my own, especially when I still have to plan and build the rest of the bike. Course I could build my own wheels, but I'm looking to get back on the road ASAP.
Originally Posted by
noglider
I appreciate your apology. Too many people aren't man (or woman) enough to do that.
I like to think I'm a pretty nice guy...I just get a little deranged when something's amiss with my bikes.
Thanks again!
