Originally Posted by
bikemig
Why not have a US frame builder build you an audax (or sports touring) bike? Jackson and Mercian are fine builders but you are buying from overseas which will make it much more of a headache to warranty the bike if you have any problems. Gunnar makes a stock sports touring frame that should be close to what you want. If you want to spend more, I've always liked Waterford bikes. In any case, the list of frame builders in the US is pretty long for a custom bike.
bikemig,
There are indeed quality frame builders in the USA. Mark & his team at Waterford in particular do a fine job, if I was looking for a road racing frame built to spec I'd go that way. However that's not what I'm considering. I'm sure that I can get my requirements across to a domestic builder for an Audax/Brevet style bike but why not go direct to the well and source one from builders who have decades of experience building just exactly that? Warranty coverage is not a big concern, in particular Mercian has never been a problem for me.
Thank you for your input,
-Bandera