Originally Posted by
KonAaron Snake
Corwin - as someone who also appreciates a custom bike...I advise you to listen to your builder on design rather than handing off a design. When you buy a custom, you are commissioning an expert to build you a bike that fulfills your stated needs; frankly he should know a lot more about how to get from A to B than you do. I'm also a heavy guy - and I'm riding a MAX frame with 700c wheels - no problems. There is no reason - none - that you have to have 26inch wheels, indeed a high spoke count hub in 700c is quite tough. We have near 400lbs on our tandem with 700c, 48h wheels. 700c wheels will perform just fine on dirt/gravel...I've done it with 23c tires many times. It's better with 28-32c obviously.
A sports tourer'ish build should do just fine for you...650b, 700c, who cares.
I absolutely plan to let the builder design the bike based on my riding style. My input will be primarily in reaching a certain "look" while maintaining the ride characteristics he has designed. I've been doing tons of BikeCAD renderings but that's primarily for my own entertainment and to give him an idea of the aesthetics I prefer.
I'm not concerned about wheel durability as I'm riding a set of custom built 700c wheels right now with no problems. The 26" wheels are something that I've somehow never experienced in my 18 years of riding and it's something I want to pursue before making a final decision. I picked up a 1995 Trek 820 yesterday and will get that tuned up and the tires replaced with something smooth and make it my primary bike for the winter. So far, my impressions of the 26" wheels is very positive. I like the fact that they are designed for the fat tires I plan to run and that their smaller diameter makes them a bit easier to maneuver in tight quarters. Jan Heine has concluded that 26" wheels feel the best with wide tires and plus, the fat tire/26" wheel combo just looks right.
How cool looking is this?
