My Hillbrick, taken from an odd position which makes some of the angles look a bit funny.
She was custom made for me by
Paul Hillbrick Racing Frames here in Australia. The brief included the line "this is the bike I want to be riding when I wear out and die", so she's a tad more conservative than some you see on here. The frame is Columbus Zona steel, chosen for its strength and longevity, the chromed lugs for their beauty. That carrier gets used nearly everytime she's ridden for one thing or another. Bars are the same height as the saddle (Brooks of course), which is how I like things - I've got the drops if I need more aero. The components are essentially Miche - Italian bits with Italian steel built by an Aussie craftsman. Not that I'm wedded to things Italian, they're just the bits Hillbrick uses.
The true magic of custom made lies in the overall design. I specified the bars at saddle height and that led to the high top tube - no, it's not too high though that's a close run thing. The long wheelbase comes from the requirement that she be comfortable to ride, especially long distances, and easy to ride. She's both. Yet Paul Hillbrick, being a designer of racing bikes, has setup the front end such that this bike is also very agile. I'm not saying she's a track bike but she'll dart around something appearing under your front wheel like a scared cat - I really can't conceive of needing more agility on the road. Despite that agility, she's the easiest bike to ride no hands that I've ever had which, considering I've got noticeable balance issues, is saying something.
Yes, she was expensive and yes, she was ordered at a time when I should have had more sense - by the time she finally arrived, I was regretting the purchase. Yet now, three and a half years later, I don't repent a cent. She IS the bike I'll ride till I die, whether I stick with fixed gear or go SS or **gasp** fit gears. That's assuming the Europa is retired first. With those two, I really don't need any more bikes.