Originally Posted by gugie

I don't think the wheels of the 40's and 50's were any lighter than what we have today (correct me if I'm wrong).

The opposite is my point.
Post WWII AL alloys from the aircraft industry were incorporated into bicycle components and used the constructors to fabricate lighter components than pre-war.
Now?
The admittedly niche 650B road wheels available are the same old tech high spoke count w/ AL rims (yawn).
Not the case w/ road bike wheels which no longer look or weigh like 1956.


As far as your specification, an 853 frame as you describe could be ordered today from any one of many custom framebuilders.

Sure could but before spending the required cash on custom my Project was to build a test mule from production.
Reviewing the Requirements that project is shelved.

As far as being unnecessarily overbuilt, I'm not sure what you're referring to. I assume you're limiting the discussion to steel framed production bikes? Low trail, 650b? Or just 650b?

[I]Yes, production steel frames. [/I]


If you're not finding what you're looking for in a production frame, then it's because there's not a big enough market for it.

Niche markets with a conservative retro aesthetic are not the place to look for innovation.

Note also that if you're asking for super light weight rims for 650b, realize that, for most, the reason to go to 650b is to allow for wider tires in standard frame designs. The wider tires require wider rims, which of course will be heavier, so you can't have your cake and eat it too. If you're willing to go with disc brakes, you can make them lighter, even with carbon fiber.