Originally Posted by
bikingshearer
Bingo. My frames are mostly ones I lusted after many moons ago when I was first getting into this sport and could not begin to afford. I have been fortunate to find them in my adulthood in my size (not always easy). So they are Grail bikes to me, and they are all riders. The nostalgia factor adds to the joy big time, at least for me.
Custom? I would love one but cannot begin to justify it.
Also consider: unless your Grail frame is a Confente or something equally collectable (like maybe the gold Colnago that Ernesto personally gave to the Pope), a Grail frame most likely will cost less than a custom frame. There are some exceptions to this, but not many.
I would argue that confentes, gold Colnagos and the like are the only actual grails...most people use the term in place of "bike I could easily find withn a year but can't justify buying." If the only thing separating you from owning it is price, it's not a Grail, it's merely expensive.