Longtime lurker, firsttime poster - have gleaned some excellent insights from perusing here, props to all for your guidance and shared knowledge.


Been riding fix-converted 88ish Peugeot since 2006 but PTSD'd out of buying bike-anything since my significantly parted-up 2004 Stumpy was stolen ~10 years ago.


Loved looping Oakland's Lake Merritt on the fixie but cars, man, I absolutely hate riding with urban traffic. Pretty much gave up on riding after the second time I was intentionally struck, so I stuck to my other go-to minimalist activities: bouldering and barefoot running.


Fastforward couple years, now living by the American River in Sacramento and smack dab in the middle of covid. Plenty of my river trails are barefootable but there are consistently rattlesnakes and just enough of a homeless presence that it's hard to know when I might find myself prancing barefoot through encampment debris.


With the climbing gym closed and my running foundation too sketchy to feel good about with the trails available to me, I committed to mate my two cycling loves - fixed & hardpack singletrack. Researched the bejeezus out of finding myself a new bike and decided on the well regarded All-City Big Block.


Mulled over a couple more days, vetting my choice while watching options disappear with the covid gear-buying spree, before heading down to LBS to coordinate having them receive & assemble the Big Block. Lo and behold, in the 12 hours between going to the LBS and last time I'd looked, all the complete Big Blocks were now gone...


Panicky I'd lose my shot at anything remotely affordable, I bit the bullet and bought the Big Block frameset to try to recreate All-City's complete bike w/ decent parts and a plan to add nicer stuff over time.


And of course I should have know that decent, low-mid grade parts are also pretty much all gone - just like the complete Big Blocks D:


So instead, I had the frame stripped and powdercoated (I actually like pink but this year's Big Block has a shade of pink I absolutely loathe) and built what is pretty much everything I've ever wanted - all moving parts are Phil's, cockpit is Zipp's new beadblasted Service Course line, and relented to LBS' preference for Specialized stuff for saddle & tires which I am now pleasantly surprised by.


Still eyeing higher-end tire options but the Roubaix are fine for now while I readjust to bikelife on a new ride, and I could not be happier with how it all came together.


TLDR: you're right, supplies are drained and shipping is extremely snarled but there's good stuff still out there if you're looking for the obnoxiously expensive, finest gear available