That is reasonable. Figure another $400 for the couplers--that appears to be the standard price--plus another $250 for the case and such. Assuming that the components are good, $1500 for a custom travel bike is competitive with Bike Friday and top of the line Swift Folders.
I understand that a lot of members of the forum like the 20" wheels on folders: I think that they are more than acceptable too. But in my humble opinion, holding tire width constant, riding with larger wheels is still superior for the longer rides we often take. We both thought that the Airnimals hit a nice balance between the two with the 24" (ERTO 520) tires and enjoyed the ride. However, we concluded (1) that steel bikes are better--comfort and durability--for our purposes and (2) we wanted a bigger tire selection than the 24" tire affords since we ride over so many surfaces.
Oswell's custom bike offers an intriguing solution. Presummably, Mr. Oswell could design a bike that could fit both ERTO 507 and 520 wheels. The 507 size is common for BMX. So a lot of wide tires are offered including the Schwalbe Marathon. The 520 size is used by Terry bicycles such that a lot of road tires are offered. Bot sets of small wheels would make the bike easier to store, transport and pack.
Anyway, where can we find out more about Mr. Oswell and his bike? I did a simple websearch and found pages that mention him; but no website dedicated to him.
One last thought: The case might be less expensive since the smaller wheels might fit in regularly available suitcase. Although a quick websearch does not reveal a 24" x 24" suitcase.
Originally Posted by MnHPVA Guy
At $850 for a complete bike with a custom frame he would have to build one every hour to make good money at it. BTW the tubing he's using for these is Columbus. The ones he's built so far have very short rear stays. But he'll use any length stays you prefer.
As far as the S&S, Steve won't sell Terry the couplings because he doesn't carry Steve's minimum $1,000,000 liability insurance. Not a problem though as Terry is less than 1/2 a mile from Curt Goodrich's shop. I'll ask Curt what he charges to install them. He might do these a bit cheaper than usual as there won't be any paint on the frame. Sandblasting is his least favorite part of framebuilding.
At one point I was going to be an S&S installer, working as a subcontractor for a friend who's shop is heavily insured. But when Curt said he had installed hundreds of them, before moving back to Minnesota to build Rivendells, it didn't make much sense.