People--
I bought one of these frames last year. It was on sale and I hit a coupon, getting it for something like $135. Right away, I had to return it--these frames run large. So don't order the same size you have in your regular road bike! Once the smaller frame arrived, I built it up and I've been pretty happy with it. I don't think the welds are ugly--they look like standard alu tig welds to me. I love the dark metalflake green paint. It seems to ride pretty well too. Perhaps because of the butted tubing, or the long wheelbase, or the fat tires I used--it doesn't have that harsh alu ride. I ended up finding a screaming craigslist deal on a lugged steel Schwinn Voyageur touring bike, and I was really looking for lugged steel. But I'm still keeping the Nashbar for off road rides and tours (you can fit some seriously fat tires in this frame) and nasty winter weather. It might not hurt to get a lighter fork, but I found that the Winwood version of Nashbar's cyclocross fork to give an overly harsh ride, so I've stayed with the steel fork that came with this frame. chucksbikes also sells a carbon fork with canti bosses that even has lowrider mounts.
Rich