Thanks for all the responses.

As much as I'd dearly love to have a new titanium beauty, there's no way even a low-end steel custom frame is within my financial means. I will keep watching Craig's List, but driving to NYC to buy a $100 frame or bike is probably not going to happen, unless I can arrange to do something else on the trip. My nearby cities' CL bike listings are meager at best.

It seems my best bet will be to keep watching eBay like a hawk, and swoop down on any good deals I may see. I'd like to get a frame well before Spring, since I will need some time to get it set up the way I want, and be ready to set out on the path to big bike nirvana. I've been using cycling as a treatment for my depression, and it really seems to help, better than any of the meds i've tried. I've been off the road for weeks since I broke a freewheel hub on my MTB when attempting to remove it. I have a new Nashbar freewheel on the way, after a failed attempt to find any good deals on another 6-sp. 4-prong Suntour freewheel on eBay. My new Nokian carbide-studded MTB tires await their first trial by ice. They were VERY pricy, but necessary once the ice base built up on all the roads in town (no salt is used here). I was doing fine riding on snow-covered roads with my 26x2.125" knobbies, but ice under snow is just too scary, especially when you're WAY up there on a tall bike.

I will probably keep whatever road frame/bike I find for a LONG time. I've had my 23" Schwinn MTB for twenty years now, and have no intention of getting rid of it. So I should hold out for the "right" roadie, and not compromise too much. If my fitness reaches an adequate level, I may even set out on some long road trips.

Darron
In the formerly frozen Adirondacks