squirtdad

If you were to do a custom bike (assuming C&V inspired but no judgement as long as there is a C&V in the stable ) what builder would you use and how would you spec the build?

This is for fun and some inspiration as I am getting close to putting myself in queue for a custom (Kid has graduated from college, a couple of other finananical goals are close, but let's not talk about the weight loss goal)

This is what I am thinking for a build if I were to pull the trigger right now:

Builder: Dave Kirk, good rep, like his innovations, not too bad of a queue, joe bell paint and made in Montana (second up would be a local to me builder Bronson Silva)

Frame: Goal is One Bike that i could do it all on: long rides, fairly fast, commute, light gravel. classic parallel top tube, but would discuss with builder pros/cons, English BB and threaded headset (aethetics and flexibility as I get less young), handle up to 32 mm tire (or 28 with fenders). Braze ons: chain hanger, fender and rack (rack would be discussed...ideas is for light loads for commuting, to avoid backpack....no plans for heavy touring (possible super light credit card outings)

Paint: Shimmering, iridescent bright green/chartreuse of some sort (love porshe rhodium silver coler but don't think sliver shows as well on a biker frame.....but maybe with green lug lines?)

Group: Shimano ultegra with 11/34 and compact crank high performance and value, feels a little more durable than durace, but would consider doing durace
Wheels: area I most at a conundrum on direction. 32 spoke. Probably tubular (doing a real life tubie/clinche comparison to help decide) Not sure if just do Ultegra or Durace (if 32) or something like Chris King, leaning to Hed rims. thoughts?

Tires: Conti gp5000 if clincher, lots of options if tubular

Cockpit/seatpost: Nitto. Noodle bars Nitto looks great and great quality

Saddle: Brooks swift titanium probably. May look at other lighter options

Headset: Chris King

Any way fun to dream, what is yours? (and it could be a dream build based on a classic frame)

noobinsf 

My wife recently had a sports equipment reimbursement program through her work, and she asked me, "What would your dream bike be for x?" She was shocked when I told her a dream bike for me would likely run around 8x. We got camping gear instead.

sced

Carbon Cyfac with Campy 12. Model and paint tbd.

iab 

I'll play. I'm on year 7 of my 5-year plan for a custom bike,

Builder - TBD. I will say I am designing and fabricating the lugs (3D stainless steel printing).

Bike - The ultimate commuter. Columbus XCR tubing. Custom rear rack & bags. Custom porter handle. Custom lighting and battery pack.

Paint - A variation of chromevelato, clear-tinted paint over polished stainless steel. I'm thinking Gloria "flames".

Group - Cottered steel fluted cranks with single Gloria ring. Custom FB "Baldini" 3-piece fixed/free flip-flop hubs with Stella spokes to Grand Bois 32H rims. Leaning to Paul brakes at this time.

Tires - First tires are the 700c 30mm Grand Bois.

Cockpit/seatpost - Custom condorino bars/stem/levers with integrated lighting system. Perhaps the Miche Supertype post.

Saddle - Brooks Cambium

Headset - Cane Creek

Pedals - Custom cages applied to MKS Sylvan bodies

Fenders - Tiered aluminum, not sure of brand yet but possibly VO with custom integrated rear light.


Rendering from 4 years ago, so not up to date.

Gregario01 by iabisdb, on Flickr

Dfrost 

I’ll play, since my late night thoughts go down these lines.

Frame: Either L’Avecaise or custom LyonSport from Jeff Lyon. I’m also intrigued by Terraferma, but Lyon is more likely since I could actually visit him with my current fave bike for fit consultation and conversation about the points of vacillation below. Definitely a sport tourer geometry, but long-range gravel isn’t a requirement.

https://www.lyonsport.com/frames-0
Terraferma Cycles

Color: probably something slightly metallic, single color. Lyon’s Flickr album shows many delightful examples:

https://www.flickr.com/photos/30361758@N08/

Wheels/Tires: I vacillate between 700C and 650B, tires from Rene Herse. I ride 62-63cm fames, and the 650’s can look a bit awkward with a big frame, but love their comfort on our crappy pavement and nimble feel. Not sure if fat enough 700’s would sacrifice that nimble feel. Shimano hubs - 600 tricolor or Ultegra with my custom 8-speed cassettes. If 650B, I already have the wheels!

Group: Continue with my beloved Sachs Ergo 8-speed (lots of spare brifters in the inventory), 110/74 triple crank like the Sugino AT or Specialized Flag on an SKF square taper BB.

Saddle: Also beloved Gilles Berthoud Aravis, color based on frame, etc.

Brakes: Another vacillation - cantis for fat tire installation ease, or brazed-post centerpulls for easier setup? Fenders are easy with either.

Stem, bars: That chrome fillet-brazed steel stem on the reworked Lyon in the latest BQ is gorgeous! I’d like to try Randoneur-bend bars, if the geometry can be worked for my short torso, bar height, and their longer reach compare to Noodles.

Headset: Something with roller bearings, assuming that works with the stem above.

Bag: Love the convenience of the rando front bag on the Miyata with it’s Gugificazione lower trail, so another of those, custom built by Dave Cain at Waxwing.

Waxwing Bag Co. - Home

Fenders: Enough room for Berthoud stainless, but they’d be seasonal, since we often put two bikes in a car for transport to 3-season rides, and fenders really complicate that. They have worked well when the Marinoni is in 650B configuration for the winter.

ljsense

Sounds like a great bike. I've quit facebook, but when I had it, I liked to look at the frames Dave Kirk posted. He does great work.

I think I would get a Black Sheep 36" wheeled mountain bike in titanium with the crazy old school buttressed fork and whatnot. I think it would remind me of riding a penny farthing, but with two equal wheels, roll over anything.

USAZorro

Until he moved away from doing bicycles full time, my dream was to get a Winter. I'd have him make me a bow and some knives now instead, and have an Ellis built custom variant of his Voyager model.

650B with cantis, mudguards, custom carved lugs, custom stem, custom racks, generator hubs, internal wiring - in many respects along the lines of my gugified Competizione, but built for the purpose from the ground up, and with a much nicer shimmery/pearlescent multi-colored fade paint job to include the racks and mudguards. I'd go with Sun XCD derailleurs, cranks and rear hub. Grand Bois Papillion rims, cream Hetres, Dura Ace bar-cons, Tektro calipers, Grand Compe drilled non-aero levers, a honey Brooks Professional saddle and bar covering, Shimano A520 pedals and a Giles Berthoud medium rando bag.

gomango 

I've got a very cool Serotta CSI that was rebuilt by Eric Estlund.

The frameset was trashed and rebuilt from the ground up. It now has a new front fork, discs and even fenders.

New stays as well.

It'll even fit 700x30s under the fenders. I bought it for my oldest son, who outgrew it before the project was finished. A few forum members have seen it and everyone is unanimous in praise of the workmanship.

I've been on the brink of selling the frameset a few times, but it's so hard to let it go.

The only reason I don't build it is I have a Della Santa that I love and I really can't justify another bike sitting here on a hook.

My CSI would've ended up somewhat like this, but with a level top tube.

https://www.flickr.com/photos/225387...in/dateposted/

btw My wife said I get to have a Winter knife upon my retirement. Yet another reason to get out of the teaching business one of these years.

merziac

Redux, revisit.

The old and the new, the ying and the yang, the good, bad and the ugly, you decide.

Done and done, for now.

Salamandrine 

I love those radioactive metallic chartreuse greens that were common in the 70s. Coincidentally, that's a bike color that is also on my list of to be acquired... I think I had some Hot Wheels that color as a kid. I'm glad I'm not the only one with no taste. LOL.

Chris King hubs are crazy noisy. Make sure that's what you want. My main road wheels these days use White Industries T11 hubs, and I'm very happy with them FWIW. They are reasonably quiet if I skirt the rules and lube the pawls with Phil Tenacious oil.

Realistically, I'm pretty set for custom Dream Bikes after getting a metallic purple Mercian Audax, for general road riding. That is however unlikely to stop possible n+1 action in the future.

squirtdad

thanks that is info that is good for me........ and yes I still have Kandy Apple Kolor tastes

jeirvine 

I think this one, (but my size).

Wildwood

Actually, i chose these 2 bikes/builders based on their close proximity to me. And i liked their knowledge, fitting technique, willingness to work with me. Nice guys both.


Jon Tallerico, lugged Columbus = Full custom

Craig Calfee, TetraPro, Not full custom, but headtube angle change on std 60cm frame.

Narhay

The previous photo you had shared of this made me not sure how I felt. But this latest photo shows some really nice details. Nice bike.

Nemosengineer 

My Bob Jackson World Tour was a custom ordered frame with "off the peg" geometry. The highlights are all 631 construction, aerohead lugs, Curtis Odom hubs. Mavic A719 rims with 32mm rubber, 9 speed semi compact Srampagmano groupset and TRP CX brakes.
Its proven to be a really good general purpose ride anywhere bike, comfy and rides well. This bike is overdue for a major cockpit overhaul as I think the current setup is sub optimal also Honjo English pattern fenders are waiting to be installed.







: Mike

Classtime 

Curt Goodrich. Done. He does it all himself. TOO COOL.

bwilli88 

A gugie.
AKA Gugificatizion of my Witcomb from nlearner
It will eventually be built up with Shimano Dura-Ace 7700 and gugie provided the Mafac brakes

merziac

Tx man.

northbend 

Yep, I went through that process a couple of years ago. It is described here: My Woodrup Touring Bike

The bike was inspired by a 40 year old dream of riding across the USA someday.

...Which I did last summer.
Got high again today.. by Matthew Pendergast, on Flickr

merziac

Really wish I had drilled down on this before I built mine, could have had more clearance that was expensive and a bit less than I would have liked., oh well, still love it.

gomango 

I see Curt's handiwork quite often in the Twin Cities.

It is exceptional, however I don't think he is currently building.

Chris Kvale is also noteworthy and I would check in with him soon if interested.

These guys won't build these framesets forever!

Classtime 

How about a frame kit from Richard Sachs, paint by Joe Bell, and a frame building class with one of the Masters.

gomango 

I can do without the framebuilding course, but the rest of this sounds fantastic.

https://www.richardsachs.com/

fwiw I have taken up fly rod building and one obsession at a time will have to suffice.

Choke 

Hampsten Strada Bianca with Sachs Newvex lugs.
Campy Chorus 10, doppler DT levers, Campy MTB crank, Racer M brakes.
The only thing that I wish I had done differently is a threaded fork. But I've been thinking about asking Steve if I can send this one back and have it done.
The green is the same as Hampsten uses in the 7-Eleven paint scheme.

Classtime 

Yep. Learn from us. Don't let any one talk you into threadless unless you go uber oversized on the frame tubes.

Tubular vs. clincher is not a thing on your dream bike because you will have a set of each built special for this bike. So forget the 23mm clincher rims because you want to avoid having to adjust the brakes when you swap.