Looking for something like this?

http://www.somafab.com/archives/prod...anyan-frameset

http://www.vehibase.com/soma-stanyan.jpg

http://ep.yimg.com/ca/I/yhst-3773699254952_2213_4130

They bill it as a lugged road sport frame. I have a Soma Smoothie (their other road frame which you may not like because of it's compact geo look) and love it! If I was going to add another road bike to the stable it would likely be one of these.

Thanks for all the input. Valuable input always draws more questions...

I'm narrowing the field and finding that I need to give modern steel (in a classic form) a second look. I still like the ride it hard and put away wet aspect of ti, but it would have to be the right bike.

I may be inquiring regarding backlogs for the local builders. Though, I hear rumors of multi year waits for some, and that would be more than I could bear. 953 and other stainless is spot on but probably beyond my means. Does anyone have any experience with a DeSalvo classic ti road bike? Is a standard custom modern steel frame normally in the $2-$2.5k range? Any experience working with Anderson?

I did get a little laugh from the comment that I don't understand 80's bikes. I'm deciding which one of my half dozen 80s rigs to take out this evening.

I think it was Aaron who mentioned that it's not so much the material that matters, but the builder's design.

I don't try to guage a bike's handling, comfort or durability based on what material it's made of.
It all comes down to design, but as far as reliability goes it all comes down to quality control and testing, without which you'll never know what to expect.

I recommend trying as many bikes and adjustments as possible, then try to figure out what it is about each setup that give it it's advantages (if any).
It can be a lifelong learning curve though, I can testify to that.

Most people like what they ride, until they try others for camparison.
I've changed my preferences a lot as my knowledge of bikes (and body) has accumulated.

One thing I believe in is a more rider-forward positioning, as one pursues speed, hard accelerations and climbing.
Being able to stay aero while pedaling at max output off of the saddle, and being able to stay aero without bending so sharply at the waist both point to a more-foreward handlebar and saddle, respectively.

Combine those two features, and your trips through the rolling hills will seem almost effortless compared to a more touring-oriented geometry.
Yet, there's no rule that says you can't combine a more-foreward rider position with a more-relaxed head tube angle for stability, and the only compromise with that is that you won't be able to draft as closely to another rider's rear tire.
I wanted to test that last approach, which is common to many "multisport/tri" bikes, and put this together last week:
http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8024/7...578a384d_b.jpg
I started with a very big (for me, I'm barely 5'10") 62cm frame with a 61cm top tube(!). It came with the long neck, which I slammed down. The seat and head tube angles are both about 72 degrees.

The ride is indeed very stable with the 72-degree head tube angle, but the 115 length stem is about as long as one can use with such a shallow head tube angle before the steering starts to become floppy while riding out of the saddle during sprints and climbs.
The stock seatpost, reversed, turned out to be the only one of many 26.8mm posts that I have here which could put the saddle so far foreward, other than using a cheap straight post with a reversed clamp.
The ride is both comfortable and fast, but not twitchy at speed.
Heck, it's got a 54t chainring, so it's gotta be fast ;-)>

Anderson Custom Bicycles in Saint Paul make some nice bikes with 953. Out of my $$ range, but a guy can dream.

Glad you brought that up. I am curious as to how much does a custom in one of those sets cost? There was a debate in the paceline forums not too long ago and there was a consensus that the extra cost over a Ti frame is not worth the extra coin.

Dream big!

Chrome Molly, I'll call a couple of guys I know that have Andersons.

I'll see if they'd be open to chatting.

...or better yet, call him. He's in St.Paul.

He'll give you directions to the shop, so maybe you could stop by for a chat with him directly.

He seems like a great guy.

Here's a link to his pricing schedule.

http://www.andersoncustombicycles.co...cs-Options.htm

FWIW Dave's stainless frames and forks start at $3, 175.

Dave should be on short list for anyone in the market for a quality lugged stainless frameset. While he's best known for his 953 frames, at this year's NAHBS in Sacramento he showed a KVA MS2 stainless bike.

http://i32.photobucket.com/albums/d7...img7358med.jpg

http://i32.photobucket.com/albums/d7...IMG7361med.jpg

$2,000 - $2,500 is actually on the low side for most "name" builders and is not getting you near the more exotic materials. If you aren't married to an ultra high tech tubeset, I think you'd be pleasantly surprised at Daniele Marnati's pricing (yes, I'm a shill).

Heck of an idea!

Most folks would be extremely happy with a Columbus Spirit framed bicycle for example.

I know I am.

I'm awfully happy with my MAX frame and was thrilled with Daniele's work. There's just something special about a frame made by an Italian master when the tubes are pinned together and the lugs actually filed down. I also like that no one knows what it is...it's an interesting conversation piece and less of a target.

Easy to see why!

As pretty as they come, no doubt.

Max tubesets are goners though, aren't they?

I think I got the last one - but who knows what other goodies he has in there.

Btw Will he fit a customer at his shop?

torelli, Rivendell, Velo-Orange, Bilenky, Russ Denny, Colnago(Master frame), etc. Even better, try this LINK
Let us know what you decide to buy.

You know...I've never thought about it. I'd assume so, but most here probably aren't going to Milan just for a fitting.

A 953 or XCr tubeset costs around $600, while KVA MS2 is a little cheaper. Comparing Dave Anderson's custom steel frameset (high end non-stainless steel) pricing to a 953 custom frameset, he charges an $800 premium for 953. Part of that is the cost of the tubing, while the rest is the additional wear and tear on tools and the extra labor to get the lug shorelines perfect and polish filemarks since there's no paint to cover up blemishes. To me stainless is worth a premium pricetag over Ti, but YMMV.

Titanium doesn't look like this, and the Ti bikes I've ridden (Merlin and Litespeed) just don't have the ride I like. Again, YMMV.

http://i32.photobucket.com/albums/d7...HeadLugmed.jpg

http://i32.photobucket.com/albums/d7...tCluster-1.jpg

That really surprises me Scooper - I thought those tubes were a LOT more than that. Compared to SLX/SL prices (not to even mention EL OS and MAX) from my youth that's a bargain.

As the original poster states he has at least 6 bikes from the 80's. The better question to ask would be what is lacking in your current stable?

I posed that question to myself recently. The result is a '72-'73 Colnago Super. And a pending brand new CF bike. I have narrowed it down to two, just have to decide, flip a coin perhaps.
One interesting comment was that after working out the geometries of the various current manufacturers that cannot seem to agree on how and what measures to include... I found that there are rounding errors of up to 3mm and when one lays out their position overlaying the designs... the size I would order is not the size I would have guessed. An interesting exercise.

We are visiting family, so this may be a unique opportunity.

Holy crap that's stunning. I know Waterford will do a similar build (Stainless and Newvex) but have no idea of the price. But I would not dismiss them simply because they are a multi-builder production shop. They have a deep institutional knowledge of framebuilding.

Who are you, my wife? Seriously though, that's an excellent question and one that I've given some thought to. Here are my 80's bikes in running state, along with what I consider them best for:

Trek 760 - on the large side, mile eater yet light and responsive. On the fence between a new bike or dressing this one out with the best of components and wheelset. Already brifterized and carries a modern wheelset - this is the bike that gives me pause for getting a high $ all rounder
Gitane TDF - 84. On the smaller to right side, and probably my fastest and lightest bike. I really like this thing, but it is a mutt component-wise. Great sprint bike.
Neither of the above two will go if I cash in chips to get something really special...

Others:
Trek 630 converted to a triple crank with friction bar ends. Sort of a spring or gravel bike, with pasela tg's on it. It is a nice bike to both look at and ride, but not if you're in a hurry.
Raleigh Wyoming with carbon fork, brifters, and compact crank - on the small side - I use this as my all weather trainer, and it sports lights in the early fall and spring.
Bianchi Rando - fenders on it, road triple, DT shifters, it is my all around bike for iffy weather. Very large for me, but it is comfy and has larger tires so my spring mile eater (the bike I ride most often when it's between 30 and 50 degrees)
Fuji touring series 4 - the bike I dream about taking an epic tour on. Rarely ridden. You could eat off it, it is so clean.
Peugeot competition 531 frame with simplex - a nice original bike - I ride it occasionally and intend to do full resto over the winter
Also have trek elance 400 and trek 412 - sort of my other bikes, often pitched to friends and relatives, nice bikes but they don't compare to the 630 or 760.

Some I've owned since new and other have followed me home. The 80's lives on at my place...

As for what's missing in all that, I would have to say that none of them save the 760 (and possibly the wyo) are the bikes I'd grab for a back to back century ride weekend. The 760 isn't a perfect fit, but it is OK. I've recently sold myself on compact cranks and would love a low maintenance bike that is also beautiful to look at and ride. I'm thinking I'm going to be getting (not sure when) an Anderson 953 and temporarily hijack the components from my raleigh wyo to build it up once acquired. I need to determine which bikes will be sold to fund. Thanks for putting up with my "dilemma"

Aaron, here's the 953 price list from Fairing. The price has probably increased somewhat since 2009. I get $518.28 for the TT, DT, ST, HT, 2 CS, and 2 SS. This doesn't include fork blades, BB shell, dropouts, lugs, fork crown, or braze-ons.

http://i32.photobucket.com/albums/d7...ds953Range.jpg

Joe Bringheli sells Columbus tubing and he doesn't have pricing on his website, but I've checked in the past and XCr was about the same as 953.

The photos are of my Waterford RS-22. It was brazed by Dave Wages. ;)

Thoroughly jealous. You've sold me on stainless. Here is my Gunnar Sport. It's like the red-headed, TIG-welded, sloping top-tubed step-child of Richard Schwinn. You can barely see "waterford" in the dropouts.

https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-Q...640/IMG027.jpg

The Gunnars are terrific bargains, and I think it's great that you can can order them with custom geometry. :thumb: