Well do you like black or white? Half those frames don't come with forks so that's an additional cost and some of them come in limited sizes. The Motobecane frame is made by Kinesis. Check the geometry and see if they're too different, somehow I doubt it. I don't think you can go wrong with any of those frames.

Thanks fellow "Greg".....Yes, the Motobecane comes from a store/online retailer in your neck of the woods. Hmmm, maybe an excuse for an Austin to Dallas, IH-35 road trip......

I have the paperwork from a fit kit that I did in 1996, but I'm not sure how it relates to compact frames that were not around back then.

So far I have amassed:

Campy Centaur 10 speed group
700x28 Armadillo tires (almost got gatorskins instead)
Neuvation wheels
Shimano A530 pedals (that are oddly being fitted to a Campy crank).

Thinking of FSA bars and stem, narrow brooks saddle, and a nitto seatpot. Lots of spring sales abound - now is a nice time to buy bike stuff.

Bikeisland will ship you the frame free but you'll have to pay sales tax on it. I used this guide to get a great fit on my bike: https://www.competitivecyclist.com/za...O_LINK=NOREDIR

I own a Motobecane Fantom Cross Ti and a Fantom 29 DS mountain bike and I think these frames are great. Their lower end bikes, Gravity etc. aren't as nice but the Motocebane ones are really good.

Best of luck!

Despite it being over budget this is the one that keeps calling me:

https://www.outsideoutfitters.com/p-2...-frameset.aspx

I'm going to stick my neck out here and say go with a lightweight steel frame/fork made in the late 80's or 90's. Lately I've been riding a Centurion iron man with tight geometry, it didn't' have eyelets for a rear rack, but I use d p-clamps and that's been fine. Throw some skinny tires on there, and the ride is still smooth and forgiving.

Finally decided. I went beyond my budget but the combination of columbus tubing, light weight, room for 28mms, internal cable routing and beautiful graphics drew me in:

you could buy a 300 buck taiwanese crabon frame from e-bay. disposable plastic!

Well I changed my find and finally went with a NOS frame and fork from GVH bikes:


I took it to a bike shop that had a campy chain tool and it turned out their example was defective.

That came out nice!!

Shop for used frames on ebay or CL. You'll get a much better bang for the buck. I paid $450 for my CAAD9 frame with a Easton EC90 fork and Ritchey carbon seat post and a a few extras.

If you are building with such a nice group, don't go cheap on the frame

EDIT: guess I'm too late. Looks like you did all right for yourself

rms13: Yeah right after I bought they Felt I went to a local Frankenbike swap and saw a used Cannondale frame/fork with a small dent on the top tube for $50. Even though this wasn't the best example, I think Cannondale frames will only go up in value over the next few years.

My fast commuter for fair weather summer commuting (or training) is a 1984 Raleigh Team USA. I got it at an LBS for $250. Original asking price was $325. The Team Professional was the full on race bike, the Team USA more of a sport tourer. After two seasons I am glad I didn't hold out for a race bike. All I've done is put compact bars (Civia Emerson) and Tektro levers on her. 27" aluminum wheels roll better than 700C with the same tire. I have 90psi Continental 1-1/8 training tires on it. I feel certain that I am getting as good a glide as any 28mm major name tire out there... maybe even dare I say it 25mm. I haven't weighed it but it is seriously light because it is so low tech. Steel, of course, but not just any steel, branded steel... I don't think its 531 but its something close. FWIW.

H

I love early Cannondale's. Back in the day I had Cannondale catalogs on my bedroom wall. Pamela Anderson hadn't even been born. Didn't see any Cannondales for a long time and wondered where they had gone. Moved to Portland 5 years ago and found out where they all went! A day doesn't go by that I don't see at least two examples of 80's Cannondales in all their fat tube pulchritude. Many are running brifters and 10sp cassettes. My LBS guy says aluminum frames don't last more than 5 or 10 years if they are used hard. The bikes I am seeing are 30 and more years old. I'd buy one in a New York minute but I don't know how to tell whether or not I am looking at a bike that will fail in 6 months or one that will last longer than my thighs will.

H

The Pake C-Mute is not often mentioned. I've seen various frame at benscycles as well.

That's what I used to say until I tried the 700-32! Now the stiff aluminum frame feels more like my former (it's my son's now) 1977 cromoly frame (Goodridge). Well, not quite yet!

A 30 lb bike can feel amazingly fast. My Schwinn Super Sport DBX runs 35 c tires and when the panniers are loaded, it handles predictably and keeps on sailing with a full load. It has a stiff alloy frame with a carbon fork and I bought it several years ago to build it into a commuter bike and its been the perfect workhorse bike for me. I haven't looked back since.