ping jockey

How about a Milwaukee Bicycle frame?

Milwaukee Bicycle Co. Milwaukee ROAD Frame Builder

It's a Waterford built frame for just under $1000.

1989Pre 

A lot of your experience and perceptions/tastes reflect mine. I too (test) rode a Domane and did not find it to have the responsiveness that my metal bikes have graced me with. Two of my favorite bikes are the Gunnar Sport and the Co-Motion Espresso. I, too, love wild colors, having had my Technium repainted from its original black to a bold yellow.
Since you already have a Lynskey, you probably don't need the 853 of the Co-Motion. The True Temper and more-relaxed geometry of the Sport would occupy-better the uninhabited space in your line-up.
I couldn't afford the Sport, so I bought a C&V about 18 months ago.
I totally support your choices, and am certain you are heading in the right direction.
Steel Vintage Bikes - Online Shop for Classic & Vintage Bicycles

1989Pre 

Is it just me, or does it seem like Wisconsin is turning into the Mecca of U.S. cycling?

Jarrett2

Why not just get a Gunnar? Made by the same folks, more size and color options for $900. I'm guessing you can find a Taiwanese steel fork elsewhere for $84. Unless you just really like that blue.

Gunnar Sport ? Long distance riding in comfort from Gunnar Cycles USA

Edit: Looks like they have gone up in price $50 since last year. Gunnar has more name recognition as well if that is of interest.

Wildwood 

.Curtlo Cycles - Handmade bicycles. Custom Mountain Bike, Road, Cyclocross, Tandem bikes

Custom steel frame for around $1,000 in a single color - powdercoat.
I don't own one but folks that I have spoken with love 'em.

topslop1

Slightly off topic - do folks build 16lbs-ish steel bikes? Do they require crazy expensive frames to get there / top tier components?

There's a lot of pro-steel hype on these forums here so I'm naturally curious about riding a steelie I suppose.. also curious to ride a carbon. (only on alum now).

Would be even better to get a day ride in on either or without purchasing an entire bike first

simplybao

Now I have too many choices, LOL! I talked to Mike at Black Mountain bikes. He's a nice guy. I'm not sold on the orange and blue though. I like the Merckx style, but I think every time I look at those colors, I'd think of that school that I really dislike and I think that could translate into the bike. I'm starting to lean towards to Gunnar Sport, Fairdale, or CoMotion. With Gunnar and CoMotion I can get the color I want, at a cost. Its costs $150 to have the fork color matched. I suppose I could just go black, but then I think I'd hate myself. I just read an article the other day about the pitfalls of buying a bike and there was 1 piece of advice in there that was especially poignant to me, and that advice was to buy a bike in the color you want.

The more I've been thinking about it, the more I've been thinking it would be fun to have a hot pink bike with white panels. I know it wouldn't be everyone's taste, but it'll be mine and I could care less about what others think about my color choices.

himespau 

Not a level top tube and people either love the geometry or hate it, but I've seen the Breezer Venturi at ~$300 and a small or extra small might fit you just about right and be in a color scheme you like.

dr_lha

Not crazy expensive frames, just crazy expensive components.

My Ritchey frame is 3.9lbs for the 57cm frame, and cost me $850 for frame and fork (+headset). If you built it with SRAM Red, lightweight wheels and light everything else, I think you'd hit 16lbs easy. I built mine with Ultegra, Ritchey WCS alloy components and Clydesdale heavy wheels, and it's 18lbs.

topslop1

So then the dollar goes to components for lightweight builds more so than the frame.

I'm just seeing $1000 prices for steel frames here, and then $3000 for carbon frames elsewhere and trying to piece together in my mind the price per performance and or weight reduction.

simplybao

I don't know about the weight because that isn't my concern. As long as my bike ends up under 25 lbs, I'm good. You could go out and find a shop that will let you rent a bike. We have LBCs in my area that have bike rentals in most all of the bikes they sell. For me, it took me a good 6 months before I decided I didn't like the carbon ride. And then it was looks, color, etc... that finally helped make my choice. I don't know about all the steel hype, I'm not doing it to jump on the bandwagon, I just like the material and I love that it's classic and I can get a steel bike that looks classic. I have a Ti bike and I LOVE the ride. So, go rent some and see what the hype is all about!

dr_lha

Well at the end of the day, a good steel frame weighs just under 4lbs, a super lightweight steel frame ~3lbs. CF frames weigh essentially 1.5lbs less than this. So everything else being equal, that's the penalty you pay for going with a steel road bike.

the sci guy 

my surly cross check came in at about 27 pounds with nearly all stock equipment. i switch a stem and bars, but it wasn't for weight saving it was for fit, so on the whole there was a lot of extra weight there.

Wildwood 

14 pounds of steel.
The lightest custom racing bicycles | Lighter than carbon fiber | The Steel Rodriguez Outlaw

topslop1

That qualifies as crazy expensive to me

Oldguyonoldbike

I came across this while wasting time at work.
This is almost certainly outside the $1000 price range and it's not American made, but it is so pretty I had to share it.

Battaglin Marosticana
Marosticana ? Officina Battaglin

topslop1

Request your quote... hrmmm. They are gorgeous though.

simplybao

Well, made my decision and purchase. My choice.......Surly Pacer...I know, I hardly mentioned Surly in my original post. In the end I chose the Surly because it was just about everything I wanted. Steel, fit up to 32mm tires, classic looks with very horizontal top tube, and a bright color (It's disco tomato). The more I thought about it, the more I realized I just wanted a steel bike with classic old school looks. Saying that, I'm fitting it with very modern parts. Shimano 6800 drivetrain and wheels. Brooks B15 saddle, Thompson post, Easton EA70 Carbon stem and bar, CK blue headset and BB and I'm going to run 28mm Conti Gatorskins. Oh, and I'm going to do TRP long reach brakes. I'll post it up once I get all of the parts in and assembled.

martianone

A bike for every day of the week in my stable.
My favorite is a Gunnar Roadie, it has great Karma.
Have custom geometry and the Waterford steel fork, plus custom set up.
Gunnar/Warerford did a great job listening to my needs, worked well with LBS to get my fit right and produce a wonderful ride.

mongol777

Here you go, in English - Cycles Marinoni

mongol777

Hope you'll like it, please post build pics. I built mine several times, have it as bare frame now and still not sure if I will be selling it or will give it one more chance.

rekmeyata

For the money if you want custom I think Mercian with their old school brazing techniques, the ability to do more custom stuff than most others, is the best, are there better, probably but maybe only another 2% but will cost you 50% more.

The best non custom steel bike I think is the Rivendell Atlantis bar none, but you may want to e-mail Mercian because I think you could get darn close to the price of the Atlantis fully equipped and have custom features that the Atlantis won't give you. I had a Mercian, but I sold it to a friend recently since I never rode it and it was too fancy and was afraid of scratching it up as I used it, but at the time I got mine while I was in England it was cheaper than the Atlantis, but that was about 9 years ago and prices may have changed.

Another option is that you can still buy Holdsworth Professional framesets, these only cost about $1,460 and you can build it yourself...or have your LBS build it. And a final option if you want a low cost steel lugged bike is the Casati, this will only set you back $995 for the frame; see: https://www.adrenalinebikes.com/stor...oductid=173248

Jarrett2

My inexpensive Gunnar Roadie build came back at 18.3 lbs. for a size 58, if I remember correctly. That's with SRAM Rival stuff. Ultegra, Force, Dura Ace, Red would all build up lighter.

martianone

My Roadie tips the scale at just under 20 pounds, this is with pedals, leather saddle, kyserium wheel set, 25 mm tires, etc., actual riding weight.

Jarrett2

What size?

My 18.3 was without pedals.