nun

After years of riding Rivendell's I'm looking for a new bike frame to build up into a fast road bike. I can't bring myself to go carbon so I'm looking for a steel frameset with a more aggressive geometry than my Riv Rambouillet and the new Riv Roadeo. I'm looking at an Ebisu Road which is slightly more aggressive (42mm chainstays), the Bianchi Dolomiti, maybe a Mercian Starda Special or a Cinelli Supercorsa. the Cinelli would be fun as I could get into Campy equipment and it would certainly feel different. What do you think?

AngryScientist 

you can put campy on anything. If i were looking for steel, i like the looks and performance reviews of DeRosa...

nun

Yes I was just looking at that, I like it in red. My comments about Campy come from a long history of building touring style bikes and campy parts aren't usually the best for that style. Whatever frame I get it will have a lot of campy on it. The saddle will be a Brooks Swift

late

Waterford makes everything from touring to racing.

c0lnago

I'm biased...but I think new Campy goes nicely with steel.

AngryScientist 

^^ thats a sweet ride

nun

I like Waterford, but their website is just too confusing, there are too many options on their price list page. I want to order a stock frame for under $2k and build it up.

lukasz

I wouldn't be able to bring myself to ride that until I could afford two of them.

bullwinkle

Mercian

ok_commuter

ebay

scotch

pretty much depends on your budget.

ch3n207

If your budget is high then go for a custom Independent Fab. or waterford. If it is low look for an old used italian frame and build it up to your specs.

caloso

Bob Jackson, perhaps.

velobran

There are many many builders to choose from if you want custom or even one of their "production" frames. It pretty much depends on your budget and what you are looking for in the bike. If you go custom, any builder out there can build you a more race-oriented frame. Then you get to decide if you want TIG, Lugged, Fillet filed, Fillet unfilled. There are many options, probably more-so than carbon frames anyway.

RichinPeoria

Cinelli SuperCorsa

timeedgevxr

+1 on the Waterford.

Hocam

Go custom with a local builder and get the exact spec's, colors, geometry, etc. that you want. The frameset price will be very similar to a steel colnago or de rosa.

SingleSpeeDemon

Oswald Cycles
www.oswaldcycleworks.com

I met Tom Oswald a couple of years ago and was impressed with his shop. He cuts and files all his tubes and lugs by hand, so the artisan quality is evident in the final frame.

nun

I don't really want to bother with custom, there's all the waiting and fussing around. I'm tending towards getting a stock geometry De Rosa or Cinelli Supercorsa

IAMTB

Gios Compact Pro is a looker! You can even get the matching chrome Gios fork.

nun

I'm originally from Yorkshire, but haven't considered a Bob Jackson because I think of them as a poor man's Mercian. I'm tending towards some Italian number anyway. I think the De Rosa is in the lead as I like the restraint of the lugs, chrome doesn't do it for me

0_o

u could go custom ... Steelman cycles

MCODave

I have a steel Gios - it's nice. If I was looking at a more expensive Italian lugged steel bike, I would probably consider the Neo Primato or the Colnago Master XL. They are both about the same price, but the Colnago has chrome lugs. Also, I haven't seen any steel Merckx's for a while, I guess they don't make em anymore.

As for the Waterford suggestion, you can get a Gunnar Roadie if you don't need the lugs. I have always thought they were nice yet I never see anyone riding one. They are pretty cheap (relative to Waterfords) if you buy stock, and not that much more expensive to go full custom geometry/paint.

Holokai

If money is no object than I'd say the De Rosa Primato is an excellent choice. If your looking for a more reasonably priced option than I'd vote GIOS!!!

scotch

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