A custom bike will be exactly what you want in every respect. That's not what this is, but it might still be a good deal and worth snatching up.

I say go custom. If you're already in the process of it and such, then you might as well get the bike you *really* want, know what I mean? It'll be your bike to your specs.

Since it seems like you're happy with parts, then the used one, while a good deal, might not be the bike you really want.

I would go custom a) having so precise opinion about what I want (angles, dimensions, holes) and b) being able to build the wheels I like as they are major cost item.

if you're asking us to spend your money, i suspect we'll conclude that you should go with a custom frame.

honestly, instead of second-guessing all those minor details, you'll be happy as PIE knowing you got everything you wanted... and you'll love riding it that much more. i think this is the answer you're looking for. :)

I just talked to the wife and got a reluctant go-ahead for either option.

I'm going to ponder for a day or two, maybe make a trip down to check the ride if I think I'm going to go with his frame.

The BB drop may not be significant with the shorter cranks, so I'm not so concerned about that. I've emailed Mike again to ask him if he thinks the bridge could be safely drilled if I wanted to go that route. As for the wheels...well I have a nice Pro Max/Open Pro for the rear, but the front is just a cheapo Shimano loose ball hub on an MA3 that I've actually put a small flat spot in anyhow. His are Phils laced to Campy rims. His angles are a little slacker than I might like, but then I'm not a racer, so it's probabl a-ok.

I could get back the cost of a new powder coat just by selling some of the extra parts I'll have left over.

I'm so confused!

ask yourself is 5mm or 1degree is worth feeling like the great deal is less than perfect.

it could go either way.

Yup, now I'm back on the other side of the fence telling myself that I could get the frameset I want (his also doesn't have the rear rack braze-ons) and one of those swanky racks for just $100 more.

I could build up a new wheel or wheelset down the road. The Honjos are nice, but I'm not really convinced that I want them over the plastic Freddy Fenders I have right now.

Of course I'd lose some money by not selling my Fuji as a complete or by selling off all the parts.

On the other hand, I'd have the frame I want. Other components can always be upgraded, but if you end up with a frame that's not quite what you want, there's usually not much to be done for that...

This is terrible. What I need to do is tell myself that either would be a great ride and I have the luxury of having two great options to choose from. I'm going to ponder a little more and go with whatever I feel like tomorrow morning.

so, as someone who not only peered over the ledge but did indeed jump, i have to say, as much as i'm still waiting, even the process of figuring out what i want has been quite rewarding.

i wonder if, perhaps, some of my usual justifications may help you? perhaps you should try these on for size:
- My coworkers all have $20,000 cars. I aught not feel guilty about spending 10% of that on a fine, fine bike that will be a car-substitute.
- I'm a wage earning adult and am sick of denying myself things under the guise of being poor.
- I'm going to die and it's up to me whether i die poor but having denied myself nothing or wealthy but having passed up opportunities.
- My body is shaped strangely and it's not my fault that bike manufacturers force me to get a custom frame.
- Getting a frame with couplers will pay for itself in how often I will save the $75 checked bike fee... eventually.
- I like pretty shiny things.

terraferma! yes, you've even been on one.

http://www.fancyanimals.net/ss/bikaaa.jpg

Yoinks! I'm doing it. I just sent a mail to Mike tonight. He offered to rebuild the rear triangle on the one he has for sale to be more in line with what I want, but I ultimately decided I'd rather get exactly the frame I want and gucci up the rest as I go along.

Anyhow, I'll be the unfashionable guy on the bike with the long wheelbase. :)

It's cool though, I'm expecting this to be a good all-rounder. Fair weather, foul weather, maybe even some winter weather (need to get inside that dude with some Frame Saver though). It'll be my new camp-mobile, too. It's going to be great, just wait and see.

Maybe when we head down to Holliston on October, it'll be in some stage of completion and we can all look at it and say, "hey, I know the guy who's buying that."

Good for you man. That rocks.

>Anyhow, I'll be the unfashionable guy on the bike with the long wheelbase. :)

You will be pleased.
It will move the wheel from under your center of gravity when climbing, but at the same time it will make you lose less of energy for controling the bike when riding gets rough or road gets very steep.

I love the handling of my 93cm wheelbase fixie, but when I ride my usual route across national park nearby I appreciate how smooth my 106cm wheelbase beater handles a rough 1 mile streach of the route.

Same goes for city riding through the old town with cobblestones and streetcar rails - I can actually go faster there on the beater, because I can see :)

COOL ! Glad to hear you are considering powder coating. Don't skimp on this as you will be disappointed later.

Just remember that the price is a huge deal right now, but, next year you will remember the quality and the ride and you will not care about the price. In other words don't leave anything out now.

Now I have to ride up there when it's done so I can see it in person.

Totally with you and everyone else about the price. I mean, don't get me wrong, I'm all about value, but I'm also all about value. If I bought Mike's bike, I could have gotten almost exactly what I wanted. He even offered to rebuild the rear triangle with slightly longer stays for fat tire clearance (it will only fit 28s right now) for my light trail use and a new color for not much more. It was tempting, but I decided I wanted exactly what I wanted.

That means a longer TT than he has a taller BB and all the other little things, even if I don't have as nice of a set of wheels or crinkly silver Honjos. I did spoil myself a bit and spec it out with one of his 57 racks because they look pretty sharp.

In no time it will be money under the bridge and spent on something of durable value rather than just squandered, hard to argue with that. Plus he's giving me the current pricing rather than the flat $1400 any-frame-any-color he's moving to on Saturday.

The wife doesn't get it, but she's trying to be as understanding as she can. It's not clear whether I'll still be in Boston by the time it's done. Mike's currently quoting a 6 month lead, but he said he may try to push mine out sooner than that. Depending on where I go, it may or may not be done in time. It's all very complicated.

Listen to what he says. I'm in the works of building mine. It's taking time, and I've got a lot of waiting to do. But, it's mine, and it will be what I want it to be. Another option, non lugged, Thylacine. He did a pretty good job of putting my wants to steel and paint. When I get wheels under it, I'll post pictures.

Awesome !!! Have a link or a photo of something similar to what you are ordering?

No! And thankfully so. I'd hate to be spending $1100+ on something I could point to and say, "just like that."

Still, it's a light roadster frame, all hooked up with all the braze-ons, eyelets, and bosses I can carry. Asher's ride is more or less what I'm getting, only in a sage/mint green.

http://beauty.nagog.smasher.net:81/a...4903.sized.jpg
http://beauty.nagog.smasher.net:81/a...4821.sized.jpg

VERY NICE ! I like that fork a lot!

Are you getting a fork ~ "SOMEWHAT SIMILAR" ~ :D to that ?

You going with a threaded fork?

Of course he is going with threaded!


I mean you are going with threaded right?! Please say you are going with threaded.


Milo

i'm going up to get sized for my circle a next week. so far the process has been tons of fun. it's an amazing experience purchasing a bike by deciding what you want and then telling someone and it happening rather than deciding what you want and then searching near and far and eventually settling on something similar to what you want but not exactly what you had in mind. i'm not even all the way through the decision making but i feel like a kid having the best birthday ever...

so far we've worked out:

threaded fork
drilled for front brake
no cage bosses or rack mounts
fully lugged
Dedacciai Zerouno tubing (3.75-4lb frame vs 3 lb Deda Zero tubing)
Paul dropouts with built in tensors
a slack track geometry...

still struggling with paint choices... oh the freedom is so hard to deal with! but, asside from the whole power assisted thing, i really like the look of this bike:
http://www.yamaha-motor.co.jp/global...eirin-pas1.jpg

Yeah, I'm getting that fork, it's a Mike Flanigan special. How else would somebody know that my unassuming ride was actually bling? And my 1" Record headset says I'm going threaded.

I actually really like the old Fat Chance forks. I think they were designed and built by Chris Iglehart who still builds custom forks and frames, but he's a bit of an odd duck with not much in the way of marketing savvy, I'm afraid.
http://www.bikeman.com/images/bikema...atchance1B.jpg

The Fat Chance fork is certainly nice, but to me the Mike Flanigan fork is probably the nicest looking steel fork I have ever seen in my life. Record threaded headset...perfect. I'm a little jealous.

Good luck, hope it goes quickly.

here here to that. i'm now done gnawing off my left arm and have started on the right in the 9-month anticipation of the bike.
oh, and what i want has changed, pretty much daily. today i want slack geometry, drilled for two brakes (for when my knees go and i have to SS it), chrome fenders and chain guard, and a big chrome bell. i want the cruisiest fix ever.

Yes, waiting sucks...leads to anxiety induced eating disorders (as J- describes above).

My Andante was promised in 6 weeks. Came in about 7 weeks.

My Rich Adams was promised in 4-6 months. Now, its in the eighth month. At least its headed to the painters.

My Johnny Coast was promised in 6-9 months (around Dec-Jan). Got moved up and picked it up within 3 months. Its a beaut... Will post pics soon.

One of things that had delayed my Rich Adams was the fact I kept changing my mind about geometry and stuff.

BTW, your knees won't be going anywhere for a very long time. Just use a front brake and you're good.

chrome fenders, chain guard, chrome bell...boy, what an ultra-femme bike.

jose! i definitely wanna see the johny coast. i contemplated going to him since he's in my boro but i hadn't seen enough of his work, either in pictures or riding around town, to be comfortable with it yet, so for now i'm considering him for my second custom which'll be a few years down the road.

I hear all that. I'm trying not to be a ****, but this morning I did email Mike and ask him to shorten the seat tube a bit. I had it spec'd with a 54cm tube which is what my two favorite rides are, but I decided I'd like a little lower standover and a bit more seat post extension. That way if I really want, I can get a little more saddle to bar drop.

The problem is that I fit a pretty standard frame, so there's not really much magical to be done for me so I feel like I need to fiddle around with something just so that it really is "custom."

What a mind game.

I think not! that's not femme. that's classic.

This kind of classic?

http://www.bike123.com/photo%20gallery/31.jpg

I kid, I kid...no, really, calm down, I'm kidding...

*grumble* i won't dignify that with a response.
oh crap, i just did.

I betcha that thing wheelies better than just about any track bike.

(Also, it looks like it's not drilled for brakes. That's gotta earn it some points around here.)