things to take into consideration when getting a custom frame
 

looks like i may be getting a deal on basically whatever frame i want from a small, high-quality builder. i wasn't expecting to go the custom route, so this is kind of taking me by surprise.

i want to get a single speed frame, primarily for the road and city, but also something i could take to the velo now and then. the geometry of my beat up old pinarello track frame is going to be my starting point for geometry, but i've now got the opportunity to extend the wheelbase a little, maybe add the option for rear brake so i can ride free, bottle mounts, custom fork with rake of my choice, etc.

it'll be steel, probably fillet brazed (though i could get lugs), but i can go with a variety of alloys from TT S3 to 853 or almost anything else from reynolds, TT, columbus, dedaccai, etc.

obviously the framebuilder and i will chat and he'll give me his recommendations, but i want you all to put some ideas in my head to start.

I have friends that ride free on singles with no rear brake, only a front...they don't ever seem to have a problem with it...one friend has been riding that way for 3 or 4 years....just an idea if you really didn't want the cable routers on there.

are you selling that pinarello?

yeah. i don't know what got into my head there. i ride brakeless now, sometimes with a front brakein the winter.

i don't really want the cable guide braze-ons on the frame, so i think that's not going to be an option.

i don't know what will become of the pinny. this new frame is still a ways off.

what builder are you going to go with?

If you're running a bunch of spacers between your headset and stem, consider asking your builder to add 1-3 cm. of height onto your headtube. Carl Strong did this for me on a custom road frame he built last year. It looks great (a lot cleaner). Supposedly, it stiffens up the front end a little bit by decreasing the amount of flex in your fork's steer tube. This is the kind of "little thing" that you can really only get if you go custom.

Have fun!