i know this topic has been brought up in various forms, but am having a hard time finding the exact info i'm looking for.

i'm at the point where i want to upgrade from my crappy road conversion to something a bit more agile but still good for all around use. basically looking for something that is
- inexpensive
- is somewhere in between road and traditional track geometry
- would be good for gettin around town/traffic quickly and nimbly but also fit for the occasional longer ride.

ideally looking for a frameset, or an inexpensive complete build - i like the wheels, crankset, pedals, and pursuit bars that i already have and plan on using them on the new bike.

what i've been hearing/seeing so far:
- Pake track (frameset)
- Surly steamroller (a little more than i'd like to spend)
- IRO Mark V (frameset)
- Mercier Kilo TT
- Windsor The Hour
- Scattante SSR frameset (i know most of you will scoff at that one, but had to throw that in after seeing the frame, lugged chrome fork, and collar for $199 on performance's site. wtf?)

thoughts/recommendations?

FWIW, i'm probably somewhere in between a 51-53cm fit for the aforementioned frames.

Buy something used off Craigslist. You can't get cheaper than that, especially as you already have most of the parts. In fact, you can just repost what you said here with a WTB in front of it.

Although I admonish you not to dismiss all road conversions as crappy, and to keep the option opened, I think road conversions make much better all around bikes, as long as you convert the right frame to begin with.

i don't think all road conversions are crappy. i think mine is crappy for me and my use of it. i prolly should have phrased that differently - part of it has to do with the fact that it's one size too big for me (my fault, not the bike's, i know).

anyhow, i've been watching my local CL, but have only been seeing "Track" bikes and road bikes. nothing really "in between" or at least not that i know of, that's why i was hoping to get opinions on the ones i mentioned or others if anyone had any ideas.

you can get a tsunami track frame from chucksbikes.com for like 90 bucks or something. his business is going under so he is liquidating everything.
or you can get a frame from bikeisland.com

those are both great suggestions/prices. any specific thoughts/recommendations on the Tsunami or the frames listed on bike island, especially in regards to the road/track geometry?

i would pick up the frame if it wasnt such an ugly color. but other than that i heard that the reviews for it have been pretty fair. you can google for a review of it.
bike island sells the frames from the bikes on bikesdirect...so you ant really go wrong with that. no idea on geometry though, but there are plenty of threads about bikeisland frames.