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@polybikeuser
My boss has a Whitcomb (tourer not a track bike) that he's pretty much riden to work daily for something like a decade and couldn't be happier with. Its not flash, just beautifully finished and detailed. I also think it speaks volumes about Whitcomb that Richard Sachs (and at least a couple of others) have chosen to come over here from the states to work with Whitcomb to better learn their trade. As an aside if you're unaware of Richard Sachs as a framebuilder do check out his website:
http://www.richardsachs.com
So for my money I'd say Witcomb are every bit as good, if not better than Mercians, unfortunately they're similarly priced, thats not to say they aren't worth every penny. Chas Roberts also make some gorgeous bikes, though their forte is lugless frames which might not be what you want.
I can't afford to at the moment but also want at some future date to get a made to measure track frame built, rather back to front around a Mike Burrows monofork I picked up. I'll probably go with Bob Jackson because I'm not looking for fancy lugs etc. and they are that little bit more competetively priced. Concerning the issue of the Mercian's geometry being better than the Bob Jackson's, urely if you're going for a made to measure frame you can get whoevers making it to make it with whatever geometry you want, can't you?