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@Emilia
OK, so having recently been bereaved of my Surly (sniff), I am starting to think about the Next Big Thing, and have decided that, since I was always going to drop a grand or two on a top-notch custom-built frame at some point, it might as well be this point.
But how on earth does one decide which framebuilder to go for? At the moment I'm erring towards Mercian, but this is on the fairly flimsy basis of a couple of 5-minute test rides on other people's bikes, lots of positive testimonials, and (ahem) the fact that they're really really pretty.
But it seems ridiculous to make such a huge commitment without really knowing what I'm talking about. Shouldn't I at least try and ride a couple of hundred miles on several different frames before I make my decision? Or do I just need to learn all about the mechanics of frame-building, in order to make sure they'll be providing me with exactly the sort of ride I'm after?
Seriously, how do you know?