Looking for a new frame... but how?

hi, i know you probably get loads of this but i searched and went through the first few pages of the forums looking for an answer, but i cant find anything..

so basically, ive been building up a conversion from an old pug that was donated to me.. ive slowly replaced pretty much every part of the bike, the only original things now being bottom bracket, crankset (i have a new one im waiting to fit..) headset, seatpost and fork.

now im thinking about finishing off the build.

the thing is, i think the frame might be a bit small for me, im not sure what size it is but it feels a bit cramped, and im pretty tall, 6ft 2-3ish.

im starting to think it might be a better idea to just get a new frame, rather than cut off all the braze ons and get the frame painted, then try and find a bb thats the right width to run a single speed chainset..

this would also allow me to build the pug back up as a geared/singlespeed bike

ive had a look around at various websites, and im liking the look of the BLB frame/forks, but i cant see how to order one or sizes and prices etc? it seems to be like this for a lot of the frames around, the only ones i can really find to order are ones that are out of my quite small price range. ive also had a look through the classifieds but not seen anything thats caught my eye..

the things im looking for in a frame are:

• price - £100-200ish, nothing too fancy
  
• quite large
  
• 1 1/8 aheadset
  
• no braze ons or brake mounts
  
• no gaudy unremovable decals
  
  

is my only option really to take a trip down to london (from birmingham) and just see what the shops round there have in stock?

sorry if this is annoying, as i said i did look around the forum but didnt really see anything, even in the list of lists!

cheers

just buy a second hand langster/fuji/bianchi frame.

BLB frames are likely to be similar geo to IRO mark V and their geometry is here

the Nelson frame from Cyclestore also an option.

yeah? cheers. what would be a reasonable amount to expect to pay for one? and wheres the best place to look? i was thinking that might be the best option, but i tried ebay and classifieds and nothing really came up...

also, i was thinking (dont hit me) that i could possibly pick up a unipack frame?
this might sound stupid, but all the shit you hear about the mseems to be about poor components, maybe the frames are not too bad?

cheers for putting up with my stupidity!

Wishful thinking.

Large Dolans Here

I'm in kind of the same boat as you (as far as build up goes), if you're 6'2-3" I'd also look carefully at the frame and what it can handle. I'm building a bike for London and as I'm 6'3" and 200lbs some frames won't work for me.

Summ't else to think about.

Yeah I had a look at those dolan frames, only thing putting me off is the aluminium... as wildgoose says, I am a larger rider, coupled with the fact ill be bashing this track intended frame up and down curbs, makes me worry a bit that it won't hold up too well?

(Sorry my replies are a bit poor, I'm on my phone at the minute as my housemate is using my laptop to broadcast his radio show.. will be able to reply more thorughly in a couple of hours, I am reading intently though! Thanks for the help!)

I think I might be a good idea to call some of the major bike stores before coming down.

Cavendish
BLB
Tour de Ville
Don't know if 14 stock anything in your price range

(They may well post)

Also remember to be specific when you call (your post is pretty clear so I guess you can articulate yourself.... some ppl just really can't and then get annoyed that shops aren't helpful enough at mind reading between lines)

Just a thought...

... have you posted a wanted ad on here? - sometimes you get nothing, but sometimes you get gold!

Yeah that was my plan I think, I'm not sure when id actually get the time to come down but ill definatley make some phonecalls first, thanks for the list of shops, really useful!

Id say I'm fairly articulate, and I'm quite well versed in the world of bikes too, my dad has always been a keen cyclist, I've been a keen bmx rider pretty much all through my teens up until a few years ago (I'm 22 now) and I worked in a shop a while ago, pretty much a bmx only shop though, had a few mtbs in but I wasn't allowed to touch them haha! This brings a few language barriers when talking about the world of road/track bikes though, I got laughed at hard in the brum forum when I mentioned removing the "lugs" from my frame!

Anyway, I digress...

For this kind of budget, would second hand be the best option then?

I find it really strange that no websites seem to just offer frames for sale like most bmx sites do... maybe this is to do with fixed being a smaller market than bmx?

I really don't think you'll overstress an alloy track frame by hopping up and down a few kerbs Elkie.

I would go for the Dolan at 120. You can sell it for not much less if you don't get on with it.

I haven't posted anything in the classified forum yet, cause I'm still doing research at the minute.. that will definatley be my next move though!

Ps: does anyone know why this thread is tagged as "kerbs" and "pavement for pedestrians"? Weird...

...if you have strong enough wheels it will be OK IMO/

• since it has mudguard clearance yo can almost certainly fit slightly fatter tyres, something like 28/32c
  
  

EDIT - the tags have been added by other members. 'kerbs' was probably due to your spelling mistaik, and pavement for pedestrians was probably someone trying to be funny...?

what about on on-one pompino?

I'm not saying its gonna collapse as soon as I put it together, and "bashing it up curbs" was just a way of saying riding it on the street I guess, this must put a considerable amount of different stress on the frame compared to velodrome racing, especially considering I'm not a small guy, being over 6ft and about 14-15 stone... although if it has mudguard mounts I guess its intended to be used on the street?

And thanks to whoever tagged it, obviously cause I don't know a lot about track frames, I ride my bike around at 5mph on the pavement... liking how you just tagged it and didn't say anything in the thread, that's like, insulting someone via the internet, but in such a way they don't know it was you, aha possibly the most pathetic thing ever. Prick.

If I haven't replied to you I'm not ignoring you, ill get round to it when I have my laptop back!

If you consider the stresses the frames will go through with a strong rider on them (I'm not saying you're not) then I think then can handle a few potholes or bumps up curbs. You are more likely to damage the rims than the frame, in my experience. I have an aluminium road bike and havent had any issues.

As provenrad said, thicker tyres will help if you are worried about poor road surfaces etc.

An Alu track frame should be strong enough. Track frames tend to be overbuilt compared to road frames as stiffness is more important that weight saving. For example a Dolan Pre Cursa weighs in at around 1800g for a 56 which for a road frame would be on the heavy side heavy.

Lots of MTBs are alu as well!

elkie, if you're gonna get het up by one tag, you may want to review your first sentence in your first post about having searched the site for info, tags are used predominantly here as a chance to be funny. Being thin skinned about such things will only bring you a world of internet hurt, so don't. The majority of answers to your query have been helpful and concise, concentrate on that and finding the bike you want and then go out and ride it.

I would say the posts have been far more helpful than I would expect. Why not the usual barrage of UTFS, what makes this post different? Is everyone just in a nice, helpful mood?

That thought crossed my mind too...
Probably because the original post was clear and concise, specifying that they had looked and searched but were still in need of advice. Not the usual "Shall I get X or Y? Thanks!".

Maybe people are nice because they think it is Elkie Brooks?. Although you would have to be old to remember her and if she does anything for you a little bit twisted.

Goes off to google Elkie Brooks

haha nah im not elkie brooks...

its not so much that it got to me, just seems like a stupid thing to do! but anyway...

seeing as the dolan doesnt come with forks, would i be able to bung any 700c fork on there, or would it have to be one intended for track geometry?

i think im gonna try and pick up a fuji track, langster or similar in the classifieds, then if nothing comes up go for the dolan!
making a trip down to london seems a bit of a waste of time just to pick up a frame when im not sure theres gona be anything suitable when i get there!

thanks for all your help guys!

seeing as the dolan doesnt come with forks, would i be able to bung any 700c fork on there, or would it have to be one intended for track geometry?

The FXE complete comes with what looks like a road fork anyway so would imagine it is fine.

http://www.dolan-bikes.com/fxe.html