To all you 29er's out there!

BareNecessities - yep I did mention that Shand was a bit pricey

The problem is I'd hate to vouch for any builder going well outside the normal range and their comfort zone. On paper they should all be able to do it but I wouldn't want to swear on it.

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Thanks MacB, I can appreciate the price that skilled craftsman charge for their work. It just comes down to available budget at the time

I certainly agree about builders going outside of their comfort zone. Having an mtb frame made by a builder that has only made road frames wouldn't ( rightly or wrongly ) inspire confidence. I would hope that having a good idea now of what dimensions & handling that I prefer, both on road & off would give me a small head start. Of course, there are other factors to consider, as you mentioned, such as tubing choice for rider weight.

This most definitely requires a lot of research. Not a problem, I'm in no rush & research is cheap :-)