Custom Stainless Road Bike

Well, I don't really want to push £2k and this fits the bill - also I'd like to support Jake as he is new on the scene but is doing great things all ready.

SRAM Red, I think. But maybe Ultegra Di2 yeah. Not yet decided.

why would you not go with Brian Rourke for that money? I know he's not around the corner, but now that you have the measurements from scherrit, and there's the invention of the telephone I'm not sure what proximity has to do with it (unless you want to be able to see it being made)

Rourke doesn't build with Xcr.

ah ok...

have you contacted IF to see if they ever got results from this test?

http://ifbikesblog.blogspot.co.uk/2009/07/stainless-doudletake-xcr-and-953-ssrs.html

Sorry to be a pedant, but would you actually avoid taxes by ordering though a UK store? Won't they just be adding VAT here.

I get that you might want stainless for its anti corrosion. But unless you've got a particularly in depth knowledge, or experience of the application of various tube sets in all their deference dimensions I would leave material choices to the builder.

That's not to say if you want to give a new guy a chance like people have done with Feather, Oak and Talbot you shouldn't. Everyone needs a break.

I dunno - I just assumed so.

I want stainless tubing. End of.

Fair enough.

From what I've read on the net the reason you see Reynolds over XCR is because there is more variety in Reynolds tubing options, therefore more scope for customisation. Personally I like Columbus, just because I tie it to sexy 80's and 90's Italian frames.

great project, but i wouldn't spent that much money in a "new" bike builder.

i recently met the man from Reynold's, who explained to me how the tubes are born, and butted, here in the UK.

Support UK business innit.

spend a bit more and get a full custom Cinelli xcr

http://www.shinybikes.com/cinelli-xcr-cristal-mirror-frameset-56cm.html

(apparently $500 more than the regular one)

drool :P

Yeah but that's a significant train journey if you want to pop into the work shop...

they air freight it to your house for free, plus, flights to Milan in November, probably less than a tube fare to south London

Don't like Cinelli. The whole frame doesn't necessarily have to be stainless by the way, so long as the flexiest parts of the frame are Xcr, I am happy. I wouldn't be against using Life and Spirit in other places - this would bring down the cost considerably.

Ted James, his own custom machined stainless 44mm headtubes and pf30 bbs....

Looked at using BB30 for my Oak, issue was/is that brazing heat would warp the shell enough to mean it would need re-boring- and getting a whole frame onto the bed of the mill would be non-trivial.

I guess PF30, designed as it is to allow looser tolerances might get round that issue.

Well Oak had a fair amount of experience and the way he has gone about with Dammit's build (though employing new techniques and high spec) is in my opinion an absolute joke.

So that is little guarantee.

If you are happy with the guys work, then I think the build sounds great.

There's a lot of great frame builders out there and at some point people had to believe in them and give them custom.

I agree with what tenderloin says

someone has to give them a first go, but an £1800 first go is pretty steep when you get experience for the same price

Guess its like matts talbot and that 853 for £853 deal, you need to give people a reason to try you out

But I think £853 for 853 is probably more than Ted would charge anyway...

Subbed.

For my money (so to speak, as it's not my money) if JB feels comfortable with the price and quality then he should go for it. That said, there's probably nothing to be lost from talking it through with the frame builder. Perhaps a compromise can be reached?

Also, stick with mechanical shifting and a regular BB shell. No point in progress for progress' sake.

1800 for the frame alone is a butt load of cash no doubt. But it's not his first go, he is a professional and if you're not happy with what you have gotten for your money then that is the advantage of going custom, if you're then really the cost becomes of little consequence.

Why stainless if painting?

Builder trumps material imo. Id get a more experience builder for such an expensive frame. Besides that, i did not particularly like the stainless frames ive had. Id go for ti at that price range.

Sounds like a fun project either way tho!

Could look around velocipedesalon see if there are any non london based masters of framebuilding you like the look of

Just one point on cost, when everyone says that £1,800 is a lot. Is that's actually a high price for a XCR/953 custom frame?

[genuine question - I haven't checked other builders prices]

rourke is 1650-1850 with a fork

Just one point on cost, when everyone says that £1,800 is a lot. Is that's actually a high price for a XCR/953 custom frame?

[genuine question - I haven't checked other builders prices]

No its pretty cheap compared to some more "fancy" builders.

Custom, or handbuilt?