advice on a custom build

[willem]

It is much easier to shed weight from the luggage than from the bike.

 

[RecordAceFromNew]

the way i'm thinking these changes will only improve the bike lighter fork lighter wheels has to make for a more responsive bike .am i right or am i talking rubbish

Don't know what forks you have currently, but a Sun Rhyno rim at 550g will be about 200g heavier than a good light xc rim. Do you know what spokes are on your wheels?

I think Thorn recommends DT XR425/Sapim DB handbuilt wheels for lightness, but high end factory mtb wheels from DT/Mavic etc. will be even lighter - I think it depends on whether you want wheels with redundancy or not, and new high end factory mtb rims/wheels for rim brakes are getting hard to find - you might need to be quick if you want any.

The other thing of course is the tyre and tube. You can get Schwalbe Kojak 26x1.35 folding with Kevlar beads weighing under 300g, or Continental Grand Prix mtb 26x1.0 weighing close to 200g. I have a pair of the former, and I like their extraordinarily supple side walls and flexibility (55 to 95 psi) - they are actually recommended by Thorn for their RT/RST if lightness/speed is important (and as long as one doesn't mind them not being the longest lasting tyres around).

 

[Christopher]

OP needs to think what budget he/she has, as a custom ti is going to be at least £1100 f+f, as MacB quotes for his machine (Mac, what's the make? It sounds an awesome bike).

re wheels: I have actually toured on 10 Speed Camapag on Centuar hubs and Open Pro rims, only issue was the rear rim wearing out rather quickly. I have a full custom Yates in 653, I had Dave crank the chainstays so it takes 32mm with guards. It is a customised Wanderer IIRC and handles very well although it has a more agressive postiion than I think is normal for a tourer - probably why it's marketed as a fast audax machine. Changing the wheels has the largest effect on speed and handling: with a set of lightweight wheels it is fast and very lively. Only thing I'd change is the 1" headtube for a 1 1/8" for future fork upgrades/replacement. BTW I don't think fork weight has a huge effect on speed, not as much as wheels anyway.

EDT: A good framebuilder will question you on what type of cycling you want to do and get your position by sitting you on a jig and adjusting it until you are comfortable. Hewitt does this, so does Mr Yates. Then you will get the bike you need, not the one you want.

 

[HebdenBiker]

I built up a fast tourer from an old 531 frame I got cheap. The build was a lot of fun and the end result is the most enjoyable bike I've ever owned. Pics and build story in my blog if you're interested. here

 

[MacB]

OP needs to think what budget he/she has, as a custom ti is going to be at least £1100 f+f, as MacB quotes for his machine (Mac, what's the make? It sounds an awesome bike).

Burls is the framemaker, or more properly the frame designer, Justin is married to a Russian lady and his manufacturing is all done in Russia. It turned out as I wanted but I did have a fair bit of input and used an online CAD system to make sure I could see and understand all the tweaks, i also took over a year to finalise the design . Basically if you took a Spesh Roubaix size 56 or 58 and envisaged what you'd end up with if they did a size 57, lengthen the chainstays a bit to increase the clearance, slacken the ST by half a degree. Increase the tyre clearance to 700x44(the longer chainstays do most of this), the bigger tyres will increase the trail number, add on a rear disc brake tab, mudguard and rack mounts....and you're there. I left actual tube selection down to Justin.

You can see the beastie in original guise with drop bars and now with the Jones Loop H-Bar here:-

http://www.flickr.com/photos/37729119@N08/

 

[Kirstie]

This is a great thread - very informative. I was going to ask the same question myself as I am thinking of a custom frame. Being under 5'6" I can't seem to get a decent fit on a tourer. I currently have an Ultra but it is just a bit too long. I was looking at an Enigma frame...

 

[jags]

This is a great thread - very informative. I was going to ask the same question myself as I am thinking of a custom frame. Being under 5'6" I can't seem to get a decent fit on a tourer. I currently have an Ultra but it is just a bit too long. I was looking at an Enigma frame...

kirstie i'm also 5.6 and never had any bother with off the pe g frames.
the thing i hate about the sherpa it's sluggish well at least i find it so.

so maybe a new lighter set of wheels could transform the bike at least to near enough what i'm looking for.

thanks for all the input lads/lassies

 

[zigzag]

the thing i hate about the sherpa it's sluggish well at least i find it so.

so maybe a new lighter set of wheels could transform the bike at least to near enough what i'm looking for.

thanks for all the input lads/lassies

a bit of work on your leg muscles could transform any bike you ride

 

[jags]

a bit of work on your leg muscles could transform any bike you ride

true true cant argue with that.

 

[YahudaMoon]

I built up a fast tourer from an old 531 frame I got cheap. The build was a lot of fun and the end result is the most enjoyable bike I've ever owned. Pics and build story in my blog if you're interested. here

Thats a very nice bike. Love the paint work and enjoyed the read.

Ive put bikes together myself in the past at a cost. What I estimated being £700 ended up £1000 + Your project doesnt look cheap ?

How much was the cost it total ?

 

[HebdenBiker]

Thats a very nice bike. Love the paint work and enjoyed the read.

Ive put bikes together myself in the past at a cost. What I estimated being £700 ended up £1000 + Your project doesnt look cheap ?

How much was the cost it total ?

Thanks for the comments.

The whole thing came in at roughly £1200. This includes the £120 I paid Ben to help me build it, plus £300ish (from memory) for the frame alterations and paint job at Bob Jackson.

Looking back on the project, I could have had a similar bike for less, but the way I did it allowed me to get exactly what I wanted. It was quite an indulgence, but I really enjoy riding it

 

[hondated]

HB I too nearly had a bike made by Paul but because Roberts were just around the corner from where l live I wethatnt to them instead.My criteria was that I wanted a bike that I could use to tour on mainly on roads but at the same time sturdy enough to go off on trails whenever I needed to.With regard to gearing I wanted something that would get me up the steepest hill even though it may be a struggle so I have more or less mountain bike gearing.

If I was ordering it again I would I think get it equiped with butterfly bars rather than drops because I am not happy going off road on drops.

Until I summon up the courage to venture off on my first tour I cannot really say whether the £2500 In paid for the bike was worth it and I was not forced by Roberts to buy it but until I do on reflection I think I could have got mydself an off the peg bike that would suit my needs for far less money.
So really do give it some thought before you buy.

 

[Kirstie]

kirstie i'm also 5.6 and never had any bother with off the pe g frames.

are you a boy or a girl?

 

[jags]

kirstie thanks for that but its been a while since i was boy

but i'm young at heart

 

[Kirstie]

kirstie thanks for that but its been a while since i was boy

but i'm young at heart

I take it from that that you're an adult male rather than a man to woman trans-sexual