If you were getting a custom frame, what would you spec?

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If you were getting a custom frame, what would you spec?

47 posts & 40 voices | Started 1 year ago by psychle | Latest reply from Herman Shake

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psychle - Member

What would you spec if you were going down this route? Interested to see what people come up with

Me, I think I'd be aiming for a really versatile beasty, something that would be at home with a 120-150mm fork, 'all-mountain/trail' geometry (something like the Ragley 'nu-skool' angles perhaps?), swappable dropouts for SS or geared action, ISCG tabs (just in case), tapered steerer, maybe even a splittable seatstay to have the option of running a belt drive if the fancy took me... internal cable routing would be nice, just to have the clean look really... hmmmm, wonder if I've missed anything?

Posted 1 year ago #
Clembo - Member

Sliding dropouts
internal routing for brake cables
New fangled headtube size thingy so Its futured proofed
Forward facing seat clamp
Maybe hub gear routing

Posted 1 year ago #
cynic-al - Member

I already did

Sliding dropouts (why have seperate ones for SS?).
Full braze ons (gear cables under BB).
130mm fork (no need for shorter) IMO.
Slack angles (then fashionable)

I'd go for a steeper seat tube now and maybe a belt drive option. I'm never going to be rad enough for ISCG or tapered forks, and internal cables are rubbish.

Posted 1 year ago #
psychle - Member

Yes, sliding dropouts are a better idea I'm sure. These look nice:

Posted 1 year ago #
JonEdwards - Member

Something that took the best parts of my Soda and my BFe and put them into one frame.

So:- Titanium; best with a 140mm fork, but able to take a 160mm; the toughness and tracking of the BFe but the zing and comfort of the Soda. Probably a 1.5 headtube so I can use an internal top headset cup and keep bar height sensible, ISCG mounts, 31.6 seat tube for dropper posts. Clearance for a 2.5 tyre

Posted 1 year ago #
jools182 - Member

an electric motor

Posted 1 year ago #
TheSwede - Member

Three three top tubes

Posted 1 year ago #
psychle - Member

Only the one top tube please... don't understand why you need more!? Apart from to look a bit different I guess?

Posted 1 year ago #
TandemJeremy - Member

EBB rather than sliding dropouts? Simpler / lighter / stronger?

Posted 1 year ago #
psychle - Member

Would consider an EBB, who makes the best one?

Posted 1 year ago #
llama - Member

There is no point in a custom long travel hardtail because its only going to get abused, and if it isn't why have the travel? I would prefer something classic so ...

light and flexy
100mm
long and not too slack maybe 70/73
sliding drop outs
full length cables, under top tube, zip tied
2xbottle mounts, chain hanger
no mudguards or rack

Posted 1 year ago #
Sam - Member

psychle - Member
Would consider an EBB, who makes the best one?

Phil Wood

Posted 1 year ago #
MrNutt - Member

an Orange Alpine 160 front triangle, 07/08 Subzero back end... ...I wish!

Posted 1 year ago #
vinnyeh - Member

I'd tend to agree with llama, but if you're going down the longish travel route, I'd want a seatube and guides for a dropper post and remote.
If you're going to do the beltdrive thing, then investigate a removable/bolt on rear triangle ala Mantis/CR7/Tranny. Could be a laugh.
Tapered headset for a cane creek angleset should you get the headangle wrong.

Oh, and a custom Jenn Green head badge.

Posted 1 year ago #
Retrodirect - Member

I like my bikes to ride a bit more backwheel happy (I'm a skinny whippet type so prefer shorter stays to hold the front wheel up) so I would go for something short travel, steep, short CS for popping (rubbish) manuals with a low BB to keep it a bit more planted in sprints...

If possible I'd kinda like gold lined obscenely-floral (think hetchins) bi-laminate lugs on an Ivy green MTB frame with a drilled BB and wishbone stays,
71/73 with a long toptube to use a 70mm stem and wide flatbars. Low BB (280 or so), supershort chainstays (390-405) for singlespeed, setup for an 80-100mm fork. Trackends. Really low toptube a la Evil/dialled

Current vanity chariot custom is (yes I'm lucky enough to own a custom yin, in yer face) a clearcoated fillet brazed, 69/73 with a medium toptube to use a 90mm stem and wide flatbars. HIGH BB (310mm), supershort chainstays (405mm) for singlespeed, setup for a 130mm fork. Sliding drops, 460mm ST C-T, standard stays and a condor Aero road bridge.

Did that mean anything to anyone? Can you tell I've been thinking about this too much?

Posted 1 year ago #
thisisnotaspoon - Member

I dont get the 456/ragley nu'skool angles, the seats are wayyyyyyy too steep for efficient climbing with a lockdown fork, fine with a lockout, but not lock-down.

Start with a 456, run with tall 6" (or a 7") fork, an inch off the BB, and a lowered top tube (either cannondale prophet, dialled alpine/evil sov style I'm not fussed), shrink the top tube by just a bit off the 18", make the seat tube infront of the BB so the reach shortens with the saddle down (thus keeping it out the way).

Posted 1 year ago #
iain1775 - Member

full outer cable routing
post mount rear disc mount
adjustable wheelbase
maxle dropouts (or swappable)
ISCG tabs
capable of running a 140 fork with tapered headtube so its adaptable / future proof
forward facing seat clamp
sensible seat tube diameter, none of this 27.2mm
cable routing for a dropper post, but bolted on (like a Ragley) not brazed so if not using one the tubes are neater (ie they supply two sets of bolt on bosses, one for just brake and gear, one for brake, gear and seatpost remote and you bolt on whichever you need)
good mud clearance
custom laser etched graphics and my own designed metal head badge

oh and Titanium

Posted 1 year ago #
SSB_UK - Member

I'd go for a cargobike - xtracycle standard but able to accommodate humungous rims like Surly's Rolling Darryl / Large Marge - low standover height, frame mounted front portage rack. Kind of like a pugsley big dummy cross - which has been done before. Custom everything - crank arms, sweep handlebars, stem.

Probably not the standard STWer dream bike.

Posted 1 year ago #
Craggyjim - Member

I'd like to see more pics of that frame that Psychle posted. I've often wondered about internal hydraulic routing for the rear disc brake but couldn't work out a suitable way of getting it past the seat post or BB.

Posted 1 year ago #
joolsburger - Member

4 inch travel, heavy duty Ti single pivot, square section stays a la nicolai geometry a like a heckler but ti. Fat down tube, thinner sloping top tube, normal head tube not OS. Post mount, internal cables if poss.

Posted 1 year ago #
mr_mills - Member

Cannons.

Posted 1 year ago #
Nicknoxx - Member

Rohloff dropouts
Bushnell EBB
Designed for rigid forks
low bottom bracket
Rack and mudguard mounts
Tidy cable routing
Wonky down tube

like this:
http://www.zen202900.zen.co.uk/bike/pics/IMG_2188.JPG

Posted 1 year ago #
rkk01 - Member

Tandem with Emily Batty specced as front seat rider? - IGMC

Posted 1 year ago #
slowrider - Member

65 head, 75 seat, 23.5"tt, 16" st, long wheelbase, low bb, not sliding dropouts or ebb (ive broke both) but maybe modular ones so maxle/ss etc an option. 1.5 ht, preferably no longer that 120mm to keep front end height sensible. forks up to 160mm, iscg, no bottle mounts or cable guides etc, just clamps to go round the tubes so you can add and remove as you please. clearance for dh tyres. make it as stiff as poss, let the tyres and forks do the absorbing

Posted 1 year ago #
brant - Member

slowrider - sounds ace

Posted 1 year ago #
messiah - Member

Two.

One - slight modifications to my Nicolai Helius AM - almost the same but slightly longer top tube and uppy downy post mounts... that is all (although in reality probably not worth doing).

Two - New hardtail. To suit a 160mm 36 Float fork and big brakes. 1.5 headtube, 73 x 65 angles and a nice long top tube. Low top tube for standover and ISCG for HammerSchmidt. Lower bottom bracket than a few bikes I have tried. Full outer for all the cables and an uppy downy post. Adjustable dropouts and BIG tyres.
Make it from Ti... it's a dream bike after all.

Posted 1 year ago #
Van Halen - Member

a suspension corrected sunn bmix would be good.

cant be arsed with this long and slack fad. i like corners.

Posted 1 year ago #
finbar - Member

Bottle openers on every tube end. You can never have enough bottle openers.

Posted 1 year ago #
bassspine - Member

psychle - Member

Yes, sliding dropouts are a better idea I'm sure. These look nice

Wrong. They look bloody gorgeous.

Posted 1 year ago #
Retrodirect - Member

slack is a pig for the twisties.

Posted 1 year ago #
bedmaker - Member

I'm about to embark on building my own.
Columbus Zona steel, 29er.
HA 69 deg, Head tube 1.5" for tapered forks.
Longish Top tube with short stem
Very short stays, 420mm, maybe slightly less, with the ability to take the biggest tyres currently available with a bit of mudroom.
83mm BB to make the above possible and 150mm rear end to match.
Fairly low BB.
Full cable routing
ISCG05

Posted 1 year ago #
Clink - Member

I'm about to embark on building my own.
Columbus Zona steel, 29er.
HA 69 deg, Head tube 1.5" for tapered forks.
Longish Top tube with short stem
Very short stays, 420mm, maybe slightly less, with the ability to take the biggest tyres currently available with a bit of mudroom.
83mm BB to make the above possible and 150mm rear end to match.
Fairly low BB.
Full cable routing
ISCG05

Can I hav eone too please?

Posted 1 year ago #
ir_bandito - Member

You guys ever heard of Kingdom Bike Project? You want to put your ideas on there, you never know, you might get one!

Posted 1 year ago #
crazy-legs - Member

Something in Ti, a hardtail that's light but can take a 120-140mm fork (maybe knocked down to 100mm should I fancy some XC racing). Basically a really gorgeous all-rounder that would last pretty much forever. Oh and it'd be raw Ti, none of this polished rubbish.

No idea about geometry of it though. I really like my old Cove Stiffee but then I really liked the totally different Cotic Soul when I rode one of those.

Posted 1 year ago #
GW - Member

So basically you don't have a **** clue?

Posted 1 year ago #

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