Going on a frame-building course in a few months' time which, obviously, I'm looking forward to, but there is a small and spiky sharp thron in the rosy picture in that I don't need a new bike.

I've got several mountain bikes, a tourer, commuters, etc. and most of these are a bit niche already with their eccentic BBs, 29er wheels, disc-specific frames, hub gears, singlespeed and so on.

So, what sort of frame would YOU build? Going into silly details is expected and appreciated.

you could build me basically a pompino frame but with a rear disc mount and a vertical dropout and gear hanger, if you like? 🙂

edit – in fact, a kaffenback with a disc mount!

A tandem.

climbing frame with a firemans pole, some monkey bars and a helter skelter slide.

Painted in red, blue & yellow.

24" bmx cruiser

They have them in Berlin. However personally i'd make a sick xc machine

How about a conventional MTB frame, reliable geometry, nothing fancy on it just standard BB, etc, something that will last you forever and do everything you ask of it for years to come and it will be all yours, all your own making and a bike for life?

Is that a bit boring?

As tinsy – build a 'keeper' rather than a niche-machine which you'll probably tire of.

One of these.

It's a 36er by the way.

flatboy – sounds a bit, well, roadie t'me…

Poddy, rocketdog, will, mostly – I want themall, but no can do: sadly, it's gotta be <<fairly>> conventional.

Stumpy – just lay back on this couch and tell us all about your thoughts on climbing firemen's poles.

Tinsy/clubber – good suggestion, but got one already…

With 650b wheels on it? 🙂

I'd basically build a Soul but with sliding/vertical dropouts like a P7.

I'd build a cross/commuter, disc specific on the chainstay with fender mounts and rack mounts. But I want mine in an aluminium alloy!

ooh, ooh, been thinking about this for a long time….

700c wheels, very similar geometry to a pompino. would also like to incroporate the wishbone rear stay, but in a smooooooth cotic kind of way, not a angular on-one kind of way.
135mm rear end, for a mtb disc hub, to use a disc cog fixie one side for winter commuting.
surly drop outs

or paragon machine works

with a deraileur mount for longer summer commutes and longer rides (sportives etc) flip the wheel and fit a 10spd cassette
need to add rack and guard mounts to the dropouts as well

rear brake cable would be internal through the top tube. seen some where it goes through the seat tube as well, but not sure what that means for the seatpost.
otherwise would have a rear canti hanger, with a screw thread adjuster for tweaking the clearance. why dont they make these standard for canti brakes?

downtube cable routing for the gear cables but need a funky way to minimise the visibility of the cable stops for the gear cables. mount the stops on a m10 bottle cage screw and screw off when they're not needed? not sure if that would work.
a nice steel fork, and a a Brooks Ti railed swift.
mmmmmm……need to keep saving……

how about a folding mtb that fits in your boot, easy to fit on a plane or a train etc… but keeping it looking nice??????

recumbent

With 650b wheels on it?

The frame might b able to take 650b, but it wouldn't have 650b wheels on it as I don't believe they actually exist.

I want mine in an aluminium alloy!

Why…?

because I'm paranoid about steel frames rusting away beneath me and I'm reasonable strong and heavy so aluminium alloy frames are typically (but not always) stiffer than steel.

something with a 'breakable' rear stay so you can play with a belt drive?

would love to try it.

Onzadog – fair enough, but I would pay to see evidence of a steel frame that's usted through – I can't imagine managing it.

shin-print – Excellent suggestion! I asked about that though, and they said no. Hunmph.

The rusting through thing happened to a mates P7 and to another mates 853 Raleigh

24" hardtail frame with sidecar, both have full disc mounts. Then market it so i can buy one!

Rusting through definitely can happen but it's not common and not something I'd worry about unless i was leaving my bike out all the time.

Onzadog – what did they do, ride them IN the sea…?

Lummox – You'll be top of the list!

Buegger, still no close to finding the dream solution!

sounds like you will have to be fairly conservative while on the course, maybe a build a present for someone? THEN go nuts with weird and wonderful builds when you get home 🙂

I'd just build a custom bike like anyone else. You must have had enough bikes to know pretty much exactly what your after?

Me:
23" TT
16.5" ST
5" HT
16" CS
1" BB drop
68.5 HA
71 SA

If you really cant decide I'll buy your place on the course off you 🙂

hum I'll biuld something like
My hoss but in steel.
My handjob but with a more forward seat angle (I have a 100 mm corrected HJ) and a tinny wenny shorter top tube.

If you really cant decide I'll buy your place on the course off you

I'd love to say I'm tempted, but the prospect of going on the course is one of the only things keeping me alive some days. Thanks for your suggestion though, it cetainly seems like the sensible way to go. I guess what I really want to do is build something/add 'features' that you simply can't get on production frames.

I take it your going on the Dave Yates course… The one currently with the 12 months+ waiting list?

I know he asks customers for his own frames to bring their current bike so they can look at the setup/Geometry and decide if there’s room for improvement, why not build the ultimate replacement for whatever your best “workhorse” bike is, see if you can improve on current perfection… If you don’t “need” a new bike but have to build a frame maybe consider replacing one of your existing fleet, given the cost of the course it seems a shame to waste time and money building another niche machine, which bike do you use the most? Is there any imaginable way it could be even better?

Personally I’d love to have a crack at a full 853 version of a late 90’s, 18”, kona/voodoo frame but with more modern adornments, Disc only, ISCG tabs, full hose tabs (to run continuous outers), maybe some sort of proper mounting for the battery bag of DX/similar lights near the head tube, crud catcher bosses in the down tube, Basically a bike I know I’d use more than anything else for years with nifty little features I'd find handy…

Failing that make something so achingly beautiful it would be a sin to ride it, I’m thinking a BMX with Chrome finish Fleur de lis lugs and the richest possible blood red paint finish for the tubes, possibly with gold leaf flecks, internal cable routing and hidden a seat clamp… Mmmmm

Why dont you believe 650b exists?

http://www.harobikes.com/mtb/tab2_subNav4.php

ISCG Mounts for a hammerschimdt and a split rear triangle for a belt drive coupled with an On-One slotted drop out arrangement with hanger and disk cmount inside rear triangle.

Belt driven Alfine & hammerschmidt that can also be used as a hardcore hardtail. 5-6" fork geometry. 1 1/8 headtube.

one of those very cool polished anti cable rub strips on the headtube that Alexsolitude used to do

while im a mountain biker through and through, i do feel a dark hankering for a custom built road bike.
i know nothing about road bikes, and the tiniest amount about building frames, but what i want is what i want.

want to be measured up, get an idea of the feel i want, and then build a bespoke, custom lugged, titanium, road frame.

lugs designed by me for me though (these are pinched from llewellynbikes)

one road frame to end them all, kind of thing.

Ooh wow, now we're gettting some REALLY lovely suggestions. I've got lots to think about now, thanks folks 🙂

(And, obviously, 650b exists, but I've had enough trouble getting decent 29er tyres that I reckon sourcing 650b tyres must be a proper pain…)

A Mountain bike for you to build.

Lugged, rigid, 69er. designed to take an alfine hub, with the cables and hydraulics routed inside the frame.

Ersatz-Bontrager Race, but with a 1&1/8th headtube.

That said, the Indy Fab I've been building (in my head) would be very different.

I have a mate who is just getting the metal together to build his second frame. He does it at home.
He's gathering some pretty new technology together, and I can't wait to see the result. Put it this way, I don't think there's a production bike with quite this configuration available….

A steel road frame and fork combo that uses modern geometry, but with styling ques from the past. Like an up to date Master really.

Must resist though. Got an old Gios that needs a new seat tube and respray. Would like to fit Nashbar carbon forks that have a threaded steerer so I can fit the nice Campagnolo headset and Cinelli Olympic stem and bars.

bananaworld – Member
Ooh wow, now we're gettting some REALLY lovely suggestions. I've got lots to think about now, thanks folks

(And, obviously, 650b exists, but I've had enough trouble getting decent 29er tyres that I reckon sourcing 650b tyres must be a proper pain…)

That will soon change! I'm setting up to bring 650B products to the UK .. got rims, tyres are en route. 🙂

I'd go for something classic that you wont want to replace with a new niche in a few months or a year.
A classic tourer or a cross bike
If you travel then I'd be tempted to put in some S&S couplers and make a travel bike maybe based on a cross platform that would give you endless flexibility by simply swapping tyres and or wheels.

I'd love to do that course or there is one in the US where you make a ti frame in Oregan somewhere…