[Closed] Ordered a custom ti frame..... Just gotta wait....

C'mon man. Details!

Another custom Ti frame is in my not-too-distant future.

It's a smokestone bow ti, to replace my Henderson frame.
I'm going full AXS so no cable guides, internal rear brake hose and geo to actually fit me - being 5'10" on most bikes I'm generally in that area of between med and large. So I've gone a little longer than a large and 450mm seat tube.

Ah. Now you've definitely piqued my interest as that's on my list. If it's a 6 month lead time then I'd best make up my mind quickly in order to have it for next winter.

Currently Graham recons 6months, might be quicker, might not.... They were originally produced in a 4-6week lead iirc.
I was gonna order one at the end of the year, but the lead time pushed me to do it now - I might see some warmer weather with it, rather than the slop of winter.

Sounds sick.

I have a (made to order, not fully custom) ti hardtail frame currently with UPS on the way from Spain, it was ordered back in October... 😀

@paton thanks for that....what I pointless vid. Got as far as 2:39 before I stopped watching. Yes the ride comfort is similar between an Ali frame and ti frame that weigh the same. The thing is the Ali frame will be under built and the ti one over built.....

Anyway I didn't buy it just because it's ti, I bought it because it's custom to my geo, so should fit me correctly, and there for give me a comfortable bike. and it's also from my lbs. No idea if it'll have the 'legendary' ride quality of ti, it's a bit irrelevant to me on a 4"tyred MTB any way. But it's my first ti frame and in sure I'll love it.

Pinion ❓

Smokestones need elevated chainstays & 1.25" headsets 👌

Been waiting on a Ti road bike since June.

Email last week suggested it might be built up next week, if I don't mind having ordinary black walled tyres rather than tan wall.

After 8 months, I don't care if the tyres are ****ing purple

Nice one.
I was pleasantly surprised to take delivery of mine just about a year ago. I'd assumed coming directly from China as the virus was in full swing over there would delay it massively.
It was only a fortnight or so late in the end.
As above, going Ti for me was about getting a fully custom frame unavailable off the shelf.
If someone did custom Ally I'd happily take that, but it doesn't seem to be a thing.

@qwerty nope AXS, could have spec'd elevated stays, but they were pretty crap back in the day, and would be pretty flexy on a fat bike.

@bedmaker I'm hoping it'll end up quicker... The only custom Ali fat bikes I'm aware of are Nikolai - for about the same cost.and tbf my 2nd choice.

So I'm a week and a couple of days after ordering what I happily knew whould be a six month wait at the time. But now I've every single item of the build.... Apart from the frame.....

Spec will be/is

Frame: Smokestone bow ti, custom geo, no cable guides, int. Rear brake hose.
Fork: Carver Popeye or Bluto (this may change)
Headset: cane creek 40
Stem: 77designz 40mm in grey
Bar: 77designz 35mm rise, cut to 760mm
Grips: ODi dreadlocks
Brakes: hope tech 3 X2 rear v4 front
Dropper: SRAM AXS
Saddle: brooks c13 cadmium carved carbon
Rear mech: SRAM AXS xo
Shifter: SRAM AXS
Chain: xt 12sp
Pedals: xtr trail
Cranks: raceface sixc
BB: canecreek hellbender neo
Wheels: A:tune/DT hubs on light bicyle rims with Nate's
or B: hopes on nextie 29r rims, Vitoria tyres
Both with DT competition spokes
Cassette: garbarkuk 10/52

Gaddang. I thought I was ok with a 6mth wait..... obviously not.

Pretty Awesome spec - looking good. That wait will be worth it.

Question - any reason why you would not go Mastodon over Bluto if you want front squish? It's a superb fork, totally different ballpark to the Bluto

I've got a bluto at the moment on my Henderson so I'll have wait until the frame arrives before I decide what to do with it. I've only got that because it was a bargain 2nd hand.

I do swap between rigid and Sus at least twice a year, so 'forking' out for a Masterdon could come from selling the Henderson frame and bluto - again this will depend on availability of Masterdon's and pricing at the time.

I really enjoy riding rigid on my local Stroud trails and the blutos are usually stuck a couple times a year when I go to trail centers (I have done a few enduros fully fat/rigid for giggles). So the vast majority of my riding is with the rigid forks on.

Tbh If trickstuff sort out their UK distributor soon (which they are now brexits happend) I'd prob change the hopes to some Picolla HD's rather than spend the money on masterdon's. Although these have a 12-18month wait at the moment!!!!!

am I gonna feel like this for the while 6 months until it arrives???

If you're anything like me when I ordered my first custom Ti frame it'll swing from excited to pissed off it's not here yet, to excited, to have I done the right thing, to excited, to will it ever arrive and back to mega excited when you get a tracking number for it. 😎

smokestone bow ti

Googles. Lusts.

As a recent convert to the fat community with a frame at the other end of the financial range (On One Fatty) that looks lovely.

Nice - I have a custom steel road frame and can honestly say the fit is perfect in a way I've never managed with an 'off the shelf' job.

You will enjoy it I am sure...

that looks lovely

👍 It's my LBS own brand - slam69 & Graham knows his stuff, the Henderson is a great frame but it's just a shame (for my bank balance) that I'm between sizes.

it’ll swing from excited to pissed off it’s not here yet,

I can see that happening - it's only been a week since ordering but now all the bits are here I'm twitching a bit.... Really thought I could wait it out 🥺

Tbh I'll get all the (new) bits on the Henderson for a ride this w/e and I'm sure that I'll calm down.... It'll just be a load of used bits going on the to frame in the end.

You’re right - you’ll swing from one end of emotions to the other. I ordered a Marino frame last July and I finally had it painters and built up for the weekend just gone. I was excited for the first month, then started wondering if I’d ever hear back from Marino on frame design, then once that was nailed down I was chomping for build pics etc / progress updates. Painful in the end - but it finally arrived Christmas Eva. Fair shout to the UK distributor - had had a bulk batch of frames come in just before Christmas and he got them all checked / repackaged and out in a day or two. Then another wait for paint in the UK.

Hope your frame comes quicker then 6 months if you already have all the bits to build it!

If you’re anything like me when I ordered my first custom Ti frame it’ll swing from excited to pissed off it’s not here yet, to excited, to have I done the right thing, to excited, to will it ever arrive and back to mega excited when you get a tracking number for it.

And then royally pissed off when the courier has had it for 2 weeks and then decides to return it to sender due to "delays" and you have to start the shipping lottery again...

This waiting is hard.....😭

Still waiting on the frame... But these arrived today.....

It's arrived!!!!!

Just have to make it through a day of work before I can pick it up.....

Obligatory NBD post incoming.