New Custom frame questions.

[Panza]

I am planning on ordering a custom road bike now, but I am having problems. Ideally I would like a lugged steel bike just as stiff as a modern titanium frame but I don't know what sort of tubes to use.
I have considered titanium too but close to US$ 5000 is a bit Over the top, especially when everything I want can't be done..
Any ideas are welcome.

 

[Jamiedyer]

Tommasini

Tommasini is a good choice
Thats my opinion anyway as I am trying hard to save up for a Techno.
There is a really good custom service that you can use, dealing directly with the factory, then picking up through your importer. Or you can pick it up from the factory. (If your in the UK this is a better option as the sole UK dealer/importer has a dreadful reputation)
Hope this helps or gives you another option.

Heres what I am lusting after in my usual custom size 48cm (GI Joe size)

Jamie

 

[fatfixie]

Would this be a good time to tell you i've got a spare 48cm Tommasini?

Andy

 

[Elev12k]

Overhere in Holland we have RIH-Sport. They are traditionally built, with lugs. There are also a bit constructed with a Dutch pragmatic attitude, so imo consider them more tool than aesthetic delight. They conquered over 60 World and Olympic titles on track and road, so they should know how to make proper tools.

Nowadays many people overhere looking for a performance aimed steel bike are convinced welding is the right technique for putting a frame together. Jan van Dalen started lug-building frames, but entirely switched to welding >> www.duell.nl

But the world is bigger than Holland If you're looking for neat frame with tasty lugwork I would certainly browse to www.steelmancycles.com

 

[john]

If you're looking for a tubeset recommendation I believe Columbus MAX (as used on the Merckx MX Leader) was supposed to be quite stiff. Unsure if still available though, read somewhere it was but not backed up on the Columbus website.

Have SLX and TSX tubed bikes - find neither a huge amount less stiff than my modern litespeed. Since MAX was supposed to be notceably stiffer again this could be a candiate.

As for builder, well, there is no shortage of contenders

 

[Elev12k]

I think a real custom builder should be able to built the right bike for you including taking stiffness into account. A friend will be ordering a RIH soon. He discussed he will get a roadframe with the triple triangle alike design that RIH normally uses for their trackbikes. It will be the 1st time RIH will make a road-frame with that characteristic. He explicitely wished it. Other special requests they will fulfil is full chrome, unpainted lugs, translucent paint and name engraved in bracket shell. Hence proper custom.

Without any doubt the frames by Duell, the bike I posted in my previous post, will offer a great responsiveness/weight ratio as they are designed as serious bikes for modern competition.

On John's comment on that Max tubing is still available: I recall a fellow member on here told us Zullo of Italy had still Max tubing available and would be willing to build frames with it.

I have a Batavus Professional built with SP. I haven't built it, nor ridden it, but I have been told SP can be considered a stiff type of tubing from yesteryear.

 

[pigman]

my bro road a SP framed bike. Normally reserved for bigger riders, which he is or paris-roubaix type stuff. Very stiff, but quite heavy also.

 

[fiks]

To get extra rigidity, I think you have to use tubing with a larger diameter or with a thicker wall.

 

[Panza]

Very interesting that Tommasini does custom. I had no idea they did. I really like their finish work too so I will ask them.

My old bike is SLX and I can't really fault that, except for horizontal dropouts and a few other details I must get changed.

It seems there is a lot of other custom builders that does Titanium other than the $5000 Litespeed option. I found more than one at about 1/4 of the price. I am often of the opinion that you get what you pay for, but in this instance I believe I would pay more for the Litespeed stickers than they are worth..

 

[hamster]

I think the whole point of custom is to discuss your requirements with the framebuilder. A good one will mix tubesets between makers to achieve what you want., e.g. a Dedacciai down tube with Reynolds seat and top plus Tange stays.

I think that nowadays there are two distinct types of custom:

One is 'made to measure', where they take a standard design and tweak tube lengths to fit.
The second is truly bespoke where tubes are selected specifically to your requirements.

Personally I would rather listen to what the builder advises than demand a specific tube type.