Recommend me a used full-steel road-racer to find..

[Clean39T]

Originally Posted by Peter P.

If you get a bike built for cantilever brakes, it may have stiffer than normal fork blades and stays to resist brake arm forces. That may result in a stiffer ride than you expected in a road machine. Also, you may have fork chatter because of the front cantilever; a V-brake up front would cure that. Just an FYI and something to discuss with Paul while ordering.

To me, no one has a patent on geometry and there's no secret geometry that's better than others. Hopefully you've been paying attention to the specs of what you've ridden in the past, and liked- put those numbers down on paper.

If you're going with a steel fork and caliper brakes, ask for the brakes to be set at maximum reach, and you may have to get slightly longer chainstays. The result is you'll be able to fit 28mm tires with ease. I had this done with my Soulcraft and in fact, I can squeeze 32's in there, and I have 42cm chainstays.

Sorry, may have mixed things up a bit...

Canti brakes would only be an alternate design if I didn't do a roadie and instead got a classic cross bike done up. And I don't need/want one for bigger tires and such. My Kirk is going to have room for that and is my all day rider with longer chainstays, room for bigger tires and fenders, etc.

I'm specifically looking for a tight, stiff, long-low road machine for racing and training. Something impractical and fun .

[msl819]

Originally Posted by Clean39T

Planning to run threadless on the Lobster, but figured I'd be asking Paul to build me one for that.

PM me deets on the MXL (guessing it's this one?). I had one early last year that was 61cm w the 58.5TT - I'd ideally go a bit bigger this time around, but the 61cm was pretty close...

That’s the one so maybe a size too small. Looks like you have settled your size debate one the larger side of your trials and not the smaller. I will say, nice steel with wide rims and 25s set properly is just about perfect. The MXL with Belgium+ and Veloflex 25s was sublime on our fast ride tonight. I like the threadless set up mostly because I prefer to run modern bars.

[Hilltopperny]

My list of steel bikes to try out from my experience would go CSI, Atlanta or any other similar Serotta. A nice steel Paramount pdg series. A Giordana Spica or other Billato brothers built steel bike.


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[Clean39T]

Originally Posted by mtechnica

*** this is crazy, trust your builder or don't. Consider a carbon fork, it is 2018. If you must have 1" get a Columbus minimal. If you don't even know what exactly you want WHY are you getting a custom bike?????

And double *** if you might actually want a cross bike???? lol... dude you need to just figure out what you want instead of giving this poor builder heartburn, you probably won't be satisfied with anything he builds even if it's incredible.

Serious answer I guess, get an 80's Merckx or colnago and you'll probably just want the same thing but better, which you can't really have unless you go carbon.

Huh? Because life is short and bikes are fun.

I'm getting one from Paul because I've wanted to get one from Paul for over a decade.

Getting a custom is not just for those who have morphological oddities, and it certainly isn't about getting the lightest or most aero rig out there (in most cases). Some of us just want to support independent builders, or like custom paint, or just like having something different than what's out there off the shelf or on the auction block.

An 80's Merckx or Colnago would be fun, but neither will have modern tubing, threadless steerers, appropriate spacing, geometry I want, or little niceties like headtube mounted housing stops.

I'll edit the original post to make it more clear that a cross bike is an alternative option, not a "hey, make me a road bike that's also a cross bike" option. That would be stupid. I'm making a decision on what I generally want and then talking to Paul about what refinements he recommends. That holds true whether the conversation starts around a cross bike, road bike, or 29er.

[Ernesto]

A Steelman Stage Race would fit the bill. I had one with straight blade steel fork and it was an awesome ride.

What about this Ritchey Chicane? I have a Road Logic from the 90s and it's also sweet.
https://forums.thepaceline.net/showthread.php?p=2409265

[Clean39T]

Originally Posted by Ernesto

A Steelman Stage Race would fit the bill. I had one with straight blade steel fork and it was an awesome ride.

What about this Ritchey Chicane? I have a Road Logic from the 90s and it's also sweet.
https://forums.thepaceline.net/showthread.php?p=2409265

I think you're right. If only I had a time-machine to go back and get this one...https://forums.thepaceline.net/showt...light=steelman... I actually bid on it on eBay before Eric got it - iirc. Eric, any idea if the gent who bought that guy is using it?

Going to talk to Mistermo about that Chicane...

[Ernesto]

Originally Posted by Clean39T

I think you're right. If only I had a time-machine to go back and get this one...https://forums.thepaceline.net/showt...light=steelman... I actually bid on it on eBay before Eric got it - iirc. Eric, any idea if the gent who bought that guy is using it?

Going to talk to Mistermo about that Chicane...

Right on! Here was my Steelman:
https://forums.thepaceline.net/showp...6&postcount=74

[mtechnica]

Originally Posted by Clean39T

An 80's Merckx or Colnago would be fun, but neither will have modern tubing, threadless steerers, appropriate spacing, geometry I want, or little niceties like headtube mounted housing stops.

I've heard enough, enjoy your custom road bike, lol! Hope it rides 1/2 as good as my 1982 colnago.

[Clean39T]

Originally Posted by mtechnica

I've heard enough, enjoy your custom road bike, lol! Hope it rides 1/2 as good as my 1982 colnago.

I do have plans to build one a bit more retro roadie one of these days. That's the fun of all this. There's no end to the joy of riding bikes of all stripes

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[charliedid]

This is the weirdest thread.

[Clean39T]

Originally Posted by charliedid

This is the weirdest thread.

It's entertaining, and slightly odd. Kind of my MO.

[mtechnica]

I'm not trying to be mean I'm just saying if you want the best riding possible racing bike made from steel it would be a Colnago or Merckx made with better materials. Just IMHO. Saying that's not the geometry you want is basically saying you want worse geometry than the best rider in human history rode, for some reason, unbeknownst to me.

And how I understood the thread, was that you wanted to ride other bikes to inform the custom builder on what you wanted. Well, might as well ride the best of what is available then request better materials, which would be better frame tubing and a carbon fork. You can disagree all you want, that's fine. But if you want the best possible racing bike.....

And don't get me started on long and low or I will post a picture of my 1982 colnago which is probably longer and lower than you would like!

Serottas are good but NO BETTER than a Merckx or Colnago! there is no "magic" in the geometry.

[mtechnica]

Originally Posted by AngryScientist

it may be a good trust exercise for you to NOT micromanage your next custom build and just give the builder, who has tons of experience, some basic parameters of how you want the bike to ride and let him do his magic. you may just be pleasantly surprised if you give up a few millimeters of control...

End of discussion?

[charliedid]

Originally Posted by Clean39T

It's entertaining, and slightly odd. Kind of my MO.

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[Mike V]

http://www.luckyduckoakland.com/bike...rame-fork-60cm