I need a custom road bike...

[madryan]

Just finally found another set of 9spd. shifters to replace my worn out ones. Some nice but slightly rashed up Ultegra STI's. The only 9spd. shifters Shimano makes anymore are super low budget and still cost a fortune. While I was having the flat bars I've had on there taken off I got re-fit and all that good stuff. I'm such a weird size/proportion (long legs, short torso) plus I have a nagging neck injury that makes fit super weird. I'm thinking that I really just need a custom road frame at some point.

But at least I'm back on the road with proper gear.

Who else rides road bikes?

[Tortuga]

2002 Serotta Legend Ti. 100% custom-fitted frame built from ground-up with Campy Record 10s. Closest thing I was ever gonna get to a Ferrari in my lifetime. Way more bike than I'm certainly needing right now - had kids shortly after, and started putting on the pounds. Still love it, and it's a good reminder for me to get off my ass and get back to riding again.

[madryan]

My neck problems are from a rogue wave during an aquatic warfare school that picked me up and dropped me about 20ft. or so onto the ocean floor lol.

When I do a custom it'll be either a local builder in Titanium like DeSalvo, or it'll be a Moots or a Seven most likely. I like Landsharks and have owned the one which was a cool bike but if I do custom it's gonna be Ti and he doesn't go there.

[madryan]

My neck problems are from a rogue wave during an aquatic warfare school that picked me up and dropped me about 20ft. or so onto the ocean floor lol.

Ok I dont think raising the handle bars up will do anything in that case

I bet you have adjusted it to comfort as best you can.

Either way check out the Gunnar Website and see what you like, they charge extra for a custom order but you may find something you want in stock.

Either way if you Custom at Gunnar its just like purchasing from Waterford but with a nicer lower price tag

Honestly, a real waterford is on my short list. Love lugged steel.

[TurboPablo]

1999 Lemond Zurich. I want a Ti bike next. Probably a early 2000s' Litespeed. But whenever I think I wanta new bike, I remember how fast my old steel bike is.

[madryan]

You're welcome.

The Gunnar stuff is really affordable. I had no idea I could get custom geometry for that cheap. I may just go see a guy I know of in Portland for a serious fit and have him draw up the frame. (He's an MD who does nothing but sports medicine and focuses on cycling) Get new shoes while I'm at it as I need some SIDI's that are either a narrow fit or a half size smaller. Can't tell which. Either way I'm using Mountain pedals and shoes on my road bike.

[madryan]

I'm quite familiar with them. Known about them forever. Just didn't realize they were so economical for a custom geometry one-off road frame. I almost bought a Rock Hound 10 years ago but couldn't justify adding another hardtail to the collection. When I lived in Corvallis one of the local dealers carried their stuff.

[TurboPablo]

If your going TI you cant get any better than Hampsten Cycles.

The man won a Giro d'Italia and now he makes bikes.

This is the Gran Paradiso + ................



You can order it in TI.




http://www.hampsten.com/bikes/gran-paradiso

While that is beautiful, I can tell by welds, fit and finish that it is out of my price range by at least three continents and a peninsula.

The other thing is that at my age, 41, I need a bit more relaxed geometry. Not as couchy as Ryans' bike. But perhaps a newer style compact frame. I am so afraid of Carbon though. I ding everything I own. Can't really do that with Carbon Fiber.

Ryan, how tall are you?

Here is a pic of what is pretty much my best friend in the world.

[Telephant]

I don't know anything about bikes but that Hampsten looks incredibly boss!

[madryan]

I'm a smidge over 6' tall. My problem is I have long legs, short torso, so traditional road frames fit just a bit "off" if you catch my meaning. I probably should be riding at least another size bigger though.

[TurboPablo]

I'm a smidge over 6' tall. My problem is I have long legs, short torso, so traditional road frames fit just a bit "off" if you catch my meaning. I probably should be riding at least another size bigger though.

Yeah.

I'd try some of the newer compact designs if I were you. The geometry is a lot more relaxed without compromising the handling at all. A friend bought a high end Specialized Roubaix a couple of years ago. All Ultegra. Even though it was a size small for me, it was just point and shoot. Bike rides like a missle. Comfortably.

[nightflameauto]

Have you tried taking your bike to a shop that does fittings? I know when I bought my last bike the shop was incredibly good at fitting without getting super technical about it. They took some measurements, asked how I like my ride (handlebars up/down/level more or less bend at the knee/etc.), set up a bike for me to demo, watched me ride for about three minutes, made a couple small adjustments, and the only thing I had to change from that point on was the cleat placement due to the fact I have extreme toe-out issues with my feet. I would imagine if you weren't buying the bike there most good shops would do a setup for you for a fee. The shop I go to will do full-blown pro fittings, set you on the trainer and work with you for something like an hour and a half or more for a couple hundred bucks.

At the very least you could find out if you need a different sized frame or just need to play around with stems and bars. I tend towards using a frame that's bigger than my height would suggest because of my leg length, and compensate on top with a slightly shorter stem.

My built up beasty after getting her final touches:

[TurboPablo]

I'm judging his position by the amount of headtube and stem rise.

With such a short top tube, it's kind of a hoopty ride. At 6', built like you say, go to a bike shop and at least throw a leg over some XL Compact Bikes. Think of it this way, all that seat post you have sticking out, will be swept back quite a bit. The effective top-tube length(depending on manufacturer) will feel shorter. But more up-right. Leaving you more room to mess with stem length and rise. Basically, the modern road bike design is based pretty much on the late Eighties-early nineties hardtail singletrack MTB.

[madryan]

I can tell just by looking at that Bianchi that it's a bit more appropriate for me based on the headtube length.

Yeah, my good friend Jeff has been doing fittings for a long time. The whole back of the bike was dialed. Seat position and whatnot. Last night he tossed the bike up on a trainer and put a specialized fit stem on it and I got on a and pedaled and we tried a bunch of options. This is what worked for me.

As I said, my body is just a bit "off" from normal which results in me needing lots of rise at the stem, but if I get a traditional frame that fits my inseam it's way too long. Buying pants is a real bitch too lol.

The new compact stuff is much better but I'm not sure I want to go Carbon. I like steel and titanium a lot. Basically, I need a frame that's got an effective top tube that's about 57-58cm but with a really long top tube.

[ovid9]

1993 Waterford. I really need to spring for new components.

[nightflameauto]

Everything you're saying makes me think we have really similar body types except for the neck problem. I can never find pants that fit that don't go high-water on me.

I really wanted a steel frame when I got the Bianchi, loved the looks of the Bianchi frames, and the dude doing my initial setup said I lucked out in that essentially this frame is almost a perfect match for my body type. Or at least as perfect as off the shelf will ever be for me with my odd-ball long legs and shorter upper body. The only thing that makes up for it a little for me is I have really long arms too, but I like keeping my elbows fairly bent when I'm cycling, meaning I need the bars higher and further back than you'd think for my arm length.

It's no wonder my old shop basically told me to get bent when I started talking fit with them. The new shop is remarkably tolerant of all my odd-ball requests.

[madryan]

Everything you're saying makes me think we have really similar body types except for the neck problem. I can never find pants that fit that don't go high-water on me.

I really wanted a steel frame when I got the Bianchi, loved the looks of the Bianchi frames, and the dude doing my initial setup said I lucked out in that essentially this frame is almost a perfect match for my body type. Or at least as perfect as off the shelf will ever be for me with my odd-ball long legs and shorter upper body. The only thing that makes up for it a little for me is I have really long arms too, but I like keeping my elbows fairly bent when I'm cycling, meaning I need the bars higher and further back than you'd think for my arm length.

It's no wonder my old shop basically told me to get bent when I started talking fit with them. The new shop is remarkably tolerant of all my odd-ball requests.

That nice long head tube looks like it'd be hugely helpful.

I may just sell some gear and whatnot and give this guy a call. I literally drive past his place every day and his work is the best I've seen in titanium

http://www.desalvocycles.com/ti_road.php

[nightflameauto]

Those Titanium frames look really nice.

[TurboPablo]

Titanium is the shit.

It feels like you're riding a coiled spring.

[madryan]

Those Titanium frames look really nice.

Actually, for $1700 I can have a fully custom steel frame built by him which would make lots more sense. It'll ride the same and it's not wet here so the corrosion resistance isn't an issue. All his powder coating is done by Spectrum out of Colorado which is the best in the biz and looks great.

[madryan]

Titanium is the shit.

It feels like you're riding a coiled spring.

Yeah, my full rigid single speed mountain bike is Ti