i wont be doing any serious offroading anymore, but i am damned if i stop riding offroad all together.

so i am going to spoil myself, and go the full custom route and get a bike built for a big old lump.

it needs to be strong, light, look nice, carry a rear rack, take a 2.5 tyre, run a full 3x or 2x set of gears.

never seriously thought about a custom bike, but maybe with my size/build i should have years ago, and maybe i would have saved a lot of money………nah, trying bikes out is ace….. ;o)

any input or reccommendations of a good custom builder would be greatly appreciated.

Always admired the work of Brian Rourke and I’ve always wanted a Shand.

Why not go the whole hog and book onto a frame building course?

I've no idea where you're based, but I have to throw a shoutout to Groves Cycles (**innocent whistling**).

Website: http://www.grovescycles.co.uk

Instagram here, can see more of what he does: https://www.instagram.com/grovescycles/

Disclaimer: nothing to do with me, but spot the family tie

I keep coming back to Brian Rourke cycles as I keep dreaming about a custom frame. Mercian also....

Does the Shand Tam have the tyre space ? Always fancied going full custom at some point, so many good builders in the UK now. Just got to find the one that does what you want and knows how to achieve it

John at Chickens Frame Emporium makes some lovely stuff down here on the south coast. Actually there's quite a few down here

Enigma - Ti and Steel in East Sussex
Demon Frameworks - Tom, based in Southampton
Reilly Cycle Works - Brighton (A friend of mine was in the TCR last year on one of these, beautiful machine)
and Geoff Roberts is in East Sussex too


Ricky Feather up north (Yorkshire) makes some beautiful bikes too

As above Tony, Ricky ( Feather) has juts moved from Huby, but is now in Pocklington, so just down the A64 for you..
But have a look at Bob Jackson if you wanna stay local.

Or Woodrup?

Donhou make soem absolute beauts, too..

Isn't Brant still dealing with PACT, or is he still on world moleskin domination these days?

T shirts now. Trousers and belts weren't enough

I was having lengthy email conversations with the the guy at Coastroad custom cycles (coastroadcycles.com),
Have a look at what he's built and what he can offer, made out of nice Columbus tubing too, seems a proper
Nice fella, he's based in Northern Ireland ( good excuse for a visit), I was looking at getting something along the lines
Of a Fargo built but alas, my funds fell through ( house jobs ) so I picked up a Vagabond instead, I'd definitely
Be back in touch with him when the funds allow

all ways like the look of this bike http://www.englishcycles.com/custombike ... vide-ride/

I've had a soft spot for something like this for a long time, Google RandoGnar for more pics. I think he built the frame himself.



Same bike with Jones bars

thanks for all the idea's.

liking the shand tam. not sure about hub gearing tho.
also gonna make enquiries about something from 18bikes

cheers

ton wrote: liking the shand tam. not sure about hub gearing tho.

Surely that's the custom bit?

Not looked at their site in a while, I see they have dropped the shand painted catalogue carbon thing now

Can't recommend Rohloff enough. My Santos did 20k before I bought it, done at least 5+ myself. Changed the oil and that's it. Spuknick rims in immaculate condition after 25k at least. Never needed straightening even by previous owner and showing no wear on the rims at all. Really good off road rim. I am not a fan of maintance of any sort!
I only ever bought second hand but I have an inheritance coming so I am seriously thinking of having a bike built by either
http://www.daveyatescycles.co.uk/Frames/
https://www.svencycles.com/products/?departmentID=39
May consider Shand
Presently using my Thorn tour Rohloff of road but it won't take anything other than touring tyres.. Due to severe arthritis am unable to give the dog a decent 2-3 hour walk while walking myself, so am doing so on the Thorn. The Santos rear jams solid in clay mud even though it will take big apple tyres......silly me Dutch lock!
I am managing reasonable well on the Thorn with all 4 panniers full of firewood "foraged" mainly off road. Will go out in a minute and set up the Santos for off road (off with dutch lock) Going with Nobby Nic tyres and for winter ice spiker. The Surly rack which takes high and low panniers. Rear panniers Carradice super c shoppers. Carradice super c rear panniers on the front. Both tyres will fit without taking off the mud guards. So you shouldn't struggle getting one built with adequate clearance. Front racks can be a problem with suspension. I don't think much of suspension anyway. Rather have weight on the wheels at all times, although I am thinking of a fat bike. In essence aren't fat tyres suspension by another means? Anyone?
I would definitly get one built by one of these small frame builders as they do something different although I will probably go for a semi custom.
As foraging bikes go this is going to far https://www.svencycles.com/customer-sto ... ager-bike/ !

I forgot Gates Carbon drive. Sod maintenance!

I know it's not steel, but this chap is doing some pretty cool things with MTBs, albeit in sooty plastic.. Steve Olsen





there's a build your own bit right here

and from memory he used to do a CX frame, but it doesn't seem to be there any more. I remember having a long chat with him about the feasibility of a pinion gearbox for one..


anyway, thought I'd throw a curve ball in there



**edit**

....aaaaand, the 2018 Kona Sutra LTD gets a pretty good write up here (and this one is steel)

danielgroves wrote:I've no idea where you're based, but I have to throw a shoutout to Groves Cycles (**innocent whistling**).

Website: http://www.grovescycles.co.uk

Instagram here, can see more of what he does: https://www.instagram.com/grovescycles/

Disclaimer: nothing to do with me, but spot the family tie

Just took a look. Some seriously fine looking bikes from Groves (who studied engineering with metalwork btw)...

Absolutely gorgeous bikes (or did i say that already)

right then, thanks for all the input. spoke to 3 frame builders, and emailed a couple more. 2 of the 3 I spoke to were very helpful indeed. both said they would build something for me if I wanted, but both also told me that the type of build I needed, with my size and weight and luggage weight, that something like a surly ecr would be just as good.
I thought this was very kind and honest of them both. they obviously could have just told me I needed blah blah blah and then sold me it. neither did.

I had a serious look at the shand tam. but I don't want a hub gear, and it is a bit more than I wanted to spend on a frame to be honest.

so I have decided to buy a surly ecr or possibly a genesis longitude, and build it how I want.

anyone selling a good condition model of either?

have you not had the ECR before?

no, not had a ecr. had a ogre and a karate monkey....or 2........

Sounds like you're looking at getting something fairly standard-ish then - though at the start of the post you were wanting....I dunno......something a bit more than standard.

So why not build it yourself? You'll get a huge amount from the experience, you'll enjoy riding it so much more than an off-the-peg, and what you'd spend on a custom you could spend on the course - or less probably.

These guys are in a great location, plus once you've built it you can ride it over to the Long Mynd for a pootle and a bivvy.
https://www.bicycles-by-design.co.uk/fr ... g-courses/

I’ve two ECR’s, one with 2 x 10 and one with a Rholoff, they are great bikes but neither are light or supple.

Think a heavier Ogre

and it has rear facing drop outs

Still think that a custom build is what you want, and hand made by yourself would be fabulous

If you’re looking for a do anything bike take a look at the salsa Fargo, I’ve two sets of wheels 2.4 handles anything wales can dish out and the 2.1 nano’s are fast on dry trails/tarmac. Will take a rack and traditional panniers for a spot of road touring. Mine replaced a surly ecr and I find it faster everywhere. You can also run pretty much every drive train invented due to the alternator dropouts

Couldn’t be happier with mine, although the Ti Fargo might be nice

Pirahna wrote:I've had a soft spot for something like this for a long time, Google RandoGnar for more pics. I think he built the frame himself.



Same bike with Jones bars

Sounds like you may be decided but Matt at 18 just built this (with a pinion that you probably don’t want but...)

https://instagram.com/p/BjpJJd8h_XC/

no, i am still undecided.

that looks like the kind of thing i want Ian. very nice.