For the past few months I've been hunting around Craigslist and various bike forums in an attempt to locate the ideal touring bike for my budget. Being a student whose only working part time I don't have a substantial income and can't afford one of the spectacular touring bikes from Waterford, Bob Jackson, Rivendell, or any of the other top tier bike manufacturers.
So, I've looked at a number of different options for my touring bike:
- A new Surly Long Haul Trucker built up with stock components from a local bike shop
- Buying a used Trek 520, Miyata 1000, Cannondale Touring 1 or 2
- Converting my old bridgestone frame to a touring bike and hauling a trailer behind me
- Finding a local frame builder to build me a custom frame for an affordable amount
I had test ridden a Surly Long Haul Trucker and enjoyed the bike. It was a smooth, soft, ride and reasonably priced in the touring bike world. After thorough thinking I had come to the conclusion that was going to be the bike I bought once I saved up a little more. Until then, however, I had kept perusing Craigslist. One fateful morning I noticed a posting on Craigslist by a local frame builder, Tim Sanner, who was advertising lugged steel touring bikes.
After browsing his web site I found his story about how he got into frame building. After he graduated from the University of Florida he went on a cross country biking tour. During his tour he decided that he was going to open a steel frame building business when he got to San Francisco. Rockin!
Call me crazy, but my impression is that anyone whose actually gone touring likely has a good idea of what makes a great touring bike. So, I contacted him about having a custom steel touring frame built for me.
We worked out the specifics and carefully went over all the dimensions. I had a million questions and he was more than helpful in answering all of them. We talked about the pros and cons to every single tube dimension and each option I'd want on the frame. I'm really confident about the dimensions we ended up with and I can't wait to receive the frame. We decided on a standard sized tubing lugged steel touring bike with a 1" threaded fork. A nice vintage look - and something I know I'll enjoy for years.
The bike is currently being built, and Tim anticipates it being done by the end of March. When the bike is finished I will (of course!) take tons of photographs. Stay tuned!
