|   paging gonzostrike...Curtlo custom | jeffy
Nov 30, 2002 9:18 AM | | Gonzo, i have a garage full of extra parts just waiting for a frame to be hung on. I currently have a ventana el salty built up for general trail riding fun. I love that bike. Also have a Gary Fisher Paragon which was my first MTB. I converted that over to a great SS when I got the salty. So now I'm thinking...What's next??? Perhaps a custom steel hardtail!!! i did a search on this site an see your praise of Curtlo. I see your recent post that you are having doug curtiss build you a xc/fr hardtail. that's what i am looking for. seems most of the custom steel builders do xc race stuff. that's not me. i am not a racer or a freerider. i am right in the middle (trailrider?) I want a disc specific, slightly slack ht angle, slightly higher bb for clearance, gusset at ht/dt intersection, able to handle 4 or 5 inch fork.
can you share with me the specifics of the frame doug is building for you please. What was the decision making process like. what did you describe to doug about your wants and what were his recommendations, what tubes is he using, frame angles, any trade offs etc... Thanks.
also, is your frame the 24 hour model on the curtlo site? |
| more info, some open Qs | gonzostrike
Nov 30, 2002 11:57 AM | | great things, Curtlo frames. oohhh, such a sweet ride. simple design, no tricky features like lugs or pennies in the seatstays. just Doug, his brazing torch, and True Temper OX Platinum tubing.
I've told Doug that my preference is for a frame that handles 4"-5" forks, disc brakes, and whatever design features that he feels are necessary to make the bike hold up under a true 5-6 foot drop. How he works that info into a design is still in process - I haven't put down my deposit yet, but Doug and I have talked about the frame and my plan to have him build it once he gets into his new shop (he's moving now, and he expects the new shop to be ready end of 1st week in December).
That's pretty much how Doug worked with me on my Solo Mountaineer frame. I told him what I was looking for, and let him do his magic. He did a fantastic job - the bike is a perfectly centered bullseye on the target of what I wanted.
The new heavy duty trail/FR frame is going to be based on the Advanced Mountaineer, with tweaks as Doug feels they are necessary. The curved "banana" seat stays are really nice, but I'm leaving it up to Doug to choose the design. I hope he can make the banana stays work on the new frame.
One of my friends has a 24-hour Mountaineer (soft-tail) in process now, probably being powdercoated at Strong Frames as I'm typing this. My friend was freaking out that Doug chose the geometries without calling him, but my friend already had told Doug what he wanted, and was just curious about geometry, etc. If you are very particular about geometry, tubing, etc., you should tell Doug that you want final approval on that stuff.
Doug knows his stuff, and I completely trust his design judgments. They far surpass any knowledge I might have. The only thing I'm sure about is how I want the bike to respond. I leave it to Doug to design the geometry, tubing, gussets, etc. that will make the frame do what I want. That's what Doug does best! |
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