Originally Posted by mstateglfr

First off- mstate in my name= mississippi state. Cool that you are down there and yeah- its one location in the US that is for sure a desert when it comes to steel builders. There are some in KY and TN as well as OK and TX, but none really close to you.

As for what separates builders- its a bunch of things and nothing all rolled into one.
- lead time is good, it means they are in demand. too much lead time is no good because you want your bike this decade.
- some weld only, some use lugs, some fillet braze. No style is really better than another, its just aesthetic preference for the end user. Focus on one style if you really have a passion, otherwise this isnt important.
- some are limited in what they can offer like no thru axles or only post mount disc brakes. If that matters to you, then its a way to whittle down the field.
- builder's experience plays a part. Ritchey or Sachs are legendary because they have done this for so long AND market themselves. Others are incredible but dont market themselves(Jeff Bock) and you never know of them.
- look for someone you identify with- whether its their background story, their unique finishing touches to droupouts, their paint schemes, or anything like that. Then see if they are easy to work with. Just like a general contractor, if they cant ever get back to you and dont ever really listen to you, its frustrating.


Waterford/Gunnar is another option- its a Schwinn relative and some like having that connection to US cycling history.