I've decided to get a fancy new bike, my first. I've ridden a few different bikes in the past several years, which has given me some ideas about the pros & cons of different geometries/materials/bike setups. Now, after much deliberation, I have a sense of what I want.
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- Steel or titanium, mid-reach rim brake, at least 28mm+fenders, 32mm+fenders ideal (I'd consider disc but prefer rim)
- All-rounder--something that's good on fast short rides and slower long rides alike (or at least can be outfitted for the latter)
- Not BQ style, low-trail, 650b--I tried one of those for a week, thought I'd love it, I didn't
- High trail, 700c, stiffer frame than my current Reynolds 531 Austro Daimler, but with great ride quality
- Classic-ish style, but modern parts
- Unique/fancy/custom builder (rationally I can't justify this, but life is short)
- Not too too expensive
In the short term, I'd be using this bike mainly for shorter rides--harder-effort 30 or 40 mile rides, and the occasional 100k or century. We have some big life changes going on--a brand new addition to the family--so I won't be doing long brevets for a while. But I have an eye on PBP 2023 and envision this as something for that, too, if I'm able to do it.
Any recommendations? So far I've found the Hampsten Strada Bianca and the Indy Fab Club Racer. The Seven Red Sky caught my eye, too, but it's really pricy. (Granted I've never ridden titanium, maybe it's worth it?) Hard to find detailed reviews on any of them, however.