placed my deposit and am in line for one of Mr. Strong's "dirt road" bike frames

c

and now the color choice dilemma begins........

placed my deposit and am in line for one of Mr. Strong's "dirt road" bike frames

c

and now the color choice dilemma begins........
Carl Stong Rocks. :thumbsup:

I spoke with Carl this morning. The geometry is set in stone. I'm number 4 in the que, I've chosen my color, and I'm stoked! I'll be riding my first custom bike in 6 weeks!
c

Your on the home stretch. I received my steel Strong road bike in Feb, it's been great . I need to get me one of those "dirt bikes".:arf:

We need details. What color, group, wheelset will you be putting on?

This is a bike that I've dreamed of for a couple of years. It will have a couple of items that traditionalist will not like, but that's ok-it's MY custom bike.

60cm tt
72.5 st
73 ht
steel
135 rear spacing
clearance for 32mm cross tires
Fender and rack mount inserts
CK mountain disc hubs with DT rims
Avid BB7 road discs
Thomson stem and seatpost
Ultegra-9 rd
FSA compact fd
Ultegra brifters
PZ carbon cranks (175's)
Ritchey Bio Max bar (44 c-c)
Conti GP4000 4 seasons (700x25)

Basically I wanted a bike that I can ride from my garage out into the country, pick up any dirt road I happen upon and continue my ride without hesitation.

My parents and my wife's parents live in the mountains of North Carolina and Virginia, so I wanted a bike that will handle the climbs well and be stable on the fast descents. This bike will see many miles on the Blue Ridge Parkway during the summers. It is also possible that this bike will have racks and fenders and 34mm cross tires for longer "tow path" type rides. I am 6'3" and weigh between 205 and 215, and I'm 46 years old.

After many many nights looking at color swatches and thinking about custom paint schemes, I've decided to go with Tucker Orange. The decals will be black outline lettering. The hubs are pewter, spokes and rims are black. Black stem, seatpost, bar tape, tires. It will be a very simple and reliable bike for all the of the riding I want to do.

I'll post photo's in a couple of months when she's built.

c

....I've decided to go with Tucker Orange.

Orange rocks :thumbsup:

I placed an order for a custom Pegoretti Marcelo a couple of weeks ago and the only thing I told the LBS was that it had to be orange and that I like Miro. I don't know what I'm going to get but it'll be orange and a Pegoretti!

I'm looking forward to pics of your custom Strong!

Basically I wanted a bike that I can ride from my garage out into the country, pick up any dirt road I happen upon and continue my ride without hesitation.

I'm getting jealous. I've been thinking of a bicycle for similar duties. Have some pics with big tires and fenders on it.:yesnod:

Dang it! Strong has been popping up on these boards a LOT lately. I went through his entire site yesterday and now I'm drooling over a nice custom steel something or other from Carl. It doesn't help that his prices are at the low end of the range. I wonder if my wife would notice another bike in the garage?

Must...resist...picking...up...the...phone.
Must...resist...picking...up...the...phone.
Must...resist...picking...up...the...phone.
Must...resist...picking...up...the...phone.
Must...resist...picking...up...the...phone.

BTW, your build sounds great. Esp. the orange. That's the color that's been stuck in my head lately too.

Call...Carl. :devil:
Call...Carl. :devil:
Call...Carl. :devil:
Call...Carl. :devil:
Call...Carl. :devil:

The wives of my friends think I'm a bad influence! :D

I now own 2 Strong frames... A custom OX platinum 29'r he built for me 4 years ago, and a steel Extralite road frame that arrived yesterday!

Nobody is easier to work with than Carl.

+1 Tucker Orange... I've seen it in person and it's the orange I'd choose.

so steelfan, you went with Carl like we talked about, Where are the pics? and isn't that the coolest down tube you can find?

Yes steel, you must show and tell.

Go ahead, call him. It's an easy process-all it takes is cash and patience!
c

I've just got one photo right now - Carl snapped for me it before shipping, so the bike still needs a few tweaks (note the sticker on the seatpost, now gone) such as saddle height & fore-aft, of course bottle cages.

Also, I had Carl ship with a couple extra spacers due to a recent back injury involving my L5-S1 disk. I don't have pedals yet (sold my Speedplays some time back) but may put SPD's off my mtb on for a quick spin.

Trust me when I say the bike looks better outdoors in the AZ sun. :thumbsup:

Cat4rider - I believe you went with S3 and my frame is Columbus Spirit - TT & DT are a surper-cool octagon shape - and seat stays go from round to triangular and back to round - they look HOT!

Carl says he's using Spirit on his Extralites starting about a month ago unless a customer insists on S3.

I'll try and get some decent photos on my end.

Go ahead, call him. It's an easy process-all it takes is cash and patience!
c

I've got the patience, barely, but don't have the cash. The new house is taking every bit of my extra cash right now :crying:

steel = A+++ white bikes are hot. very hot.

I really like the white bike. I almost went with it too. Thats a wet paint clear coat isn't it?
c

Powder white & Powder clear. Powdercoated logo black w/silver outline.

Huge thumbs up on the White...It looks like you've done the right thing and put Campy on it. What was frame weight?

3.1 lbs

I've just got one photo right now - Carl snapped for me it before shipping, so the bike still needs a few tweaks (note the sticker on the seatpost, now gone) such as saddle height & fore-aft, of course bottle cages.

Also, I had Carl ship with a couple extra spacers due to a recent back injury involving my L5-S1 disk. I don't have pedals yet (sold my Speedplays some time back) but may put SPD's off my mtb on for a quick spin.

Trust me when I say the bike looks better outdoors in the AZ sun. :thumbsup:

Cat4rider - I believe you went with S3 and my frame is Columbus Spirit - TT & DT are a surper-cool octagon shape - and seat stays go from round to triangular and back to round - they look HOT!

Carl says he's using Spirit on his Extralites starting about a month ago unless a customer insists on S3.

I'll try and get some decent photos on my end.
Carl Strong friggin Rocks. nuff said. :thumbsup:

Ahhhhhh.... That's mighty sweet Steelfan. You and Carl get two :thumbsup: :thumbsup: .
Carl say why he's switching to Spirit?

Ahhhhhh.... That's mighty sweet Steelfan. You and Carl get two :thumbsup: :thumbsup: .
Carl say why he's switching to Spirit?

You best ask him, but here's what I remember:

Columbus has more sophisticated tube-drawing capabilities for bicycle-specific applications, better QC, and he's always been a 'Columbus Guy' and likes their tubes.

He said Spirit might be a bit lighter.

When asked if it was a cost-driven move, he told me the Spirit tubeset actually costs him more than S3.

Another reason he got into the groove of using S3 was (non) availability of Spirit for a long time. It was nearly impossible to depend on Spirit availability, whereas S3 was easy to get so he got into a groove ordering & using S3 on Extralites. After talking with some of his Columbus homies at NAHBS, and learning of improved availability, he's back in the saddle.

I was gonna do S3, I dig the chainstays, but really Carl talked me (and his other Extralight customers) into Spirit. I trusted his judgement, and the end result is a sweet lightweight steel frame. :D

This is a bike that I've dreamed of for a couple of years. It will have a couple of items that traditionalist will not like, but that's ok-it's MY custom bike.

60cm tt
72.5 st
73 ht
steel
135 rear spacing
clearance for 32mm cross tires
Fender and rack mount inserts
CK mountain disc hubs with DT rims
Avid BB7 road discs
Thomson stem and seatpost
Ultegra-9 rd
FSA compact fd
Ultegra brifters
PZ carbon cranks (175's)
Ritchey Bio Max bar (44 c-c)
Conti GP4000 4 seasons (700x25)

Basically I wanted a bike that I can ride from my garage out into the country, pick up any dirt road I happen upon and continue my ride without hesitation.

My parents and my wife's parents live in the mountains of North Carolina and Virginia, so I wanted a bike that will handle the climbs well and be stable on the fast descents. This bike will see many miles on the Blue Ridge Parkway during the summers. It is also possible that this bike will have racks and fenders and 34mm cross tires for longer "tow path" type rides. I am 6'3" and weigh between 205 and 215, and I'm 46 years old.

After many many nights looking at color swatches and thinking about custom paint schemes, I've decided to go with Tucker Orange. The decals will be black outline lettering. The hubs are pewter, spokes and rims are black. Black stem, seatpost, bar tape, tires. It will be a very simple and reliable bike for all the of the riding I want to do.

I'll post photo's in a couple of months when she's built.

c


So you want something similar to this:

http://i19.photobucket.com/albums/b174/Wookiebiker/Curtlo/100_3494.jpg

Except you want it made by Carl Strong :D

I had it built up to take 28C tires (in case I wanted to go that big) and could probably run small cross tires on the bike. It does have 135mm rear dropout spacing, XT hubs (if I could only afford CK hubs), Mavic Open Pro rims and Avid BB7 discs. It doesn't have rack mounts, but then I don't really tour on my bikes.

It's got a 58.1cm top tube, 49.7cm seat tube, 14.5 cm head tube, 74.5 degree STA and 73.5 degree STA.

I love the disc brakes and for any clyde who goes custom I would recomend them. Of course some scoff at the idea of discs on a road bike, but I think they look cool and offer the best stopping power and modulation I've ever had on a road bike.

I can't wait to see pics of your bike when it's built.

My tt and dt will be Ox Platinum
Columbus Life chainstay and seat tube
Columbus CX straight blades for the fork
Not sure on the disc strut/bottler opener yet

I get one of those cool "coffee cup" stickers for my "special blend" of steel tubes.
I feel like a kid at Christmas!
c

Hey Carter - sounds like a cool bike with a purpose!

I have no doubt you'll love it - and I look forward to seeing it here!

Orange rocks :thumbsup:

I placed an order for a custom Pegoretti Marcelo a couple of weeks ago and the only thing I told the LBS was that it had to be orange and that I like Miro. I don't know what I'm going to get but it'll be orange and a Pegoretti!

I'm looking forward to pics of your custom Strong!

Wookiebiker,

I have seen photos of your bike before in my research. My LBS has known Carl for years, and I have such complete trust in him (Frank's Cyclery in Raleigh) that my decision was made as to the builder a couple of years ago.
I'm really looking forward to this bike-it has more thought in it than the rest of my bikes put together!

I'll post pics asap!

c

Beautiful ride! Love seeing another nice Strong.

What kind of bars are those? I like the profile.

Jim

Thanks Seamus,

Bars are FSA wing pro.

Congrats on the weight loss. That's awsome.

I wish someone had poked me in the arce years ago and told me the best way to go is a custom built bike. Sheese.
Word to all you younger and mostly newer (any age) riders; don't be so caught up on the latest bling wheels or bike. Just have a respected builder measure you and make your bike and a wheel builder build your wheels and you will be in heaven, actually enjoying comfortable riding.

It took me a while (my wife says it's because I'm a tight wad) but I finally had this Steelman bike built for me. Brent did a great job and was a pleasure to work with. I will NEVER own another off the shelf major manufacturer bicycle again...or wheel set.

Here's my bicicletta blanco: http://forums.roadbikereview.com/showthread.php?t=94446

Wookiebiker,

I have seen photos of your bike before in my research. My LBS has known Carl for years, and I have such complete trust in him (Frank's Cyclery in Raleigh) that my decision was made as to the builder a couple of years ago.
I'm really looking forward to this bike-it has more thought in it than the rest of my bikes put together!

I'll post pics asap!

c

Second thumbs up for Frank Jones. Great bike shop, he really cares.

Talked to Carl Friday about my new ride...can't wait!

Wookiebiker,

I've seen photos of your bike before, while during my research on using disc brakes-very nice Curtlo.

c

Got an email from Carl today. He says the welding is just about done and he'll send photo's Friday. The waiting is NOT getting any easier! (especially as I was driving on the Blue Ridge Parkway this past weekend)
c

I know the feeling. Currently waiting for my custom as well, and my lead time looks to be another 6 months!

The waiting is getting really tough now. Loretta sent me this photo today.
c

I have GOT to quit coming in to read the responses to this thread! The little devil screams "PICK UP THE PHONE" louder every time. It doesn't help that every single time I ride now, all I can think about is how nice a Strong would be instead of the trusty Trek.

Carter, I'm a 60tt as well. :cryin: I can't wait to see yours finished.

I have GOT to quit coming in to read the responses to this thread! The little devil screams "PICK UP THE PHONE" louder every time. It doesn't help that every single time I ride now, all I can think about is how nice a Strong would be instead of the trusty Trek.

Carter, I'm a 60tt as well. :cryin: I can't wait to see yours finished.

Just listen to the little voice - you'll be much happier if you do:D I gave in and ordered my Strong early this week and already can't wait:p

Just listen to the little voice - you'll be much happier if you do:D I gave in and ordered my Strong early this week and already can't wait:p

I'll PM you Mrs. Gel's cell number and you can try and convince her. I'm not having any luck at all. :( She thinks the money would be better spent on frivilous stuff like diapers for the new baby. Well WTF is the garden hose for?!

I'll PM you Mrs. Gel's cell number and you can try and convince her. I'm not having any luck at all. :( She thinks the money would be better spent on frivilous stuff like diapers for the new baby. Well WTF is the garden hose for?!

All I needed to do was show all the $$ I saved by commuting instead of driving and show that I wasn't even spending all of the savings. And since it will be a much nicer commuter (amongst other things), I'll ride it more; thereby saving more $$:D (I also offered to be the one pulling the kid in the trailer; which of course, the old bike wasn't safe to do it with:cool:

To save money on the diapers - get a cloth diaper service (if you have one near you), it'll save some $$, help the environment, help potty train the kid faster, have less irritation problems on the bum of the kid, and you don't have to always be going to the store to get more. Or to really save - buy your own cloth diapers and wash them yourself. We went cloth diapers and wipes and only spent ~$275 total for everything we needed for the first year, now that the kid is a bit older, we're buying some bigger diapers and wraps for another $125 - most couples I know using disposables spend that in a month.

See - In no time, you'll be ordering your Strong too:thumbsup:

The waiting is getting really tough now. Loretta sent me this photo today.
c
looks great - can't wait to see it powder coated and built up!

All done, Carl is moving the rear brake braze-ons to the 7:00 position in the morning and shipping to Spectrum in the afternoon.
c

All done, Carl is moving the rear brake braze-ons to the 7:00 position in the morning and shipping to Spectrum in the afternoon.
c

out of curiosity - why move the rear brake braze-ons?

Personal preference I guess. I want it to look as clean as possible while in the saddle. I probably looked at 500 photo's (not an exaggeration) of bikes before making this decision.
c

....packing to leave for the entire week of the 4th and get the call........

"hey Carter, I just opened the corner of a box from Spectrum-it's orange!"

So now I get to be in the beautiful mountains of NC single speeding the Tsali trails, paddling some of the finest white water on the east coast, hiking Joyce Kilmer forest, and thinking of my beautiful new frame sitting at Frank's (my LBS) waiting for me.

Frank will have her built and waiting when I get home next Saturday (I'll miss doing the build myself, but as much as I like doing the build myself, Frank is the best, and I'd still rather ride than build a bike anyway). I'll be meeting my buddy Matt somewhere between Apex and Sanford on old US1 next Sunday am. I'll see the sun rise on the first ride. I'll post a photo or 12 too!

happy 4th everybody!

c

(and no, no frame only preview photos)