Don Walker Frames

[kdskaggs]

Hi!

Does anyone here have a Don Walker frame? I'm not having any luck finding a frame size that fits me and am looking at custom frame builders. I have an email out to Luna but haven't heard from her yet. Dwan from Co-Motion is out for a while due to illness. Any other suggestions?

Thank you!

Kenda

[SadieKate]

There are a ton of great builders out there so it's more a matter of what floats your boat based on material, construction, location, etc.

What are your criteria? Do you want to visit the builder in person? Do you have a good fitter that can work with the builder? What do you want aesthecially? Traditional lugged steel? TIG-welded steel with carbon? Ti bead-blasted, painted or brushed? Carbon? So many variables that you need to narrow it all down for recommendations.

I just received a custom Ti frame from Tom Kellogg at Spectrum. It's fabulous. Everything I wanted. One of the few ti builders who will brush the tubing rather than bead-blast it. He also does TIG and lugged steel. Tom has been around for decades and is considered one of the best. Up there with Sachs and Walker.

At the other end of the spectrum (no pun intended), I'd love a Kirk Terraplane for a lugged steel frame, but he'll also do TIG. Joe Bell does his paint.

When you see your bike in your head, what do you see?

[kdskaggs]

Wow, I had no idea I had to make so many decisions. A bike that fits me is what I see in my head. My Serotta is steel and I like the feel of it. I test rode a few carbon bikes but they didn't excite me, other than climbing was much easier than with my Serotta. The ride was squishy, for lack of a better word. I weigh 95 pounds so I may not notice as much benefit out of certain materials as someone who weighs much more than I do. How do I go about making the decisions you mentioned?

I need a frame builder who will also fit me. I am not an easy fit so I need a really good fit/builder. I fly free with Southwest so if Southwest travels near the builder, it would make it much easier.

Thank you for your help!!

Kenda

[SadieKate]

Me personally? I'd cruise the web sites of the builders that were at last year's Handmade Bike Show (held by Don Walker) and go to the one in Portland, OR in February. You could personally talk to the builders, drool over their bikes, and some will do fittings at the show (by appt).

http://www.handmadebicycleshow.com/2008/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=17&Itemid=67

[Zen]

http://www.ifbikes.com/

[indysteel]

You might also tool around www.roadbikereview.com. There are lots of threads--too many really--on custom building and builders, frame materials, what to expect from the process, finish, fitting, price, wait time, etc. From what I can tell, lots of builders have their own unofficial fanclub, but a number of names come up more consistently than others as being very good, both in terms of their final product and customer service, including the builder that did SadieKate's latest bike (I'd love to see pics by the way SK). I, personally, would love to go the route that SK took, i.e., going to the builder's shop for a fitting. That would be a HUGE selling point for me.

Incidentally, Don Walker just opened a shop about 8 miles from where I live.

Good look and have fun with it. I'm green with envy!

[Trek420]

You could personally talk to the builders, drool over their bikes

Well, that would be bad, better bring a towel for the drool. :p ;)

[Pax]

I just spent the last five minutes trying to figure out what a DoG Walker Frame is...I need more coffee. :p