I need a new bike...
 

It is time to retire my eighteen year old Guerciotti. The frame, the front and rear derailleur, forks, head set and crank are all original parts. I have gone through about 4 sets of wheels, at least 5 saddles and gone from shifters on the down tube to shifters on my bars. I have less trouble with this bike then all the guys in our group with new bikes but the extra weight is killing me and i can only run a 8 speed cassette. I'm sure I have over 40,000 miles on it and we have seen a lot of county together. My oldest jokes that I love this bike more this him and his brother, which isn't true by the way, but it is time to put it away and get something in that 15lb range. This fall it will be making it's farewell tour and I hope to have ti bike made this winter to be ready for spring.

Are you getting a custom Ti? If so through which builder?

Guessing it is not motobecane.

Look at the Linskey. It's not as expensive as many ti bikes and provides a lot of options.

http://www.kishbike.com/index.htm

The local owner of the bike shop here went and trained under Jim Kish and makes a nice ti bike. He will give me a good deal and does a great job with it.

Wow, they look pretty hard-core about their bikes. Their mountain bike gallery only shows titanium frames in a cruiser, a single-speed 29'er, and a single-speed hardtail. The only frame I see in there with a derailleur hanger is the Reynolds steel hardtail. But it sounds like they'll build anything to your specs.

why ti? why not go with bamboo?

http://www.calfeedesign.com/bamboo.htm

I like the hemp fiber seat cluster. If your bike breaks you can just pull over and smoke it and forget about your troubles.

Plus they will patch it up, it has a 10 year warrantee.

However if you break it several times, and each time the seat cluster has disappeared, they might get suspicious.