Ocasta

Some time ago - back in April, although it seems like a lot longer - I decided that my second bike wasn't getting enough use. I had bought it three years previously primarily as a commuter bike and I was no longer commuting. What I wanted was a bike I that could be used to commute, but that was more capable (with my limited skills) of being ridden off road.

My previous commuter bike had been single speed and I wanted the new bike to be the same. However I wanted to be able to run gears at some unspecified time in the future. Additionally, I have been following the 29er movement that has been developing in the mtb community for the last few years and thought I would like one of these. With my height and expected use it made a lot of sense.

These two requirements quickly narrowed down my choices of bikes. My first choice was the gorgeous titanium Airborne B-29. Unfortunately the SS version (the Dreadnought) is not available in the UK and there are question marks about the tyre clearance of the frame. In addition the waiting time seemed longer than I was prepared to wait (funny in retrospect). My second choice was the Fisher Rig. While the Rig is an absolute bargain there was some nagging doubt that made me feel that a Rig would not be a long term bike for me - I would want to replace it with something else too soon. Other choices were the rumoured On-one 29er, but that seemed unlikely to appear before 2006 - and the newly announced Niner One-9. While this is a great looking bike it had yet to be delivered and the company and bike quality were unknown.

Having eliminated these off the shelf options I looked around the custom builders. Surprisingly a custom built frame from a US builder seemed very reasonable and realistic (with a stronger pound back then) and the likes of Wily and DeSalvo produce beautiful looking frames. However initial emails received no answer. That left me to try the UK makers. I don't know why I didn't try them first. Probably a simple matter of there being more US frames posted to the net. I knew of three UK builders: Ferrous, Robin Mather and new kids on the block Solitude Cycles. Alex at Solitude is active on the various SS and 29er forums around the net and was quoting attractive prices. These combined to make Solitude an attractive choice (even with no frames yet delivered). My first, tentative email was quickly replied to and discussions about my wants followed swiftly.

Alex's replies to my ignorant questions were both honest and informative and I felt comfortable with trusting his advice. An important element when ordering a custom frame. There is no changing your mind once the build is started. After many emails I received a design for my approval.

One month after I started my search for a new bike, with my final queries answered, the design was agreed and the long wait began...