Like the Coconut Tree

Swaying lazily in the cool Hawaiian breeze.
Back and forth, back and forth.
So mesmerizing.
Will it ever stop?
If it's anything like me, probably not.
Stop swaying I mean.
Going back and forth.
Well I was going full speed ahead when something arrived at my door.
This thing, along with another thing, has got me waffling like a well, waffle.



Inspired by world famous JRA of One Speed: Go! fame, I picked up that frame building book. Along with that Italian bicycle book, I been a reading and a looking and a reading and a looking.
Hmmmmm.
Sort of a rubbing my jaw while puffing on a pipe kind of Hmmmm.
If you know what I mean.
Building your own frame opens up a whole world of possibilities.
Okay, not really a whole world, but sort of a whole world seeing as how you have a certain amount of freedom and artistic input.
Sort of.
I mean that's if your project comes off okay.
Well actually, I don't know if there's such a thing a building an "okay" frame seeing as how there's not that much room for error and setting the chain stays wrong an okay frame does not make.
The good ole college try here gets you a pile of steel and not much else.
The way the book describes the build though, sounds simple enough.
Cut, mitre, braze, braze.
Measure, cut, mitre, braze.
That's all there is to it.
Hell if some French dudes can put a frame together with glue, you too can build your own frame:



Non?
Well it's not exactly that easy but I'm sort of thinking of taking the plunge.
That's a rather large sort of.
It's also got me sort of thinking of going back to my original plan, you know, the plan that involves That Thing That I Won't Mention and some lugged goodness.
See?
I am like a coconut tree, swaying back and forth in the wind.
Thing is, why would I get a steel frame if I planned to make one myself?
Or better yet, what frame would I want to ride, one that I made myself or one that has something like De Rosa plastered all over it?
Considering my complete lack of Frame Building Skilz(FBS), I'm not sure how I'd feel about riding one I built from scratch.
FBS sounds like something that develops over time and many frames built, so in that case I think it's better I leave it to the pros.
I mean you wouldn't want your frame to disintegrate under you while hitting some Super Sonic speeds!
Still, I'm thinking of putting a frame building project in my frame acquistion budget, meaning I may have to rethink everything.
Again.
The thing is, if you, the reader, have been following along at home, you know if I start this frame project, I ain't stopping until it's over and the road to the finish line looks sort of long and winding.
Wait.
That's a Beatles song.
Maybe I can get a carbon frame and the build parts.
Or I can order me a steel frame and the build parts.
Or maybe I should just do it.
Maybe I should go sit under a coconut tree and think about it.
Or something.