onrbikes wrote:I hope this doesn't offend, but what was the ballpark price tag? We too are looking at this bike but think $5500 is dear and would like to change some of the components. Your choice is pretty much what I've been looking at.
The frame alone is $2400. Did you get the frame here in Oz? At over 195cm (85kg) am looking at their largest frame
What did the bike weigh in at when complete?
Fred, I had been looking at this bike for more than two years, but the price on the VN site was too steep for me - configured the way I wanted it, the landed price in Oz would have been around $6500 after shipping and GST.
I'd given up on the idea, and had actually built titanium Sabbath Silk Route tourer, but one day I discovered Planet-X Bikes had the frame on sale, and I bought a frame, fork and EBB for $1485 USD, with the exchange rate in my favour. Somehow it slipped through customs inspection and I wasn't charged any import fees. I bought a Rohloff hub from Bike 24 and a Son 28 dynamo hub and rims from SJS Cycles. It took me a year to accumulate the rest of the components from
Wiggle,
Chain Reaction Cycles, Dotbike and Velo-Orange, placing orders whenever they had a good discount going. I don't know the exact cost, but I estimate it was around $4500 all up.
Planet-X bikes don't sell them anymore, but they are still available from
Fatbirds, the site which supplied my Sabbath frame. However, I would advise you to clarify that the proper Van Nicholas VNT TRX Alloy Expedition / Touring Fork is supplied.
Weight is just under 16 kgs ready to tour, before adding toolbag, bidons and luggage.