Well, you know where my vote lies, but I have a definite conflict of interest so I'll recuse myself. Frankly I don't see the difference between buying a 70 year-old frame, buying a brand new frame from china with a built in gas tank or cup holder, or me cutting and bending some tubes for a new front triangle to have someone else join- in all three cases someone else welded it, except option three I have a lot more involvement than clicking BIN on ePay.
Not to be snotty (it's late, I'm tired
) but are the custom frames from True Torch ineligible because I didn't weld them? How about the new Bassett frames? Rex or Paul's CBR clones? All of the above verboten because they are new and (usually) arrive painted and/or plated? Personally I don't see what I was planning (designing/jigging up a frame and farming out 8 welds for safety) as any different than having a bike professionally powder coated or buying one of those stunning fiberglass girls-to-boys Spaceliner tanks, but like I say, my opinion is tainted
Either way, I'm back to plan A, even if I end up with a heavier brazed frame I have to do myself than one I feel safer abusing because someone competent welded it, but yeah, the whole point was always original chainstays since all the copies went with looptails for convenience, with new tubes from the seatmast forward for modern geo and a bit of weight savings.
