So its here and built up as well.
My feelings is somewhat of an anticlimax, having been on the project mindset for the better parts of 16 months, but I now have a very large bike standing in the sitting room, with snow on the ground and ice where its not snow. May risk a small ride tomorrow anyhow.
Instead of doing the build up myself, I choose to let a local LBS do it based on the presumption that it may have been ready before the first snow, due to my lack of experience and all the small parts as well as a couple of bigger ones.
After much searching for the 64 cm frame in Europe through the season, I was a bit tired of not getting it so I finally decided to look for it in the states. After much oogling I finally decided on using the Bikehermits
http://store.biketouringnews.com/, first and foremost because of very reasonable transport fees to the tune of $50 and secondly because he is active on the LHT google group and other sites where I have come across him.
The initial order was for a green 64 cm frameset and it was promptly followed up by a mail from Jim as to that they where not in stock at Surly and a second one, which informed me that the green was 2012 and what was coming in was the 2013 in smoky pearl and would I like one of those ? The answer to that was a somewhat outdrawn yes from me as my more than 30 years old Peugot have a very similar colour and the felt change to that would be little (yes, not a very rational sentiment but I was rather keyed up on the green one).
In the waiting time for the frameset to get into the US and sent forward to the BTN store, I made a couple of additional orders as they could all get fitted in the same box as the frame and would hence not generate additional postage so in went a Nitto B135 (I think), Velo Orange seatpost and fenders, pedals, rattraps, A Brooks B67, Sugino crankset and a SKF bottom bracket which Jim installed.
All with mail discussions as to details and questions I about details I hadnt thought about. All in all, the crate that was finally delivered to US Mail had a value between $900-1000 and found its way over here in about 10 days from tracking number to customs house note. In the mean time, the retroshifters arrived straight in my mailbox and I had thorn down the donor bike for the odd bits and bobs as well as decided to utilise the rims and tireset of the donor as a quick and cheap fix.
I then lugged the parts to the LBS with two instructions, not to cut the steering tube and to use silver details in appropriate places such as stem, spacers et al. Much to my changrin the stearer was cut, all detailing black and the so called "mechanics" had drilled out treading on two of the mounting brackets on the fork to try to get the fenders mounted, which they didn't achieve in the end anyhow.
I really dont care about the black detailing, that is easy enough to remedy, but cutting the steerer and drilling the treading is not very acceptable in my book - especially when the customer specify no cutting, needless to say the owner will get a call on Monday.
Picture and sizing bits to follow after supper.
, according to the site its a "Ur MTB" called a woodsie from around the time frame you`re asking about. 
