LAST TUESDAY I sent an opening email to Rodriguez Bikes (really, Rodriguez/Erickson or R+E) of Seattle, providing sizing information and outlining what I was after.  Of all the vendors I considered, theirs is the one that most closely matches what I have in mind, either "off the shelf" or listed from among the options they already offer.

Yesterday we had a follow-up phone conversation, and I was left with a very definite sense that (a) they thoroughly understand what I'm going for, (b) they've done this many times before, and (c) my preferences fall well within the line of their own personal tastes, preferences, and philosophies.  In other words, we're in complete agreement and harmony.

It's still "custom" from the standpoint that I have started from one of their standard model specifications (the Phinney Ridge) and then chosen a specific-to-me collection of goodies, but those selections fall into the "one from Column A and two from Column B" sort of customization.  There's nothing odd or unusual going on, which makes me happy.  It also substantially reduces production time.

What that means to me is that I've basically "colored between the lines" and not created a Frankenbike of oddly mismatched bits and bobs which may or may not play well together as a unit; if R+E offers the things I'm interested in as part of their standard packages and options then I feel reasonably confident that it's been time-tested and will work well as a whole.

I'd been thinking initially about a paint scheme that loosely resembles the custom finish I got for my upright tandem back in the late 1990s, but this morning I reconsidered.  I'm now thinking that it would be altogether fitting and suitable to approximate the colors and layout that appeared on the long-departed Scout.  After all, I've come to realize that what I'm basically doing is attempting to reconstruct and reconstitute that riding experience of 30 to 35 years ago, with slightly modernized details.

At the moment, this is where I stand:

Baseline model: Rodriguez Phinney Ridge (I think specifically the Phinney Ridge Classic)

Options, extras, and goodies:

• substitute bar-end shifters for the stock integrated STI
• Upgrade to White Industries XMR disc brake hubs, with standard quick release (no through-axle)
• Upgrade from purely mechanical disc brakes to the cable/hydraulic  hybrid disc brake
• Upgrade to a Phil Wood sealed bottom bracket
• Add kickstand mount and stand
• Adorn with R+E on-frame bottle opener option
• Add front, rear fenders
• Paint upgrade to PPG metal flake finishes
• I'll likely replace the stock "placeholder" saddle that R+E will supply, with either my current mid-80's vintage Selle Italia Turbo (a seat I've ridden happily for 30+ years; this particular one is actually the one I moved from Scout to Odysseus but it's starting to show some signs of wear so I may have to find another) or a Brooks leather jobbie (which will require the usual breaking-in period, and which would be my first foray into the all-leather saddle subculture).

I'm not sure yet which wheel size it'll have (26 or 700c), nor whether the wheels will be 36 or 40 spokes.