Just placed an order for my first custom frame, designed by Brant at Pact Bikes. Geometry was based loosely around the Planet X Kaffenback 2 which he also designed - I used to own one and liked the way it rode. Frame is being made by Waltly Titanium in China.
Other bits of the spec:
Long 44mm HT (no spacers under stem, tapered steerer)
Same reach and stack as my Synapse
CX fork (400mm A-C, 45 mm offset)
Long-ish chainstays
Short seat tube, long post
Clearance for 32mm tyres + guards
Single chainring at 53mm chainline
Disc brakes with adjustable dropouts
High BB
Rack mounts, 3x bottle mounts, external cable routing
Frame drawing:
I added routing for a rear derailleur just in case I want to run it as 1x at some point in the future.
Have got the following parts already:
Wheels - Surly ultra new fixed/disc rear, Shimano XT dynohub front, Stans Alpha 340 rims
Panaracer 32mm Gravel Kings
B+M Luxos U light
Thomson post and Cambium saddle
Truvativ stem
FSA Vero bars, SRAM S500 levers
17T cog
Mechanical disc brakes from the Synapse (Bengal MB700T) + 160mm rotors
SPD-M540 pedals
Frame should be here by the end of next month and I still need to get:
Kinesis Tripster fork - only full carbon tapered fork I could find with QR dropouts, mudguard mounts and a through hole in the crown for a dynamo light bracket
Cane Creek ZS44/28.6 EC44/40 headset
Mudguards
Cranks, BB - have got a pair of old Shimano 600 road cranks on the way, will probably have to use a 125mm BB to get the chainline I need.
43T or 44T chainring
Seat clamp
Chain, cables, etc
Might upgrade the brakes to TRP Hylex - have got BB7s on another bike and they're OK, but fancy trying the hydraulics.