5mm off the crankarms wouldn't be enough for rocky rides in the lake district, I suspect it depends where the original owner meant to ride it. Another reason not to buy a 'custom' bike made for someone else.
Simon - what did you mean about replicas of his bikes? Just that he doesn't have to do the design work for a totally unique frame and so can build them faster using the same style of frame but a few different sizes?
He's stated that the bike he built for himself recently is the best thing he's ever built, taking into account all he's learnt from the frames he's built in the past. He'll therefore be producing nine replicas, complete bikes, with the sizing tweaked for each purchaser. However, all the essential design features and componentry that take the time to discuss with the buyer will be fixed.
Yes, I had a cheeky bid - it was probably too small for me, but I was happy putting in a bid of a few $k as there was no chance of me winning it!
As far as the 170mm cranks, they're another one of these things Jeff does - to get a lower BB (greater stability) without grounding cranks. I think you'll find the clearances are still fairly substantial though.
