Why go custom?

You can buy a production bike/frame and tweak the position of the saddle and handlebars to get the best position, but there's something very rewarding and satisfying and special about getting a custom-built frame (when things go to plan). The frame will give you a lifetime of pleasure riding it, both because it's a great frame and because you were personally involved in the key decisions. You will never feel that way about a production bike no matter how good it is.
 
The only reason I need is why not. It not like there is a lot of steel road frames to choose from any way.
 
I have two custom frames and a lot of other frames. The main difference I feel is while descending, On a custom frame I'm at least 10% faster downhill as on a non-custom frame. It simply behaves better.
The approach Citoyen du Monde wrote is exactly what Bob Jackson did when I orderd a custom tourer frame from them. We discussed what the use of that bike would be and they even asked me to send me a photo of one of my tourers with a full load so they could adjust the tubestrengths to the way I load my bike. The result is a bike which behaves superb under heavy load. A lot better as the two production touring frames I had before.
 
had a few custom build,s in my time ed, the best probably being a terry dolan trainning bike use to bike to work on.i drove all the way from peterborough to his shop up near liverpool for him to measure me up.he only took 10 minutes to sort it out, and a hour talking about boardmans bikes which he was building at the time,and him moaning about the " bloody lotus thing " . he did make me i perfect riding bike that fitted like a glove .go on ed get a bike that fit,s properly and stop trying to make them ebay gates fit :D
 
ededwards":5nhhr4n8 said:
jonnyboy666":5nhhr4n8 said:
go on Ed, you're worth it. :LOL:

No, no I'm not.

curious, that comes across like you really mean that, my question is why?

you do loads of miles, you know your bikes and equipment, and i know you appreciate a quality bike so . . . unless money is an issue, as in justifying paying that much, why not do it?

with my custom build i decided it was worth it based on the likely amount of time it would be my main bike, my clockwork has been the main bike for 5 years so i expect my custom bike to be 'the one' for atleast that time so i think the cost is actually justified. (bear in mind i'm talking about the frame as opposed to the parts on it)
 
Every so often I get all excited about getting a new bike (properly new, not just new to me), do lots of searching on the internet, plan it all out including finances etc. - because I'm worth it. Then I pause and think what I could get secondhand for the same money - for the sort of cost for frame and fork alone I've got a C Record equipped Master, an ex-pro 7400 equipped PR-6000, a Super Record equipped Gios Super Record and an IF SS Deluxe with Paul's etc. Perhaps that just reflects that I've got some good deals.

So I do worry that, after dropping a sizeable wedge on a custom frame and build, I end up a little underwhelmed and with a bike that I don't think is all that (possibly because expectation too high?) and no chance of recouping much if I decide to move it on. So I shelve the idea until it emerges again a few months later and I go through the same process again!

For what it is worth, I spent too long on Saturday evening looking at a Sram equipped Planet X carbon and an All City Nature Boy. Thankfully I was drinking 0% wheat beer so didn't do anything rash.
 
i can sort of understand that, i was having a similar conversation with pyrotim on the IOW last saturday.

when i ordered the Demon i was excited, the whole build process was interesting and exciting, then getting my hands on it, building it, all exciting.

but now all that is over and i'm left with the reality of ownership and riding it, luckily between me and Tom we got it right (my ideas and specifics mixed with his skill and artistry) but i'll admit there was a moment before the first ride when i thought . . . 'what if i don't like it? expensive mistake to make'

i think you should talk to the builder you like and see what they say, i'm guessing you won't be going for anything particularly weird geometry wise as i assume it's a road bike you're thinking of (as we're in the road section) and the geometry is pretty set on road bikes so i'd suggest the main thing to consider is probably tubing to decide how you want it to ride.
 
as someone who has completed the course at the bicycle academy, the myth of the custom framebuilder is, by and large, smashed for me. this is because really, it isnt that hard.

I'm going to build a few frames for myself, taking bikes I have and enjoy riding, making little tweaks for different purposes etc. My bikes all fit well and ride great, but with a custom frame of my own i can dispense with headset spacers, have my current road bike but spaced for guards etc etc

anyone ordering a full custom will have been riding long enough to know exactly what they want, and most likely will turn up at the custom builder with their existing bike and say "I want this, but with 1cm out of the top tube, and a 15mm taller headtube" or similar, and there's nothing magic about that
 
Indeed, with both of my custom frames I did most of the designing myself, based on earlier bikes I was (half) satisfied about.
 
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