Why A Custom Bike?

by Keith Griffin

When you bought your last bike were you able to:

• choose ALL the components on the bike?
• request modifications to the geometry to suit your physique and the way you ride?
• discuss the frame design with the builder - (tubing materials, tubing sizes, top tube slope if any, extra stiffening, etc.)?
• choose the colour scheme of your frame?
• cope with the salesmanship and technical jargon offered in answer to your important questions?

Unless you're one of those people who has a custom built bike, it’s unlikely you answered yes to any of those questions. For many people these may not be important points, but for me they have become so. I am not as delicate and sylph-like as some, nor do I conform physically to the cyclist archetype, having a long torso and short legs. For me, a bike as sold in the shop will always be a compromise - either the frame must be a bit too big to get the length right, or a bit too small to make the step over height better. Then, the bars and saddle have to be moved to accommodate the shortcomings of the frame shape. Such compromises present no difficulties over short distances or moderate terrain, but when riding almost daily and on a variety of terrains my position on the bike becomes a matter of both comfort and performance.

Apart from these practical considerations, most of us make bike-purchase choices based on factors such as aesthetics, country of manufacture, a trusted friend’s recommendations, what le Tour riders use, brand image or street cred. and so on. Having a bike custom built, has provided me with the first bike I have ever owned which actually fits really well. Not only did the builder and I find ourselves in perfect accord with regard to most aspects of the design, but fortunately the builder also had first-hand knowledge of how I ride and incorporated that into the plans.