Need advice: custom build or not

[boxer]

Hi All,
I'm about to have my 50th birthday and have been hankering for a custom built bicycle for years. Was always going to have a Luna built, but now Margo doesn't build bicycles anymore. I hear great things about Sweetpea and I'm considering a Sweetpea custom built bike.
1) I have a lot of arm, neck and shoulder pain when I ride. If it wasn't for that, I could ride all day. My current bike is a Trek Pilot and I believe it fits me as well as it can. I have been to the LBS for fittings but nothing too fancy.
2) Due to the arm, neck and shoulder pain; I've started to consider riding a recumbant bike.
3) I ride about 50 miles per week during the spring, summer, fall and usually ride in about 3 charity bike rides per year between 30 and 80 miles depending on the weather at the time.
4) I am not a racer.

So, the question is: should I get a custom built bike or consider a recumbant bike? I'm worried that I will spend a lot of money on a custom built bike and that after all that, I would still have shoulder, neck and arm pain. Any advice would be greatly appreciated!!

Thanks!
Michelle
http://www.cff.org/LWC/MichelleSims20045

[Dogmama]

Do you know why you have this pain? I have shoulder/neck & arm numbness from cervical disk problems. Riding position really helps - keeping your elbows in so that your shoulders don't raise around your ears.

I'd stick with carbon fiber because of the road vibration dampening effect. I just bought a Madone, having come from a custom steel bike & the difference is astonishing. The H3 series, women specific, is nice because the ride is a little more upright.

[OakLeaf]

+1 on figuring out what's causing your pain by seeing a good fitter BEFORE you make your purchase. They will figure out what geometry you need and can usually suggest a selection of frames. (Working with an independent fitter rather than someone affiliated with a shop is probably best, since they won't be bound to the manufacturers they sell.)

Your Trek may have been fit to you as well as it's going to be, but that doesn't mean the frame is even close to fitting you.

[Sky King]

Road Trip! NAHBS is the first weekend in March in Sacramento this year :) Talk about some amazing frame builders... Anyway, Oakleaf hit the nail on the head. If you are going to invest in a custom bike do some extensive homework and see if you can find a fitter. Of course, most custom builders are going to measure you extensively as well
Dogma has a great point about elbows and shoulders but as a steel is real fan think my steel frame does just fine with road vibration. As racing is not my thing, I don't ride a skinny tire (650B)

[Biciclista]

When I decided to go custom, I went to the shop of a custom builder (Elliott Bay Bikes who builds Davidson bikes). After an hour of talking (and riding on a bike in a stand) I was most confident that these guys knew as much as most fitters and I was not disappointed. The minute I got on that new bike 4 months later, I knew I had done the right thing. GOOD LUCK!

ps I went custom because I got tired of doing things to my bike to help with my issues that compromised the bike itself!

[nscrbug]

When I decided to go custom, I went to the shop of a custom builder (Elliott Bay Bikes who builds Davidson bikes). After an hour of talking (and riding on a bike in a stand) I was most confident that these guys knew as much as most fitters and I was not disappointed. The minute I got on that new bike 4 months later, I knew I had done the right thing. GOOD LUCK!

ps I went custom because I got tired of doing things to my bike to help with my issues that compromised the bike itself!

+1 to THIS statement. I opted for custom (I went with Ti) this time around, because after spending a LOT of money on fittings and parts, and seeing no improvement with my pain issues...it finally dawned on me, that the 3 bikes that I have purchased in as many years, just never did fit me right...and I was tired of continuing to throw money at them in an effort to make things right.

[Dogmama]

If you have cervical spine issues, you may spend a bunch of $$ on a bike only to find that you still cannot ride long distances.

Welcome to your '50's!

[Crankin]

Just be forewarned, that I am still having issues with things after my Guru fit and the custom build of my ti bike. I have lots of issues when things feel different and thus, I still don't feel right on my Guru. Some things might require a component change (cassette, bars), because I just feel I am not riding my best on this bike. Slow and shaky for the first 30 minutes and then back and knee pain. I am ready to give up. Going to raise the saddle and just try to ride the bike more. My Kuota might not be be a perfect fit, but it feels right.

ETA: sorry for the typos at the end there. I was trying to type on my I Phone, without my reading glasses.

[goldfinch]

Besides the fit issues, are you doing anything to make sure that your core is strong? I had a lot of neck, shoulder and arm pain, so much so that I went to a physical therapist. I got a set of exercises which I now do religiously to strengthen my core plus address arthritis in my neck. It has made a world of a difference in my biking comfort, provided that I never let up on the exercises.

[Seajay]

+1 on figuring out what's causing your pain by seeing a good fitter BEFORE you make your purchase.

+1 again.

[Susan Otcenas]

I love my Sweetpea. And Natalie is great to work with. Solved all the neck and shoulder issues I had.