Who's bought a custom bike "long distance"?

[IFjane]

I had a very experienced fitter do everything locally...

The builder doesn't need to be local, but whoever is doing the fit and advising the builder needs to be be.

And good builders should be willing to work with local fitters. Otherwise, move on . . . .

Amen, SK!

My LBS owner is a very experienced fitter. He took all my measurements, similar to SK's experience detailed above. Once he and I were happy with my positions on the fit bike, he sent everything to Indy Fab in MA. Four months later I had my bike & it was the best investment I have ever made (in cycling, that is! )

[Triskeliongirl]

I too was referring to working with someone locally, not just trying to do the whole thing yourself over the internet. I thought she was asking about those places where you fill in a chart with body and bike measurements, and send them in and they build you a bike. I also think any local person you work with has to be a really good fitter, which you may or may not have in your area. Indeed that same fellow that has a Crumptom bike he loves, also got a Tom Kellog bike before that, but in that case he did fly out to visit Tom for a personal fitting. In my opinion, I also think its best to take out the middleman and work directly with the builder, if at all possible, but again it depends on your local options, if the 'middleman' knows you, your bikes, your riding style really well, maybe that is the best way to go.

[SadieKate]

Triskeliongirl, you know I'd normally agree with you about cutting out the middleman, but, besides the obvious "no builders in my area" problem for a lot of folks, there is a huge increase in the number of new builders who haven't put in a lot of time doing fittings. They may be able to turn out a great bike, but I'd want to see their credentials and if they're being mentored by anyone.

A superb welder does not mean a good bike designer or a good fitter. But s/he can still set themselves up as a custom builder.

I've been looking lately at some newbie builders but I'm also looking at where and with whom they apprenticed.

[tulip]

Bad Juju, if you can get a stock bike that fits you well, it's alot less hassle than going custom. There are alot of very good stock bikes out there, and they may be more appropriate than a custom bike. Having a good fitter is just as important for choosing a stock bike, too.

If I the pre-built Luna that I bought had not fit me, I would have worked with my local shop, which is a Luna dealer and the owner of which is a fantastic fitter, to get a custom Luna. Margo of Luna is an experienced fitter, and she worked with me to tweak the pre-built, although it didn't need much tweaking. I would not have bought the pre-built Luna without going out to New Mexico to ride it and have Margo fit it to me. Luckily, I just happened to be there for another reason and decided to take advantage of the opportunity.

I know what I like in a bike after riding them for 25+ years, including a few racing years. I felt comfortable getting the Bike Friday remotely; I also didn't just send it the form, I talked to them alot.

[Triskeliongirl]

Tulip, I am so glad that got your PRP right the first time! I too know what I want in a bike, and even though I also talked with them a lot, and spec'd in writing a specific top tube length, the bike arrived with a top tube that was 2 cm longer per their 'formula', although to give them credit they did remake the bike correctly, and my understanding is have since changed the formula to better consider women's bodies.

You guys have made a a lot of good points that not all builders are good fitters. But I think the consensus is that you need both good fitters and good builders involved in the process (and sometimes they are the same person and sometimes they are not), and even for a stock bike a good fitter. All of that is difficult when you simply submit measurements on a website and a bike appears.

[7rider]

What BikerZ said.
My custom Seven, I suppose you could say, was bought "long distance" - they are in Massachusetts and I am in Maryland. I worked with a very knowledgeable rep at my LBS who knows me, knows my riding habits, my goals, and my cycling needs/wants. He knew my pet peeves about my old bike (also a Seven, and blissfully, those peeves were pretty minor and were all because of my health and not the bike at all).
It was fantastic to have a local rep working with me on the build...interpreting things I did not "get" and helping me to vocalize what I needed and wanted. It was like having a ringer beside me, making sure the bike turned out just the way I wanted. And, sure enough, it did. I'm very happy with my bike, and if I had a windfall of cash, I'd buy a custom Seven 'cross bike as my ultimate commuter!

[emily_in_nc]

Tulip, I am so glad that got your PRP right the first time! I too know what I want in a bike, and even though I also talked with them a lot, and spec'd in writing a specific top tube length, the bike arrived with a top tube that was 2 cm longer per their 'formula', although to give them credit they did remake the bike correctly, and my understanding is have since changed the formula to better consider women's bodies.

+1

My Bike Friday also arrived with too long a top tube -- I had specified an effective top tube measurement I wanted, and they just didn't do it. Even the redo, which they did do for free (and covered shipping both ways) was a little longer than I spec'd, and as a result, the stem is a little shorter than ideal. I still love the bike, but at the time I got mine (2004), they just couldn't believe anyone with my measurements would require a 19" top tube, but I knew it from my two other road bikes. I emailed and talked with them a lot both before and after the fact. I hope they "get it" better now!

Emily

[tulip]

+1

My Bike Friday also arrived with too long a top tube -- I had specified an effective top tube measurement I wanted, and they just didn't do it. Even the redo, which they did do for free (and covered shipping both ways) was a little longer than I spec'd, and as a result, the stem is a little shorter than ideal. I still love the bike, but at the time I got mine (2004), they just couldn't believe anyone with my measurements would require a 19" top tube, but I knew it from my two other road bikes. I emailed and talked with them a lot both before and after the fact. I hope they "get it" better now!

Emily

b

Maybe you ladies may have helped them get it right, and I thank you for that. My BF is quite comfortable and feels like the same setup as the bike on which the measurements are based. Granted, I've only ridden it twice, once for 30 minutes and once for an hour. This weekend I'll be taking it out for a 2-3 hour ride. I won't be surprised if I need to make little adjustments here and there, so I'll bring my wrenches with me.

[bikerz]

I'll chime in and reinforce what SadieKate and IFJane said.

(And IFJane's point is good too - in my case the "middleman" knew me and my riding history and goals well, and was an excellent interpreter between me and the builder.)

I had a great experience with my custom Seven - my regular LBS guy is a very experienced Seven fitter and dealer out here in California*, and had been helping me tweak my old bike for 2 years before I started the custom process. He had a clear idea of what had worked and what had not worked for me with my old bike, and understood very well what my near and long term cycling goals were. I test rode a couple of steel and Ti Sevens he had in the shop that were more or less my size, with my saddles, pedals and wheels, and another Ti bike, and then Chris and I talked about how each bike felt to me.

He spent a long time with me on the Serrotta fit cycle and taking other measurements. One of the nice things about working with an experienced Seven dealer was that I didn't have to do the whole 20 page Seven questionnaire myself (well, not really 20 pages). I don't have a ton of cycling experience, and a lot of those questions were over my head, or addressed aspects of cycling that I felt I didn't have the expertise or discrimination to understand and address. Also, Chris does so many Sevens that he can bypass the "standard" process with Seven, and submit CAD drawings and measurements directly to the builders, which made the whole process very quick.

And the proof is in the bike - I love, love, love my Seven, I feel totally at ease on it, no more scootching around constantly to get comfortable. And it just GOES, snappy and responsive yet smooth. Plus it is beautiful!

* Chris Robinson at Robinson Wheelworks in San Leandro

[BikerDar]

And the proof is in the bike - I love, love, love my Seven, I feel totally at ease on it, no more scootching around constantly to get comfortable. And it just GOES, snappy and responsive yet smooth. Plus it is beautiful!

* Chris Robinson at Robinson Wheelworks in San Leandro

Hi! Just had to chime in here, when I saw you mention Seven and that you were in CA, I thought maybe you were talkin' about Robinson Wheelworks.

He's one of the top rated, if not THE top rated fitter in the country and his attention to measurements is awesome. He fit my partner for her dream bike, a Seven Axiom steel. He fit me too, but luckily (moneywise) I'm built like a guy in terms of short legs, long torso, so a standard frame worked for me. I got a Titanium Habanero, with a Campy Compact Double that I could ride all day long.

he makes a great espresso too!

[motochick]

My 2 cents. If my bike got stolen or crashed, I would buy a custom Habanero.
Ti is a lifetime buy, as long as the hurricane doesn't take it! But knowing the salt/water won't damage it, makes it something to consider.

Brenda

[Bad JuJu]

Ti is a lifetime buy, as long as the hurricane doesn't take it! But knowing the salt/water won't damage it, makes it something to consider.

That is certainly something to think about. I'm smarter about my bikes now that I've been through a big, destructive hurricane like Ivan (2004, Gulf Coast, not as widely publicized as Katrina because it didn't hit a big city like New Orleans). Now, when I evacuate, my bikes evacuate.

I like the idea of a Ti bike in theory, but I don't think my budget will accommodate it. Thanks for the suggestions, though.

[Blueberry]

Bad Ju Ju -

You might be pleasantly surprised with Habanero - a stock frame is $795, and custom is $1195 (plus shipping, of course). I've heard pretty good things about them. Of course, they aren't as well known as some of the other builders, and some folks don't like them (no specifics to offer).

CA

[Bad JuJu]

OMG, what gorgeous bikes those Habaneros are! I'd never heard of them--what a well-kept secret. Great--now I have yet another option to consider.

[Trek420]

I'll chime in and reinforce what Bikerz said that's ....

I'll chime in and reinforce what SadieKate and IFJane said.

..... I had a great experience with my custom Seven - my regular LBS guy is a very experienced Seven fitter and dealer out here in California*, and had been helping me tweak my old bike for 2 years before I started the custom process.

......

It helps if your LBS knows you and your bike/s. Chris did an extreme makeover on my ol' Trek420 over years and all the work on my commuter-mobile.

I decided to get a Mondonico Futura Legero the weekend Antonio himself was in the area doing fittings. I got to meet and be measured by him Wow! He was probably muttering in Italian "I can't believe I, master builder Antonio Mondonico am building a frame for this Sunday duffer "

After a long wait the frame arrived and Chris built it up. It fit like a pair of old blue jeans from the first pedal turn.

Chris keeps exhaustive files on each clients build and work done on your bikes. It's not like he has it memorized but if he needs to he can pull up "Bikerz's crank length this, stem height is this ..."

While my bike was being built he loaned me a bike from his stable. I ride a 47 most days the smallest "spare" bike he had is a 50 cm De Rosa. Going from his measurements it fit me. If I would have been able to afford 2 bikes I'd have got that too.

Even so our bodies change all the time. We get more ... or less flexible, more ... or less strong, some of us are shrinking

If I was getting a new bike like maybe an LHT even with all he knows I'd have it fit and not order long distance.

And BTW, Bikerz's Seven is amazing.

http://forums.teamestrogen.com/showthread.php?t=16017