Custom Bikes

[traveller_62]

What is great is how many excellent choices there are for bike frames these days. What is confusing is how many excellent choices there are for bike frames these days.

I tried carbon fiber, ti, aluminum, and steel this summer. Did a ton of riding and comparisons and ended up with a Serotta steel frame bike. For me the ti frame was not as comfy and I felt more of the road in my hands and arms after a long day on the road. I did like carbon fiber but I think that steel is more durable and easier to maintain and easier to fix in case of an accident.

There are so many good bikes to choose from you should just pick the one that fits and that feels right to you. This will vary according to your riding style, terrain, etc.

As to custom frame or not.......if you are new to riding I would stick with a stock frame until you get a year or two of riding experience. That will give you a chance to get familiar with the kind of riding you want to do and with all of the options and bike manufacturers available to you before making that (very expensive) investment in a custom bike.

Whatever path you choose I hope you end up with a bike that you love!

traveller

[Dogmama]

My frame is an 11 year old Reynolds 653 that weights about 15 pounds. I am sure that there are very nice steel alloys out there now. I don't have a lot of road vibration in the handlebars, etc., but honestly, I think the newer alloys are probably much nicer.

I like steel because you can fix it. If CF breaks in half, you own both halves & that's about it. I don't like the way CF rides (OK, I'm nuts) because it is too squishy in the corners for me. I like to feel the road, as I think I have more control in fast corners, bad weather, etc.

[Kathi]

Thanks,

This is going to be a hard decision, there are no frames from any of these companies close to my size. Seven might have an Axiom small enough that they can send to my LBS but that's the best I can do so far.

BTW, my Aegis carbon fiber has a life time warrenty and crash replacement.

[laury]

Any suggestions about wheels for my Odonata? The frame arrived this week. It's a beauty. I'm going to spend the winter building it out. Hope to have it on the road in March. I've been thinking about Velomax Circuit or Mavic Ksyrium Elite. My bike shop also recommended Topolino wheels. I'm more concerned with comfort and stability on long rides than with quick acceleration. You folks were so helpful about my frame, I'm interested in your opinion on wheels too. Thanks.

[SadieKate]

I've have Topolino's on my Litespeed that are better than I ever expected. I kept reading reviews of Ksyriums that said they were pretty harsh riding, and these were comments from men who I assume weigh more than I do, so I ruled them out. I wanted light weight wheels with low profile rims since I don't race but do ride long distances. The Topolinos have a smooth as silk ride and soak up the road buzz plus being very stiff laterally.

Another option is nice rims such as Mavic Open Pro and Velocity with some trick hubs. You can play with nipple colors (no jokes here ) and spoke types so get a wheel tuned specifically for you. The price tag for such wheels could be less than factory-built wheels.

Your weight, ride types, typical road surface ridden, and frame material are all critical to making the choice.