Custom Bikes

[laury]

I'm thinking about investing in a custom road bike. I'm leaning toward Luna but just started doing research. I would love to hear from other women about their experiences with custom road bikes. Is there really a big difference from stock bikes? Has anyone had a bad experience buying a custom bike? I don't mind spending more for a custom bike if I get a more comfortable ride and better performance.

[SadieKate]

I have never had a custom frame built for me, but I want to relate an experience from Saturday.

We took a friend to the LBS to buy her first road bike. We went through every bike that was a remote possibility. Nothing was even close. They were so far off that anybody with experience fitting bikes knew that a stock frame wasn't going fit her no matter what brand or model. The LBS hauled out a Serotta fit bike and set her up on custom geometry and magically she looked comfortable. It was amazing to watch her body go from awful contortions to a relaxed proper fit. The friend ended up ordering a custom steel Seven. Every time I have spoken with someone with weird fit issues that has ordered a Seven they have waxed eloquent about the efforts that Seven goes thorugh the fit the customer.

Turned out the friend has simililar geometry challenges to another customer of the LBS and yesterday I ran into the other customer. The woman was about the same age and body type and had gone through numerous stock frames without ever having a good fit. Her comment was she finally had a bike that "just floated under her." I've always been impressed with Seven's frame and workmanship but to see the fitting process in action was incredible. I've always thought that custom frames were a good thing, but now I think they're a wonderful thing!

[DeniseGoldberg]

While custom bikes are usually more expensive than stock bikes, I think they are well worth the price.

I have 3 bikes that I ride - a diamond-frame touring bike made by Peter Mooney, who is a local framebuilder, a Bike Friday Pocket Rocket set up as a road bike, and a Bike Friday Air Glide set up as a touring bike. These bikes were all built based on my body and my riding style, and at this point I have a hard time imagining buying anything but a custom-built bike.

--- Denise

[Trek420]

I've experienced both....my road bike is full custom, even got to meet the builder and it was a wonderful experience.

My el-cheapo mountian bike and old Trek are/were customized, small adjustments tweaking till they fit like a glove.

Whichever way you go fit is so important.

[eofelis]

I've experienced both....my road bike is full custom, even got to meet the builder and it was a wonderful experience.

My el-cheapo mountian bike and old Trek are/were customized, small adjustments tweaking till they fit like a glove.

Whichever way you go fit is so important.

On the "customized" route:

I have a 42cm Surly Pacer steel frame with steel fork road bike. It fits me really well, and the frames are only $400! I had it built up (by my SO, John) exactly as I wanted it with Ultegra and XT, and after 3 years I still love it.

[Trek420]

Yep, I'd rather have a $400 frame that fits than a $4,000 bike that does not fit. That's the most important aspect of the bike.

[MomOnBike]

This morning I stumbled across another custom bike maker you might want to take a look at. Rodriguez Bicycles ( http://www.rodcycle.com/ ) seems to have a pretty good handle on women's bike needs. Rumor has it that these bikes are fairly common in the Seattle area, where they are built.

If I were still riding uprights regularly, I'd look seriously at their travel bike. Obviously a lot of thought as gone in to that bike. It has everything including (I kid you not) a beer bottle opener brazed onto the frame. My kind of bike.

The usual disclaimers, no financial interest, blah, blah, blah.

[CorsairMac]

It has everything including (I kid you not) a beer bottle opener brazed onto the frame. My kind of bike.

Now That's my kind bike!! let me see: as crew for a hot air balloon we have bottle openers on the trailers, the trucks, our belts, and now my bike! Yup - that seems just about right!!!


Actually I have a friend here that rides a custom Rodriguez and she loves it. She lived in the Seattle area for awhile and had the bike custom built and fitted (in whichever order that works) right there at the Rodriguez shop and she wouldn't give it up for anything.

[MM_QFC!]

SadieKate and CorsairMac - I can happily speak to the custom road bike experience with both Rodriguez as well as Seven. Had former R&E co-owner Estelle Gray's expertise, as she designed the Stellar some years ago; the women's road frame for Rodriguez and it was my first. I had been riding for about a year then and was on a heavy hybrid, when I learned more about what I wanted and decided on a WSD made in her LBS' frame shop. I enjoyed and learned lots throughout the entire experience: extensive and exacting bike fit, visiting my custom tubes when they were cut, all the way through frame assembly and the custom paint job. That sweet bike got me safely across thousands of training miles, across Alaska, Montana, Washington, Oregon and California since '98 and even a few rides on the East coast. I'm about to make it my rain bike/commuter bike with fenders, mud flap and rack.
Last year, after mucho research, many test rides of various makes/models and decision-making, I invested in a custom Seven Elium (ti and carbon). I didn't use a LBS, but a veteran bike fit professional who has been a Seven dealer in the Seattle area for years. I had a consultation with him, then went back for the renowned Seven fit process - with my current bike and his practiced eye, as well as measurement after measurement. After those sessions, he sent the information to Seven, then one of their fit techs called me and spent about an hour on the phone reviewing all, questioning me, confirming what I liked about my current bike fit, how I rode, what I wanted to be different in my new Seven, etc., etc. Then Seven used a CAD program to design my frame geometry, just the way John, my fit guy sent it, and he said they consulted with him again too. Then I went back to him yet again and he had his fit bike set up per the build specs and proceeded to tweak the fit a bit more.
After I signed off on it, they got started cutting my tubes and I could follow the progress of all online ('where's my frame' for soon-to-be-Seven-owners link on SevenCycles site!). It was an expected and understandably agonizing wait but - gorgeous! It was all so worth it. They sent it overnight to John, he assembled it, had all of my components on it and when I walked in, he had it all set up and on display. So I have been riding my dream bike since 5/04 and can't sing the praises of John Gallagher of BikeFit in Seattle and the whole SevenCycles team enough. To top it off, do you know you get a laminated card with your Seven measurements and signed by each Seven pro in the assembly process - minor add-on detail but cool to me!
Like their motto, they really do seem to build one bike at a time and last year it was my dream bike for sure!

[PinkRacer]

I ride a custom Rodriguez OX Platinum Stellar and I totally love it. It made an amazing difference for me verses the off the shelf bike. The bike feels like an extension of my body. Having a good fitting is important. After I got my bike they had to still make several adjustments to get it just right. Since my bike is so small it is very light. I could be happier.... Plus she is sparkly bright pink and Lime green... I was the first to ask for the pink and now it's a standard color!!!!!

Smiley the sales at at R&E cycle is so great. He really takes the time to get to know what it is you want and how you want it to fit you. He doesn't think I'm such a nut for wanting sparklypink bike... her picture is posted in several places in the store and she has generated sales.

My BF was in there the other day he also ride a customer ROD the S3 a total weight of 18 pounds. Several women were asking smiley about my bike and he pointed to BF and said he dates the owner ask him.... how much she loves it! I tend to gush about her... is that wrong? Naaaaa...

I am thinking of getting a rain bike for the NW but the thought of another off the shelf road bike doesn't seem right.. although the pink Obrea is very cute

[Dogmama]

My 11 year old road bike is custom. As Denise said, I cannot imagine riding anything else. On my first ride, it fit like a really comfortable pair of shoes. Cornering, rough roads, etc., are so much easier. I like to ride long distances which means same position in the saddle and fit must be good.

I started on a Trek 1200 aluminum & road it for ~ 3-4 years before deciding that riding was my passion. I suggest that for anybody who is considering custom. It would be a shame to spend all that money & change your mind.

[sarahkonamojo]

I've been considering a custom bike, too. I'm having a little difficulty getting past the price, as in dollars. And what if the bike isn't perfect? From my experience bike shops will get you on whatever they have. And that just doesn't work for me. Since I've had a couple bikes that were the best I could do in the mass marketplace, I'm always frustrated with my bikes.

I was considering $3k for a bike, but seems custom costs more than that.

What is reasonable to pay for a custom bike?
SKM

[jobob]

I was intrigued by all the talk about Rodriguez bikes so I checked out their website - looks like you can get a custom frame for $1000, more for upgrades, but even so, a fully built-up custom Rodriguez could come in under 3 grand. Just sayin' http://www.rodcycle.com

[Trek420]

What's custom is the frame. The price depends a lot on what you put on the bike. Take my Mononico for example or her sister frameTorelli, you could get my same frame, same full custom fit (but I say again he retires this year so this is it) and have it at or just under 2,000. Then upgrade wheels and things later on...or not.

Or you can go top o' the line fancy schmany every carbon doodad hung on it and it could be close to 10 grand, or somewhere in between, all up to you.

But you can go custom on your budget.

[laury]

Thanks to everyone for your advice. Just wanted to let you know that I put a deposit on a Seven frame (ti and carbon) yesterday. My local Seven dealer spent a few hours taking measurements and helping me fill out the fit questions. I'm a little nervous but mostly excited. It's a big investment but hearing about all of your positive experiences with custom bikes and with Seven helps me to feel like I made the right choice. Thanks again for all of your support and help.