Theodore
10-01-06, 05:18 PM
I have a Paramount frame from the mid 80's. What will a custom built
frame give me that the Paramount will not?
frame give me that the Paramount will not?
View Full Version : Custom Built Frames-When to do it?
Thylacine
10-01-06, 05:47 PM
Theo, this is the big custom question that's a very long winded answer and is different for everyone.
For me the number one reason to go custom is to have something lovingly handmade made just for you where in conjunction with a designer you create something uniquely yours. People always overlook that. Getting a custom bike made is a great experience (or should be) and as they say, half the fun is getting there.
There are other reasons to of varying magnitute, such as you might have specific fit issues/problems. You might also need a very specific design you need made to suit the type of riding you'd like to do.
Your 80's Paramount is a nice bike, but a custom frame is taking things to the next level. My advise would be set yourself a realistic budget, and spend as much time as you need researching who is out there, and narrow it down to a list of custom shops who you can relate to but who also give you a high level of feedback and service.
One thing you don't want to do as far as I'm concerned is fall into the 'budget' trap, where potential new custom customers get cold feet and decide to spend as little as possible on their first custom frame saying "Well, it's only a couple of hundred bucks. If I don't like it, I've only lost a couple of hundred bucks".
The reality of the situation is you need USD1000-2500 for a good custom frame with impeccable design, build quality and service. If you keep that in mind you won't have a bad experience and won't fall into the 'budget trap'.
Anyway, I hope that helps! Going the custom route is fantastic predominantly because it's a personal shared experience rather than the hollow "Here's my cash, I'll have that one, the same bike 20,000 people also have" experience. It's very rewarding and a lot of fun and at the end of the day you have a bike you have a real personal connection to. That's pretty cool I reckon.
For me the number one reason to go custom is to have something lovingly handmade made just for you where in conjunction with a designer you create something uniquely yours. People always overlook that. Getting a custom bike made is a great experience (or should be) and as they say, half the fun is getting there.
There are other reasons to of varying magnitute, such as you might have specific fit issues/problems. You might also need a very specific design you need made to suit the type of riding you'd like to do.
Your 80's Paramount is a nice bike, but a custom frame is taking things to the next level. My advise would be set yourself a realistic budget, and spend as much time as you need researching who is out there, and narrow it down to a list of custom shops who you can relate to but who also give you a high level of feedback and service.
One thing you don't want to do as far as I'm concerned is fall into the 'budget' trap, where potential new custom customers get cold feet and decide to spend as little as possible on their first custom frame saying "Well, it's only a couple of hundred bucks. If I don't like it, I've only lost a couple of hundred bucks".
The reality of the situation is you need USD1000-2500 for a good custom frame with impeccable design, build quality and service. If you keep that in mind you won't have a bad experience and won't fall into the 'budget trap'.
Anyway, I hope that helps! Going the custom route is fantastic predominantly because it's a personal shared experience rather than the hollow "Here's my cash, I'll have that one, the same bike 20,000 people also have" experience. It's very rewarding and a lot of fun and at the end of the day you have a bike you have a real personal connection to. That's pretty cool I reckon.
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