Booger

Not that I'm seriously looking to buy right now, but custom carbon frames certainly sound good in theory. It seems that very few companies make them. So far I have...

Parlee Cycles
Calfee Design
Steelman Cycles

eta:
Crumpton Cycles
AriZona Tandems

Can anyone add to this list? Experiences with any of the above? Seems like custom made frames at least *look* drastically different from their mass produced counterparts.

KevinF

I am in possession of a custom Calfee Tetra. As you can probably imagine, be prepared to wait -- my turnaround time was about 5 months. Everything on a Calfee is custom-izable. I had to specify both handling and stiffness characteristics (via a 1 to 10 scale type of thing), along with the standard stuff (color, componentry). I never had any direct contact with Calfee; I left all that up to the LBS. I've heard though that Calfee's customer service is top-notch. Whenever I asked the LBS a question that required them asking Calfee, the answer came back to me pretty darn quick.

It's safe to say that a Calfee frame is perfect when it leaves the factory. Part of the delay in me getting one was that the forks that Calfee was receiving at the time were good enough for the fork manufacturer, but not good enough to pass Calfee's quality control. That impressed me!

Booger

Kevin,
Thanks for the info. Do you happen to have a pic of your bike? How's the ride?

AnthonyG

Columbus tubing makes a carbon Fibre tube kit for frame makers to turn into custom frames, https://www.columbustubi.com/ It doesn't look as customisable as steel or aluminium but there is some room for customization.

Regards, Anthony

KevinF

Its picture is at:

https://www.bikefanclub.com/gallery/s...sort=1&cat=506

Serpico

don't forget https://www.crumptoncycles.com/

I would like a Parlee someday

zonatandem

ariZonaTandems.com
Check out Bob Davis' custom built carbon fiber tandems, triples and singles . . . from racing to touring to tri to TT . . .
Own one of his c/f custom tandems: over 8,000 miles on it now. All c/f . . . including the adjustable stoker stem, stoker handrests and the rear rack! Weighs in at 26 1/2 lbs.
So impressed with the tandem, that I got rid of my Ti Merlin and had a single built . . . awesome!

zonatandem

here's his logo/address . . .

zonatandem

. . . a bit more detail on the handiwork from ariZonaTandems.com

zonatandem

Know a builder that has used the Columbus c/f kit . . . it is exactly that: a kit.
Not really able to spec much of anything custom framewise . . . what you see in the kit is what you get . . . all standard angles/tubes; no fillets, no custom sculpting/angles.