Originally Posted by
Syscrush
Incidentally, are there any other shops in Ontario with a similar profile to True North? I have some friends who've had bikes custom made by Hugh and have heard nothing but awesome stuff. I loved the looks of the Mariposa bikes when they were going, but that's been done for a few years now.
It seems to me that a new Toronto shop that could not compete with True North on quality/brand/reputation/price would have basically 3 ways to compete:
- Shorter wait
- More convenient location for anyone east of Mississauga.
- Very unique niche (exotic/odd materials, construction technique, design, etc.) not addressed by True North.
None of those is an easy road, though. If someone's willing to spend $2-3k on a custom-made frameset, they're generally willing to wait to have it made by the person who has built a reputation for excellent quality and customer service.
This bike was made in Toronto from exotic materials and techniques and was "given away".
People in Toronto aren't particularly interested in exotic stuff, nor do they seem eager to spend money on it if they are.
