Originally Posted by
Wulf
I think that with a few exceptions, Italian frames are bought-off-the-rack. Meaning for a particular catalog model, you choice is the length of the seat tube, and the color of the paint. While I could probably ask Gordon for a 58-cm blue frame, I would be crazy not to take advantage of the consultative process and ensure that the finished product not only fits my leg length but all the other features fit and add to my experience.
All my bikes except one were off the shelf bikes including my TI bike. I did get a Mercian when I went to the UK and they custom made it for me, plus like you said I got extra features that an off the shelf Atlantis would have never had, and the two cost almost the same!
However after saying all of that does the Mercian add any experience in the fit department that all my other bikes do not? NO!
I guess I've been lucky with off the shelf bikes because I like all my bikes, and the off the shelf bikes needed very little stuff done to them to make them fit, only a couple needed different stems but other than that they were good to go as they were from the factory, of course I needed to adjust the seat and bars like any bike even the custom one because they had to ship it when it was completed.
So I think most people can do fine with an off the shelf bike, maybe that's why most people ride off the shelf bikes even most racers pro or otherwise.