Well, the odds that you'll enjoy a custom frame are pretty high. Very few riders I've met were unhappy with their custom bike's ride. Sure things like color, braze on details can and sometimes are off from what was intended. But these are secondary to the bike's ride and fit.


A certain amount of faith, trust and ability to explain in words what you want WRT a known production bike is needed for your custom purchase to work best. You should have enough interplay with the builder (or their agent/dealer) to be able to get a feel for their experience, their business professionalism, their design style (there are some builders I would not go to for a loaded third world touring bike as example), their policies. From this set of discussions you will form your opinion as to your comfort/trust level. If it's low you aren't yet ready to go forward with that builder. That you have certain concerns about the process and policies your talk with the potential builder needs to cover them specifically. And if you do go forward the understanding needs to be on paper in some form (Emails, contracts).


I'll put in a plug for Seven. I've worked at a LBS that sells a few each year. Often the customer is at the ends of the height bell curve. We have a number of 6'+ riders on Sevens. There's probably around 8 to 10 hours of pre frame ordering time spent between the customer, us and Seven. Often we go back and forth a few times w/ Seven about the frame design before we agree that it will work for our customer. Then we and the customer meet to sign off on the design and build up estimate. Having built in steel I find the whole process and results interesting to track. Then there's the results, the frames/bikes. I tend to have a rather critical eye for frame details and designs. I have been very impressed with what I see coming from Seven. When built up and test ridden I find the bikes handle really well. But all this is dependent on the Seven dealer being good at bike fitting, detail focused and communicates well. If the local dealer isn't then don't do a Seven from them. Andy.