Originally Posted by
guadzilla
In other words, i think brands like Spesh, Trek, Giant etc can make better engineered bikes than individual builders.
As an engineer myself I would tend to agree with this. The USP of boutique individual builders is really in the special bespoke customer experience and after sales support. So it comes down to what you value the most. The latest and greatest tech and engineering prowess or being treated like a King during the sales and after-sales service. In many ways the latter is more appealing given that the resultant bike will likely ride pretty much as well as anything from the big name brands and fit perfectly. Also be more unique if that matters to you. But personally I simply wouldn't want to go through all the fuss (and additional expense) of a bespoke frame build. I do like the idea of something a bit more unique than a Specialized or Trek, but doesn't have to be totally obscure either. Factor is the brand that keeps coming into my head and a factory fit and build would tick some of the custom build boxes too. Obviously a factory fit is only an option in the UK.