Yes- sort of. Building a custom rack exactly to fit a certain bike has some really big advantages over factory built, one size fits all racks. Besides having complete choice over beefiness VS lightness and size/shape/ extra features (like light mounts just where you need them), you avoid all those pvioing and slotted gizmos that serve to make it fit a huge variety of bikes. It results in a much sturdier rack pound for pound and MUCH cleaner. And that`s just the practical side of things. Much better is the knowledge that you`ve done it yourself. Besides that, what CAN`T you just buy off the shelf? There are reasons for just buying something rather than making your own, but the simple fact that it`s available doesn`t rank up high on the list of those reasons for me. Think of chocolate chip cookies, for example.