is a custom frame worth it?
 

i have had two fixed gear beaters, followed by an IRO. all were nice, but now im coming into a little money and wanted to know if its really worth getting a custom frame. does anyone out there really feel the difference in fit? is there anything that a custom frame can do that i cant do just by adjusting seat/stem/etc?

i think if a stock frame fits perfectly with stem, seatpost settings you shouldn't need to go custom unless you have the money. if you have the money, there is no reason not to do it. it's made for you with the details you want. personal, one of a kind.

This was discussed very recently: Custom?

Yes. You cannot adjust your seat-tube, headtube, etc. lengths and angles. A custom bike will allow you to build a bike with the exact geometry you want, although you better know what that is. You can also have the bike built with a combination of tube-sets, like 853 main triangle, cro-mo stays, carbon fork, or whatever combination you need for the weight and stiffness you want. Some people will say that it only makes sense for people with out of the ordinary proportions, but that is bull. It makes sense for anyone who wants to push as much performance as possible, or who wants a blingy bike with custom lugs and paint. Different builders speciallize in different things. Vanilla makes pretty bikes, Walker makes fast bikes, etc....

if you have the cash i say do it

im all about riding the hell out of whatever bike you have, but last year i had a custom frame built by a friend of mine after riding a converted touring frame for 2 years

the difference is quite noticable, even between my custom coast frame and the khs i ride...no matter how much i adjust and tweak the khs it is never quite as comfortable to ride as the ustom frame

is custom something you have to do?...no...but if you have the money and especially if you ride a lot it is definately something worth doing

no

What do you want? I had a set of criteria that I don't think any off-the-peg frame can accommodate: reasonably steep but comfortable angles, high bottom bracket, clearance for fenders or big fat tires, eyelets and braze-ons for fenders and racks, bottle bosses, 130mm rear spacing. I wanted a high quality fixed gear all-rounder and one that I might eventually outfit with an internally geared hub too. I wanted something that's as comfortable jamming through rush hour traffic as traversing a fire road on my way to camp.

There were a bunch of frames that did just about all these things. Usually it came down to the tall bottom bracket versus everything else. The tire clearance was a bit of an issue as well.

Anyhow, I could still build up a new conversion for quite a bit less than what I'm paying for my ANT. But I already have bikes that do all those things above, I want to simplify (this was motivated in part by the thought that I might have to move).

On top of all that, I'm just into the idea of owning a bike that was built for me and me alone. I'm the person who conceived of it and worked with an artisan to see it realized. I really don't think there's any difference between a quality mass produced frame and a custom frame if they have similar geometries. I mean the rest can be tweaked as you say.

Back in the day, if you wanted a decent bicycle you had to go custom or at least go with a small volume hand built frame. That's not true anymore. So how much is that sense of bike as functional art worth to you?

[ Jeff tells me after you start to ride it, it becomes just another bike. A bike you like to ride, but just another bike. I'm prepared for that. Right now I just want my damn bike. :) ]

http://www.grudge-match.com/Images/beuller.jpg If you have the means, I highly recommend it.

I'm no better than the next man (or woman) I want me a custom.

But the one nagging question, once you've dropped $2000 or whatever and waited a few months or a few years, you're not going to turn around and admit it wasn't worth it are you? Its a pretty common psychological effect, you make an investment and unless its absolutely clear its a dud you'll defend it. Stay true to your school or whatever. Why own up to a bad decision when you can just ride with the illusion..

So yeah, if there are any custom builders out there who want to prove me wrong, I'll happily do a double blind on some frame built for me...

Most of the custom builders now days are artists in my opinion. I think you are buying a piece of artwork when you get a custom lugged steel beauty with paint you picked out.

"Think of bicycles as rideable art that can change the world."

-that coming from the man with the heart chainring ;)

yeah i'd say go for it, if for nothing else, the sweet lugs, theyre the best. i doubt many people who do buy custom frames are actually unhappy with them, even after a decade. the psychological effect, if one exists, i think would be different, i think instead of thinking i spent so much money on this it has to be good, would be thats exactly what ive always wanted hell yeah its good: pride not denial.

ive worked on some formula racecars in college, we knew what we built wasnt the best out there, but it was the best we were able to do without millions in sponsorship money, a huge private machine shop, the greatest material stock, etc. etc. and while we wished we did have all that, we were very happy with what we built, those cars were ours and we designed most of it ourselves and modified (where allowed) the stock pieces we did have to use. we werent in denial that our cars werent the best, instead we had pride in what we accomplished. i think thats how most custom frame owners feel, and while most do not work on much of it themselves they do feel like they did put something into it.

and 2000 down sure beats 2000 down and years of monthly payments on a car or truck, but you do get to pick (from a dozen? woo hoo!) colors for that new hunk of steel and plastic sitting in your parking spot.

Judah wrote:" Vanilla makes pretty bikes, Walker makes fast bikes, etc...."

Is this true?are pretty and fast mutually exclusive?

-Sacha

Add another frame builder to the forums, the man who makes many a lustworthy bike, Sacha White. Welcome.

Personally, I'm just biding my time till I'm ready to plan a Vanilla.

I'll take pretty and fast please.

whoa...

Holy Moly...

I'll just say this: Sacha, please get your site updated with some new bike shots. I'd love to see what you've built lately and what's in the works.

Your future customer,

- eyefloater

baloney.

beat me on the streets or on the track with a custom bike and there's your answer. or don't. i bet i can beat you with a crap frame.

don't buy custom unless the performance (or comfort) value matters.

hope this doesn't come off as a pissy response.

Msngr - where you been?

pissy is good, it is honest.

full custom is really nice, but being a strong rider is worth A LOT more than exact frame dimensions.

Eyefloater "I'll just say this: Sacha, please get your site updated with some new bike shots. I'd love to see what you've built lately and what's in the works."

commuter 1,2+3 are new. Road 4 is new. Mtn #3 is new and super gay!Track 1+2 are the newest. I am hoping to get some cross bikes up there soon and an owners gallery too.

Thanks for prodding me though. I need it sometimes.

-Sacha

whoa.
do you need a slave? I'll work for free.

really busy with the breakup. what a pain!
i'll get to you with your stuff soon. i've got a custom frame in the package. ;)

I allready have a slave, but he might want a slave :)

i hope you mean that in a good way, otherwise, you're utterly boring.