anyone have one? are they all dat?

They are, indeed, all that. So much so, in fact, that not a single person has yet obtained one....ever...

liar! guy here got one, and rode it. but he crashed it. and the shlitz and giggles race in boston is sponsored by indyfab, so i assume someone is going to win one.

-jason

Man that would be sick. To win an IF Frame. I dream about **** like that

so what you're sayin' is they is all dat! correck? i was aksin' cause i kinda wants one and they worl' headquarterz is right in my 'hood--jus' aroun' da way. so correck me if i be wrong--they is all dat? i likes dat crown jewel factory superlight or whatever they calls it. dat bike would look real nice all blinged an' ****.

word.

Wow, that was so too much that I can't even begin to describe.

Read the reviews, examine your bank account, and--most importantly--get in touch with them and see the shop floor. They'll be happy to answer your questions as to why you should or should not get an IF while you walk around and see them in action

In my opinion, custom is really for three things: building a bike for someone with unusual proportions, building a bike with unusual features, or just the luxury of having a bike that was custom built to your exact specifications by a cool dude(s) (or dudette(s)).

They're all valid reasons. Me, I'm having one done for #2 with a substantial sprinkling of #3. (Not IF.)

PS: some BF nerds visited IF in August, this is what we saw. https://www.flickr.com/photos/trevors/sets/1039189/

I don't know. Upward sloping top tubes weird me out.... Just not pleasing to my eye. Maybe I haven't done enough inspecting, but the only track bike I saw on their web site had the upward sloping tube.

A good friend of mine has a custom track frame with S&S couplings and it's damn fine. I wish that he rode the thing more but then again I kind of wish I would ride more. But yes they are a swanky bike.

I have a IF Steel Deluxe SS mountain bike.

It is a fantastic bike, I have owned alot of high end Mountain Bikes and this is the only one that I still ride.

I am not sure I would have IF make my road/track bike. There are alot of other local builders in the NE that make great Road/Track bikes.

wait who rode one and crashed a indie fab justin. you talking about jeff? he got it stolen..

the upward sloping top tube was probably due to the customization.
indyfab is collectively owned by the workers which is rad.
but yeah, the reasons for getting a custom bike are not so much getting a bike that fits your perfectly, but buying a nice bike that is made ethically (ie: buying a frame from circleA, indyfab, or any of the small frame makers instead of buying mass-produced frames in Asia).

What is un-ethical about buying a mass produced 'Asian' frame?

here you go...i wanted a fixed frame with s&s couplers, and being an east coast brat, i wanted to keep it 'local'. i respect i.f. for being an employee owned company, and they make one of the catchier looking custom frames out there. so, cupboards stocked with ramen noodles, i took the plunge and made the call. this bike has broken down and travelled with me to san fran, portland (a few times), and all over n.y. state and nyc. we tripped through a darkened times square when the blackout hit, then almost got hit in chinatown while heading back to brooklyn. i'm sure we all have stories like these, and you can score them on any frame, but i love mine.

I have a Crown Jewel that rides great -- light, responsive, and comfy on centuries. Got it in part for sentimental reasons (love for an old Fat Chance) and because I wanted to try Ti after riding steel for 12 years. It's a wonderful bike, but I don't believe it's necessarily any better than other, handmade frames in the same price range.

One thing to consider is that all IF frames are custom these days, but you don't actually order directly from the factory -- unless you have some special connection, I suppose. That means you have to rely on a retail shop to fit you and communicate your measurements to IF. You therefore need to pick your shop with great care; if it's inattentive or sloppy, you may not get the bike you intended.

As for sloping or traditional top tubes, you can pretty much get what you want since every order is custom.

the same thing that is un-ethical about buying anything mass produced cheaply in asian countries. they're not made in worker controlled cooperatives.

was the computer you're typing on made in the US? i dont think so.... youre sooooo unethical

thanks dudes! nice pics trevor! and with all due respect "'fixed' is just one of many ways to gear a bicycle, not a lifestyle" is WAY of the mark. it can be all-consuming. ya'll bettah know dat!!

i'll agree 100% that having the computer i bought was un-ethical (i think you're taking this word to mean something more extreme). things we do daily are un-ethical.