Which custom (road)...
 

  You don't need to be an 'investor' to invest in Singletrack: 6 days left: 95% of target - Find out more

[Closed] Which custom (road) framebuilders and why?

20 Posts
13 Users
0 Reactions
73 Views
 Bez
Posts: 7371
Full Member
Topic starter
 

Possibly idle thoughts, but, if you put yourself in the following shoes...

- you have a racy-ish road bike (ie light, stiff, nippy handling) that you love everything about...
- ...except it won't take mudguards or a rack or disc brakes or larger tyres, all of which you want (primarily the guards and discs - not a common combination on light road frames)
- so you're certain of your fit/position and can state precisely what geometry you want (albeit there needing to be slight compromises, mainly chainstay length) and what fittings etc you need
- you're also a big chap, so can rule out skinny steel completely and would need a lot of convincing on steel generally; plus you might want an oversized head tube, ovalisations etc...

...whose doors would you be knocking on and why?


 
Posted : 04/04/2013 11:24 am
Posts: 0
Free Member
 

Are you anywhere near Bristol? If you are it would definitely be worth popping down to the Bespoked show next weekend.

http://www.bespokedbristol.co.uk/

I should have my custom 18 Bikes road bike there and it sounds like I built mine for similar requisites. I'm also a big lad at 6'4" and 18 stone.


 
Posted : 04/04/2013 11:28 am
Posts: 25815
Full Member
 

ah, you'll just be wanting some smaller wheels for your racer Bez - they're all the rage right now


 
Posted : 04/04/2013 11:30 am
 Bez
Posts: 7371
Full Member
Topic starter
 

I would love to make it to Bespoked but sadly I don't think it's going to happen. And even if I did I'd have a 3-year-old with zero attention span preventing me having any useful conversations 🙂


 
Posted : 04/04/2013 11:31 am
Posts: 0
Free Member
 

That's a shame about not making the show.

We'd (18 Bikes) would be very happy to discuss things with you if you want some more advice. Feel free to email the shop on info@18bikes.co.uk


 
Posted : 04/04/2013 11:34 am
Posts: 0
Free Member
 

I would get a Shand- http://www.shandcycles.com/
I've used Steve in the past and it has been a real pleasure. Steve is very professional and really quick to work with. Fast pinging emails back and forth with lots of information. Very honest chap. I loved it!


 
Posted : 04/04/2013 11:37 am
 scud
Posts: 4108
Free Member
 

What about Lynskey Sportive Disc? Lovely looking Ti frame, designed to be a proper road bike that takes discs? Fatbirds Cycles had them with free fork/ headset.


 
Posted : 04/04/2013 11:40 am
Posts: 0
Free Member
 

I think the usual suspects have been covered - plus, erm, me 😉

The last frame I built was very like that - customer came with dimensions he'd taken himself for a steel touring bike.


 
Posted : 04/04/2013 11:44 am
 Bez
Posts: 7371
Full Member
Topic starter
 

"[i]What about Lynskey Sportive Disc?[/i]"

It's one of the two off-the-peg frames I've found that might work. Ideally it'd be a little larger and have better tyre clearance, but it's certainly a possibility. I would need to be assured that the "Sportive" stickers would peel off cleanly, though 🙂


 
Posted : 04/04/2013 11:45 am
Posts: 0
Free Member
 


 
Posted : 04/04/2013 11:58 am
Posts: 0
Free Member
 

Go to Bespoked next week for the real high quality builders ,I'm also going to attend as I found it the best way of speaking to a framebuilder and guaging their proces.


 
Posted : 04/04/2013 12:22 pm
 Bez
Posts: 7371
Full Member
Topic starter
 

Might be up at Bespoked first thing on the Saturday. Woop!


 
Posted : 04/04/2013 8:25 pm
Posts: 0
Free Member
 

Shand.
Feather.
Feather.
Feather.
Him up there (Ben Copper)
Enigma (if you don't mind waiting.....and waiting and waiting)


 
Posted : 04/04/2013 8:29 pm
Posts: 0
Free Member
 

I'm going to talk to this lot when it's time for a custom road frame.

http://www.noblecycles.be/

Not convenient for most but I can ride to their workshop from here in under an hour


 
Posted : 04/04/2013 9:10 pm
Posts: 0
Free Member
 

Ricky Feater will be making mine for my 40th..

Spot on bloke, makes beautiful frames, who just happens to live about half a mile from me mum, so can combine fittings with catching up with the old dear.


 
Posted : 04/04/2013 9:12 pm
 Bez
Posts: 7371
Full Member
Topic starter
 

Hm, several recommendations (hadn't heard of Noble - cheers) leading to skinny steel; only one Ti builder mentioned, though, and I suspect that's the better material for me. Even the Genesis Volare - the equivalent of which, I assume, would be well into Ti money anyway - is a pound heavier than my CAAD9 frame...


 
Posted : 04/04/2013 9:19 pm
Posts: 41395
Free Member
 

Shand. If it's not clear why, it never will be.


 
Posted : 04/04/2013 9:21 pm
Posts: 72
Free Member
 

IF simples


 
Posted : 04/04/2013 9:21 pm
 Bez
Posts: 7371
Full Member
Topic starter
 

Really, Raoul? 😉


 
Posted : 04/04/2013 9:26 pm
Posts: 72
Free Member
 

Just right, you could ask Cris Northwave or Steve M for an even more impartial opinion ;0)


 
Posted : 04/04/2013 9:30 pm
Posts: 0
Free Member
 

Aye, Raoul's sprout looks amazing Bez...
Gotta be said!!


 
Posted : 04/04/2013 9:41 pm

6 DAYS LEFT
We are currently at 95% of our target!