Why go custom?

Hi, I know I'm asking for trouble asking for newbie purchasing advice but I promise you, I've read the entire OTP thread and clicked on every link. I've searched the forum for every bike I've heard of and read everything I can.

I've gone to several shops (Evans, Cycle Surgery, Condor, Cavendish) and tried out a few bikes. But there are limits (bikes not in stock in that shop, not available in right sizes etc). It's also not possible to try out a custom bike.

Basically, I want a nice looking bike that I can ride 10 miles a day without any particular intention of doing tricks or anything. I would prioritise tight handling above other factors. I will be getting mudguards and either a straight bar or risers (no drops, anyway).

At the OTP level, I could get a Charge Plug Grinder, but consistent reviews that it is a bit dead to ride, too heavy and made of cheapish parts is deterring me. I don't love the colour schemes either but could get past that.

Next up I could wait a while and order one of those Creme bikes from CRC. No idea whether they'd be any good and I'd ideally like a bike before May as the old one seems to be lost for good.

For a bit more I could get a Surly Steamroller and add some mudguards and different handlebars to the OTP version. But I've received some advice (namely from Tokyo Fixed Gear, who admittedly have a conflict of interest) that I'd be better off starting with a frame and customising things.

At the prices we'd then be looking at (£800 +) there are other custom options as well. Notably, I could get a Condor Tempo.

Now, these are things that I simply can't go and test drive. So I need advice. I've read several threads where people say "above £800, go custom". There's also a fair few criticising the ignorant (or their salespersons) who buy a Charge or a Langster, saying that these people deserve better advice.

Well think of me as such a person. Any advice at all would be appreciated.

I know posts like this aren't popular (hence my avatar) but I really have done everything that is typically suggested in response to a post like this.

Custom frames are prettier, more individual, and of a higher quality.

There's nothing wrong with Langsters, I have one and I love it. They're light and nimble and relatively cheap, what's wrong with getting one of those and switching the bars?

I haven't ridden one but i'm sure the Fuji Track is also in the same boat, but a little heavier with more twitchy handling.

If you go cuctom, you pay more but get something unique and that suits you and that is aesthetically pleasing to you, is lighter, rides better and is altogether a greater pleasure. If you have the money go for it.

Go custom for the fit of the bike (bespoke, to fit you) and the ability to select a bike that has all of the things you want (that you may not be able to find in a single package elsewhere).

Don't go custom if you have no intention of getting a good bike fit or if you have no experience of knowledge yet about what features you would want to be on the bike. In this scenario, do go and buy an OTP and once you've found what is discomforting to you, or what things you feel you're missing... then you start to have the knowledge upon which you could consider an custom.

If you go custom without knowing such stuff in advance, you'll get someone else's view of what you should have and it still won't be the perfect bike for you. And hell, you're going custom, you should end up with the perfect bike for you.

Go custom for the fit of the bike (bespoke, to fit you) and the ability to select a bike that has all of the things you want (that you may not be able to find in a single package elsewhere).

Don't go custom if you have no intention of getting a good bike fit or if you have no experience of knowledge yet about what features you would want to be on the bike. In this scenario, do go and buy an OTP and once you've found what is discomforting to you, or what things you feel you're missing... then you start to have the knowledge upon which you could consider an custom.

If you go custom without knowing such stuff in advance, you'll get someone else's view of what you should have and it still won't be the perfect bike for you. And hell, you're going custom, you should end up with the perfect bike for you.

+1 to all of this.

The only reason I would go custom is if I was spending a load of money on bikefit too.

Go see bike whisperer scherrit can tell you if an otp frame will fit or f you need a custom one

'tight handling' what does this mean?
people get obsessed with steep angles "for riding city streets" but in my opinion it's all armchair theory bullshit.
here's my bit of armchair theory bullshit.
the short stem fast handling thing is a fallacy unless it's for tricks. people use short stems and flat/riser bars because it looks cool and they think it's 'nippy' but it messes with the weight distribution and makes the bike twitchy because all the weight is on the hipster saddle and none of it on the bars which are too far back. theo bos uses a 130 stem on his track bike, boonen a 130. they do not have any problems nipping inbetween other riders or riding round paris roubaix -potholes at 25mph, their bikes are stable at speeds you will never achieve between ec1-ec3. the head angle is already 'fast' enough but their weight is perfectly distributed because enough weight is over the front wheel.

buy a condor. at least you know you will get the correct size frame and whatever bits you want fitted to it.

You're not really talking about 'custom', you're talking about buying a stock frame and choosing the parts to build yourself / have built up for you.

There are now hundreds of OTP's (as you have seen) and one of them is sure to be good for you. If however, having spent some time on here, you have an real idea of which parts you would like - aesthetically or practically, then you probably would be better off buying a frame and building it up.

From your opening description, I would guess OTP would be fine. Most have pretty good components for the money these days. As well as those you mentioned, you could also look at pompino, roadrat, touche to cover the things you need.

^ and what they said while I was typing slowly.

I think if you are serious about getting a very good first bike then you should really get help with the fit. At the end of the day, many bike shops will go 'yeah you are a medium' and sell you something. There are lots factors to do with the fit, from stem length, tt length, saddle height etc and that ultimately will have massive influnce over the comfort. 10 miles isn't very far either so you can compensate slightly wrong fit. But go 30 and you'll know the difference.

Also once you've spent a bit of time riding (especially ss or fixed), you'll start changing things - not just for aesthetic but for a more confortable ride.

Or do as smitty said, at least Condor will take you through this rather than just sell you a Charge - size Medium!

10 miles a day, not far, otp fine, in year you will probably have replaced 90% of the parts due to failure/compulsion.

I got a custom as an investment. It was a frame for a bike that I know I'll keep for decades. I have a reasonably good idea of comfort and fit and there were specifics things I wanted. Nothing extraordinary like Velocio's Mather, but little atypical details. I also had particular ideas about colours and whatnot.

The framebuilders I used also only really do custom fitted - they don't see it as luxury option, it's just their standard procedure. Right up until I finished building the final bike I was a tad nervous about how it'd be to ride. Luckily, it's extremely comfortable.

Unless I had a cast iron idea of what I wanted and how I wanted it to fit/ride/feel, I wouldn't bother with a custom. One of the nicest things about a custom is that you'll love it that bit more because it's been built especially for you, but if you aren't 100% sure why you're doing it it'll probably never be quite right.

£600 will get you a more-than-respectable bike from any of the usual LBSs, and leave you with enough cash left over to replace those components that start to annoy you after a couple of months. Which is what I'd do.

i don't think the op is talking about "custom" frames, rather, building a bike from the frame, wheels, etc, rather than total otp.

I should add that when I had my fitting at Mercian, the man measuring me and adjusting their rig seemed utterly clueless and inexperienced. I had zero faith in him getting it right and I was starting to worry. I then managed to grab the attention of another chap who'd been working there for decades and it was much, much, much better. He knew exactly what he was doing and the knock-on effect of each tweak in geometry. There were lots of little tests and lots of standing back to see if it all looked right.

The moral of this story is that a custom fit won't necessarily be perfect. You're always relying on a person's interpretation and their particular method. Cyclefit take a very scientific approach (so I'm told) but even with them there'll be a margin for error; from when you go in to get measured to when you've finished building the final thing.

i don't think the op is talking about "custom" frames, rather, building a bike from the frame, wheels, etc, rather than total otp.

Oops.

Erm, this is remarkably helpful and much more than I expected to receive in total, let alone in half an hour or so.

Thanks for the clarification in terminology between "custom" and "building from the frame, wheels, etc" (needs a snappier word, that concept). The latter is more what I had in mind.

I tried the Langster and didn't like it, but that might have been the bars.

I agree with those who say that once I've ridden a bike for a while, I will develop ideas about what I do and don't like, etc. But I am the sort of person who gets fussy about things.

I guess the question is whether it's better to get a Charge or a Surly, change the handles and add mudguards, but knowing that I will probably want to change half the bike over time to better components. Or just to plump for better components now (in which case there would be a further choice between Condor and a Tokyo Fixed Gear Surly).

Tough one.

We should define the terms then:

OTP = Off the peg... whole thing as some bike manufacturer dreamt it up and sold it to you

custom = bespoke... with the frame made for you, possibly bespoke forks too, and with all components selected by you. custom usually implies bespoke to the current owner, otherwise it would be...

customised = any bike purchased as a finished whole that you later modify or replace components.

When using the term custom, we generally perceive you to mean that you will commission a frame-builder to construct a frame (and fork) to match exacting requirements and expectations that you have.

Go see bike whisperer scherrit can tell you if an otp frame will fit or f you need a custom one

+1

From what you've said... go customised.

Buy a bike with a nice basic frame and fork (either traditional flat top tube or a lo-pro style slop-forward one) and with cheaper other components... and then replace the other components to meet your expectations as time goes on.

If you find yourself wanting something substantially more... then consider custom.

i vote otp, and make the necessary changes. cheaper, easier, faster, when you get more into it yo will know what you like and see why people build bikes from parts.

So as I bought my frame from Ebay, which fits me perfectly and I love it, but it wasn't *made *for me, then have chosen all my own ideal bits and built it up, what category am I in?!

We should define the terms then:

OTP = Off the peg... whole thing as some bike manufacturer dreamt it up and sold it to you

custom = bespoke... with the frame made for you, possibly bespoke forks too, and with all components selected by you. custom usually implies bespoke to the current owner, otherwise it would be...

customised = any bike purchased as a finished whole that you later modify or replace components.

When using the term custom, we generally perceive you to mean that you will commission a frame-builder to construct a frame (and fork) to match exacting requirements and expectations that you have.

Read this thread about Steamrollers. Buy the frame and get the best parts you can afford. You will not be sorry.

I agree with those who say that once I've ridden a bike for a while, I will develop ideas about what I do and don't like, etc. But I am the sort of person who gets fussy about things.

I guess the question is whether it's better to get a Charge or a Surly, change the handles and add mudguards, but knowing that I will probably want to change half the bike over time to better components. Or just to plump for better components now (in which case there would be a further choice between Condor and a Tokyo Fixed Gear Surly).

Tough one.

a) Everyone seems to be in a helpful mood this morning.

b) Even if you are 'fussy about things', there is little point spending on more expensive components until you know what you want / like / are fussy about. If you don't like drops - fine, that's an easy one. You want mudguards (bleugh) - OK, also easy to add. Correct me if i'm wrong, but it doesn't otherwise sound like you have any idea what hubs, rims, cranks etc, etc you want so you would end up with a more expensive set of parts you might not like in the end, no?

Though if you've got £$£ to burn, buy whatever you fancy.

Get a fit done

buy the closest otp and customise it to fit

a year later if you are still enjoying cycling contemplate a custom fitted frame

this would be the most sensible thing I could suggest