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Articles & Opinions > What Motivates a Custom Bicycle Buyer?With a vast assortment of production bikes available, why would anyone choose to wait the 2 to 8 weeks typically required for a custom frame? Maybe it’s because today’s consumer is looking for individualization. What a novel idea! Most of us want our computers built to satisfy our needs on an individual basis. Some of us like ketchup on our burgers and others want mustard. Some people want both and still others prefer grilled chicken to ground beef. What would you do if you requested a burger with both mustard and ketchup and the server responded with, "I’m sorry, ma’am, our burgers come with either mustard OR mayonnaise, no ketchup on this year’s model"? Well, that is what production bicycle manufacturers have been saying year after year! Successively with a quest for perfect fit and comfort, this perspective seems to have fueled an interest in custom-built bicycles. While a very few buyers delight in extravagance, most simply are seasoned cyclists who have finally found what they've been looking for. Wise riders have discovered the value of an optimally designed custom bicycle built by a top-notch shop. The less fortunate strive to defeat the odds by dealing with an inexperienced or second-rate firm with intentions of saving money. So what should you look for when you know what you want and are willing to pay for it? While component choices and frame geometry are popular criteria, a bike’s fine points reveal the true value of a custom-built bike. Consider the construction of a frame: most production bike manufacturers use conveyors and assembly lines for nearly the entire process from cutting and mitering tubing to painting, assembling, and packing the almost-complete bicycle. Now, consider what fine custom manufacturers like Seven Cycles, Calfee Design, and Waterford Precision will do for you. A basic custom frameset requires as many as 30 hours to produce. Highly customized models may include intricately carved or polished lugs, chromed stays, wild paint jobs, and will demand more time. Each frame component is carefully selected according to the buyer’s riding habits and preferences, physical attributes, and personal requests as well as considerations out of the builders’ years of experience. The frame is then painstakingly assembled according to the chosen builders’ sense of craftsmanship. Decisions related to styling, components, and gearing are areas of design most riders enjoy. Here, of course, are infinite possibilities for color schemes and parts-combinations. Beyond this, the designer and builder of the bike address the many less-glorious issues that remain based on experience and, hopefully established standards. Neither elegant design nor skilled management guarantee, however, that an inexperienced shop will create a superb machine. Imagine giving a Rachmaninov Piano Concerto to an unpolished garage band. Don't expect a studio-quality recording! The art of bicycle construction will always remain in the craftsman's hands. Even though a custom shop may build bikes out of frames built by others, the end result is still highly personal and the shop’s reputation is on the line. If your bike shop doesn’t feel this way about you and your bicycle then find one that does! Comparing the cost of building a custom bike to the price of a production machine is often difficult. There are beautiful custom bicycles that cost $1,900 and others that cost $5,000 to build. There are also quality production bicycles that run as high as $4,000. What is the right choice? Well, which is more fun to ride? We believe it is the one that fits, performs, and looks precisely the way you want it! (Contrary to common belief, it may not be the most expensive.) While some clients are willing to pay a premium for high-speed aero-wheels and lightweight components, the custom bike’s timeless value is its highlight. When you consider the man-hours involved and the quality achieved, a well-built custom bike is an amazing value. Custom-built bicycles consume as many as 4 times the man-hours of some production bikes but often cost very little, if any, more than a production bike of comparable equipment and technology. Let’s consider a buyer who spends hundreds of hours researching apparent options, reading and listening to opinions and "wives-tales" about proper sizing and component requirements. After finally making a decision he purchases a lightweight stock road bike on-sale for $1699.95 down from $1849.95. This is, of course, a great deal considering the whole 8 percent savings! What happens, though, when this new and enthusiastic rider discovers that he could use a triple chain-wheel and rear rack-bosses? What happens when he pulls into his driveway after his first 50-mile ride with a stiff neck? He remembers his dealer telling him, "Yep, that’s the right size for you alright. That stem doesn’t go any higher but we can put a longer one on for a little extra. Oh, and we have a couple other saddles for sale if you find this one uncomfortable." Dealing with the custom shop, he would have been GUARANTEED to have the correct stem, a comfortable saddle, the ideal top-tube length, optimal seat-tube angle, and virtually all other aspects of a proper fit. Additionally he could have been provided with nearly countless CHOICES in color schemes, equipment, and gearing. Not only was his "great deal" a lousy value but possibly a complete waste of money because his now inappropriately sold bicycle will be collecting dust in the back of a garage. This rider has become disappointed with his new sport and with his dealer. The concept of "custom" may be of tremendous value to consumers and dealers alike. Seemingly, a perfectly fitting and personalized custom bicycle purchased through a caring and competent professional may actually be cheaper in the long run. Cycling is intended to be enjoyable. Those who don’t enjoy it don’t do it. The basic requirement for enjoying cycling is a seamless link between your body and your highly efficient machine. The custom bicycle shop secures this link by providing you with what you want: a comfortable and efficient fit, functional design for your use, and personalization of the bike’s look. A quality custom-built bicycle includes all of these – precisely the way you want it. |
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