Who needs a custom bike? Are they still relevant?
Custom bikes may seem like an extravagance, but I'm here to tell you that this might not be the case. They could be a reasonably affordable option that completely changes your outlook on how enjoyable cycling can be.https://youtu.be/LtwiSpsyq4UFifteen or twenty years ago a really nice, above average bike cost about $2500-$3000 and a comparably outfitted custom bike would be $1000-$2500 more or somewhere around $4000-$5000. A really tricked out custom bike likely would run $8000-$11,000. There was really no such thing as a $10,000 stock bike back then -- there may have been a couple outliers in the $8000-$10,000 range but they were pretty limited.Today the above average stock bike costs ~$4500-$6000 and every manufacturer has a number of options for stock bikes in the $8000-$12,000 range.This is not meant to be a discussion of inflation and price escalation. I want to highlight the relative change seen among stock bikes and the relatively reasonable prices among custom bikes.An exceptionally well outfitted custom bike can still be had for $10,000. I'm not here to tell you that the prices on custom haven't moved, because they have. But what's also moved is the acceptable or perhaps expected amount people spend on bikes these days. Twenty years ago, you couldn't buy a custom bike for the cost of an above average stock build. Today you can. In addition, many bikes are being sold in the $7,000-$9000 range -- a price that still produces a truly exceptional custom build.I know what you're going to say, though, that these custom bikes aren't going to be carbon...not at these prices, and this is true, a custom carbon frame is probably going to set you back at least $5000-$6000. But something to keep in mind:
- There are many stock frames that cost this much these days. You don't have to look hard to find them.
- There's a good chance that the carbon frame you have, even if you paid $5000 for it, doesn't ride any better, and dollars to donuts rides worse than a well built steel or titanium.
Throw in the fact that you could have a completely customized frame built just for you out of steel or titanium for a fraction of the cost and you can begin to see how a custom bike might make sense.If you have never had any fit problems, are super resilient and have no need for custom geometry and you just want to build the trickest lightest bike possible, then perhaps a really pricey stock frame from an Italian manufacturer makes the most sense for you.But over the last 10 years I've seen so many people with moderate to significant fit troubles spend a lot of money on stock bikes that would have been significantly better off had they bought a bike that that was built to match the geometry they needed -- and they could have spent the same amount. A custom bike is about building something without compromises -- you don't have to compromise your posture/fit, how the bike handles, or how comfortable it is. If you have some fit troubles, a stock bike can make you sit in a slightly more stretched. [clip of a tricked out bike setup with proposed contact points highlighted and then your contact points highlighted]Don't get tricked by the weight of the bikes -- in the vast majority of cases it's not going to matter if your bike weighs a half pound more than the stock carbon equivalent. Even a pound isn't a big deal - want to know what the practical difference between a 15# and 16# bike is for most riders? There is none. It barely registers.
This is explored in the book Faster which is excerpted very well in this article on VelonewsDon't get tricked by the aesthetics or aerodynamics questions especially in the face of a bad bike fit.Aerodynamics: there is so much more to be gained other than at the frame, especially on a road bike, but even a triathlon bike. Having a well-fitting jersey [show skin-fit jersey] on or keeping things out of your back pockets [clean back pocket shot] are likely to have as much effect as that aero frame. Check out this article at CyclingTips.com about the effect of aero parts and adjustments and how the frame plays its role. Also, aerodynamics is a very tricky science. You can't just pick the "best tested" wheels and frame and bar and put them together since it's the way the parts work together. It isn't a clean cut, black and white endeavor
All this goes back to the idea, and it is undisputed, that bike fit is king. It should be the first box checked. If you fit that stock bike perfectly then great, go for it. If you don't then you need to find a geometry that works better for you and that might mean a custom bike. If you choose to ignore the fit in favor of aesthetics, or aerodynamics or weight, that's fine, you need to accept that there will be compromises. As we tell our kids: "You get what you get, so don't throw a fit."