Custom Bicycles.

[vash]

i keep gravitating towards them. i don't know what it is. the cool (sometimes lugged) hand-built frames or maybe: riding a bike that isn't stamped out for the masses?.

i ride plenty, so in that aspect i can justify the purchase

the shopping process is kinda daunting. fitting, the cost!!, the waiting list, etc.
i want a gravel bike.

[greglepore]

Those Speedvagens are cool. They have a semi-custom program now as well.

Here's my custom, built a long time back by a guy who doesn't build frames any longer, just tooling. Just had this refinished by Tom Kellogg this winter.

[LEAKYSEALS951]

I'd look and see if you have any local framebuilders who run classes.

A friend of mine took a framebuilding class, and got to make his own bike. He had a lot of fun and ended up with a beautiful bike which he rides all the time. Polished lugs and such. Looked like a high end steel colnago.

[mikeferg75]

Check Scott Quiring out of https://www.facebook.com/QuiringCyclesLlc/

His TI welds are fantastic. He built my current 29er custom to my needs/wants.

On the wait list for a second frame.

[masraum]

Originally Posted by vash

i keep gravitating towards them. i don't know what it is. the cool (sometimes lugged) hand-built frames or maybe: riding a bike that isn't stamped out for the masses?.

I'm not a bike guy, but that's a beauty, very sleek. Granted, it might be tough to ride with no pedals which probably lends a bit to the sleek appearance in the photo, so a bit of a cheat but still very cool.

[look 171]

I have a custom bike made for me during the mid 90s from a local fabricator. I rode it sometimes but its just another steel bike. The fit is very similar to any other off the shelf bike, but the ride quality was ever so slightly better. Its stiffer because I like them that way and that was my only request. I think modern carbon bikes within the same price range to your custom jobs are a better deal all the way around. I am bias, only because I think carbon is a superior material. I do think these custom bikes look so much better only its because the tub are thinner and its steel instead of plastic.

[vash]

Originally Posted by look 171

I have a custom bike made for me during the mid 90s from a local fabricator. I rode it sometimes but its just another steel bike. The fit is very similar to any other off the shelf bike, but the ride quality was ever so slightly better. Its stiffer because I like them that way and that was my only request. I think modern carbon bikes within the same price range to your custom jobs are a better deal all the way around. I am bias, only because I think carbon is a superior material. I do think these custom bikes look so much better only its because the tub are thinner and its steel instead of plastic.

admittedly, my thought process is not steep with logic.

i dont want a race bred road bike. i want just schooch more comfort. something, i wouldnt mind taking a detour off a well graded gravel road just to see "what's over that rise"

i've ridden a Rivendell Rodeo a bunch of times. those guys just let me take the bike..return it whenever. (my wife bought a bike from them) it was VERY comfy. maybe too comfy.. but damn, it was fun and confidence inspiring. the tightest u-turns of my life. it is a good bike. more grassroots that i would want, i think. my next bike will have disc brakes.

hence it has me looking at the myriad of custom builders we have available.

[KFC911]

Originally Posted by masraum

I'm not a bike guy, but that's a beauty, very sleek. Granted, it might be tough to ride with no pedals which probably lends a bit to the sleek appearance in the photo, so a bit of a cheat but still very cool.

I clicked on this thread just to see what Vash is up to...

That there is a "specialty" bike....their downhill version

[Otter74]

Originally Posted by vash

admittedly, my thought process is not steep with logic.

i dont want a race bred road bike. i want just schooch more comfort. something, i wouldnt mind taking a detour off a well graded gravel road just to see "what's over that rise"

i've ridden a Rivendell Rodeo a bunch of times. those guys just let me take the bike..return it whenever. (my wife bought a bike from them) it was VERY comfy. maybe too comfy.. but damn, it was fun and confidence inspiring. the tightest u-turns of my life. it is a good bike. more grassroots that i would want, i think. my next bike will have disc brakes.

hence it has me looking at the myriad of custom builders we have available.

I have a Vendetta custom that I bought secondhand about 6 years ago. Once I converted it to 650b (32mm tires with fenders), it became just the bike I wanted. It's comfortable all afternoon, lots of fun and begs to be ridden more. And with a fender removal and tire swap, it makes a great dirt bike too.

[jwasbury]

I have a hard time swallowing the price tag on modern bikes. Part of the reason why I have a stable full of vintage bikes.

Much of the riding I do is "mixed surface" and the sort of thing that people buy gravel bikes for. Truth is that gravel bike is just the industry trying to sell you a new machine. You can turn most any decent rigid or hardtail mountain bike into a gravel bike with some narrow road tires. Conversely you can turn any good older road bike into a gravel bike by fitting some wider range gears and 28c or 32c tires. Today's super specialized 12lbs racing bikes need not apply.

I took my old 1993 Breezer mountain bike and turned it into a gravel bike for more course work with some drop bars and narrow 1.5" road tires...its a "monster cross" sort of machine. My 1979 steel framed Guerciotti Italian Stallion got some 28c tires and new gearing so I can climb hills without blowing my knees up.

I did indulge myself with a Moots YBB mountain bike 2 years back. Fully custom and with a professional bike fitting. Incredible machine, and I have looked at their gravel bike. The modifications to the Guerciotti were about 1/10 the cost of a new Moots (which will run about the cost of a decent motorcycle)

[vash]

Originally Posted by jwasbury

I have a hard time swallowing the price tag on modern bikes. Part of the reason why I have a stable full of vintage bikes.

Much of the riding I do is "mixed surface" and the sort of thing that people buy gravel bikes for. Truth is that gravel bike is just the industry trying to sell you a new machine. You can turn most any decent rigid or hardtail mountain bike into a gravel bike with some narrow road tires. Conversely you can turn any good older road bike into a gravel bike by fitting some wider range gears and 28c or 32c tires. Today's super specialized 12lbs racing bikes need not apply.

I took my old 1993 Breezer mountain bike and turned it into a gravel bike for more course work with some drop bars and narrow 1.5" road tires...its a "monster cross" sort of machine. My 1979 steel framed Guerciotti Italian Stallion got some 28c tires and new gearing so I can climb hills without blowing my knees up.

I did indulge myself with a Moots YBB mountain bike 2 years back. Fully custom and with a professional bike fitting. Incredible machine, and I have looked at their gravel bike. The modifications to the Guerciotti were about 1/10 the cost of a new Moots (which will run about the cost of a decent motorcycle)

so true..but i have a hankering for disc brakes. it's a process going on in my brain. again, not perfectly logical.

[jwasbury]

I’m sure this will be upside down, but here is my Breezer. Had this bike for over 20 years and its lived 3 lives: first as a mountain bike, then a city bike with fenders and Nitto Albatross bars, and today with drop bars, bar end shifters and narrow road tires its a gravel grinder. Nimble and fast and I keep up with dudes on new gravel bikes from Giant, Salsa, Niner, etc.

[Scott Douglas]

[rwest]

Originally Posted by vash

admittedly, my thought process is not steep with logic.

...I think we may be brothers

[Laneco]

DeSalvo is local to us and a FANTASTIC builder... Steel and alot of very, very nice titanium. With or without disc brakes.

https://www.desalvocycles.com/

angela

[aigel]

I don't know man. Custom built gravel bikes are a total fad. A bad mountain bike and a bad road bike. It doesn't do anything well, unless you are going to race cyclocross, I'd go with something else ...

If you want to have fun with a nice piece of equipment that you can customize and that also rides well, I would recommend you go with a classic or modern classic. Build up an old steel frame etc.

I am happy with my choice of the Colnago C50 I bought 2 years ago on CL with the help of my PPOT brethen. Fraction of the cost of any custom or even cheaper than a decent new road bike. It was one of the best bikes money could buy 10+ years ago and it turns heads all day long (by the people that know bikes). I had it fitted, put a new handlebar and saddle, and I am tearing it up in style.



Next thing you are telling us is that you are growing a handle bar mustache and buying tweed knickerbockers ...

G

[aigel]

Originally Posted by vash

so true..but i have a hankering for disc brakes. it's a process going on in my brain. again, not perfectly logical.

My bike and I are probably 250 lbs dressed and loaded up, throwing myself down a 3500 foot mountain. I never felt the rim brakes weren't cutting it. Unless you ride in the rain, disk brakes are just a way to add weight. They also will not allow you to go with a classic frame ...

G

[LEAKYSEALS951]

I'm fortunate enough to live in a county with 1 (one) stoplight and more gravel roads than paved roads. Gravel bikes are at home here. No traffic and friction between drivers/cyclist, and no off camber wet roots to ditch over on a mtb.

For me the fun of the gravel bike frame is that you really can come up with a unique ride/build. Mine is a trek 930 I found in a garbage can, mounted 700c rims, and as much road stuff as possible. It has a campagnolo record bb with a 102mm spacing for roadie q-factor, and ultra low gearing for climbing some steep grades.

I always chuckle at myself when people talk about disk brakes and like to think my v-brakes are essentially disk brakes with 700c rotors that weight less, but I understand that a lot of people are getting disk. Seems like every road bike these days has a set. Not me though. Even in the mountains, I still am not burning out rims, and wet weather braking has never been a real issue. If I was building a road bike, I would go all CF like 171 said, but for gravel, or touring, I would consider a steel framed "one off" build in a heartbeat.

Gravel bikes slow? Here's one video on road. I thought it was with my road bike, but then I saw myself going after potholes. I will upload some more gravel bike goodness soon.



another-

https://youtu.be/FoX0X5enBoM

and another-

[John Rogers]

When my daughter was racing in the late 70's and through the 80's she had a pair of bikes made by Bill Holland Cycles in San Diego. One was a road racer the other a track bike and they were the first very small frame (she was 5'0") that could use regular sized wheels. She won a bunch of state and national championships on those and I still have the black lines on our short side of the house concrete slab where I would measure her roll out.

I think Bill is still making steel frames and also now has titanium (I had one, very light) and some carbon models.

[look 171]

Originally Posted by John Rogers

When my daughter was racing in the late 70's and through the 80's she had a pair of bikes made by Bill Holland Cycles in San Diego. One was a road racer the other a track bike and they were the first very small frame (she was 5'0") that could use regular sized wheels. She won a bunch of state and national championships on those and I still have the black lines on our short side of the house concrete slab where I would measure her roll out.

I think Bill is still making steel frames and also now has titanium (I had one, very light) and some carbon models.

Bill Holland is a hell of a builder. Joe Bell painted lots of his frames. He painted one of my old frame (not a Holland). I would kill to have a Holland ti bike. Instead, I bought a Merlin Superlight on the used market sometime ago. Since the the new ti frames back then was way out of reach for a racing cyclist or bum, I raced Cannondales at 450 bucks a frame discounted from my club. If I crash it, it cheap enough to just buy another.