Tuesday, 24 May 2011

Bike fitting - what is possible?

Nowadays everyone wants carbon, preferably the same brand as the professional riders use in the peloton. Many seems to forget there exists several other materials to use, and that feel is way more important than weight.

A popular trend the last years is customised bikes. Many do not have a clear understanding just how much that can be achieved. How much can you do with steel, aluminium, carbon or titanium? If the proper measurements of a rider is taken, talks about the use, ride style and so forth have been done, you can have the dream bike made exclusively for you. Having a bespoke bike will be way better than a "fresh-off-the-belt-bike" in a shop. Naturally the prize differs a bit, depending on shop, what material you choose, wheels and of course the components. It is even possible to mix different materials as well, having a steel frame and a carbon fork for comfort.

Take a look at this video from @Aleksikoskinen showing just how many different possibilities Condor have to fit a custom bike to a customer:



Bike Fitting - Condor Cycles from Condor Cycles on Vimeo.



Here you will find a couple of brands who will make a bespoke bike to you. Feel free to add shops/brands in the comment field too, if you have experiences with bike building or bikefitting please add those too.

http://www.crisptitanium.com/ (with a lovely intro video)
kl.

2 comments:

  1. Unknown4 June 2011 at 09:09

    The Dream Bike.
    The fantasy.
    * And the 64 year old pedal pusher storms to the front of the peleton leaving Cav in his wake *
    and then there is reality.
    How many are swayed by the latest carbon fibre frame, with aero dynamic spoked wheels..when really it is just a dream they live.
    Better to accept reality and have a custom bike which can be both a pleasure and be practical..that way you can live your dream on a realistic level.
    My dream comes from a hand built Mercian, and I am hoping to spec something out ready for my 65th birthday :-)
    http://www.merciancycles.co.uk/

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  2. Pedalingtheroad4 June 2011 at 10:18

    Ash; interesting comment indeed, thanks a lot. Cyclists are vain, and to some things can probably go a bit too far. Finding a balance between what you want and what you need is crucial. But, people are different, who am I to judge? If collecting and building bikes is someone's hobby, who am I to judge?

    Personally, I find it strange that some Cat 4 riders have bikes that cost £10000, some £3000-4000 more than a PRO, but that is their choice.

    A guy told me once he compared an expensive bike to an expensive car, the riding (driving) experience was crucial to him.

    To me, it is a mixture of feelings and best use of my money for my training.

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