While we do lots of things, my favorite is building custom bikes. From figuring out the best fitting frame geometry to helping people choose the right mix of parts to build their dream bike, it is a lot of fun and let's me exercise my creative side. Depending on what you want your bike to be good at a good shop can probably show you options you didn't even know about. And depending on the shop, you don't have to pay a huge premium to get a bike built to suit you.
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We've been getting a ton of riders ordering custom builds lately. Partly it's because they want a bike that fits and partly because they want a bike that is unlike anything you see out on the local group rides or trails.
Here's how my thought process works when we are building you a custom bike.
- From you measurements I'm able to figure the frame geometry that will best suit you. We have steel, carbon and spinning bike factory aluminum frames available in many styles. Road, mountain, cyclocross, triathlon, touring, fixed gear etc. As well, your measurements will tell me the sizes of parts like crank, stem, handlebars and seatpost to get you in the right ballpark fit-wise.
- Your size, preferences and riding style will guide me in choosing how to build your custom wheels. The choice of rims, number of spokes, spoke thickness, nipple material (alloy or brass), hubs and spoking pattern all matter when it comes to wheels. If you weigh 110 lb and I build you a 36 spoke wheel with deep rims, you will find it beats you up and you get pushed around in cross winds. On the other hand, a well suited wheel set will make your bike ride better. You'll be faster and more confident.
- What is it going to look like? Here is where we can have some fun. Rim color, nipple color, bartape color, seat color. While black is the most common, nothing says you can't have white rims with black nipples and black & white cow print bar tape. Or how about rasta colored spoke nipples and headset? With many parts available in colors you can make you ride reflect your style.
- When it comes to building your bike, it is more than just throwing the parts on. The frame get prepped and sealed if it's steel. Headtube and bottom bracket are faced to ensure a clean fit. Everything is lubed, assembled and tuned to achieve a smooth functioning machine. As stock bikes are mostly put together in the factory, you never know if the frame is prepped properly.
- When your bike is together we have you in for your custom fitting. Be prepared to spend a lot of time on the trainer as I go about measuring and adjusting to get your body lined up to efficiently turn the pedals. My approach to fitting is about dealing with people as individuals. We are each unique and our bikes need to set up to reflect this. The combination of a bike built with frame and parts to fit you and custom fitting to finish it off, is the recipe for fast, pain-free miles in the saddle. Okay, they may be painful but that's cause you are hammering your riding buddies, not because your bike hurts you.
While you can buy a stock bike, you will usually have to make a number of changes to get it to fit you properly. Some of those changes the shop won't want to cover like switching out the cranks for the right length.This all adds up price wise and need to be factored in when you are comparing the cost of a custom build to a stock bike. When your bike is built up with the right frame and parts from the beginning it ends up being priceless.
If you have ever watched Street Motorcycle Racing with Super Bike factory sponsor riding celebrities as the take corners at speeds of 160 plus miles per hour dragging their knees on the track, then you know how dangerous that sport can be. Imagine yourself as a factory sponsored rider on a crotch rocket in full gear and the training you would need.
Well, it just so happens I myself was in the same shoes as most "squids" when I signed up for Super Bike School many years back in California. At the time they were riding Ninja 600's and nothing like today's race bike technologies and believe me we were racing around afterwards in the novice class and were no where near those 160 speeds, especially not in the corners.
Learning to race motorcycles is fun as you come in to set up for the turns, your mind goes into slow motion, but it takes a while to get use to doing it in a fluid motion or even close to the finesse of the professional riders. One new technology on the horizon are the Holographic Technologies, which are getting closer to becoming reality. Imagine watching an image of a factory rider in front of you setting up the turn and executing it perfectly? You would match your bike to the holographic projection and attempt to mirror you actions to it.
By doing this you would be able to visualize it and then watch the video of yourself doing it for critique by the Super Bike coaches. Such an application for this technology could also prevent motorcycle accidents in traffic as you learned to maneuver your bike in all situations. I would recommend super bike school to all motorcycle riders, because these skills are important to avoiding all the idiot drivers out there. Think on this.