How custom is custom?
How custom is custom?
The level to which a rider can go custom varies as much as the number of custom frame builders operating. At a basic level, it can be as simple as just buying a stock-sized frame that is built by hand, and Donhou has introduced a Signature Steel range as an accessible (read: more affordable) route into owning a handbuilt bike.
However, for riders with a greater budget, there is no limit to what Donhou will undertake and the devil is in the detail, he says, with many riders who choose to go custom searching for that something special which sets their machine apart.
“I haven’t said no to any customer requests yet. We’re not a framebuilder in the traditional sense; we’re happy to spend a lot of time doing little custom bits that make a difference on the entire frame when it’s finished. We’ve built one-off gear shifters and chain guards, which is not what a traditional framebuilder will offer.”
However, it’s not only in the fine detailing that that a framebuilder can add a custom touch. The way the bike rides can also be tweaked for different riders, riding styles and disciplines. Through the careful selection of tube diameters and wall thickness with metal frames, and the tube diameters and the number of wraps at the joints on carbon frames, the stiffness and comfort of a frame can be tuned.
“The custom element is not just concerned with the length of the tubes and how the bike fits the rider, but also how the tube joints are wrapped – the number of layers – is individual to each customer,” says Roberts of Comtat’s carbon frame. “The feel of the bike can be tuned. You might have a stiffer headtube or bottom bracket area for instance, or a higher level of comfort with more flex built in.”
When Roberts speaks about the lengths of tubes he is referring to a key part of getting a custom frame made, the design process. Included in the cost of a custom frame from Comtat is a complete bike fitting session using the Retul system. This gives Roberts the necessary dimensions to design a frame to fit the customer. However, it’s not always necessary for a potential buyer to visit the builder.
“Fitting is a whole different profession to frame building,” says Donhou. “We have fitters that we recommend and we then ask the customer to supply the fit details, so I can then design the frame around those figures. I start the design with the fit triangle, the three rider contact points and then through discussion with the customer, either face-to-face, via telephone or by e-mail, about how they want the bike to handle, what the intended use is and where they are planning on riding, I finalise the design.” By working this way, and in some cases never actually meeting his clients, Donhou has supplied bespoke frames to customers around the world.
Ultimately, how custom you want to go will depend on your personal requirements and budget, but one of the main benefits of buying a handbuilt bike is that you can have a significant say on how it will ride.