WHY BESPOKE?

No matter how different, all our bikes have one thing in common: they are hand-made with love and artisan skill, and imbued with soul.

There are many reasons why someone might commission a bespoke hand-made bike: it’s made-to-measure and will fit like a glove; it can be inspired by your wildest dreams or your fondest memories; it will be your perfect companion over challenging terrain; or it could be a celebration of your company’s brand or your greatest personal milestones.

Whatever the impetus, a bespoke bike is the sure-fire way to get the bike that fits every part of your body and your brief, right down to the last fleck of paint on its fillet-brazed forks. And the process itself, from briefing to riding away, is all part of the journey.

Usually we do this in person, over a few cups of decent coffee and nice bit of cake, but we’ve also Skyped or Zoomed clients in different parts of the world. It doesn't matter how we get together, but it’s vital that we do because this is where we learn all about the bike you want, what’s inspired you to have it built, how it will fit into your life, and how and where you will ride it.

We’ll look at some old books or images of bikes that have the characteristics you’re after, and you might even bring in a pair of old handlebars or your Grandad’s saddle, which you’d like to have incorporated into the build.

The bike fitting’s next. We’ll take a complete set of measurements from you to make sure the bike geometry is a perfect fit for your size, ability, age, larger-than-average left big toe…and so on. One of the best parts about a custom-made bicycle is having it tailored to precisely fit your body shape, resulting in a bike that will be comfortable to ride with no aches and pains on longer days in the saddle.

The Design Process

Next we’ll start getting some ideas down on paper. We'll get together to have a look over the designs, and work closely with you to fine tune them until you’re satisfied with the end goal. Now is the time to make any changes you want to make to the geometry to tweak the riding characteristics, or add some more braze-ons, or frame features such as through axles, belt-drive compatibility, oversize head tube... the list goes on and on, and the bike can be customised to suit any requests you might have.

We can also settle on which kind of steel to use for your bike. We have a very close relationship with Reynolds and use a selection of their tubesets depending on the ride characteristics you are looking for. Read more about selecting the best kind of tubing for your bike here.

The Finishing Touches

This is the part where we’ll apply your custom paint job, or tattoo your moosehide saddle. With all paint finishing done in-house, your choices of colours and styles are limited only by your imagination. We can match just about anything, whether you provide us with a RAL code or maybe a treasured possession with that certain something to it, we’ll be able to replicate exactly what it is you’d like to capture in the look of your bike.

Depending on the bike’s function and your budget, we’ll fit the best lightweight components or clean-up some fantastic vintage ones that are right on brief. Your dream bike starts to really come together.

And there it will be, your vision made real. A genuinely proud moment for all of us. Your unique bike, made by hand and with soul.

Have a look at our Instagram page to see what we’ve been working on lately.