WHY YOU DESERVE A CUSTOM BIKE
Bicycling US|Fall 2024
Custom. The word evokes passionate opinions about what constitutes a custom-made bike and who gets to ride one. There's this idea that they're wildly expensive pieces of functional art meant only for the fittest, fastest riders.
WHY YOU DESERVE A CUSTOM BIKE

That's simply false. Custom is an expansive term that can mean different things to people. The fact is, almost every rider customizes their bicycle to some degree when choosing saddles, bar tape, accessories, or component sizing. And the definition also varies from one brand or frame builder to another.

We've spent years testing nearly every production bike on the planet, and we're here to tell you that a custom bike might be the smartest choice for you--no matter what kind of rider you are. With production road, gravel, and mountain bikes now regularly carrying five-digit price tags, a bicycle designed to fit your specific riding needs might cost less than a top-of-the-line stock bike and provide better value.

WHAT IS CUSTOM?

Broadly speaking, custom means not stock. Stock bikes are what you typically see when you walk into a bike shop. These bikes, often from large manufacturers, come out of boxes with all parts and dimensions locked in. And companies usually offer them in only one or two predefined finishes.

Custom bikes are generally made by much smaller companies. This could be a one-person operation run out of a backyard shed, or a brand with a handful of employees. Either way, it's probably not an outfit with an HR department (or any departments, really).

These low-volume, craft builders typically make most of their goods in-house. Many do it as a full-time job, while for others it is a side or passion project. Hundreds of these brands from around the world fuel the ever-growing small frame builder and custom-bike community.

Some of these builders offer full-custom, one-of-a-kind bikes. They make bespoke frames with geometry, tube sets, frame shaping, and paint designed for only one person: the buyer. These frames may be adorned with an individualized build kit of hand-picked parts and accessories. Sometimes, the parts themselves are custom-made or custom-finished.

هذه القصة مأخوذة من طبعة Fall 2024 من Bicycling US.

ابدأ النسخة التجريبية المجانية من Magzter GOLD لمدة 7 أيام للوصول إلى آلاف القصص المتميزة المنسقة وأكثر من 9,000 مجلة وصحيفة.

هذه القصة مأخوذة من طبعة Fall 2024 من Bicycling US.

ابدأ النسخة التجريبية المجانية من Magzter GOLD لمدة 7 أيام للوصول إلى آلاف القصص المتميزة المنسقة وأكثر من 9,000 مجلة وصحيفة.

المزيد من القصص من BICYCLING US مشاهدة الكل
ONE MAN'S OBSESSIVE CRUSADE TO Take Down Zwift Cheats
Bicycling US

ONE MAN'S OBSESSIVE CRUSADE TO Take Down Zwift Cheats

Indoor cycling and virtual racing are booming, and so are the ranks of digital dopers abusing the platforms.

time-read
10+ mins  |
Fall 2024
WHAT I LEARNED WHEN LOST IT ON A MOUNTAIN BIKE
Bicycling US

WHAT I LEARNED WHEN LOST IT ON A MOUNTAIN BIKE

A lifelong roadie tries singletrack for the first time. It did not go as planned.

time-read
10+ mins  |
Fall 2024
THE UNLIKELY HERO WHO RECOVERED OVER 200 STOLEN BIKES IN ONE AMERICAN CITY
Bicycling US

THE UNLIKELY HERO WHO RECOVERED OVER 200 STOLEN BIKES IN ONE AMERICAN CITY

It was a sunny day in the summer of 2022. There were some things I had to move into the house, so I left the garage door open. I was gone less than 15 minutes.

time-read
10 mins  |
Fall 2024
YOU CAN BE MORE THAN JUST A CYCLIST
Bicycling US

YOU CAN BE MORE THAN JUST A CYCLIST

I'VE ALWAYS HAD A LOVE FOR SPORTS, starting with the usual team ones such as football and baseball. But that faded in favor of more individual pursuits. Watching my dad roll down the driveway to go for a ride, I wanted to do the same. The bike was my first taste of freedom, a freedom to do it my way.

time-read
2 mins  |
Fall 2024
THE RIGHT SADDLE CAN CHANGE YOUR LIFE
Bicycling US

THE RIGHT SADDLE CAN CHANGE YOUR LIFE

UP UNTIL RECENTLY, I WAS, AT BEST, A TWICEa-month cyclist.

time-read
3 mins  |
Fall 2024
HOW TO SAY GOODBYE TO THE RIDER YOU USED TO BE
Bicycling US

HOW TO SAY GOODBYE TO THE RIDER YOU USED TO BE

CYCLISTS OF ALL LEVELS GO THROUGH various phases or eras over the years they spend in the saddle. For the vast majority of riders (myself included), these things happen privately, without fanfare.

time-read
4 mins  |
Fall 2024
BIKES MAKE THE WORLD A MORE INCLUSIVE PLACE
Bicycling US

BIKES MAKE THE WORLD A MORE INCLUSIVE PLACE

LIFE'S A BEAUTIFUL PUZZLE THAT COMES in all sorts of shapes, colors, and sizes.

time-read
2 mins  |
Fall 2024
WHAT MAKES A GOOD CYCLING SCENE, ANYWAY?
Bicycling US

WHAT MAKES A GOOD CYCLING SCENE, ANYWAY?

I'VE HAD THE PRIVILEGE OF INVOLVING myself in a few populous and dramatically different cycling communities.

time-read
3 mins  |
Fall 2024
CHOOSE GEAR THAT INSPIRES YOU TO HAVE FUN E
Bicycling US

CHOOSE GEAR THAT INSPIRES YOU TO HAVE FUN E

EVEN THOUGH I TEST LOADS OF CYCLING gear for a living, sometimes I get locked in on particular items and find it difficult to enjoy competing products, even if those products have obvious advantages.

time-read
3 mins  |
Fall 2024
WHY YOU DESERVE A CUSTOM BIKE
Bicycling US

WHY YOU DESERVE A CUSTOM BIKE

Custom. The word evokes passionate opinions about what constitutes a custom-made bike and who gets to ride one. There's this idea that they're wildly expensive pieces of functional art meant only for the fittest, fastest riders.

time-read
10+ mins  |
Fall 2024