The Specialized Roubaix is a great ride. Very comfortable.fasterTHANyou said:
Serial Midget said:
totally. at 3g you CANNOT beat a full custom frame. somepeople ask "well if their so good why dont the pro's race 'um?" the large manufact. PAY the pros to ride their bikes the smaller ones usually dont.squarewheels said:
this is an opinion worth listening to...
Tom Teasdale will do a full-custom foco (focus?) frame for under a grand. Word from the single-speed crowd is that his build quality and fit is top notch, but lacking a fancy paintjob.LordOpie said:
My frame now sells for under two-thousand, all the bits might make it ad up to four but that depends on the build.LordOpie said:
Its not about need its about value - guys who saddle custom frames tend to keep them for a very long time. Guys who saddle the latest and greatest tend to get new frames every few years. Now I wonder why that is? Vanity or technology... debatable.Triphop said:
I would say the reason people who have a custom frame tend to keep it for a long time is because, it is a custom frame and they are very difficult to sell, especially if you get some odd geometry or they are older and want the last bike they will ever own. and if the geometry is close to something standard, well there was probably no need for a custom rig to begin with. The only true value in a custom frame, is you can tune the ride characteristics to your liking, but for the poster we are talking about, first road bike, he has no idea of what to be looking for. IMO, unless you have mad cash, custom is not worth it.Serial Midget said:
I could not agree more. While I completely and totally value the opinion and advice of the experienced riders and learned a great deal from y'all... nothing teaches like personal experience.Triphop said:
Thats because you wouldn't listen to the advice we gave you.LordOpie said:
In fact SM, I think I remember Op saying sometime to the effect that us road bitches better watch ourselves now that he was prowling our beat. Cocky bastard. But I guess if he's gonna put on the tight shorts and ride the thin tires he might as well wear the 'tude as well eh?Serial Midget said:Thats because you wouldn't listen to the advice we gave you.
Now there's an interesting point. Why would someone pay top dollar for a custom frame built for someone else?Serial Midget said:
wooglin said:
Well I was going on original cost... but I still think a Serotta steel frame will hold just as much value as a comparable classic Italian.wooglin said:
True, but tubing selection will play a large part in ride quality and can be tailored for an individual's size and riding style as well as the kinds of rides they'll be doing. Similarly the size of the bike is tailored to the individual by how long you cut those tubes. If I ordered a Sachs and he didn't ask me some questions along those lines I'd be very surprised.Wumpus said:
So the frame doesn't fit as exactly as the original owner, but it will be as close as a mass marketed frame. But with the custom you know that you are getting a good tube set and that the quality is top notch.wooglin said:
The build quality may be top notch, but if the original owner was 6' tall, 155lbs and had the tubing selected for his weight, it may fit well for another guy at 6', but will ride like crap if he weighs 200lbs. Not to mention, just because to people are of similar body proportions, that doesn't mean other factors such as flexibility and prior injury were not taken into account when the frame was designed, and handling preferences, etc...Wumpus said:
Tire pressure makes a bigger difference in the way a bike rides than tubing. Don't buy into the hype when it comes to ultra-high end road bikes!wooglin said:
Maybe. And maybe not. Maybe that mass marketed frame is a perfect fit. Its got just as good a chance to hit that mark as a custom bike built for someone else.Wumpus said:
I know I've got a good tube set and the quality is top notch with my off the shelf bike too. That's got nothing to do with whether its custom and everything to do with who built it.Wumpus said:
yes tire pressure makes a difference in ride as well as a particular tire, however, a tire will not make a stiffer drive train, or create greater compliance, etc...tuning the ride by selected different tubes is not hype. If it were, companies such as Seven and Serotta would not be as popular as they are. Not to mention if a 7-time Tour rider notices the difference in a tubeset, I would have to say there is more to it than hype.SuspectDevice said:
Great -so have you made your fitting appointment yet?Triphop said:
Custom is the way to go if you can rationalize the money for it. No matter what when you buy a mass produced bike, even if it "fits" it takes awhile to get used to it. When u hop on a bike that was custom made for you. The bike just feels perfect from the second u hop on. It's hard to describe, I also hate having things that someone else has I like to always stand out and be different so naturally custom is the only way to have it totally personal.Triphop said:
