made to measure bikes in UK?

[thevoice]

Hi,

Are there any places in UK where they measure your up and build a bike for you based on your size? I am 6"6 and have an inside leg of 36inchs. I currenty use a 23" frame mountain bike which is fine leg wise but handle bars are a bit low for my liking.

many thanks

p.s. If a place exsists would they also be able to build a spin bike for the home also?

 

[zimzum42]

Bob Jackson in Leeds are great..

 

[ASC1951]

If you mean designing a frame, most big towns have a framebuilder who can produce what you want, some better than others, and if you say where you live I'm sure someone can recommend one.

A custom frame is an expensive way to go and if you already have a frame which is big enough for you it should be perfectly possible to get the riding position you need by changing the stem length, rise or handlebar shape. Take it in to a decent LBS and see what they suggest.

If you are getting a new bike anyway, find a dealer with a fitting jig and pay for a session. That's usually about £50 but it's normal to knock it off the price of a new bike. Once you have the data you can use it to set up every future bike too.

 

[ASC1951]

Bob Jackson in Leeds are great..

A lot of people wouldn't agree with you. BJs have a reputation for snotty staff and a rude and agressive attitude to customers. That was certainly my experience.

In Leeds, I would go to Woodrups.

 

[Chris James]

I haven't used either of the Leeds shops (my only handbuilt frame was from 20 years ago via a shop in Chester - a Dave Quinn). But in the interests of balance I have come across lots of satisfied Bob Jackson customers.

There are loads of framebuilders out there. But geting a handbuilt frame is expensive and getting one fitted to your exact dimensions can be even more so.

What's your budget?

An off the peg bike would be cheaper although you are obviously pretty tall so may be off the size chart for some manufacturers.

 

[Danny]

I actually had a very good experience when I used Bob Jackson's to repair and respray my frame, so I wouldn't rule them out.

Dave Yates has a good reputation and was recently featured in Cycling Plus.

Paul Hewitt offers a good bike fitting service and will then build up a bike using a standard frame to meet your requirement;, or alternatively can provide totally custom made bikes though at a much higher cost.

Mercian also have a very good reputation and well worth looking at if you can afford it.

 

[zimzum42]

A lot of people wouldn't agree with you. BJs have a reputation for snotty staff and a rude and agressive attitude to customers. That was certainly my experience.

In Leeds, I would go to Woodrups.

It's beginning to sound like it's just you!

 

[Paulus]

There is Chas Roberts. http://www.robertscycles.com/

 

[asterix]

A lot of people wouldn't agree with you. BJs have a reputation for snotty staff and a rude and agressive attitude to customers. That was certainly my experience.

In Leeds, I would go to Woodrups.

Unfortunately Bob Jackson's are definitely to be avoided for customs builds from my experience. The bike they made for me had numerous faults:

the dynamo bracket didn't match the dynamo they fitted so it was impossible to align the rotor with the tyre and it quickly wore out tyres. After much unpleasantness they moved the bracket and re-sprayed the fork.

the back brake didn't work. The bosses were too far out and only brakes with new blocks could be made to touch the rim. As soon as there was the slightest wear - no back braking. They had to move them but in any case they had fitted mtb direct pull cantis and these are pretty ineffective with the 105 levers they'd fitted. They tried a device called 'travel agents' but they were unsatisfactory. BJ refused to do anything further to remedy the brakes and I eventually got Mercians of Derby to do it (a pleasant company to deal with IMO).

the gears didn't work. BJ had provided an mtb chainset in order to get the gear range needed. This didn't work because what BJ didn't know was that SHimano mtb chainsets were not compatible with their 105 road shifters. BJ tried a few adjustments on the work stand but they still didn't work on the road and BJ, in the words of Zimzum, said 'It must be you then' and refused to take further action. Since Sheldon Brown had e-mailed me to explain the incompatibility, I knew it wasn't just me! I replaced the expensive 105 shifters with bar-end jobs.

The outfit is a shop and a workshop. It seems the workshop are good at what they do (particularly re-sprays) but customers have to deal with the shop who can be rude and aggressive.

Soon I hope to get another custom bike made and am considering Woodrups who are close to York. However my most recent custom bike was built by Roberts of Croydon. It was perfect from day one.

 

[ASC1951]

It's beginning to sound like it's just you!

I don't think so - there are a couple of recent threads here where several people griped about their attitude and a smaller number about the quality of their work.

I thought I was just giving a bit of balance to your own recommendation. Of course Jacksons must have many satisfied customers otherwise they wouldn't still be in business, and they have been in business a long time. Like any business they will have their off days and their off people and I admit that my experience was of their offhand attitude rather than their workmanship. I was just pointing out that praise of them isn't universal, as it is, for instance, with Paul Hewitt.

 

[zimzum42]

i did put a winking smiley in there!

 

[ASC1951]

Why, so you did, Zimzum. I can't make those out first thing in the morning....

 

[wafflycat]

If I was going to have a UK custom build, I think I'd go for a Mercian. Have a tourer made up.

 

[Ludwig]

You might want to consider something Italian. Naturally it would mean a trip to the factory or workshop of the frame builder in Italy but the quality and craftsmanship of anything Italian like their top marque cars is extraordinary.

 

[tomb1960]

Seriously go and visit Paul Hewitt