toddles

I don't own one but am thinking about making the jump in the next year or two. You got one? If so, wish you had it earlier?

skijor

Yeah, love my Waterford (in Subaru Rally Blue). Still, I didn't have that kind of disposable income twenty years ago.

B. Carfree

I only have custom tandems. My first one was purchased in 1988 and was definitely the right decision. It really opened up a lot of riding for my wife and I to do together that wasn't nearly as fun on half-bikes. We went custom in part because we suspected that she would want to ride captain at least part of the time and that was the only way to make it happen. As it turned out, she always rides captain, so when we upgraded a couple years ago, we pretty much had to go custom again owing to our size differences (no one makes a stock tandem for a 5'6" captain and a 6'2" stoker). Oddly enough, our second tandem cost less in nominal terms than our first one.

Not only would I do it again, I'm likely to buy at least two more custom bikes over the next five years. One will be a half-bike for me and the other will be a tandem that is used only for "go fast" riding (er.. go less slow riding)

toddles

Only 2 w/ custom frames?

ShortLegCyclist

I have two custom framed bikes, a 26" wheeled Rodriguez built in Seattle and a 20" wheeled Bike Friday built in Eugene, OR.

I initially got the BF because there is no way to get a new Rohloff hub bike off a showroom floor, but after I got used to the custom fit it was hard to go back to other bikes.

The only disadvantage is the 20" wheels do not handle Seattle streets and their potholes well, so I just this Spring went for a Rodriguez custom touring bike with S and S couplers and a Rohloff hub.

Best, most comfortable bike I've ever ridden.

Only downside is the cost, I would never leave this bike locked up outside Safeco field while at a game or for that matter outside a Safeway, and I don't really want to put either custom bike on Seattle bus racks, so I don't use them to commute to my job in Tacoma.

Fortunately I have other bikes I can use for those tasks/commuting.

toddles

Good info.

fietsbob

... self made.. in 1976.. It was Earlier..

& in shop CoOperative project in 1990, my new Loaded touring bike I used on a tour of Ireland and Scotland in my 50th year.
A few Years ago,
I got a refused delivery [For Color, not Black enough] Bike Friday Pocket Llama, R'off, discounted , from the company.

Wildwood 

Calfee, Tallerico & Co-Motion tandem.
The Co-Motion & Calfee are really only semi-custom, as they are minor geometry modifications off a standard frame.

Tallerico more of a 'fresh start' project.

but then i really never had special fit issues, mostly a desire to be 1 off

79pmooney

Do you own a custom bike frame? No, I own 3.

I have owned two of three production bikes that actually fit with production parts. Over 45 years. More than half a dozen that didn't. Some I got to fit by having framebuilders make me stems as long as 180mm. And lots of bikes I liked a lot but passed up because the fit would be so poor. My second and third customs fit like a dream AND do everything I want them to do. (The first was early in my learning curve as to what a really good fit was plus it was designed to "do everything" which guaranteed a less than perfect fit.)

Customs are expensive and a real wait, but having the bike I want AND that fits is worth it. I've done a lifetime of riding on bikes that didn't do both already (and worth far more than the half dozen compromises I could own with the money).

Ben