Well, the first thing is for you to decide what type of bike you want. Sounds obvious but that can be quite difficult for some as generally this is a once in a lifetime purchase and you do not want to get it wrong :).
Current bike trends like Gravel or low attached seat stays can play a bit part in the final design. I generally tell people to follow their heart and go for something they really want but bear in mind that bike trends come and go and certain design tweaks can be very now but they will date a bicycle in a few years. Even so, if you want the latest bike trend then go for it 🙂
So, you know what you want, that’s great. Next, I’ll ask you to input 6 measurements into my Bike Fit Page. This gives me the basics required to start the CAD process. If you know what colour scheme you want then that also helps as I can add that to the design so you can really see what it will look like.
Following CAD work we will need to meet up or conference call to discuss components. Fork selection, stem, wheel size and tyre clearance are all really important to produce the final geometry design.
I’m happy to help suggest components for all budgets and I have some helpful spreadsheets I can share. Ideally, I’ll have a bike building page coming soon to the website.
As soon as you have chosen components and of course frame material, steel or titanium, and signed off on the design, it is up to me to start production.
Certain steel tubing and especially stainless steel components have a lead time of around two-three weeks, so I’ll order them as soon as possible. On receipt, the production will take approximately three to four weeks.
Once the frame is complete its then up to you to either have the frame rattle can sprayed by yourself (www.spray.bike), powder coated or professionally spray painted. There are a number of specialist bicycle spray shops. You should expect a lead time of approximately six weeks for them to complete the frame. Powder coating companies are generally much quicker.
When the frame is painted and back, you can then build it yourself or get a good local bike shop to do it for you. Expect a cost of approximately £160 for a bike build and another two weeks to complete.
If you have been counting up the time then you’ll know that the entire process takes around 12 weeks on average for a completed sprayed frame (6 weeks design and 6 weeks spray). If you spray yourself then it’ll be a lot quicker :).