FAQ: Made to Measure… WHY?
#01 / THE FIT
It's true, if you’re not an odd shape you can fit a standard frame. However, a standard size is always going to be a compromise to some extent. Have you ever compared a made to measure tailored suit with one off the rail, from the high street? The analogy is appropriate: even if you can find a nice suit in a shop, the suit made by a skilled tailor will look and feel completely different and it will fit impeccably. It’s simple: a frame that is built around your body will ride better. The geometry will be designed for your body type and size, with the right tube angles and lengths and visually it will be beautifully proportioned. It will handle like no standard sized frame; the weight balance will be perfectly distributed on the two wheels affording you ideal, stable lines, especially for cornering and descending at speed, even when braking suddenly. There’s no vibrations, no twitching, no nervous handling – the typical behaviours of monocoque, standard moulded frames.
#02 / THE PERFORMANCE
The bike with the best fit offers the best, uncompromised performance. It allows all the rider's muscles to work harmoniously and efficiently, the way they should. This typically shaves minutes off our clients' PBs.
#03 / THE COMFORT
Unlike people tent to think, comfort and performance go together. A well constructed made to measure frame doesn't compromise on performance, responsiveness and stiffness - typical aspects of carbon fibre – but it also offers a supremely comfortable ride, due to the wrapped carbon technology on the lugs areas (where the tubes are joined together). This is a big contrast with harsh monocoque (one piece moulded frame) technology.
#04 / THE FITNESS
If you ride a comfortable bike, you can easily spend more hours on it. You can get back on day after day with no stiffness and no pain. You can perform better, with more motivation and derive more pleasure from your training. As a result you cycle more, clock up higher mileage over the year and this pushes you to a higher level of fitness. Not least, the lower risk of injury makes it a long term investment too, as you spend less money on physiotherapy and so on.
#05 / HERITAGE AND EXPERTISE, MADE IN ITALY
Our frames are hand made one by one, by master frame builders who have been constructing competition frames since the 1940’s. They are based in the heart of what has traditionally been Italy’s most productive regions in the cycling industry. They test and develop their own carbon tubes (the carbon tubes are made in Italy too). Obviously made to measure frames standards vary (and not all artisan frame builders make a great product) but our selection of frame builders and brands come with 20 years' experience of testing frames in the market. This is why we confidently offer only a few carbon products which are the absolute best we have ever ridden. All our feedback confirms this.
#06 / MADE TO MEASURE! NOT JUST "BESPOKE" OR "CUSTOM"
Not to be confused with 'bespoke' or 'custom' builds, which means fitting you onto a standard size that is correct enough for your body (with some obvious compromises). The Made to Measure approach is completely 'geometrically correct’ - where a frame is designed and built specifically around your body, taking into consideration ALL of the following points, down the mm for length and 0.1 degree for angles: Head tube height - Saddle / handlebars drop and distance - Top tube length - Seat tube angle - Seat tube heigh - Saddle setback - Headtube angle - Fork rake - Wheelbase length - Stem length to top tube length ratio - Tube profiles / diametres.
#07 / THE EXCLUSIVITY FACTOR
Well known multinational bike brands invest hugely in marketing and Pro Team sponsorship, to create aspirations. If you’re not fooled by the hype you will see your made to measure bike as a unique thing of beauty. Even the paint finish will be exclusively made for you. We are proud to represent a niche alternative to the mass-production made in the Far-East.
#08 / THE PRICE
If you’re interested in a high quality bike then it makes sense. Our prices are actually similar to any high end, off the peg bike and we're even cheaper than many. But, when you do your research and price comparisons, please don’t compare our products to £2K carbon bikes. We are talking about a different league here, and you will absolutely experience that, when you test ride one of our bikes.
#09 / A 360 DEGREE PURCHASE
We’ll have a face to face relationship with you, which makes the purchasing process unique. A number of dedicated professionals will take into careful consideration your needs, before and after purchasing. There’s the (world leading) bio-mechanic to design your geometry and fine-tune your position, the designer who will help you create your unique colour-scheme, the manager who will discuss your project in detail with you, the frame builders / painters and the mechanic to assemble and test your bike. The whole team is committed to giving the best possible bike for your budget, giving you the best possible bespoke advise at decision making stage and following your development as a rider, after the purchase.
#10 / THE FEEDBACK
It is not easy to find online reviews of made to measure frames, it is a niche market after all, but the feedback from our clients speaks for itself, have a look here:
JIM: “I'll vouch for the ride. I've had Three Cervelos, two Dogmas, three Cipollinis and two Legends. My Racer Rosa is the best bike I have ever ridden. A true masterpiece. Hands down!”
TOM: “I found myself pushing my limits and I noticed that I didn¹t feel I was losing my front when the road conditions were bad. The balance was perfect and makes me push harder. The frame does not flex. I have immediately achieved a personal best and, compared to my previous sportives, the result brings a smile and a great sense of achievement.”
DUNCAN: “My new bike has been excellent, light, stiff and fast. I've ridden it regularly including a number of races in the UAE and it must be one of the best bikes I have ridden.”
RICHARD: “I used to ride a Ford Escort turbo, judderingly quick up the hills and terrifying down. Now I¹m in a Bentley smooth, beautiful to look at and deceptively quick. A brilliant package.”
BRIAN: “I feel the urge to pedal faster, as it gets more enjoyable. The ride quality is magical, I just never imagined that it could be this comfortable and this light. BB power transmission is superb. The front end is super stiff and responsive. And there is zero road chatter. It makes me want to ride this cycle exclusively and retire all the others.”
ADRIAN: “Light for the steepest climbs, agile on descents and comfortable for long rides that you still feel fresh after a long day in the saddle.”
RICH: “This bike is so bloody good I find it hard to ride gently. I always end up in the big ring, mashing along, not pushing it too hard but nevertheless, going along at a fair speed. And how stiff the bottom bracket and down tube are!”
STEVE: “Having previously owned bikes like TIME RXR and Legend HT 9.5, I was sceptical to find anything better. At first glance it was a beautiful bike and I was astonished by the craftsmanship, the attention to details. It looked amazing! But riding it, it's a thing of pure mechanical beauty! The stiffness, not only on the bottom bracket but the front end, is fantastic. The bike is smooth, responsive and somehow feels 'alive'. I did not expect it to be that much better than my previous bikes - Thank you!”
