bespoked times
A bicycle made for you WORDS Phil Taylor
Bespoked is a show of ideas, a shop window of possibilities! The best of the best in the framebuilding world display their talents through the realisation of their customers dream bicycle at Bespoked. This is the place to help turn your dreams and ideas into reality and find the best person for you to help interpret and realise them. What would your dream bike be and who’s the person to make it happen? Show founder and framebuilder Phil Taylor talks though some of the reasons why your next bike should be one made just for you.
For something a bit different If you’ve ever had an idea of just how you want your bike to look and can’t seem to find it anywhere off the peg then get it made for you. From paint to frame design to components - if you want something out of the ordinary then you’ll more than likely need it made for you. In a roundabout way this is how Bespoked came into being. 12 years ago my daily commute of 15 miles from Brighton to Worthing had a number of possible variations, some taking me off road. I wanted a bike that could be quick on the road if I wanted to head straight home, but I also wanted something that could take me across the beautiful South Downs. This was before gravel bikes existed in the shops, so I learnt to weld and built myself a cx bike with a lower bottom bracket… and hit upon the idea of creating a handmade bicycle show.
Be a part of the design process If you’re considering commissioning a famebuilder, the chances are you’ve got some ideas of the kind of bike you want, what it might look like and what you plan to do on it. Your input in making this happen is crucial. Some designs start with a blank piece of paper, while others are tweaks and personalisations of tried and tested designs. The framebuilder is there to help with this process, so find someone whose work you like, you get along with and feel will understand your commission. You can take an active part in the design process to realise your dream bicycle – you know best how and where you like to ride and through your partnership with the framebuilder this dream bicycle will be made reality. Bespoked is the place to meet and chat with the framebuilders and see their work on display.
Made to measure One of the first stages of commissioning a bicycle is a bike fit, either by the builder or with a specialist fitter. This ensures the bike is made exactly to fit you and your riding style / position. With the contact points (pedals, bars and saddle) all in the right place you can ride longer, faster and happier!
Pictured clockwise from top: Arbr Ltd | Stayer Cycles | Condor | Bike Science | Before Carbon | Portus Cycles | Ted James Design
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