Recently seen many people on this forum refer to ’boutique’ bikes. Whats the criteria for a bike to be boutique? Post your boutique bike suggestions / pics on here.

Not readily avaliable as full bike build has to be one of the criterias

Extortionate cost (most of the time)

very expensive and quite often custom geometry. Frame only normally but very nice finishing and detailing on the frames

Apparently they have to have no aesthetic appeal either. 😉

I thought it had something to do with how camp the salesperson was and how much they looked down their nose at the buyer ?

It’s to do with being expensive and ugly most of the time.

i think just not a main stream brand

Like Apollo? 😉

Boot- phrase used for an ugly lass

Eeeek- the noise youy make when you see one

So if an “interestin” bike makes you run away screaming and looking for eye bleach then it’s definitely booteek

‘Small’ manufacturers, not a ‘mainstream’ brand, generally fairly expensive/exclusive, kind of aspirational perhaps as well? In some eyes, an example of a thing (be it bike/clothing etc) that’s expensive just for the sake of being expensive (to give exclusivity for instance), something that does the same job as another item half (or more!) of it’s price…

Anyhoo, I’d consider these two to be ’boutique’ for instance…

DSCF4239 by ten_sim, on Flickr

IMG_3268 by ten_sim, on Flickr

[video]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uVvcD4Czx4Y[/video]

Definitely a close relationship between boutique and fugly…

Higher cost and (in theory) better design and/or quality than mainstream. Think Porsche, Aston Martin, Ferrari rather than VW, Ford, Vauxhall etc

Edit

Definitely a close relationship between boutique and fugly…

Not necessarily. e.g. SC and Intense

PMSL at Tazzy’s comments

Boutique:

Ugly, poorly made, expensive.

Usually you pick two.

Boot- phrase used for an ugly lass

Eeeek- the noise youy make when you see one

So if an “interestin” bike makes you run away screaming and looking for eye bleach then it’s definitely booteek

Soooo… this:

is boutique then?

There is some lovely detail on my Ventana that a mainstream mfr would’nt bother with, fancy cnc work etc. Your paying for that I guess. It rides great, but then so would an off the peg high end Specialized / Trek etc. I paid about 1/3rd of the retail for mine, at a couple of years old. I dont think I’d pay full price for one.

Soooo this… is boutique then?

Indeed it is IMHO… ugly as sin and expensive, meets two of GeeTee’s rules above… probably very well made though 😀

Not necessarily. e.g. SC and Intense

I assume you’re being sarcastic? SC in particular are common as muck.

Higher cost and (in theory) better design and/or quality than mainstream. Think Porsche, Aston Martin, Ferrari rather than VW, Ford, Vauxhall etc

Except that it doesn’t really work like that. The difference between something like an Indy Fab and a generic Taiwanese frame isn’t measurable in any significant way. The IF won’t be significantly faster or stronger or lighter. Just hand-made, prettier and ‘nicer’ perhaps.

The difference between a £7000 Scott TOTR carbon jobby and £700 Scott Alu bike is closer to that analogy really.

My Rock Lobster 853 from Merlin is £299. It’s designed by Paul Sadorf, who designs and builds custom RLs in America somewhere. The custom ones are obviously more personalised and a bit nicer, but do they actually ride any better? I doubt it. Is my RL ’boutique’? No, it’s a mass-produced Taiwanese jobby. I bloody loves it though; I think it’s a fantastic bike and that’s what really matters to me.

Would I prefer a full custom one? I dunno, but I do know I’d be about £900+ poorer…

probably very well made though

Hahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha…. *breathes* ….hahahahahahahahahahahahahaha

Quote from old Pronghorn boss: “Well it’s carbon. It will break eventually…”

not sure i’d count maverick, ellsworth or ibis as boutique more stuff like vanilla, vertigo, richard sachs and kelly. If it stands out at a big bike event eg MM then I’d say there’s a fair chance of it being boutique*

*or blindingly fugly

Aren’t boutique bikes something that some mug is willing to pay more for, despite them being more expensive/lesser performing/uglier than mainstream brands?

Kelly?

not sure i’d count maverick, ellsworth or ibis as boutique

Fair point… I guess it depends on where you’re looking at it from, for folks on here they probably aren’t, but for your man on the street I reckon they would be?

I’d definitely class Mav, ellsworth, ibis, turner etc as boutique. I’d say boutique is non mainstream, pricey, rare. Regardless of how many people on here have them, this is an enthusiasts site and you really don’t see that many out on the trails. You can’t walk in to many shops and see an Ellsworth, Mav or ibis etc.

Something like a Jones is more a specialist item and rarer still.

I always seem to get boutiqueish bikes as I like to kid myself that i have something a little different from the mainstream though I am just a bit sad and conformist really.

They do tend to ride pretty well though.

Hairy I never allied beauty with boutique!

but I would be surprised if you can find a fugly vertigo or vanilla/speedvagen…

Aren’t boutique bikes something that some mug is willing to pay more for, despite them being more expensive/lesser performing/uglier than mainstream brands?

Envy is a very ugly emotion.

I still think boutique is something set apart even within an enthusiast setting, I’d apply that criteria to other areas such as fashion too

Envy is a very ugly emotion.

Despite still lusting after an Indy Fab (and having been close to treating myself a couple of times now) I’ve realised that while I’ve had more exotic/expensive frames through my fleet it’s been the more mundate stuff (Specialised and Cotic in particular) that have been the ones I’ve kept and ridden!

Are Yeti boutique? Think they prob used to be thought as, but maybe not now? Poss due to them moving production to Taiwan or something?.. anyways, I have one, it wasn’t cheap (no way was I paying full retail tho), and I don’t think I’ve seen any whilst at GT and other trail centres..
I’m v happy with it so guess I’m not too bothered if it is boutique or not!

Ego chariot

boutique- low volume, high price, limited market, limited range.

So SC Carbon Nomad or blur not boutique as SC arent a boutique brand, they do a “cheap” entry level (to their brand) frame (like BMW with the 1 series). CNomad undoubtedly a great bike I’d love to own but no more boutique than a top of the range (and thats the point) Giant.

Ibis Mojo is boutique despite costing same/less than the above, as a limited range, with a high price of entry to the brand (basic Mojo £1800?).

I’d definitely class Mav, ellsworth, ibis, turner etc as boutique. I’d say boutique is non mainstream, pricey, rare.

So, is cost a primary signifier in what constitutes ’boutique’, then? Cos stuff like On-One, Ragley, Merlin/Rock Lobster, Cotic etc aren’t particularly pricey, yet not readily available in Evans, Halfords etc. Indeed some are only available via mail-order and not through any shops, and only in relatively small numbers. Plus, stuff like that is designed at least by a ‘bloke in a shed’ type set-up.

Seems that ’boutique’ translates more to ‘expensive’ than any other consideration, for some folk. Regardless of how good the bikes actually are. Spesh R+D, testing and pro support is way way in excess of someone like Ellsworth for eg, so surely Spesh could well produce the ‘better’ product?

^^agree^^
was just thinking the same thing actually!

You’re agreeing with me? 😯

“You agreein’ with me? You agreein’ with me? You agreein’ with me? Then who the hell else are you agreein’ with? You agreein’ with me? Well I’m the only one here. Who the flip do you think you’re agreein’ with?”

😀

tbh, I don’t think of my bikes as ’boutique’, more as ‘different’ or ‘interesting’. I haven’t bought them for their exclusiveness or as a status symbol (which a lot of boutique stuff in say the fashion world could be considered), I’ve bought ’em because a) I love the looks, b) I like the brand and their ‘philosophy/branding’ and c) they’re bloody good bikes to ride!

Surely it all comes down to brand value?

I don’t recall anyone saying that boutique bikes were ‘better’ than mainstream ones, merely rarer, more likely handbuilt and/or low volume with more limited availability.

And I’d definitely class Maverick in the latter category, yet at the minute you can pick an ML8 frame up from JE James for less than £700, so using price as the marker is a little misleading.