In a departure from the norm it’s ‘gasp’ aluminum.

This is a first attempt at an alu road frame for me, working with a manufacturer in the Czech Republic – same folks who built the recent track frames. Much the same as for those, I’m looking to introduce these as a full custom option in the range.

This particular frame is for me to use as a faster winter training bike, and the odd summer crit/road race. However anything from rack mounted commuter to full on race bike would be possible, as will choice of angles (this one is 73/73), tube profiles, geometry, etc etc. Pricing from around £800 frame and fork, colour of your choice – would people go for that?

Unlikely I’ll do a production alu road frame, that is more likely to be thin, OS steel – maybe stainless…

How do you find the ride, compared to your usual stuff?

I used to be a ‘steel is real’ absolutist, but I’ve come to realise that I was wrong.
My Mrs’s Easton Ultralite MTB & her alloy Trek roadie really are lovely to ride.

What’s the tubing?
How did you decide on the frame spec?

😯 Stainless! How much £800?

Sounds a bit expensive to me. Looks nice though.

It is noticeably a lot less comfortable ride than my Osprey – but it’s much lighter, stiffer and faster – two different beasts for quite different purposes. The tubing is double butted 7020 – I probably went a bit bigger on the profiles than was really necessary, I’m sure we could work a lot smoother ride in there through tweaking. The spec was decided through a lot of reading and research, but I’m happy to admit that I’ve got more to learn.

Stainless will be more than £800 I’m sad to say, using some very nice new tubing though… Protos of those should be here in a couple of months. Production realistically 2014 unless I win the Pools…

Grum – how much would you expect to say for a full custom Al frame made in europe with a carbon fork? Genuine question. For comparison an Al Wyndy Milla starts at £1375.

Looks lovely, but at £800 it would be too expensive for me.

Although the full custom option no doubt justifies the expense from a manufacturing perspective, from my (consumerist) viewpoint I would probably look around at cheaper non custom frames for one that fulfilled my requirements.

Would it be possible to build a ‘one type fits most purposes’ frame and make them a little cheaper or would that be going against what you want to achieve with this?

Muppet – it would be possible but in reality wouldn’t be that much cheaper if I stayed with the same manufacturer. Could go to Taiwan, but then you’re really up against it with all the big boys. I think a production frame will happen, it’ll be something along these lines but in steel – and similarly priced to my other framesets.

Put me down for a production model in steel please Sam .

Although the full custom option no doubt justifies the expense from a manufacturing perspective, from my (consumerist) viewpoint I would probably look around at cheaper non custom frames for one that fulfilled my requirements.

+1

Grum – how much would you expect to say for a full custom Al frame made in europe with a carbon fork? Genuine question. For comparison an Al Wyndy Milla starts at £1375.

Not sure that I’m that bothered about custom or being made in Europe, so perhaps this isn’t aimed at me. If it was made in the UK it might have slightly more appeal but for me if its overseas it doesn’t make that much difference where.

Best of luck with it though, hopefully there are enough people that’ll want one to make it viable

The only point of a full custom alloy road frame would be for racing (IMHO) and that’s if you can’t get something off the peg to fit. There are sizing gaps in a lot of manufacturers with only 3-4 sizes and often a head tube is too tall or too big a jump in TT. So possibly a small market there.
Personally I would want an oversize head tube at the bottom and the corresponding stiffer fork plus a more modern slant on the stays (shaped, slimmer seat stays, bigger chain stays butting etc)
Bit of a niche within a niche where your market would probably want something steel or either cheaper or racier (apart from the odd proportioned or very tall)

It’d be hard justifying a 200% premium over a say a kenesis unless you really are a particularly odd shape.
There is a market…..it’s just tiny (and freakish looking).

Have you seen the new Kenesis ali race proto?

seems like ali is starting to come through again. I would imagine ali was dropped once carbon came on the scene. its exciting that ali seems to be getting some attention again. looking forward to seeing how far people can take it.

Nice frame, nice geometry, but a Canondale CAAD8 with Tiagra is £100 more, so looks expensive compared with established Aluminium frame producers. Ribble have sewn up the market for winter road bikes, to be honest, and I’m not convinced of custom sizing, but I am of average proportions.

it would have to be an all out race frame with modern features to match. plus a good fork.

how about making an ali kite? heard lots of people discussing it (for racing) but seem put off by the weight.

I think it would be a pretty hard sell to be honest.

Next time you post a pic of it make sure the chain is on the outer chainring though 🙂

Well – thanks for the feedback all – I guess I should have known STW was unlikely to be the ideal place for it 😉

Personally I would want an oversize head tube at the bottom and the corresponding stiffer fork plus a more modern slant on the stays (shaped, slimmer seat stays, bigger chain stays butting etc)

Aside from the fact tapered steerer forks are not necessarily any stiffer you could fit one to this frame – it’s a 44mm ID headtube.

That said – the idea would be it’s custom, so you could have whatever head tube, BB shell, chainstays or whatever you fancy…

how about making an ali kite? heard lots of people discussing it (for racing) but seem put off by the weight.

Yes, thinking about it…

apologies for posting this…

Core Bike Show 2013: Kinesis, TRP, Identiti and Ritchey

this got me quite excited.

tbh your photo doesn’t do your idea justice. I would think you would have had a better reaction if the bike in the pics was a ‘racer colour’, no guards, different tyres etc.

good luck, hope you can bring something different & exciting to the table.

there is a big market for custom as i’ve found out and many manufacturers do have glaring holes in their sizing range.

i think that as long as the tubing is quality, the build good and the service efficient then you should do well.

i’d be tempted to try one for sure.