If you could only get one frame custom made for you, which would you go for (road or mtb), assuming you ride both ‘genres’ relatively equally?

Tough to say. Less of a need for custom road IMO, but I’m less likely to change a road bike.

I got a custom mtb as I couldn’t get exactly what I wanted off thE shelf.

Same here as Cynic-Al. Exactly the same, spookily.

Road.

I think fads and fashions change far more in MTB – imagine if you’d got a custom MTB 10 years ago, now it wouldn’t take any of the longer travel forks without screwing up the geometry, probably wouldn’t have disc brake tabs etc etc.

Things seem much more steady on the road. Apart from the increased use of carbon and the changing BB/chainset standards, not a lot has changed and the road is still the road, it hasn’t evolved in the way that MTB trails have.

My ideal custom bike would be the 1st generation Specialized Langster SS I have now but in Ti with a carbon straight blade fork. Sounds weird but that bike is SO good and so versatile. It caused a few looks when I did road races on it, upset a few people when they got beaten by a SS. 🙂

Tough to say. Less of a need for custom road IMO, but I’m less likely to change a road bike.

I find that odd, would say the opposite.

But i think road bikes are works of art and mtbs are tools, if that makes sense. I am much more likely to keep a road bike for a while, things don’t date and things don’t wear anything like mtbs. You could buy a early 90’s road frame and it would accept a brand new groupset and fork, try fitting a 15-20 year old mtb with brand new kit. The fork would be the wrong length, it might have the wrong headset diameter, you wouldn’t be able to fit disc brakes, seatpost may be an issue, etc etc.

def road / touring bike if you want to keep using it for the same purpose…

most older classic mtb seem to have been transform into slick wheel hack/commuter bikes rather than be used for mtb

definitely road, probably a tourer – something that you would keep for a loooong time
not a mountain bike as it wouldn’t be a susser, can you get custom sussers?

Road bike for sure. A nice one is timeless and there’s pretty much zero chance of some aspect of the componentry becomeing obselete or difficult to source.

pretty much my thoughts as well, good to hear them echoed though 🙂

More of a need for a custom road bike for positioning. I would go for a custom road bike again, I broke the last one. 😥 I think there is a greater chance of breaking an MTB than a road bike.

definitely road, probably a tourer – something that you would keep for a loooong time

touring bikes have hardly changed in the last 20 years

I normally only change frames when they crack/snap (or are stolen)
so road for me too as an mtb will break quicker.

Al – What couldn’t you get off the shelf?

This may not help you but this is what I’d go for. I have a FS MTB which I love. But my wrist does not like drop bars, it likes Mary bars.

So I need a road capable bike with a long enough to tube to run Mary bars. So I think I’d have a 29er type MTB with all the braze on for touring/utility stuff. Two set of wheels one with largish road slicks the other proper pff road tyres. I’m not sure whether it would be rigid or 80mm forks but thats an easy swap.

An on one 29er frame would be close but I’m sure I’d want to fiddle with the angles and probably go a bit larger.

i would get a tourer built, suitable to take 40c tyres, then you could use it for either or either. 8)

Double post with ton but the same idea, but flat bared and space for 50mm tyres….

ampthill………….mary bar equipped on mine too.
comfort over speed every day for me.

Road, because as stated less evolution in standards / geometry. You are more likely to spend hours in the same position on a road bike so a correct fitting frame could be more beneficial, although as your fitness changes so can what is an ideal fit, although this should be fixable with stem changes e.t.c as long as any changes are not too dramatic. I’d go light tour / audax bike. Pair of light wheels with skinny tyres and it would be good for road rides, slightly heavier wheels and you could tour, not expedition style touring but round uk / Europe style.

road, definately.
you will notice the difference in material and tubeset choice more.
the personal fit will be the big factor too.

Less of a need for custom road IMO

like most of the above posts i disagree with this too.

Note my choice is based on the following: I live in a rural area 6 miles from the nearest shop. I tend to drink at a pub 11 miles away so bikes are a necessity as I have no car license. I have 3 bicycles (all mountain bikes although set up differently) and 2 trailers. Furthermore I am not particuly good at repairing bikes.

This is what I am going to buy as my bike for life: A Thorn raven touring bike with rohloff speed hub 26″ rims preferably with disc brakes. The aim is to have one bike which is multipurpose and minimal maintenance IE touring/audax Mountain biking (26″).

The reason I am going for the Thorn is that when you buy a rohloff speedhub they will easily cost you a £1000 or more and then you have to make sure its right for your drop outs. While if you buy it built in to the bike the drop outs will be right AND THE PRICE WILL BE MASSIVELY CHEAPER. IE Thorn without the rohloff will only be £650 cheaper. OR put another way you are paying £650 for the rohloff. Now rohloff have 14 gears (hub gears) 1 more than 27 geared detailer + they have the same ratios i.e. 17% apart. Now if you want to go for a cycle round the world this (rohloff) is what everyone uses. They run forever all you have to replace are one chain wheel and one cog at the back and the chain all of which last considerably longer than the equivalent on a derailleur. Ohh and occasional oil change. Now as it is 26″ wheels the choice of tyres is huge although you may have to take off the mudguards for some of the tyres. The geometry of the frame will always mean that if you have a rack on, the bags will NOT catch your shoes. Any other bike I have will be just an emergency spare. Now other reasons for the Thorn is that each model has 13 different sizes IE takes every reasonable height and leg length. Next the frames are made out of top of the range steel (cromoly I think its called, which has little difference in weight to a light weight aluminum or even a titanium frame (far to expensive) BUT both the latter are much likelier to brake and are near impossible to have repaired (cheap and heavy thick walled aluminum is repairable). Steel on the other hand is very easy to have repaired. Weight wise we are not looking at anything more than mountain bike but much stronger IE it is designed to take weight and steel is less likely to brake so still good for of road. Price about £1800 depending on accessories. Remember bike for life. Now I will have to save up or I may do a zero interest credit card. Better still an Ebay purchase…..you never know bargains do come up I know I have missed them!!!!!!!!.

PS relaxed frame size/fitting
PPS The only problem I have is the lack of front suspension A life saver if you go down in a hidden pot hole (hidden in a puddle) and do a super man over the handle bars!

29er Ti or 953. Can use for road, CX, or mtb.

brandeberryj

you’ve certanly read the Torn marketing blurb!

In some ways I agree in others I’m not sure.

I’ve got size 12 feet and toured on 3 different mountain bikes. I’ve never caught my feet on a pannier.

If you’ve been on the forum a while you will have read about Rohloff failures.

I can’t see 13 Nomad sizes and the one that would fit me has a head tube too lonk for a suspension fork?

Well thanks for getting me back onto the Thorn website. If my all round bike becomes a reality it may well be custom…..

Hi epicyclo

29er Ti or 953. Can use for road, CX, or mtb.

Can you tell me what the latter means?

Hi epicyclo

29er Ti or 953. Can use for road, CX, or mtb.
Can you tell me what the latter means?

29er Ti = titanium mountain bike with 29″ wheels
953 = the name of the top end Reynolds steel tubeset
CX = cyclo-cross
MTB = mountain bike.

By the way your cut-n-pasted blurb is wrong, “cromoly” simply refers to any steel alloy with Chromium and Molybdenum in it (ie most of them), there are many many different grades of cromoly, it’s simply a generic term from the early days of mountain biking.
Steel is no more or less likely to “brake” (you mean break) than aluminium or titanium, it depends on the build quality. I’ve seen many broken frames in my time in the bike industry, steel and alu were the common ones, one or two Ti ones (although Ti frames are much rarer so the %’s don’t really stack up).

Rohloff hubs – ah yes, I’m sure simonfbarnes wil be along shortly to describe his experiences of those… They’re not quite as bombproof and immune to failure as you seem to believe.
In fact, if you’re set on hub gears, go for an Alfine 11 over a Rohloff.

Thorn’s range of sizing is indeed very impressive but the whole point of a custom frame is that it is built to whatever size/geometry you need/want.

ampthill – Member
brandeberryj

you’ve certanly read the Torn marketing blurb!

In some ways I agree in others I’m not sure.

I’ve got size 12 feet and toured on 3 different mountain bikes. I’ve never caught my feet on a pannier.

If you’ve been on the forum a while you will have read about Rohloff failures.

I can’t see 13 Nomad sizes and the one that would fit me has a head tube too lonk for a suspension fork?

Well thanks for getting me back onto the Thorn website. If my all round bike becomes a reality it may well be custom…..

There is no such thing as perfection and I am never taken in by anybody. You seem to forget that Thorn gives 100 day money back guarantee and as stated rohloff are used for round the world etc cycle rides. Furthermore you fail to realize I am dependent on my bicycles (the 2 buses a week are not always suitable) so I need an all rounder to pull my very large trailer full of apples to make cider or firewood (invariably unseasoned). So as many gears as possible is clearly an advantage. Good strong bike is also a necessity as dykes have a habit of jumping out in front of me on the way back from the pub on roads which are completely unlit so I do not always spot them sneaking out. AND I clearly wrote RAVEN NOT NOMAD. There are 13 Ravens I have the internet brochure in front of me. As stated you can catch your heels on the bags in my case my caradices where at least on one of my bikes I occasionally catch my heal. You seem to believe because you never catch your heels nobody else has?? but I find it very annoying again look what I am using it for. If I fill it up with shopping the bags can become misshaped by oddly shaped items I may have in them as opposed to touring where you can pack them better.
PS

If my all round bike becomes a reality it may well be custom…..

Don’t know? Well at least I do and I intend on following it through. It is what I call a necessity.

bike for life – fine (bet you don’t keep using it even for 10yrs though)

custom bike – unless you and the builder know what you’re doing (and you truly need custom for some good reason – or you just mean extra fittings) I think it’s got plenty of potential for disaster

brandeberryj

Well I’m sorry if I’ve upset you and confused two Thorn models

Good strong bike is also a necessity as dykes have a habit of jumping out in front of me on the way back from the pub on roads which are completely unlit so I do not always spot them sneaking out.

Could you explain this bit please?
It sounds like you are troubled by stealth lesbians?

road
Will always be as useful and fast as the first day you got it…less likely to break as well.

I’m just going to pop in here that I have never seen the point of a custom frame; I’d spend the money you save by going off the peg on better kit…

Hi epicyclo

29er Ti or 953. Can use for road, CX, or mtb.
Can you tell me what the latter means?

29er Ti = titanium mountain bike with 29″ wheels
953 = the name of the top end Reynolds steel tubeset
CX = cyclo-cross
MTB = mountain bike.

By the way your cut-n-pasted blurb is wrong, “cromoly” simply refers to any steel alloy with Chromium and Molybdenum in it (ie most of them), there are many many different grades of cromoly, it’s simply a generic term from the early days of mountain biking.
Steel is no more or less likely to “brake” (you mean break) than aluminium or titanium, it depends on the build quality. I’ve seen many broken frames in my time in the bike industry, steel and alu were the common ones, one or two Ti ones (although Ti frames are much rarer so the %’s don’t really stack up).

Rohloff hubs – ah yes, I’m sure simonfbarnes wil be along shortly to describe his experiences of those… They’re not quite as bombproof and immune to failure as you seem to believe.
In fact, if you’re set on hub gears, go for an Alfine 11 over a Rohloff.

Thorn’s range of sizing is indeed very impressive but the whole point of a custom frame is that it is built to whatever size/geometry you need/want.
Wow. I merely asked you what they stood for and I meant 29er Ti I knew what the rest stood for I was merely doing “a copy and paste”. Unlike with cromoly where all I said was top of the range or are you saying that Thorn use crap steel? Also I was also writing about repair ability

They’re not quite as bombproof and immune to failure as you seem to believe.

Please remind where I said they were because I can’t see it.

“brake” (you mean break)

That was quite pathetic big deal I made a spelling mistake AND AS I WAS CLEARLY POINTING OUT IT WAS Reparability THAT WAS IMPORTANT. Oh by the way I am quite knowgable on metal as I was an inspector in factory testing material for British Nuclear fuels Rolls Royce aero engines etc. Note I
have left a spelling mistake for you to pick up!!

Alfine 11 over a Rohloff.

Very interesting so you are saying the Alfine 11 is bombproof? Are you sure? as they do not even appear to exist yet? And as I use my bicycles to pull a very large trailer sometimes full of firewood and at other times full of apples I think I will go for the 14 gear Rohloff to get me up the hills and they have the advantage of existing! Please try not to talk down to people this site is for everybody not just for you.

hmm, i suspect mtb design has largely settled down now – the next 20 years will see fewer changes compared to the previous 20.

so, in terms of future-proof-ness, i suspect both mtb and road frames will ‘last’ a lifetime.

but i’m much more likely to crash a mtb hard enough to kill a frame.

so if i had to guess, i reckon a road frame would last longer in my hands than a mtb frame.

(i already have a 20year old road frame which still rides beautifully, i wouldn’t / couldn’t use a 20yr old mtb frame in the same way i use my ‘modern’ frames)

but if wanted a custom frame* – i’d get a mtb frame, a curtis probably, similar to a blue pig, but with a few tweaks.

(*edit, i’m not sure i would. i agree with junkyard; why spend so much on a frame that you might bend when you next bundle yourself into a tree?)

road, tech seems to have shifted if not completely changed in last decade and whilst don’t think sus and brakes will change as massively in the next 10 you’re riding might. I’ve currently a 6 or 7 year old road frame and love it, can’t see anything that’ll change on it bar the kit in the next 6 years

get a vanilla or indy fab with ridiculously delicious detailing and never look back

😯

I think i might need some popcorn for this one!

i would go for road btw.

A custom road bike for sure, I think sizing and fit are more important for road use, plus it will last for ever.

MTB’s often break and I chage what sort of riding I do quite often so a custom mtb probably wouldnt be worth it.

brandeberryj – sort yer life out

crikey – Member
Good strong bike is also a necessity as dykes have a habit of jumping out in front of me on the way back from the pub on roads which are completely unlit so I do not always spot them sneaking out.

Could you explain this bit please?
It sounds like you are troubled by stealth lesbians?

Very amusing crikey. A dyke is a man made stream/river. I live on the Lincolnshire Wolds thats what they call them here. Even though Wolds is old english for hills there are still dykes on the hills and either way even if they are natural everyone still calls them dykes.

It sounds like you are troubled by stealth lesbians?

Very amusing

ampthill – Member
brandeberryj

Well I’m sorry if I’ve upset you and confused two Thorn models

Hello again ampthill It appears you think I am upset by the fact that you confused two Thorn models. Somehow I think there is bit more to it than that, pity you are not capable of acknowledging that.

just a quickie…………i have owned 2 thorn bikes, 1 mtb, 1 tourer.
both were extremely overpriced.

A life saver if you go down in a hidden pot hole (hidden in a puddle) and do a super man over the handle bars!

Going down on superman in a pot hole. I guess every super hero has there needs

Have you seen the headset spacers on Thorns Brandeberryj?
One of the best examples of a bad frame design i have seen.