Any builders/shops do straight contract building ?

[Bentley]

Originally Posted by joosttx

Ftw ....

I can heartily endorse Frank the Welder, but I am pretty sure he wont just build a frame that he does not have input into. In my case I reached out wanting him to build a bike, based on the Spooky Mulholland, but built to my specifications... I wanted an aluminum frame, well he basically told me (in a nice way) that is not the right bike for me and is building me a frame as we speak. I suspect the best solution will be a frame from a builder in Taiwan that is willing to take the work.

Best

Ray

[PaMtbRider]

Just curious where you are headed with this. Would you be duplicating an existing bike? Do you have a few tweaks you would like to make to a current bike, or is this a culmination of a bunch of different bikes and fits that you have generated a set of numbers from?

[cmbicycles]

Sign up for a frame building class, you get exactly what you want and get to build it as well.

[David Kirk]

I've been asked this question a number of times. I don't give a blanket "no" as an answer but instead I say it depends.

In most cases people are asking for something that I know will not work or be safe. Will I build a bike with an 80° head angle? Nope. How about 100mm of BB drop? Nope.

If the requests make some sense then many builders will be open to it....if not then the risk to one's reputation or the exposure huge liability means it makes zero sense to say yes to a "will you do anything I want?" question.

So it all depends.

dave

[AngryScientist]

Originally Posted by PaMtbRider

Just curious where you are headed with this. Would you be duplicating an existing bike? Do you have a few tweaks you would like to make to a current bike, or is this a culmination of a bunch of different bikes and fits that you have generated a set of numbers from?

it's just a conceptual idea in my head, but the basic idea would be to duplicate an existing bike with features that do not exist on that bike.

Also, very good input from everyone here, thank you.

[echelon_john]

Frank the Welder will definitely take a bikecad file, and build it with any tweaks you/he agree on. He’s a pleasure to work with and his frames are a huge value IMO.

I’m intrigued by Waltly and may do a ti frame with them at some point.

[echelon_john]

Also, Nick, if you want help drafting/bouncing ideas around let me know.

[AngryScientist]

Thanks John!

Good stuff.

[OtayBW]

I wonder what's the ~over/under on cost savings. I mean there’s likely negligible overhead associated with consultation and I’d guess probably minimal cost assuming you had serious intention or a deposit down.

[Bentley]

Never been charged, but I had already made the decision to buy. I’m guessing if you go in and the builder spends a bunch of time and senses it’s not going anywhere there might be a charge, but not my experience.

[dougefresh]

Originally Posted by echelon_john

I’m intrigued by Waltly and may do a ti frame with them at some point.

I actually just sent a rfq into Walty based on a hardtail I'd like to build one day.

[Heisenberg]

Originally Posted by OtayBW

I wonder what's the ~over/under on cost savings. I mean there’s likely negligible overhead associated with consultation and I’d guess probably minimal cost assuming you had serious intention or a deposit down.

eh, the geo/fit consult isn't that bad, in most situations.

it's paint/finish where people get mired.

what is it you're looking for, exactly?

[Black Dog]

Geometry is one thing but what about tube diameter and wall thickness, butting, tubbing producer, welded, lugged, fillet, material (ti, steel, Al)? Paint? Dropouts?Braze-ons? More than just a cad drawing that goes into a frame. Will you be specifying all of these details too? If not there will have to be some questions asked and answered. I would doubt that this part of the process is significant in terms of time and cost and would save a lot of heart ache. When I quote on a job that will run from 2 figures all the way into the 6 figures, the time spent up front is the most valuable and necessary part fo the job. There are so many details that even the most knowledgable, prepared and decided client may not have considered and I need to ask. If they don't want me to ask the questions and check off the boxes then I walk. A good builder would do the same or provide you with a million clauses to protect themselves if you wished to skip this part of the build process.

[Heisenberg]

Originally Posted by Black Dog

Geometry is one thing but what about tube diameter and wall thickness, butting, tubbing producer, welded, lugged, fillet, material (ti, steel, Al)? Paint? Dropouts?Braze-ons? More than just a cad drawing that goes into a frame. Will you be specifying all of these details too? If not there will have to be some questions asked and answered. I would doubt that this part of the process is significant in terms of time and cost and would save a lot of heart ache. When I quote on a job that will run from 2 figures all the way into the 6 figures, the time spent up front is the most valuable and necessary part fo the job. There are so many details that even the most knowledgable, prepared and decided client may not have considered and I need to ask. If they don't want me to ask the questions and check off the boxes then I walk. A good builder would do the same or provide you with a million clauses to protect themselves if you wished to skip this part of the build process.

was about to come in and revise my post, and then...THIS.

you CAN represent yourself in a court of law. but you probably shouldn't.

bike design is so much more than geometry. it's the interplay of materials, environmental stress, weight, rider input, yadda, yadda, yadda.

there's a reason many bike companies employ materials engineers.

[OtayBW]

Originally Posted by Heisenberg

eh, the geo/fit consult isn't that bad, in most situations.

it's paint/finish where people get mired.

what is it you're looking for, exactly?

Just wondering if the cost savings would be anything meaningful by forgoing the consultation. And yes - I can see that for geo/fit, it's probably not a big saving if you know what you need.

Originally Posted by Black Dog

Geometry is one thing but what about tube diameter and wall thickness, butting, tubbing producer, welded, lugged, fillet, material (ti, steel, Al)? Paint? Dropouts?Braze-ons? More than just a cad drawing that goes into a frame. Will you be specifying all of these details too? If not there will have to be some questions asked and answered. I would doubt that this part of the process is significant in terms of time and cost and would save a lot of heart ache. When I quote on a job that will run from 2 figures all the way into the 6 figures, the time spent up front is the most valuable and necessary part fo the job. There are so many details that even the most knowledgable, prepared and decided client may not have considered and I need to ask. If they don't want me to ask the questions and check off the boxes then I walk. A good builder would do the same or provide you with a million clauses to protect themselves if you wished to skip this part of the build process.

On the other hand, I can see where just sending a geo/fit sheet to a builder would deprive you of a lot of the expertise RE: his/her knowledge of tube characteristics, ride quality, etc. So, on balance, for me, it seems to me that consultation is really pretty good value....