Customers come into the shop asking about all kinds of special gear. I am a gearhead. I like talking about cycling technology.
However, when it comes down to how you should be spending your money, usually the first question I ask is "Does your frame fit you?". Most of the time, the customer say, "Not really". The second most frequently given answer by a customer is "I have no idea".
My suggestion: Stop looking at pricey jerseys and groupsets. Spend your coin on a custom frame that fits you. If you are thinking, "I don't have the budget for a custom ti frame." No worries. Wheelgirl just became a dealer of Independent Fabrication custom steel frames. Why? Because most cyclists are well-served by the comfort and practical performance of steel.
With a budget of $2000 or less for a custom frameset, you can get an Independent Fabrication (IF) steel Crown Jewel frame with a matching steel fork painted in the solid or metallic color of your choice. IF is a small company with an excellent word-of-mouth reputation for quality. The whole custom frameset made from Reynolds, Columbus and/or True Temper steels, depending on your riding style, costs $1900. (Unless you want a carbon fork instead of the provided steel one, then the price is $2200.) You will be riding your custom bike in a weeks and months, not years. And we are happy to move your current components and wheels to the new frame that fits you. This way, you don't have to pony up a ton of money all at once to build an all-new bike, and you can upgrade components as they wear.
IF gives a 5-year guarantee to the original owner. And if you use the frame for five years (most people I know have their steel frames for much longer), you're paying about $380.00 per year. You probably spend more than that at Best Buy on a device or two that you will break within a year. And then there is the monthly payment for the gym you don't visit as much as you thought you would.
If you want to see how IF makes a custom frame click here. Daniel, the head mechanic at Wheelgirl, has a long torso, a lower-than-average stand over for his height, and long arms. Wave to him when you see him on his custom IF Beat Stick . (And when you want to feel pretty, try riding around on an IF track bike.)
Photos lifted off the IF website: Crown Jewel in steel, Beat Stick, Crown Jewel Track, Logo, Paint colors, plus see the links above for solid and metallic colors.
