Frequently Asked Questions
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You only need one wheel to have fun... |
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I want a bike with funky/cool curved tubes! Will you build me one?
No, sorry. Here's why:
-Bent tubes are weakened tubes. I don't like the idea of stressing a tube past the point of elastic deformation simply
for the sake of aesthetics. Obviously, chainstays and seatstays are routinely bent for tire clearance, but that's a more
important reason to bend something, in my opinion.
-Bent tubes are heavy tubes. Tubes with thin walls are next to impossible (not to mention unsafe afterwards) to bend, so
(at least on a steel frame) any curved tube must be straightgauge. This means you'll be adding a reasonable amount of weight
to your frame with no performance benefits.
-I don't care much about looks. If you want something super-spiffy looking that all your pals at the trailhead/on MTBR will
be impressed by, there are lots of great builders who can create something for you that is both spiffy looking and functional. I,
however, pretty much only care about function, and my bikes reflect this preference. I'm much more impressed by someone who
rides really well than someone who's a mediocre rider with flames painted onto the downtube of their retro cruiser singlespeed.
Please note that I have nothing personally against all kinds of funky looking bikes - there are tons of great examples of
beautiful, unique, and functional bikes out there. But I build bikes for riders like me, who want to log big miles, not break
the bank, and hopefully have a bike that fits and rides well enough that they can forget it's under them at all while they carve their local
singletrack. Curvy tubes don't help achieve that goal for me.
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