Bespoke—anything commissioned to a particular specification. It may be altered or tailored to the customs, tastes, or usage of an individual purchaser.
I get this question a lot: why should I buy a custom bike? After all, the big brands do an awfully good job of manufacturing bicycles. Can Sixth Law Cycles make them lighter? Here are some thoughts on why you want a custom bike:
- A custom bike is an experience. Most things you buy involve going into a store and picking out what you want from among the things on the shelf. Sixth Law Cycles provides an experience. Creating a bicycle starts with a conversation about your hopes, dreams, and desires. From this conversation, we design a bike together. A bike that you will enjoy riding. What does that mean to you?
- A custom bike is crafted. I have a passion for making things that people love with my hands. My tools are modest but effective. I wield them with great care. You will find no production lines in my workshop. Are you the sort of person who appreciates fine craftsmanship?
- Know your bike builder. After completing the process of creating a custom bike, you and I will have a relationship. Above all else, you will know your bike builder. How many things do you own like that?
- Become part of a community. Owning a custom bike makes you part of a community. It includes you, me, the partners I work with, the vendors who provide the materials I use in my craft, and the teachers and mentors who passed on their skills and encouragement to me. Whenever possible, I engage others who dedicate themselves to these ideals to procure materials or supplies. I like to personally know the people who contribute to my livelihood. Are there places where you feel like you just belong?
- Ride something as unique as you. With a custom bicycle, you will never find yourself at a club ride on the same bike as your friends. Only you can decide what makes the perfect bike for you, but no matter what it is, a custom bike will reflect that perfection—your perfection. What word would describe the perfect bike for you?
