I always cringe a bit at the use of the term "custom" because it usually means a few parts were swapped for off the shelf parts. A custom suit means a tailor measure your body and sews something unique to you. Buying an Armani suit at Harry Rosen where they alter it is not custom. A custom bike in my mind has a geometry selected by the rider with input from the builder as well. Just putting on matching blue pedals and stem is hardly custom.
Personally I was always a fan of the sleeper. When I was into hot rod type cars, I remember a black Nova with steel wheels and baby moon hubcaps with a large tires and probably 700hp rat motor. Hurst shifter, heavy duty rear end etc. The owner loved to pull up next to a Corvette at a light and blow the doors off it. That’s why I like my boring black bikes. They never look great nor do they look dated in five years when I might sell it. I look at some of those multi coloured stripey bikes that are only a few years old and they look older and dated because of the hideous colour patterns.
My chameleon from 5 years ago in green with magenta decals was hideous from the get go but that’s all they had. The build kits offered were mostly low end crap that I would have changed pretty quick anyway so I went with my own selection of off the shelf parts. Expensive at the time but probably cheaper in the long run. One of these days I may strip the paint and go raw.
The Tesla thing goes beyond my understanding. They are expensive to buy and not only boring looking but even ugly in my view. And how many of these virtue signallers lease and replace before the car is done? Not exactly environmentally kind is it. Calling electric cars zero emissions is also misleading as there are many places where the electricity is from burning fossil fuels and fossil fuels are burned making and transporting these cars and batteries aren’t exactly zero emissions or environmentally kind either. I do think EV’s are the future but you aren’t saving the planet when you buy one. A person does a lot more by walking or riding a bike to and from work. Or using public transit.
July 11, 2022, 9:33 a.m. - Andy Eunson
I always cringe a bit at the use of the term "custom" because it usually means a few parts were swapped for off the shelf parts. A custom suit means a tailor measure your body and sews something unique to you. Buying an Armani suit at Harry Rosen where they alter it is not custom. A custom bike in my mind has a geometry selected by the rider with input from the builder as well. Just putting on matching blue pedals and stem is hardly custom. Personally I was always a fan of the sleeper. When I was into hot rod type cars, I remember a black Nova with steel wheels and baby moon hubcaps with a large tires and probably 700hp rat motor. Hurst shifter, heavy duty rear end etc. The owner loved to pull up next to a Corvette at a light and blow the doors off it. That’s why I like my boring black bikes. They never look great nor do they look dated in five years when I might sell it. I look at some of those multi coloured stripey bikes that are only a few years old and they look older and dated because of the hideous colour patterns. My chameleon from 5 years ago in green with magenta decals was hideous from the get go but that’s all they had. The build kits offered were mostly low end crap that I would have changed pretty quick anyway so I went with my own selection of off the shelf parts. Expensive at the time but probably cheaper in the long run. One of these days I may strip the paint and go raw. The Tesla thing goes beyond my understanding. They are expensive to buy and not only boring looking but even ugly in my view. And how many of these virtue signallers lease and replace before the car is done? Not exactly environmentally kind is it. Calling electric cars zero emissions is also misleading as there are many places where the electricity is from burning fossil fuels and fossil fuels are burned making and transporting these cars and batteries aren’t exactly zero emissions or environmentally kind either. I do think EV’s are the future but you aren’t saving the planet when you buy one. A person does a lot more by walking or riding a bike to and from work. Or using public transit.