Someone told me, the other day, that in these recessionary times, the well-off have not given up buying luxury items, but are in fact just buying less expensive ones.

This sounded encouraging, what can be more affordable, in the way of bespoke luxury than a custom-made bicycle? And here I’m talking of a bicycle which has a frame that has been made especially to fit your own personal dimensions, rather than a bike that has been assembled from a selection of specially chosen components.

Although a bespoke bicycle frame is not normally necessary, I can only recall three or four instances in my career when nothing else would fit, it has to rate with the top 100 things to buy before you pop your clogs. And against other bespoke purchases it is quite inexpensive. For example: a bespoke two piece suit from The English Cut of Savile Row, £2,000.00. A hand-crafted shotgun, like bikes these have to be a good fit to work well, £55,000.00 from Holloway and Norton.

As well as being made to fit no one else but you, all of the above share one common denominator and that is that the person who made them was a craftsman who wanted to deliver the best job they could. And as such, you buy something that is as perfect as is humanly possible. Don’t be impressed by stickers or lines from a catalogue that say ‘hand built’, all bikes are hand built, robots can’t do everything.

What are you getting if you choose to go custom-made? A frame that is made from specially selected materials, usually high quality steel. Once cut to size, these tubes are carefully mitred to ensure a close fit, they are brazed by time-served craftsman, and then finished in one or more combinations of sixty different colours of paint. What does such luxury cost? Depending on the materials used a bespoke frame should cost around £750.00.

One last thing, expect to wait three to six months before seeing your masterpiece, perfection isn’t that expensive but it isn’t that quick either.

Braking (hard) News

Britain’s longest one day race takes place next month
The East Midland International CiCLE Classic one day race is due to take place on Sunday 26 April. This 100 mile race, between Oakham and Melton Mowbray, is planned to resemble one of the notorious European early season classics in that the terrain ranges from tarmac to rutted farm tracks. The event, which hopes to attract a field of up to 200 riders, has already caught the attention of several top European teams.

The American Bike Friendly Business Awards 2009
Chosen by the League of American Bicyclists, 34 companies featured in this years awards. The two businesses that came top were The Bike Gallery from Portland, Oregon and the New Belgium Brewing Company from Fort Collins, Colorado. They were the first recipients ever to win platinum awards. Companies that appear in these awards will offer secure bike parking, showers and other incentives to get their staff to cycle to work. Many even have their own cycling clubs. They realise that the benefits for everyone is huge. Staff become healthier, less stressed and more productive, whilst the business can endorse its green credentials and show that it’s making the effort to reduce the company carbon footprint.

And Finally
Diehard dog lovers, who will have watched Crufts 2009 on line, will have seen Best of Breed champion ‘Bendale Special Times’, a gorgeous brown bearded collie handled by his owner Anne Wilding. What does this have to do with cycling? Would you believe that I once went to Birmingham to buy some bikes from Dawes Cycles, and four hours and three hundred miles later I’d bought ‘Bendale Look at Me’?

♦ Arthur Lamy is the manager of Boudins for Bikes, in  Sand Street, and author of Jersey Cycles. He has spent 15 years as a tourist guide and writer, and is also a keen photographer. More information can be found on his website:  http://www.arthurlamy.com/