It's a risk for a builder, granted - but I don't think there's ever been a better time to take it. Handmade steel bikes are so desirable right now, and your average Richard Sachs / Stanridge Instagram follower would KILL to have a frameset from them without the wait (and six to eight months of wondering whether they bought the wrong bike). Instant gratification is the reason Condor do so well with their stock offerings. They project the image of a historied, bespoke brand whilst stocking a reasonable range that sells mostly through word of mouth - if you ride a mate's Acciaio and love it, you can buy one practically the next day.
If you ride a friend's handmade custom steel bike and REALLY love it, the chances of you actually going through the fit, order and build process are far far lower.
English frame builders can't really put a foot wrong right now - they have a cash-rich, time-poor (and I dare say fickle) audience watching what they do for patient people like yourself (Dammit), and wondering if they could possibly have that thing tomorrow.
The ride characteristics that come from a custom fit are what they are, but there are plenty of us that will settle for 90% perfect if it means we can be rolling on fillet-brazed/lugged lightweight steel this summer.
It's a risk for a builder, granted - but I don't think there's ever been a better time to take it. Handmade steel bikes are so desirable right now, and your average Richard Sachs / Stanridge Instagram follower would KILL to have a frameset from them without the wait (and six to eight months of wondering whether they bought the wrong bike). Instant gratification is the reason Condor do so well with their stock offerings. They project the image of a historied, bespoke brand whilst stocking a reasonable range that sells mostly through word of mouth - if you ride a mate's Acciaio and love it, you can buy one practically the next day.
If you ride a friend's handmade custom steel bike and REALLY love it, the chances of you actually going through the fit, order and build process are far far lower.
English frame builders can't really put a foot wrong right now - they have a cash-rich, time-poor (and I dare say fickle) audience watching what they do for patient people like yourself (Dammit), and wondering if they could possibly have that thing tomorrow.
The ride characteristics that come from a custom fit are what they are, but there are plenty of us that will settle for 90% perfect if it means we can be rolling on fillet-brazed/lugged lightweight steel this summer.