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miro_o
A good few years ago, I was called in by a friend to help rebrand a British frame builder.
The biggest problem we came against was the average consumer no longer had any need for custom steel frames. A lot of these smaller frame building business were created in a time before globalization took hold.
What you can currently purchase from Specialized, Focus, Trek, etc, is honestly a lot better and more readily available than what a lot of British manufacturers have to offer, in the scope of racing bicycles.
I made a suggestion of going into mountain bikes, gravel bikes, modern road bikes (disc brakes, frame designed around wireless groupsets) but with a beautiful and handcrafted touch, this really didn't go down well!
Sadly, a lot of these businesses ignore changing consumer habits, with the intention of "do what you've always done, and you'll always have what you've always got". Without sounding nasty, a lot of them just bury their head in the sand and keep doing the same thing, year in, year out. I appreciate a lot of smaller business owners are not always equipped with commercial knowledge, but blaming the consumer for this isn't fair.
I feel a lot of younger people recognise the ship is sinking and wish to learn the trade and get out before it goes under.
Custom made steel frames are like jewelry. There are other bikes on the market which are cheaper, but you just 'want' one, because it looks pretty, you admire the history and the brand. As such, jewelry should shine.
Are Hetchins bikes jewelry? Yes
Are Bob Jackson bikes jewelry? No