Isen workshop: adventures in batch production (or not...)

All I'll say is it seems near impossible to make any sort of money as a uk framebuilder, the economics just don't seem to add up unless you start with a trust fund, family providing workshop space, etc, etc.

I read a survey of framebuilders asking about their finances and I am starting to suspect that this is the case. Perhaps Matt and Caren had problems unique to the way they ran the shop that caused them to go under but it probably is more fragile than I imagine.

I did put down 50% of my frame's price, but that does mean there was 50% in it for them if they finished building it. Even if this was financially costly to me (and I'll be OK, it stings but in the end this was a luxury purchase and I budgeted for it) I can't imagine this situation is profitable at all to the folks at Isen. I definitely feel hurt by the lack of communication and not getting my dream frame but it's also hard to not feel for them as well.

I guess in the end I learned an expensive but important lesson about counter-party risk. Or made a sizable donation to a few people unfortunate to be living in the UK economy right now. In any case, I don't see any point in dwelling on it or getting angry. I met with a framebuilder where I live in the US and, apart from being a little burnt out on the custom thing, they just didn't speak to me the same way Isen did and I'm not sure anything will.

I'll probably order a Canyon.