Custom Bikes and Wheels

Take a little time to explore this section of our web site and learn a little about our custom frames, semi-custom builds and custom wheels.

Pam and I started out just doing custom frames and paint, however, since opening a traditional store we no longer have the time or space to build our own frames anymore. This does not mean that we no longer offer custom bikes though. I have always believed that a high-end bicycle store must offer and, have the ability to design a full custom bike frame for a rider, no matter their style or discipline. If you want the ultimate riding machine, matched perfectly to you, then a custom frame is the only way to achieve that.

Why Go Custom?

Every bicycle built today by the major manufacturers is for an average sized, and more of a problem, average proportioned person. The only choice when picking a frame is really the seat tube length, as the seat tube length increases so the top tube length increases by an average amount also. Road bikes tend to have a few more sizes in their ranges but even here you still have to accept longer top tubes in a set size matched to the seat tube length. This would be no problem if we all came in standard sizes, unfortunately this is far from true.

You could stand twenty people, all 5 feet 8 inches tall, in a row and measure their arm, torso, and leg length and get a different set of measurements for each person.

The problem is even worse for woman, as most of these standard measurements are really only standard male measurements.

Anytime you sit on a non-custom bike your body is having to make compromises. A bike built to your individual body dimensions will make you feel more comfortable and therefore more relaxed and able to get the best performance from your muscles. Obviously no two people are alike, and that is why no two bikes that we have built, or designed, have been alike.

Other factors that go into designing and building your ultimate cycling machine are, your weight, your riding style, how you like the bike to handle, surfaces and terrain that you mainly ride on, will you be racing on any level or touring, etc. etc.

As much information that you can give will help produce the bike of your dreams that will fit you like a glove, be it a full blown Downhill mountain bike or stead for the next Tour de France.

An example of a basic frame and fit drawing. The line drawn rider has all the body measurements programmed in from the in store fit session. These drawings are then developed and refined further until we get the result we want. We even have the ability to animate these designs and to pull data from every degree of a crank revolution. We can then use these same workups to experiment with components when it comes time to spec the bike out.

Although not firing up the torch much anymore, we still have a full design book through the year. We have our body measurement jigs ready and produce our own full frame designs using the latest CAD software. These drawings are then sent to the builder of choice for a particular project and built. This is a very efficient way of doing things and enables us to work around long wait times and speeding up the process.

Custom Bikes bring Happy Riders.

Semi-Custom Bikes.

A big part of what we do here at Cycle Depot is semi-custom bikes. Buying standard bikes off the rack in a bike store is great. It gets you in the game, riding the style of bike you want and lets you experience road or mountain riding without breaking the bank. However, when you become hooked on the sport and want to go to the next level you need to get away from buying bikes off the rack and take a more tailored approach. This is where we come in.

The first step is to measure you and then talk about the ride style you have and want. We then pick a frame from one of the many manufacturers we deal with and build it up using components that best fit your needs. This does not need a bunch of technical and industry knowledge on your part, we are here for that, just come in and meet with Mark and he will put together the perfect package for you and your budget.

A few examples of semi-custom bikes that we have put together can be seen below and throughout our site. Come into the store and let’s start working on your new ride next…

Touring bikes

Ultimate Gravel Bikes

Road bikes for very tall riders.

And Everything In-between…

Custom Hand Built Wheels.

Mark is a master wheel-builder and has passed certification in advanced wheel-building, conducted by various high end component manufacturers, including DT Swiss. He can build you a perfectly matched set of wheels for any requirement.

A hand built wheel will outshine a machine built wheel in every way. It will be stronger. Remain truer, and therefore last longer. It will also likely be faster.

If you compete or require wheels that transfer as much power as possible into acceleration and forward motion then you must go for custom wheels.

If you have definite component items in mind or you would like us to design a wheel to your requirements and budget. Contact us and let Mark hand build them for you, at a comparable price to most machine-built wheels.

A perfect wheel is a beautiful thing. And many things need to be right in order to achieve the perfect wheel.

Spokes must be of the exact length needed and at their optimum tension throughout the entire wheel. All spoke threads and nipple seats must be properly lubricated. The components and lacing pattern picked to fabricate the wheel, must be ideally suited to the rider, their ability, size and intended use.

The building of the wheel itself, is a time-consuming process of gradually adding tension to the spokes, little by little, while maintaining dish, radial and lateral trueness, until the optimum tension is achieved.

Customize Your Ride with Hartsburg Cycle Depot
Looking to elevate your riding experience? Stop by Hartsburg Cycle Depot and have a chat with Mark and Pam about creating a custom bike, wheel-set, or semi-custom bike tailored to your exact specifications. We are dedicated to helping you take your riding to the next level, and we're ready to bring your vision to life. Whether you're a seasoned cyclist or just getting started, a customized setup can make all the difference. Swing by today and let's discuss how we can enhance your riding experience.