All the bikes that we sell are made by hand, and for good reason. We thought we would take this opportunity to explain why.
With handmade bikes custom geometry is possible, and in fact it’s the norm. There is only one correct size for each rider but it takes a professional bio mechanic to determine what this is. There are more than 3 measurements to consider when it comes to the ideal geometry for an individual rider so just because a rider can ride a stock bike, it’s highly unlikely that’s it 100% perfect. Despite general mis-conceptions everyone would benefit from a custom geometry and we calculate that 40% cannot correctly fit stock geometries.
Different types of carbon tubes are selected and made for different parts of the bike as to perform to the optimum they need different properties and strengths. When the joints are wrapped, the customers weight can be taken into consideration and extra stiffness/strength added to the crucial parts of the frame like the bottom bracket. Once the frame has been in the autoclave and cured then the wrapped lugs/joints become one solid piece of carbon making it super strong. Frames made in a mould (monocoque frames) are designed for the average rider and so won’t have extra strength for heavier riders and will flex.
Like strength, stiffness and handling and ride qualities can be optimized for the end user. For example if the end used is a 65kg climber then the frames can generally made lighter. If the end user is an all round sportive rider then it can be made with comfort in mind, and for a crit racer more stiffer etc.. The result is a bike that the customer excels on. Again this is impossible for a monocoque frame as it’s designed for an average rider and not individuals.
While the construction is artisan and bespoke to the rider, so is the painting and so no 2 frames are identical. Colour combinations are the choice for the customers imagination.
Choices are fun, that’s why we let you choose you bb type, if you want your frame made for electronic or manual transmission, or if you would like you seatpost to be traditional or integrated.
Handmade carbon frames start at £1999.99 for made to measure so that's considerably cheaper (half price in some cases) than range topping stock frames from brands that manufacture in Asia.
To find out more about Handmade frames contact Adam sales@comtat.co.uk
Bike fitting is becoming the norm in shops where they sell half-decent, road bikes and rightly so. Gone are the days of sitting on a bike and some teenager telling you it looks like the right size.
The investment made on a new bike nowadays can be a sizeable sum, so it makes sense to spend a fraction of the cost of the bike on finding the optimum position and how to get the most out it. Most shops now use off-the-shelf, fitting systems which consist of a one-day course and computer software to give the data on the position of the rider. While in most cases having some kind of bike fit is better than having none, the problem with these systems are that they rely on the experience of the person inputting the data and they don’t account for all the variables.
Giuseppe Giannecchini from Tuscany is a one of the world’s leading bio-mechanics, with over 12 years of experience. He works with many pro-teams and riders, including the Italian national teams. So, as you can imagine, he knows a bit about bike fitting. He has been coming to London once a month for a couple of years now, and he’s fitted over 200 UK customers. Out of those200 he has found only one person who was in the 100% correct position. Many riders who have been fitted by Giuseppe say ‘it’s like the light has been switched on’ and all of a sudden they can descend better, ride in the drops for a long period of time and generally feel more relaxed and stable on the bike.
Giuseppe visits the Comtat HQ in Shoreditch once a month and for just £169.00 you can be fitted correctly to your bike and get the ideal bike geometry for when you’re ready to purchase a new one. What Giuseppe lacks in his English, he makes up for in passion and insists a follow up session is very important, as the body changes over time and it enables him to respond to the rider’s feedback on the new position. Sometimes it can take 1000km plus to get used to a new position. There have been plenty of ‘eureka ‘moments with Comtat customers who have transformed as riders due to their fitting from Giuseppe.
At Comtat we are just as passionate about getting the right fit, as choosing the right bike. We are lucky to have Giuseppe coming to us because he makes our job of getting the perfect made-to-measure bikes for the customer so much easier.
Travelling on a plane with your bike can be nightmare . The worry and stress most of us go through envisaging the damage incurred on your pride and joy by the baggage handlers is second only to moving house. Having undertaken quite few overseas journeys with my bike and also hired out bike boxes for 3 years i know a trick or two. Here are some tips to making your trip a little more stress free.
1. Choosing the right bike box - Not everyone can afford to buy a decent bike box or have room for one so hiring one is sometimes a good alternative. Whatever you do, don't use a bike bag, it's like saying to the baggage handle 'destroy my bike'. We recommend 2 types of bike boxes - either the sci-con/ bike box alan boxes which are hard cases or the polaris pro pod. All of these do the job perfectly well if packed correctly.
2. Preparation- Give yourself plenty of time to pack your bike, doing it the night before only to discover you cannot get your pedals off or your seatpost is stuck in is only going to raise that blood pressure. Give yourself a week to check all these things and to give yourself time to recitify any issues with your bike.
3. Check your weight allowance -some airlines require your bike to booked on under sports equipment, others it can be included under baggage allowance, whichever you need to double check that you have your bike booked on and that you know the weight allowance. Airlines are getting strict with weight of bike boxes because of people stuffing all there normal luggage into the bike boxes.
4. Big enough car? -Make sure that your bike box and luggage will fit in the car or taxi that you are using either end. The amount of times people I know have not thought about this and can't get their bike box into the car.
5. Packing the bike -
6. The other end - think about the tools you will need to put the bike back together - so torque wrench, pedal wrench and a track pump etc... and pack them.
7. Checking in your bike - 99 percent of the time you check in as normal but then you will be asked to put your bike into the oversized luggage drop-off point. Sometimes the conveyer belt where you are checking in is big enough.
8. Any Damage - when your bike comes out the other end always check for damage. If there is and sign of damage, take photo's and ask for a claim form there and then.
9. Cycle safely - Always carry ID and a european healthcare card and take it easy on those descents.
10. Returning Home - Don't forget the important duty free for the loved one - otherwise the next cycling trip might not be for a while.
