Every human body is different. Beyond height and inseam length, when you take into account elements such as weight, relative flexibility, muscular development, fitness level, training conditions and objectives, you end up with a unique set of needs for each cyclist.
If you are mass producing bikes, you make abstraction of these differences and treat every rider like a number. Why? Because you have no choice when you don’t know who’s going to end up riding your product. In the case of the road cyclists illustrated below, that number would be a stock 56:
Each can be retro-fitted to the same basic frame using stem lengths, head tube spacers and/or saddle adjustments. These adjustments, however, can result in handling issues, high speed wobbling or a shift in weight distribution that negatively affects overall performance. Different body types, different potential, different goals…the same bike? We don’t think so.
At GURU, we believe a high performance bike should be made to fit the individual—not the other way around. Our first-hand experience making bikes for thousands upon thousands of individuals has taught us that cycling performance is a dynamic, multivariate phenomenon that balances out a number of key characteristics. And that every cyclist has an ideal “soul mate” when it comes to optimizing that performance. Based on a rider’s specific morphology and story, we design and hand-craft a custom bicycle that unleashes the full potential of that individual.
Thus, for the hypothetical riders depicted above, we would actually make three distinct frame designs:
Cyclist #1 – Century Rider: This rider’s bike design would be based on a classic geometry for all-around performance. The wheel base would be made slightly longer to facilitate long-range stability. The head tube would also be lengthened to accommodate this particular individual’s preference for a more upright position.
Cyclist #2 – Über Climber: Long femurs and a short torso lead us to a relaxed seat angle. This rider wants a stable, predictable bike to fly downhill, so we would lower the bottom bracket height, stretch out the chainstays to balance out the weight distribution and cap it off with a relaxed head angle and matching (long) rake.
Cyclist #3 – Crit Beast: Start with the obvious: this rider has short, powerful legs to go with an extended torso. We would consequently opt for a steep seat angle and short chainstays to match. From there, a higher bottom bracket, steep head angle and short fork rake would be selected to optimize handling and maximize speed in the turns. Given this individual’s girth, we also would go with a beefed-up carbon layup configuration (or equivalent rider-tuned titanium/steel tubing) to handle the extra wattage.
It’s not the easiest way to make a bike, but it produces something special. A bicycle that acts like a natural extension of your body, perfectly suited and absolutely balanced. A bike that’s designed to make you go faster than you have ever gone before.
Custom FAQ
Do I need a custom bike?
Asking this question is equivalent to asking whether or not one needs a carbon bike or aero wheels. A minority of cyclists have no choice but to order a custom bike due to a particular morphology that renders stock frames inaccessible or uncomfortable. The vast majority of cyclists, however, can obtain performance gains from a custom-built bike as it will set them up in their "sweet spot," a configuration where power output, aerodynamics and weight distribution are perfectly optimized. Most of our clients tell us that their GURU is by far the most stable, best-handling bike they have ever had; custom geometry has a large part to play in that impression. Furthermore, many of our models offer ride tunability based on individual tube selection or carbon lay-up. This further optimizes the ride characteristics for each cyclist.
How do I know the custom build will be done correctly?
GURU only works with the most reputable bicycle retailers and fit specialists in the industry, people who have the know-how to effectively capture the critical measurement data our engineers need to successfully design a custom bike from scratch. From there, our decade of experience making individualized frames has resulted in a set of algorithms that, when loaded up with an individual cyclist's comprehensive measurement data, produces an effective starting-point for an optimal bike design. Qualitative measures such as riding style, competitive goals and injury history are then used to refine the frame design in order to perfect its performance attributes. From start to finish, our custom design process incorporates data triangulation and specific checks & balances to get things right the first time:
What about re-sale value?
GURU bikes are designed to deliver exceptional performance and ride quality over the long haul. Nevertheless, we know there are certain cyclists out there who prefer to “flip” their bikes every few years. While every custom GURU frame is truly one-of-a-kind, it can be retro-fitted using stems, head tube spacers and/or saddle adjustments to approximate a standard stock size. The result will not be optimal for that second-hand user, but then again, neither are most new stock bikes.
For those who absolutely want to maximize the “liquidity” of their bike purchase, the floor models we distribute to our retailers (which correspond to standard stock sizes) are available for sale in many bike stores.
What if I have a very particular case?
Our customer service representatives would be pleased to discuss how we can address your specific needs. You can reach them at 1-877-755-GURU or at customfit@gurucycles.com.
