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I\u2019ve known Shamrock Cycles<\/a> builder Tim O\u2019Donnell for years. Even if we weren\u2019t friends, I would still lust after his custom steel steeds that bicycle nerds have drooled over for the past decade.<\/p>\n I first worked with Tim about five years ago, when he built me a gorgeous Campagnolo-equipped travel bike that was exhibited at the National Hand Built Bicycle Show<\/a> in Charlotte. Since then I\u2019ve ridden it around the US and Europe, and it never fails to receive enthusiastic compliments from other riders.<\/p>\n Like many builders, O\u2019Donnell, takes photos of the frame throughout the build process. A big part of that process is watching the frame grow from a few unmitered steel tubes laying in a box to a polished, functional work of art. Every few weeks, Tim invited me by to witness the bike emerge from its caterpillar stages into the gorgeous orange butterfly.<\/p>\n Let\u2019s be honest, unless you\u2019re on the very edges of the bell curve when it comes to weight, height, or physical capabilities, you can likely find an off-the-rack bike that will work pretty well for you and your abilities. Playing around with saddle height and stem and crank arm length, you can dial the fit even further. But there\u2019s something to be said for a bike that\u2019s built exactly for you and you alone. When I hopped onto that custom travel bike for the first time, it felt like I was sinking into my favorite, well-worn chair. Getting into my drops, I didn\u2019t feel uncomfortable or overextended; I was exactly where I needed to be.<\/p>\n A custom bike won\u2019t magically make you into Jeremy Powers \u2013 O\u2019Donnell would have done that for himself a long time ago, he jokes \u2013 but a properly built one will put you in the best position for success.<\/p>\n \u201cRiders that I know, I know their strengths and weaknesses and can build a bike with those in mind,\u201d O\u2019Donnell said. \u201cIt won\u2019t automatically make you a better rider, but I can take away some of those things that make you a worse rider.\u201d<\/p>\n For a cyclist who goes full gas into the turns, grabs the brakes hard, then accelerates out, O\u2019Donnell builds a frame with a shorter wheelbase, a steeper head angle and less trail, making it easier to navigate the bike through turns at a high rate of speed. On the other hand, racers who prefer to bunnyhop barriers get shorter chainstays that allow them to better lift their front wheel over obstacles.<\/p>\n After riding with me and watching me compete for a few seasons, O\u2019Donnell had my number as a racer, one who relies on power to overtake and outlast my fellow Cat 3 masters. (As you can tell by my race results this past year, that doesn\u2019t happen often.) For my first CX bike, O\u2019Donnell and I sat around his dining room table with a couple of beers, while he walked me through the BikeCAD sketch and the various numbers. For my second bike, the design was refined even more.<\/p>\n \u201cYour riding style is more about speed in a straight line so (for your new bike) I wanted to maximize that even more for you,\u201d O\u2019Donnell said. \u201cI gave you a little more front to center length in the wheelbase to reduce toe overlap and a little longer trail to make the bike more stable at speed.\u201d<\/p>\n During the John Bryan OVCX race a couple of years ago, I was bunnyhopping a log each lap, until I came in too hot toward the end of the race and crashed straight into it, breaking both my finger and my fork. I managed to finish the race, even with the fort bent back so far that I couldn\u2019t turn more than 40 degrees without hitting the deck. Two days later, O\u2019Donnell built me a new fork so I wouldn\u2019t miss the next race.<\/p>\n Knowing my propensity for crashing, for my new bike, O\u2019Donnell used a used a Verus top tube, which is a little heavier, but also thicker to resist denting. Most of the remaining tubes \u2013 Columbus 34.9 8\/5\/8 double-butted down tube, Columbus 30-16 oval chain stays, Columbus 16mm seat stays, and a Columbus 28.6 8\/6\/8 double butted top tube that he reams for a 27.2 seat post \u2013 are a bit larger in diameter to stiffen up the front end and keep it tracking better in the choppy sections.<\/p>\n With clients he might not know as well, O\u2019Donnell asks about their riding history and the bikes they\u2019ve loved the most. Even many experienced racers, O\u2019Donnell said, don\u2019t realize what attributes of their previous bikes translate into success on the course.<\/p>\n \u201cMost racers respond to fit more than feel, which is much more subjective,\u201d O\u2019Donnell said. \u201cThey could be riding a bike that\u2019s ill-suited for their strengths, but they don\u2019t realize it because the fit is correct.\u201d<\/p>\n Unless there\u2019s something that\u2019s completely off with a racer\u2019s current bike, O\u2019Donnell will attempt to match the fit, so there\u2019s continuity between their new custom bike and the older bike, which will likely become their pit bike.<\/p>\n O\u2019Donnell can be a bit of a traditionalist at times and isn\u2019t afraid to offer his opinions, which has grated a few customers the wrong way over the years. Greg Dyas has worked with O\u2019Donnell twice, once on a CX bike two years ago and once on a stainless steel gravel bike that will be unveiled at this year\u2019s NAHBS. He was surprised by the amount of pushback he received from O\u2019Donnell during the concept phase.<\/p>\n \u201cYou\u2019d think you\u2019re the customer and you\u2019re paying, but O\u2019Donnell will probe you to justify what you want, especially if he\u2019s seeing unusual requests or demands,\u201d Dyas said. \u201cHe\u2019ll want to talk with you about why specifically you feel you need thru-axle dropouts on your disc road bike. \u2018Quick-releases have worked fine since Campagnolo invented them. Do you have an actual need or are you just rolling with a trend that could leave you dissatisfied or annoyed with the frame a couple years from now? Have you considered other options?\u2019 It leads to really good, thoughtful conversations that results in you getting a bike that has all of that thought behind it.\u201d<\/p>\n Dyas estimates he and O\u2019Donnell exchanged more than a hundred messages on e-mail and instant messenger discussing options on each bike, in addition to talking it over at length in person.<\/p>\n This past season, I was coming off an injury and too many beer and restaurant reviews; it was an absolutely embarrassing shitshow. I plan on taking training much more seriously this coming year, but unless I get supplement advice from Armstrong, Landis and Danielson, or borrow Femke Van den Driessche\u2019s seat-tube motor, I\u2019m still not likely to land on the steps of an OVCX master\u2019s podium. And as awesome as my newest custom Shamrock is, even O\u2019Donnell admits it\u2019s not going to automatically move me up 30 places in a race. So you\u2019d be right to ask, why bother?<\/p>\n I often joke that the amount I crash during the season, I need the sturdiest steel frame money can buy. But in all honesty, the bikes are just plain cool; they look as great as they ride. On top of that, I was able to choose a mixture of components that I loved and built up the bike exactly the way I wanted. I like taking it out for a gravel ride in the offseason and having a complete stranger \u201cooohh\u201d and \u201caaahh\u201d over the expert welding or my custom Zipp 30 Course wheelset with I9 thru-axle hubs. This bike is unique to me and me alone, and I love that.<\/p>\n Component Choices<\/strong><\/p>\n Cockpit<\/strong> – Supporting the local community is important to me, and Zipp and their parent company SRAM<\/a> have been a major part of the Indianapolis cycling scene for years. But even more importantly, they make bombproof products that perform well, especially under duress. The seatpost, stem and handlebars are all from Zipp\u2019s affordable alloy Service Course line. The bars are wrapped with custom Shamrock bar tape from Nixfrixshun<\/a>.<\/p>\n SRAM Rival 1 Groupset <\/strong>\u2013 I had the first generation Force CX1<\/a> on my previous ride. Racing a steel bike, I was less concerned about the weight savings as I was about not losing my chain after crashing. In the last two years, I\u2019ve lost count of the number of crashes I\u2019ve had, but I\u2019ve dropped my chain a grand total of one time. The new Rival groupset<\/a> promised similar performance with a slight weight penalty for a more affordable price. After racing it for a season, I completely agree. I was impressed with how well it worked, even in muddy conditions.<\/p>\n Custom Wheelse<\/strong>t (Industry Nine Torch Classic disc hubs laced to Zipp 30 Course rims, with DT Comp spokes and DT Swiss HexHead alloy nipples) \u2013 I raced on Zipp carbon 303s<\/a> for a couple of years, but was always afraid of cracking them and then having my wife break me in half too. So teammate and expert wheelbuilder Will Sherman built me a wheelset that\u2019s tough, relatively economical and much faster than I currently deserve. Zipp\u2019s latest rims offer the same 25mm external width and toroidal shape as their carbon rims, but in a tough alloy version. The Industry Nine<\/a> thru-axle hubs offer both low drag and weight, and a lot of performance. The Teflon-sealed endcaps protect the hubs from both mud and water, which play havoc on bearings.<\/p>\n I went with two wheelsets, one tubular set mated with Clement MXP tires<\/a> that were my primary racing wheels, and one tubeless set that \u2013 depending on my needs and the weather \u2013 I alternated between. Those included the Challenge Limus mud tires and Chicane file treads.<\/p>\n WTB Rocket Pro 150 Saddle<\/strong> \u2013 I\u2019ve used Fizik Arione<\/a> saddles for years, but during a bike fit this year, it was suggested I try a slightly wider saddle to better accommodate my sit bones. I went with the WTB Rocket Pro 150<\/a>, and to be honest I didn\u2019t notice a massive difference between the two, and my wide butt never felt uncomfortable.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" One of our experts tells you why a custom bike works for him, and how it just might help serious riders take their game to the next level. <\/p>","protected":false},"author":299,"featured_media":28136,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[3335,3297,3339,3182,3183,3413,3271,3272],"class_list":["post-23807","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-bike-computers","category-bike-helmets","category-bike-lights","category-bike-shoes","category-bike-trailer","category-gps-watches","category-mountain-bikes","category-road-bikes","article_category-gear-columns"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\n![\"actionShamrock\"](\"\/images\/blogArticles\/2017\/05\/custom_bike\/actionShamrock.jpg\")
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