Ask any cyclist and they’ll all agree there is nothing better than New Bike Day. And though the trend in recent years has been for brands to offer mainly fully built bikes, there is still a market for people who want to build a custom bike from scratch. Many people shy away from doing this, though, for fear of rising costs. That doesn’t have to be an issue. Even if there’s an old adage that goes something like, “if you have to ask, ‘how much?’, then you can’t afford it,” custom bike cost doesn’t have to be a limiting factor when building your own custom one.

All options open to you at Wrench Science

First thing we should get straight is what we mean when we say “custom bike.” There are a couple of different options. In our minds, a custom bike is when you start with just the frame, then decide on all the components that you want to go with it. But there are manufacturers who give you the option to choose custom geometry of the frame, in addition to all the various parts. That we usually distinguish by calling it a fully custom bike. 

Wrench Science carries multiple brands that offer both options, and we have the Fit System and Bike Builder aids on our website, in addition to a number of experts on staff who are anxious to help you find the right solution for your dream bike needs. 

Going custom: what to expect

Our Bike Builder System makes this process extremely easy since we provide you only with compatible options. 

So, for instance, you can choose your Pinarello frame model, the frame color you want, including the Pinarello MyWay when that’s an option, and then the menu will give you all groupset, handlebar, stem, wheel, etc. choices that will match the Pinarello frame. If you are choosing all top range stuff, like the top-of-the-line Pinarello frame, the Campagnolo Super Record EPS, and Princeton Carbon or Lightweight wheels, your custom bike price will be fairly stratospheric. That goes without saying. But you will also have by far the nicest bike in your group ride, if you trust the bike handling skills of your riding buddies enough to ride with them on your pristine custom bike! 

That’s not to say, though, that custom bike prices have to be so much more than a pre-build bike. It is possible to choose a top quality, mid-range frame to purchase on the Wrench Science site, choose your preferred components and all touchpoints, and still have the cost come in below what a pre-build bike with no choice in components will cost. That’s because in general, it’s not the custom part that affects the price, but rather the quality and price point of the frame and components. 

Sure, if you aren’t too particular, you can be very happy riding a bike with 3rd tier SRAM and wheels with aluminum rims. But once you have definite ideas about how you want your bike to ride, how much you’d like it to weigh and how aero you want it to be, then having customizable options like the ones our Bike Builder System offers starts to make real sense. 

Taking the full custom route

Even if you want to take the full custom route, you don’t need to feel like you are paying an unhealthy premium. Many brands that we carry – such as Mosaic, Litespeed, Moots, Passoni, and even Cipollini – offer custom geometry options in addition to stock sizes. And typically the price is the same whether you order custom or buy one of the stock sizes. 

The main difference when ordering a fully custom bike, is that you will be investing more time into the process. You will want to take the time to get your measurements perfect to ensure the geometry is exactly what you want. And then production and delivery time will typically be longer since your frame will be produced as a one-off exclusively for you. 

When deciding on the sizing, our Bike Fit Calculator and highly trained experts can help smooth the decision-making process for you. What geometry works best for you? What tube sizes (in the case of titanium or steel custom jobs), what crank length, what handlebar width, how long should your stem be? All these questions and more can be sorted out with the help of our Fit System, our experts and our exceptional connections to the brands we carry. 

How much does a custom bike cost? - Summary

So when addressing the question how much does a custom bike cost, inevitably, the answer is: it depends. There are a lot of considerations and moving parts that can help you save money when building your own custom bike. Of course, if you are looking to build your absolute dream bike, the purchase price can end up being quite a lot. But if you want to maximize your dollars, while still ordering a bike that is perfect for your needs, you can definitely go the custom route and be much happier with the result than you might be with an off-the-peg prebuilt bike.