Buying a custom bike - Part 1: Fitting

Buying a custom bike is a unique process that only a lucky few get to experience. We've teamed up with Parlee to document the process from start to finish, beginning with the all-important process of fitting

To those looking for a custom bike there are many great options out there. You may have heard of Trek's project 1 custom bikes, and there are other companies that offer complete custom geometry hand-built frames. To name but a few: Brian Rourke is famous for his custom steel frames, and Seven offer custom steel, titanium and carbon.

For this journey we have decided to team up with Parlee. For those unfamiliar with the Massachusetts-based company, Parlee produce customised carbon-fibre frames that are hand-built in the USA. That's a rare proposition in the current world of mass-produced Far Eastern carbon.

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Oliver Bridgewood - no, Doctor Oliver Bridgewood - is a PhD Chemist who discovered a love of cycling. He enjoys racing time trials, hill climbs, road races and criteriums. During his time at Cycling Weekly, he worked predominantly within the tech team, also utilising his science background to produce insightful fitness articles, before moving to an entirely video-focused role heading up the Cycling Weekly YouTube channel, where his feature-length documentary 'Project 49' was his crowning glory.