snipped:
>"I can't speak intelligently about fabrics but I'm sure if I asked
>a tailor to make me a suit out of some material that they knew
>would not be suitable (hey, pretty good word huh?) they would
>explain it to me and politely decline my request and suggest
>something more suitable..(there it is again) So I still don't see
>much if any difference between and tailor made suit and a custom
>(tailor-made) bicycle."


the difference?
there is no liability in wearing a suit that fits poorly or is
not the style that was contracted. bicycles are used on the
open road. making suggestions for a bicycle the likes of which
you cite in the suit example implies that a builder understands
all the options involving frame design. there are certain tenets
(sp?) that can't be varied and still have a bicycle that "works".
yet - a consumer often feels that one goes to a "custom" builder
because he "wants to try" this or that seat angle. or cf fork. or
tig and not fillet. or curved seatstays. the list goes on.
i think there are made-to-order/made-to-measure frames AND
there are "custom" bicycles. unless a builder makes any/every
concession that a client has on his fantasy list - he really isn't
making it custom.
e-RICHIE