How a $4,550 Bespoke Bicycle is Made

In a small workshop on the south coast of England, Sven Cycles makes dream bicycles that last a lifetime.
MADE is a series of simple, lovely short films that demonstrate how everyday luxury objects are created.
Video by Leila Hussain
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[@lukew2194]

The bike will last a lifetime but you will only get to enjoy it for a few days before it's stolen.

[@blackwatch_TV]

Brilliant production and camera work. A+

[@pabdiary]

I wouldn’t pay $5,000 for a bike but I really love this guys passion for the craft and I’m always a fan of handmade anything. 🤟🏼

[@grejdanmihai5456]

wow,the bike at the end looks incredible

[@mcnuggieguy]

bicycles are so cool. not a huge rider but as a kid i certainly did. it's such a understated, analog form of transport

[@LeahandLevi]

Ohhhhh man this was so satisfying! When I have money for toys this will be a serious consideration!

[@plinyelder8156]

Levi Hildebrand hey everyone we found him!!!

[@John-yg2rt]

$4550 for a steel frame bike? Nah...

[@wakilinjogu1727]

The word ART will kill us

[@ItsMikeArre]

Clearly ur not paying a premium for materials it’s all about the craftsmanship and dedication

[@nerdy7105]

Mike Arredondo your are clearly paying for the feeling it s the best marketing technique first used by coca cola

[@ZhoRZh37]

You're not paying for the craftsmanship either, a mil or two is a borderline tolerance when building a barn - it's certainly not precise enough for a vehicle (if you're counting a bicycle as a vehicle). So they're overgrown hippies who're selling crappy, crude steel tubing to ignorant hipster-lifeforms. At the end, you're eventually paying truly physical and valuable aspects of this "product" - such as makers soul, passion and dedication...

[@justicewarrior9187]

It's all about the hipster SJWs idiots that buy this!

[@tomasazevedo1979]

Justice Warrior how ignorant do you need to be to generalize so much? Use your brain

[@BixbyConsequence]

Reynolds tubing is a premium material. Brooks saddle... Tubus racks... all top-end stuff. Of course hand-built is going to cost more than machine-built. It's also going to be to your exact specifications.

[@DewelHelton-ld6ki]

Great video .. I'm 65 and I still love to ride 😊

[@darko1801000]

the ¨my daddy will sue you¨ bike

[@wyleeelpuppo4868]

My most expensive bike is probably worth $2000. If you commute on a bicycle and want one well made that's going to last for a long time $5000 isn't a stretch at all. You can easily spend $750,000 on a car with no radio, air conditioning or cup holders.

[@vitabuds6617]

wow! My Jaw dropped the entire video.

[@jltrack]

$4550 for an English made bicycle with Reynolds Steel tubing is not that bad. Considering that it will last probably your whole lifetime, it’s custom fitted, and and it is handmade with only you in mind. Have you seen the prices of carbon fiber mountain and road bikes ($3000-$6500)? Most are made in Taiwan and there are thousands of the same model roaming around the road. Too bad these kind of bikes are a target for low-life bike thieves. Clearly most of the commenters on here have only owned department store bicycles their whole life.

[@carolynmmitchell2240]

carbon fiber makes it light and easy as fuck to ride... steel makes it hard to lug up a hill and it's overrated.

[@jltrack]

carolyn mmitchell Steel has proven its longevity, dependability, and its ability to last generations. The bike is not made in Taiwan. The bike is not made with performance in mind, it is about comfort and owning something you can be proud of because there is only one like it. It is made with old techniques and every process is done by hand. It is someone’s art which is designed by you. Obviously, if you wanted performance, you can get the lightest carbon fiber, aerodynamic bicycles with the best components available.

[@dmitriiar2178]

I don't think it matters where the bike is built. The quality matters more.

[@bjz2338]

for mountain biking steel is actually preferred over aluminum when it comes to hard tails. The weight works in your advantage and steel can bend in different ways than aluminum can.

[@mavoromatthew]

Jane Leelavathi come to my country and I will show you machine made bicycles that are over decades old and still functional. This bicycle is just one of those crazy items rich people buy so they can show it off.

[@alalducente]

Wow very eloquent way of saying bullshit things about an overpriced bike

[@riccardodanesi5921]

Totally agree.

[@elbob248]

So go buy one at Walmart.

[@yoko3891]

Probably scupacium gets his bikes from the swapmeet.

[@MrAllstar]

Really great video, I'm enjoying these Bloomberg series. Surprisingly it's some of the best content I've come across on KZbin, genuine, well put together, good music choices.

[@business]

Thanks for watching. Much more coming soon!

[@willk4036]

Or you could buy a road bike that costs the same but has top notch tech

[@mmhoss]

"A machine can't get 30 years worth of wheel building experience" Ahahaha hahahaha Hahahahahahahahhahahahahahahahahahahahahahhha

[@LaitoChen]

He actually said that with a straight face =)

[@carolynmmitchell2240]

inti bum your name ahhaahahahahahahahhaa inya bum.

[@edmundJung]

it took people hundreds and more years to build the machine that can outperform any human.

[@Edhilthoniel]

Well, it's probably one of the few things I do prefer a human does rather than a machine. Yes, you can go with a machine up to a certain point, but then you have to go one step further, to ensure all the spokes are at the correct tension, to counter small imperfections of the rim and still make sure the wheel is 100 % true. Especially with alloy rims, this does make a big difference...

[@thmusic7214]

the joke here is that all machine built wheels need looking over by an experienced wheel builder/tuner to get them perfect. Most department store bikes skip this step.

[@vincentnghiem9280]

I would only pay that much if it was titanium or carbon, just because there is so much skill that goes into making this bike doesn't mean that it would be worth the purchase. I understand why it is so expensive however as the production is so small and they put together the wheels and the frame which seems reasonable for the price

[@thexardas8395]

I own few expensive bikes. I know prices and reason behind 2-3k and 10k bikes. I also know how much am overpaying for my bikes. Bike you show here for 4500 is in the best case scenario worth 500 in real world retail shop. Blabla hand made but at the end of the day it is outdated steel bike. Same one I had 35 years ago as a child and it was hand made as well but cost about $25 at that time.

[@misterx2133]

The Xardas Sorry, but if you knew things about bikes you would have noticed the Rohloff gear hub that easily takes the bike above your suggested 500.

[@bradcomis1066]

Do you have any idea how much custom paint alone costs? Or the costs associated with creating bespoke geometry for each customer? When you're building on an assembly line things get much cheaper. A set of handbuilt custom wheels generally start at about $500. Please stop assuming you know how these things work.

[@mortallious1234]

Please do tell me where I can get one for 500, go on.

[@dillogdall1]

A bike for 500 with a Rohloff? Please, show me, I am very interested.

[@ruffifuffler8711]

Custom geometry suitable to the owner is more relevant then the accessories, riding someone else's bike can give you a severe back ache and an expensive lesson.

[@joebennett8243]

Nice picture of Portland as the thumb nail !

[@leonh619]

the fact that carbon is light and stiff is very true, but the myth that it is uncomfortable has stuck around 20 years later... carbon is the "wonder material" for bikes. When well engineered and applied, parts of the frame can be super stiff, other parts really compliant. (and virtually all carbon frames are handmade...) Im not going to say anything negative about this guys handmade steel frames- they do look really nice, but virtually ALL carbon bikes in this price range come with much nicer components, and yes will be lighter. Plus, if someone wants to spend that kind of money or more on a bike that will "last a lifetime" BUY A TITANIUM BICYCLE. (oh and btw-this is coming from a guy that owns 3 steel bikes, and has owned aluminum, carbon and ti bikes as well and has worked in the industry close to 10 years.)

[@ecosby100]

Leon Hubbard carbon is becoming so nice I remember when when carbon fiber was rubbish

[@genericguy_]

Theres craftsmanship and then theres stupidity....

[@mohammedfaraaz10]

Is there a market for these things (handmade pricey products) these days?!

[@brianrizaldo2794]

$8000 bike only made of normal steel???

[@ZhoRZh37]

$8000 bike! Fullstop.

[@Xa_WEh]

It's just an advantage... you can replace a tube after a crash paint it and it will look like new.

[@samgray5119]

It is possible to make light weight steel but it is VERY VERY EXPENSIVE

[@perjalananmasihjauh]

for $8000, I can get a carbon tubed bicycle, with automatic gearbox, or a Kawasaki z800, or a small hatchback, or a small house, or even a gaming PC. Even if i resale the bike i would not get even a tenth of the original value. Jewish and their capitalism

[@qbaker20]

Bikes can get really expensive when not custom made. Wheelsets alone can easily cost 2-3k USD. They are overselling part of the "last a life time" bit because the drive train needs to be replaced, spokes will break, and eventually the wheels might need to be replaced.

[@gerardosalas9477]

So, pretty much overpriced ordinary heavy steel pipe bikes like in the 50’s, nothing special just the marketing around them. Wow.

[@donshilo2024]

Honestly is a beautiful bike

[@isaacferraro721]

I like the bikes and all, but do they make handcrafted helmets, though?

[@Thanasis.K.]

How much for steel bike? What?

[@catcaruso]

8k and fillet brazed? Bugger that. Lugged frame with a similar weight to brazed or even straight gauge aluminum; now we are talking.

[@StorKejsaren]

"It will last a lifetime" is such a bullshit argument when it comes to bikes, any bike can last a lifetime if it doesn't get stolen or you crash it. I got my daily rider from a dumpster and it has lasted me 10 years so far, I've only changed the tyres a couple of times, and since it looks like garbage no-one will steal it, unlike these overpriced thief magnets.

[@horichard5009]

I LIKE Bicycle is Made

[@zackzeko]

What is the steel material number/type of the tube frame ? and the steel thinness please ?

[@proxactual]

I own a $2k bike, ride it to work every day of the year. If I was spending more on a bike for something truly custom designed for my body, I'd want more than decades of experience - I'd want science and technology to help give me the most comfortable and efficient ride possible, and I'd want materials and components that are virtually bulletproof (i.e., titanium frames that don't rust, belts or shafts that don't stretch or require lubrication, leather substitutes that don't deform due to water exposure). If I'm looking for craftsmanship, I'd much prefer to get an old bike restored by someone and treat it like a hobby purchase

[@ripli3275]

bruh whatchu need a bulletproof bike first of all you dont have a fcking shell so thats for nun second do you live in the hood bruh

[@bicyclist2]

I love custom bikes. I have several off the shelf bikes, because I can't afford custom. I have a friend who bought a custom built Titanium bike. Thanks.

[@aucifer1001]

Aaaaaand 5 minutes later it gets stolen. Bike theft in the UK is ridiculous

[@straatman12345]

Just got a mainstream bike brand, half the price, double the tech

[@SergioooFerretti]

Nothing is bad with craftsmanship but everything has to have common sense, especially the pricing. We now see a generation of businesses claiming they are unique and charging super premiums but are they ?

[@Ludix147]

Sergio Z. If people pay, they are.

[@Freeagent-4-life]

Very nice work.

[@yvettelangenberg1336]

Damn how i want a bike like that, my bike was stolen a few weeks ago and it still hurts, i loved that thing

[@outerstellar7186]

Gettin tired of this crafting hipsters and their price tags.

[@juliezaremskiy3635]

Considering the skill and material that goes in to it, $4000 isn't that bad... Considering some bikes that are made by machines that can go upwards in to $8000 and wont last nearly as long.

[@spacitron4818]

You also pay a scribe to write your emails for you?

[@Mr30friends]

@@juliezaremskiy3635 you can get better skill and material with 1/6th of the price. LMAO.

[@elbob248]

Getting extremely tired of people replacing the word these with this.

[@pakooy5472]

Would've gone to Italy for bespoke bicycles. I don't give a crap for English bikes.

[@alexshaykevich509]

"When we're cutting the tubes, it's within a mil or two." Really? Surely not the stays.

[@erikbertram6019]

What an unremarkable bike

[@alierrtrillo9368]

If you're paying 5,000 for a steel frame road bike then the joke in on you.

[@picanha694]

its about 100 dollars in material and the rest goes to the labor

[@Paqqqman]

He doesn't do it 'for a big paycheck at the end of the day' lol

[@Simonjose7258]

The last video I saw was a $40,000 rug. Totally worth it. A work of art and beauty. These bikes are nice, but $5,000! My bike cost $200 and it works fine. I'm just mad because I want that bike! ...I better start learning how to weave rugs too cuz that ain't happening either.🤯

[@shannontrainer5857]

$5000?! That's carbon fiber Ultegra di2 territory.

[@adityasundar324]

The best rhetoric video I have ever come across (barring apple's Jony Ive)

[@rambo0071]

This video so cinematic

[@giriyy]

All that non stop yammering still doesn't justify the price 4550 USD. Please, give me break. He is just a stuck up salesman, and people buying them are stupid.

[@warsameadam5572]

I would prefer aluminium frame for that price.

[@In_Can]

3.31 tats a life lesson guys....

[@matttaylor6500]

so ignore all modern advances in manufacturing and fuck it.... so its better?

[@erikperik1000]

Wow!

[@bobsuruncle6762]

I understand can $7000-$10000 for a top road racing bike or a decked out mtb. But $8000 for for a vintage looking bike, I can assure you wouldn't get anywhere near that if you parted a bike like that out. Those components are roughly $1000, a steel frame and fork for $7000 is a dupe even if it's handmade. $8000 is a crazy markup for a bike that is at best worth $4000.

[@alipaulstagram]

The rear wheel was fitted with a rohloff speedhub. That's over a grand in itself!

[@bobsuruncle6762]

Ali Paul oh, I didn't spot that. Still very expensive.

[@aygwm]

You’re not paying for the materials... you’re paying for the labor.

[@otto874]

they are probably just building teyre bikes out of steel because it is the easiest material to work with and build a bike out of it . and they probably arent using a wheel building machine becaus ethey cant affort one and machine build whelles are today mostly more precise than hand build ones.

[@alibangash1637]

i can build my own full carbon bike with dura ace components at this price.....

[@ericpmoss]

Jesus, all the negative comments from people who never had a custom bike. No one berates a Bugatti owner for that extravagance, but somehow spending 1/200th that much on a personalized bicycle is 'ridiculous'? Pfft.

[@shannontrainer5857]

That's because a Bugatti is built for performance. This bike is built for nostalgia.

[@PwnageJ]

this or a high performance mountain bike?? *tough choice*

[@rob924678]

Hand made equals low precision and imperfections. Or low quality. I ride a 4k bike made from steel and I'm pleased to say nobody made it based on their feel for it with 2mm tolerance

[@Mr30friends]

@@DoggoWillink yes because only the Chinese mass manufacture. While all Western made bikes are made by hipsters with primitive tools for half a million dollars. Right?

[@manojphotography177]

Its all about the videography

[@haroldellis9721]

Make mine BRG.

[@daemoni4409]

do a video @ shinola

[@PseudoEmpathy]

With tools?

[@ellwitz9838]

Still prefer Dario Pegoretti's custom steel bikes. Might cost a bit more but they are even more beautiful.

[@mattottam]

really I don't get the all "made by hand" thing. The guy use the sandpaper by hand but uses the electric saw? Why not using the hand saw? Or even better, smash the tube against the floor until it breaks, hopefully the way you wanted it to. Nonsense to me.

[@samipso]

The price is steep, but it gets you something none of us will ever understand the value of. A high quality bike fitted to your body and preferences.

[@bingrusginckle]

What Reynolds tubing though

[@spacitron4818]

Who could possibly want a poorly assembled steel bike for the price of a top-of-the-range racer?

[@michaelpoe2683]

Fred Armisen in Portlandia?

[@ssshukla26]

Its I will not guarantee a precision cut tubes on an expensive bike which you will own because it's hand made and you will going to pay for my passion. Yeah I got that. I would rather buy a bike with carbon fiber tubes cut using a CNC machine with internal drive train and a carbon fiber belt drive mechanism with an electric battery powered assistance and still save $3k.

[@cindysalamanderski4838]

I forgot I subscribed to how it’s made

[@dendrov]

nothing special about this bike, except for the price

[@yahyagannour8486]

This is what i call selling words

[@karthiksivasiva]

Still didn't explain why it's so freaking expensive

[@vencibushy]

With that price tag you bet you're going to feel a "part of it". They might as well rub some snake oil on it.

[@gc7178]

The dogs tho☺️

[@JG-iz9zy]

Your not doing it for the paycheck but it's 8000 worth that's rich.

[@BixbyConsequence]

Rent, taxes, employees, equipment, utilities, inventory... How much would you charge for a week's production?

[@OnlineCitizenTV]

Despite what are the materials, you are just paying the expensive wage in U.K not for the craftsmanship. It's clearly dosen't worse it.

[@altonriggs2352]

It's a bike for God's sake!!!

[@zurcoigres]

Do a segment on Sacha White. There, you will see the difference between a true master builder vs a so-called "bespoke" builder.

[@karlroberts3179]

Get a hand-made Pashley for a fraction of the cost with similar build quality and appointments. Look at 'PASHLEY GUV'NOR'.

[@tobeyjay7505]

U can buy a mountain bike for way cheaper that will perform better in close to every situation or even a cheaper road bike that’s carbon lighter and faster

[@teundilles]

but won't fit you as nicely and you won't be as comfortable on it.

[@thegregbrookhouse8667]

You really do not know what your talking about

[@geosutube]

GO do it, then. So what?

[@spacitron4818]

Bullshit. Have your bike fitted in a shop. It's save you £3000 and be damn near perfect.

[@bicyclist2]

Most of the people in the comments don't seep to want or care for quality craftsmanship. Because there is so much competition in cycling brands, you get what you pay for. I have spent thousands on my bikes over the years. There are lots of custom steel and Titanium bike makers out there so find a guy that makes the stuff you like. Thanks.

[@kamuelalee]

Beautiful bike. But what the hell's bespoke?

[@fuzzytransmissionman]

Buzzword of the day: "Sculptural"

[@fatboywins]

Does it cure prostrate cancer? Asking for a friend.

[@j.s.3414]

You could spend the same with dozens of other companies--receive the same hand built craftsmanship--but with much better materials...race proven...years of R&D...top of the line components. But I suppose hipsters will be hipsters. I also enjoy wasting money on marketing.

[@adslammer1359]

Pashley???

[@sandeshjadhav8804]

And what significant advantage does it have by building the cycles with hands rather than machines? None I guess, utter nonsense And people give the bs reason it's all about 'passion and care and what not' well the hand made stuff only applies in some areas, where you can feel it example woodcraft or you can taste it example food Again marketing strategies at it's best

[@teundilles]

biggest benefit is that you can get the sizing just right. For many people, the geometry of standard sizes doesn't work well for them. I have for instance rather short arms and long legs have difficulty with reach on a standard road bike. I can swap out the stem for a shorter one, but that isn't 100 % perfect. A custom bike would allow me to get the handlebars closer and be more comfortable on a road bike. If I ever get rich somehow, I'll definitely buy a custom frame that fits my body like a tailor made suit.

[@devonteadams7390]

Building a bike by machine means you have a set geometry. Although you can mass produce quite fast, you are stuck with that geometry. Even large companies build by hand for research and development.

[@sandeshjadhav8804]

Devonte Adams for RnD it sure makes sense, a fucking Bugatti Veyron also koneigsegg is built by hand but those cars/machines are of a completely different league Unlike these guys who are building cycles by hand and charging a premium for that just because they are built by hand I mean for 8grand you can get a cycle a million times better than they are providing

[@sandeshjadhav8804]

surely makes sense in your condition

[@ap6982]

If you're going to spend $5,000 on a bike, why not do it with a smaller company? I'd rather have something a little more unique than a bike from a huge corporation.

[@richik_sc]

That price and no carbon fiber?

[@aaronfaucett6442]

Way too much $ for a steel frame! That's bollocks, as the British would say

[@durrantmiller8810]

aaron faucett there is a school in the UK that you can attend to learn how to build your own steel bike and I’m sure it’s cheaper than this!!!

[@megasoctopuslegionofcake6248]

£1400 for the course, so what another £1k for components?

[@madmartigan9720]

You are paying a 30 year experience in bike building.

[@asdy552]

انا اسوي اباريج مرافق بأيدي.. من الطفولة وانا مامقتنع بالابريج التقليدي.. لذلك قررت اصنعه بكل فخر.. هسه انا ابيع الابريج ب 500 دولار ومع كل ابريج ابيعه احس بايع جزء من عندي لانه قطعه فنيه فاخره

[@tekanatoken]

For that price, I could buy a car.

[@shannontrainer5857]

It's going to have at least 100,000 miles on it.

[@durrantmiller8810]

Or I could buy an old Italian steel frame and build it up with modern components and still have money left over...

[@RonakDhakan]

"Its not something you do because you are going to get a big pay check at the end of the day, you do it ... something you have a passion for it." says the guy charging thousands of pounds for a simple bicycle.

[@pringlelays159]

If im paying 8k for a STEEL bike it better cook my breakfast, wash my dishes, and cycle itself to where I wanna go

[@angelicacushing6032]

$4500 and no Lugs.

[@hashimiyazib]

I'm not paying that much for a handmade bike if he isn't binding the carbon fiber himself. I can buy a far better ride for a tenth the price because the fact is that a bike isn't all that "emotional."

[@arsaeterna4285]

4500 dollars can buy you so much fucking bike it's obscene this is just a collectible, tour riders use off the rack frames You don't need wheel or frame building experience if you care about performance, you would go with carbon aeroframe and wheels