I had always dreamed of owning a custom-built frame but didn’t see the point of sending some manufacturer a load of measurements in the hope they would send something back that would work for me.  And wasn’t this option going to be way above my price limit anyway?

Back in November, training partner & Pan Am Triathlon Champion Sharon Donnelly took me along to Dr Spokes, telling me he was the best mechanic on the Gold Coast.  Little did I realize, I was not only going to walk away with a finely tuned bike but also a new frame on order!  I have had a few niggling injuries and always suffered from having a frame where the top tube is too long for my short arms and the seat tube too short for my legs.  A very common complaint among female riders as frame builders tend to manufacture for the male, long body & short leg template.  One of the things I hated about my previous bikes, was having to deal the smallest of stems to the stop the chronic neck/back ache of being too stretched out.  This makes the handling of the ride terrible and descending a scary experience even for the bravest of hearts. 

I spent a couple of hours discussing my requirements of a bike and various materials & designs with Sean Jefferies - alias Dr Spokes.  This was a pretty exciting process for me as I never dreamed I would be able to truly build my own custom bike.....it was like being top dog in a professional cycling team!  We talked about how I like to race, my strengths & weaknesses and how we could maximize my performance - a completely individual experience.  Dr Spokes finished off by watching me ride my current bike and taking a huge number of measurements, that I am sure I would have taken incorrectly had someone asked me to send them over the internet. With that, I headed off into the sunset dreaming of the fastest bike split of the day in my next triathlon......

Dr Spokes did a great job of expediting the job and the frame was shipped to me in New Zealand, where I was training in January.  You can only imagine my excitement as I un-wrapped my new baby to find a custom mix all columbus, xlr8r (excellerator) with altec pro set aero down tube & solution bottom bracket shell with an Anatomic design full carbon rear end.  My mechanic & ex-pro cyclist friend who was with me at the time, let out a long whistle - yes, he was significantly impressed too.  One of the things I failed to mention, was you also get to pick out your own custom paint job and Sean is an airbrush master which would make most large manufacturers blush with shame.  I had opted to use the Hong Kong flag, as I have become tired of trying to explain what it looks like whenever I race overseas.  The finish was amazing and I have to say, the best touch for me was seeing my name on the frame.....how cool?

We soon had the bike on the road, fitted out with the new Shimano Durace 10-speed components and Corima Winium wheels.  It is hard to find the words to adequately describe the ride and the huge difference having a custom frame has made for me.  The bike feels a million dollars on all road surfaces and I particularly noticed a huge difference in performance when I am climbing out of the saddle.  My weight is now in exactly the right place and as I climbed up Summit Road looking over Christchurch, I felt like Lance Armstrong. I am incredibly comfortable whether climbing or time trialing on my aerobars and feel as though I could stay in this position for hours....we will soon find out when I start Ironman training again this summer!  The best news is that the glut problem that had been bothering me for 6months completely disappeared as soon as I started riding my new stead.

The funny thing is, I headed off to race an ITU points race (draft legal) in Argentina a week later and had the fastest bike split of the day, taking me from 7th place out of the water to race leader going into the run!  Well, this should tell you something but if you need more convincing, the secret is out of the bag with triathlon stars like Chris Hill, Emma Snowsill & Miles Stewart all powering to the front of races riding Anatomic bikes.  And it doesn't stop in Australia, the Chinese and South African Olympic triathlon teams have also put their orders in so don't delay, visit Dr Spokes at his shop off Gold Coast Highway in Miami, Queensland or his website www.anatomic.com.au for more information.

Happy cycling.....

Cheers Claire