This blast-finished titanium bike is made by Baldwin in Yorkshire. "Titanium is truly a lifetime material", says Richard Baldwin, "it is resistant to corrosion and absorbs a lot of vibration caused by the road surface." Photograph: Ben Broomfield/PR
Tom Warmerdam takes great pride in his lugs. These are traditional metal sleeves that join the tubes of the frame together, considered by many experts to be the touchstone of skill in framebuilding. Warmerdam’s lugs are artistic enough for even the most discerning rider and this particular frame, with its copper-plated finish, is likely to provoke bitter envy at the lights. Photograph: PR
According to Thomas Donhou, this bike’s vintage design was inspired by an antique bracelet belonging to the customer in Berlin. Bi-laminate joints hold the frame together and the structural solidity lost by dropping the top tube is compensated for by the double seat-stays, which ‘take inspiration from the art deco period’. The brake cables are hidden within the frame and the chain guard and gear shifter were hand-made by Donhou, whose name is visible in the artistic metalwork. Photograph: Tristan Conor Holden/PR
Ricky Feather worked in factories for many years making small parts for machines, before he struck out on his own building custom steel frames. His bikes are prized for the meticulous care taken in their welding, fillet brazing and overall finish and Feather has become one of the most respected names in the arena of new framebuilders. This bike was developed for Feather’s own co-operative cycling team, founded this year. Photograph: Kayti Peschke/PR
Poetry in Motion is the framebuilding arm of Yourspokes, Dylan Thomas' wheel-building workshop in York. His particular specialty is the '36er', a huge-wheeled off-road 'monster of a bike'. Photograph: Ben Broomfield/PR
The basic structure of the Roberts Roughstuff was developed in the 80s as a solution to the ‘just one bike for everything’ conundrum. A long, low-slung, steel randonneur, it is designed for absolute versatility in all weathers, on- or off-road. ‘Each bike reflects the owner’s personality,’ says Roberts, offering various shapes and fittings to suit the individual rider. On this model, the silver strips on the top and down tubes mark the points at which the frame can be taken apart for easier transportation. Photograph: Kayti Peschke/PR
Robin Mather has been building bikes in the West Country for around twenty years. This prototype cargo bike was designed with a long, thick central beam to carry extra weight, specifically a small printing press, which the owner plans to cycle trhough France, printing postcards as he goes. Photograph: Nick Hand/PR
Located in rural Carmarthenshire, Roman Road specialise in making custom-built 'tadpole' tricycles, which boast two wheels before and one behind. This unusual setup is, according to its champions, far superior to the standard two-wheels-behind model, which is more susceptible to handling problems and adverse road camber. This model was adapted from a regular, two-wheeled tandem. Photograph: PR
Describing themselves as ‘more North Face than Lycra or tweed’, Shand builds bikes for the more rugged, experienced cyclist. The Stoater FT, with its big wheels and hearty frame, is designed for long-distance off-roading and built to the individual’s needs. Though built for fun in the woods, Shand also fits its Stoaters with very hi-tech gear. This one carries a low-maintenance Rohloff gear hub and can be fitted with a carbon drive belt system. Photograph: PR
This mountain bike features an unusual chain line and a singular high pivot suspension designed by Adrian Bedford, Swarf's founder. The frame is largely steel, but the suspension's 'swingarm' is carbon fibre, also custom-made. Photograph: PR
Ted James' Gloucestershire workshop specialises in custom-made BMXs, but this curvaceous frame is a 'cruiser', made from unpainted stainless steel. Photograph: PR
Dan Titchmarsh, who learned his trade making motorcycle frames, built this bike to highly specific requirements. It is designed for use year-round as a single-speed commuter bike. The rear dropouts and tyre clearance are shaped to accommodate an internal hub and larger ‘fatbike’ wheels, to allow it to blaze down Swedish trails in winter. The exposed metal is stainless steel: ‘They use a lot of salt on the roads in Sweden,’ says Titchmarsh, ‘I didn’t want any rusting.’ Photograph: Ben Broomfield/PR
‘I select each plank very carefully with grain alignment being of the utmost importance,’ says Liam Murray of Woodelo, who builds custom bikes from shock-absorbent ash wood. This natural material, he believes, makes for a smooth and speedy bike, superior to ‘cookie cutter’ metal or carbon bikes. ‘Some people just don’t fit the mould of off-the-shelf, mass-produced bicycles,’ says Murray. ‘We couldn’t make two identical bikes even if we wanted to.’ Photograph: Ben Broomfield/PR
A family business founded at the end of the second world war, Woodrup is one of the UK's more distinguished framebuilders, having even built a frame which was ridden to a stage win in the Tour de France. The pictured frame is a modern replica of a mid-'70s Woodrup racer. Photograph: PR
"The most substatial part of framebuilding" says Jason Rourke, "is meeting the customer, measuring them up, discussing how they ride and what they want." Jason is the son of Brian Rourke, who founded Rourke Frameworks in 1972. The Staffordshire workshop has since become one of the best known in Britain, building an estimated 150 bikes a year and providing frames for such cycling heroes as Nicole Cook, Rob Penn and Sean Kelly. The above bike is a racer built from high-quality Reynolds stainless steel, which Jason painted himself. "I've had a few fashion disasters", he says of the painting process "but this one turned out alright." Photograph: PR
