We are constantly striving to do the best we possibly can for our customers and when we get nice feedback from happy riders we know our efforts have been worth it.
B. W UK
Barry
Managed to unwrap it late last night. It looks superb. You really appreciate the quality when you look closely; immaculate paint work, the details around the brake bridge, the dropouts etc. The colour choice is spot on too.
I’m delighted. My day off tomorrow so I should get it built and have it out for a spin later this week. I’ll send some pictures when it is complete.
UPDATE:
Firstly the geometry feels very good. I feel in the right place on the bike and like the higher front a lot. I set up about 25mm spacers and may drop it a fraction only.The ride is really different to my Ti Colnago. It feels far far smoother, a bit less springy but very tight and quick. In fact I am suprised at how stiff it acts (rather than feels), for example the front felt absolutely solid on a rough downhill road that I thought might make it a bit bouncy. It definitely feels all-day comfortable on our poor roads here but it also felt really, really quick when climbing etc
T. C UK
Hi Barry,
Today I took the Z3SL out for the first time.
Oh my god …. this bike is so much better than the Ghisallo in just about every way imaginable. I would live off bread and water for a year for a bike like this!!! Stiffer and silkier transmission. Climbs better … and decends better. Like riding with a tailwind!!! Thanks a lot for building it.
G.T UK
The fitting session was excellent. In 2 hours you asked me more questions about my riding style than the bike shop I used to go to did in 10 years. The changes we have made took about a week to get used to – but know they feel like second nature and I cannot believe I used to ride any other way. Brilliant !
S.M South Africa
Hi Barry,
The Kent Eriksen is absolutely awesome. You know that you have something special when the entire bike shop has abandoned everything else and is standing around the shipping box looking at the frame!
The finished bike looks stunning, clean lines and perfectly proportioned. It looks like it is lined up on the race startline even when it is just sitting The ride is sublime- it soaks up all the small bumps like a full suspension but is lively and responsive. In fact if I didnt know better I would swear that at times I was on a dual suspension. It is so comfortable that I am seriously thinking about riding the 9 day Cape Epic on the Eriksen instead of a full suspension. It took me a while to work out why the handling is so good- the custom build means that weight distribution is perfect so the bike not only tracks like it is on rails but it jumps and lands smoothly every time.
I never thought I would be saying this, but I think you have found me another bike that brings the same level of joy as the Parlee!
B.S Scotland
Barry, I thought I would drop you a note to tell you what I thought about my new bike.
Now I know pink is a strange colour for a Parlee, but you and Bob pulled it off in style!! I have to say not only does the bike make me smile but the whole experience and service has been the best I have ever received. I buy too many bikes like fads, but this one I will keep and cherish. Being invloved from the start and building it “with” you means it has a bit of “me” in it. More so than any other custom frame I have had made.
It surpasses everything I ever thought was possible. Now I am a big unit, so you had to make it strong and boy does it work. Little flex, complete transfer of power, as I said it almost felt like a fixed the way it feels connected to your legs. Awesome, makes me smile when I look at it and want to train harder to see how far you can push.
Simply put, the best bike I own and now I want more!
Many thanks again, get the coffee pot on I need a new one with mudguard clearance!
D. S England
Being new to cycling and having set myself a challenge of getting ready for l’etape 2007 I had been putting in the miles for a good 8 months and all that was required was a bike capable of such a feat even if its rider was mediocre. I approached Bespoke for a bike fitting initially but knowing full well that I was going to walk into a showroom full of beautiful Parlee carbon and very little self will. Well a combination of Barry’s easy manner and encouragement in my challenge had me placing an order for a Z4 in no time. The Z4 is fabulous – its a work of art to look at and it’s hard to believe that something which rides so smooth and is so comfortable could be light, exhilarating and sure footed. Having succeeded in my l’etape challenge I now feel that the bike has a worthy owner and that it has seen some action. I’ll be pushing it harder in 2008 and I’m already thinking about complementing it with some lightweight wheels now. Thanks Barry
R.K Ireland
To put my remarks in context I should confess right now that I have several bikes;three Serrottas,a Guru TT,Look 595 and a Pinarello Paris. Spoiled? Perhaps, but in a position to judge? Most certainly.
I recently became the proud owner of a Parlee Z1 and it oushines all the others. It’s light,responsive,stiff and tracks and corners like no other. I really am delighted with it and the Lightweight wheels add the final touch to a superlative ride. Critically also for me,the aesthetics are out of this world. It has a simplicity to it that is hard to do well but when done properly,is beautiful.
I’m a big fan and was taken with Barry’s enthusiasm and desire to get it right. What a cool company,stocking only the best and run by a great bloke who is passionate about his work. SPEND ALL YOUR MONEY AT BESPOKE CYCLING !
S.M UK
I just wanted to drop you a line to say i’m over the moon with the new position step up, been out for 11 hrs this weekend and everything went very well thank you very much for all your hard work on the Size Cycle !
Adam Hansen, T-Mobile
Barry supported me in 2005 – the year that I went from an amateur to a Pro with T-Mobile, and I would like to greatly thank him for the excellent products and customer service
Designing a custom Parlee was very very exciting for me, as in the last 4 years I had never picked a bike – instead I always rode what I was given. This sounds great – free bikes! The bad side is, if you are a bike lover, you see many things that you would wish to have but you cant…
Last year I had the choice of riding anything I wanted, if it was `labeled’ correctly.
Now to be honest, I thought all frames were as good as each other. I love mass produced frames and thought there was nothing to be gained from going the custom route. When l I opened the bike box that arrived containing my Parlee frame I realized that I was wrong! It was simply AMAZING! – you have to see one to know what I mean. I saw many pictures and yes they look nice, but nothing like what they look in the flesh
The attention to detail is just amazing!
I am pretty neutral in terms of sizing preferences and I was much more excited by the possibility of getting a custom tubing lay-up. I wanted a super stiff frame, you might have noticed Parlee’s around 900grams-mine is in the 1000gms range. This is because I wanted a super stiff frame with 0 (ZERO!) power loss. Thats what Parlee did! Extra carbon here, light tubes there, and stiffer tubes where needed here! Also I wanted a shorted rear chainstay for even greater snap. Parlee accomodated my every need.
On my first ride with the new bike I knew it was something special – after the ride I walked back to my house with a big smile on my face. Truly amazing, no other word! I couldnt believe I would be this happy with it. The power transfer was excellent – a racer’s dream!
Thanks again – and for everything you have done to support me in my career
S.M South Africa
Guys,
I have been riding the Parlee/lightweight combo for about a month now. i can honestly say that i have never ridden such a fantastic bike. Over the years i have ridden everything from steel to Al to titanium to other carbon bikes and i cannot believe how the Parlee feels! it is lively, stiff and unbelievably comfortable. i never thought that it was possible to get all of these qualities in one frame.
Last week I did a coulpe of days of back to back 4+ hours rides and ended them feeling as frisky and when i started, not a hint of being hammered to death by a super stiff frame. In fact it is the only bike I have owned that I actually take time to really clean it every week and get upset if it is dirty!
It makes me want to get up half an hour earlier and do extra k’s. i havnt forgotten a photo and will send you one when i get to an appropriately south african scene.
the lightweights are even better than i imagined- i thought i would only use them once a week but i just cant bring myself to take them off my bike.
thanks for hooking me up with the really really good stuff!!!
PS When are Parlee making a mountain bike !!!
E.O, UK
Barry thanks for all your help in getting my Z1 dialed in. The first big ride I did on it was the etape and the bike performed flawlessly. It corners like its on rails (a Parlee trait), handles brilliantly and weighs next to nothing (its definitely illegal as far as the UCI are concerned).
I wanted a very stiff BB area, as this is what I have gotten used to on my Cannondale (it has their oversize BB and Hollogram cranks). You managed to achive this in a frame far lighter, and more compliant to boot!. When I discussed the build with Tom at Parlee, we decided on the Easton EC90SLX fork, but Easton stuff has a matt finish, so Parlee stripped the fork and refinished it to match the bike (at no cost).
If you read all the reviews they all say that the ride quality of the Parlee is unlike any other carbon bike – I am thrilled to say that the Z1 certainly lives up to expectations.
P.S, UK
Barry,
Spent the last two days riding the Parlee in the balmy sunshine…..... I’m soooo impressed. In fact i’m relatively speechless, in a more than positive way.
The ride characteristics, feel and handling is simply awesome.I could have never imagined how good this bike would feel. It accelerates at a ridiculous rate and there is very little flex of inefficiency, but remarkably it doesn’t feel harsh or wooden, I’m very impressed and pleased. It climbs like no other bike I have owned, it begs to be ridden fast up hills, I was positively sprinting up some of my local climbs – ones that I normally just dig in and spin on…...amazing.
The lightweight Ventoux’s are sublime, I’m totaly blown away with how they ride and feel, they just roll and roll with minimum resistance, again awesome.
The combination of the Z1 and Lightweight’s is a match made in heaven, the two complement each other perfectly, there is also no wooden carbon like noises, I’m again speechless at how silent this bike is….....:-)
So far everything is perfect the ride, fit, feel and components, I love the brakes and the bar tape is ace.
You and the guys at Parlee have truly listened to all my requests and needs and have come up with the perfect bike. I must say I had hoped it would be as good as it is but in reality i thought that there would be some compromise when I received the real thing, but you have excelled and by doing so delivered my dream/ perfect bike
Now we need to start talking about another!!! Just teasing but sometime soon I’m sure….....
Barry, you are a pleasure to work with and your patience and professionalism is greatly appreciated.
Thanks again!
N.W., Germany
From the very first phone conversation you have with Barry, you realize that his main motivation is to make the most perfect bike available to his customers. He is totally committed to listening to your needs and ensuring that you get your dream bike. It is very obvious that Barry himself is very enthusiastic about every bike that gets build on this way. Barry has always been all ears and very eager to answer every single question or inquiry – even late at night and did not hesitate to contact PARLEE numerous times to ensure that every request I had was fulfilled.
The end result was every bit as good as I had hoped! The buying experience was so good that when I am in the market for a new frame, Barry will be the first person I call
Thanks again!!