WyndyMilla Bikes

Nuggs

Hi Gang

I was just googling away at work today and found this company, just down the road in Surrey:

http://www.wyndymilla.com/

They specialise in custom bikes and some of them look amazing; Lightning Seed in white being my favourite. Not sure if electric pink is for me though...

It looks like they lauched fairly recently (possibly at the Cycle Show in September). I've certainly not heard of them before and havn't seen any chatter on BR about them.

Does anyone know anything more or, even better, have any experience of their bikes?

spasypaddy

i cant remember where or how but ive heard of them. hope that helps

rjsmith

I saw a guy riding for the team at a race I was at. It looked very nice in the flesh. It was the pink finish and it really stood out.

flasher

I appreciate that they're trying to be a bit different but it looks a bit Whacky Races to me.............. :?

FransJacques

They're expensive. I looked into getting one for my gfriend, a custom 44cm small one and the price was not competitive IMO so I didn't pursue it.

Chip \'oyler

There was one of their team guys at the supporting race at this year's Otley Crits. He certainly looked the part when warming up.

He still looked the part when he got dropped a few laps later and still looked good when he got lapped.

Nuggs

Flasher wrote:

I appreciate that they're trying to be a bit different but it looks a bit Whacky Races to me.............. :?

I know what you mean but this one looks lovely:


8)

AndyF16

they had a reasonably large stand at the bike show in october, i'm all for quirky looking stuff but they were a bit OTT in my opinion - no technical content to the comment at all though

Monty Dog

You could buy a custom Viner or Bertoletti for the same money and it would be built from carbon and it wouldn't have a naff paint job. If I'm gonna spend £2k+ on anything, I wouldn't want it to look like it was designed by a 10 year-old.

Chip \'oyler

Monty Dog wrote:

You could buy a custom Viner or Bertoletti for the same money and it would be built from carbon and it wouldn't have a naff paint job. If I'm gonna spend £2k+ on anything, I wouldn't want it to look like it was designed by a 10 year-old.

+ 1,000,000

flasher

Frames look good, just those nasty graphics............

Pretre

Flasher wrote:

Frames look good, just those nasty graphics............

Per the review in this month's C+ you can have any colour you want

Nuggs

I went out to see them on Saturday for a bike fitting analysis (on my own two bikes) and I was seriously impressed.

To give some background: I've struggled with dodgy knees and a bad back for years. I've had a few bouts of surgery and recently my knees have started to creak again. My physiotherapist suggested that I went for a proper fitting and cleat alignment before getting back on the bike.

I was told that the session would last 1.5-2 hours but in the end, it took 4 hours given how thorough the analysis was.

I was helped by Ben, a chap with some serious racing pedigree and a background in sports rehab. It was quickly apparent that this was a bloke who (i) seriously knew his stuff and (ii) was passionate about cycling.

The first 1.5 hours were taken up with Ben analysing my posture, taking time to understand the problems I have had in the past and working out what causes the pain. Instead of hopping on the bike after that analysis, Ben gave me some therapeutic exercises to help bring everything under control, get all the relevant muscles firing and build strength in the weak areas. I didn't get that last time I was fitted for a bike!

We then moved on to setting the saddle height, which was relatively straightforward and aided by laser lines etc.

Ben then did the cleat fitting. This must have taken about an hour and was very thorough. Wyndymilla use the new Keo Fitting system, which involves using specially modified pedals which take a reading from magnets placed in the cleats and measure how much the foot moves through a pedal revolution. Again, this was aided by laser lines to gauge how well the knees were tracking. As part of the cleat fitting, we found the correct orthotic insoles (a pair I already had as part of my 'collection'), fitted a shim to one pair of shoes and got the knees tracking really nicely. There was plenty of time on the turbo to make sure things were comfortable.

We then moved to setting up the front end of the bike. Despite having had the bike set up using the Bikefitting system previously, I had always had difficulty reaching the hoods. Ben ascertained that the set up was correct; it was my posture which was wrong. While it sounds a bit embarrassing to admit, Ben taught me how to sit on the bike properly, which helps distribute the load evenly down my spine and guess what?.. It makes me taller such that I can now reach the hoods comfortably!

Ben then gave me some tips and exercises to help me find the right position on the bike.

I was super keen to get out yesterday and try out the new position but only managed a paltry 2.5 miles before sheet ice forced me to turn back. I did 45 mins on the turbo when I got home though. It still feels a bit strange and any change in position takes some getting used to. However, for the first time, I am able to rest my hands comfortably on the hoods without feeling over-stretched and managed a turbo session without any knee pain - which I haven't been able to do for the past 4 months.

Assuming the good results carry over to the road, this could be the best £150 I've spent on the bike (and I reckon £150 for a 4-hour consultation is seriously good value!). I feel as though Ben gave me more insight into my biomechanical issues and practical means of addressing them in one session than years of physiotherapy have done.

I should also say something about the bikes, seeing as that's how I started this thread...

They had 6 or 7 bikes there. Most were in the pink that I think they are/will be inevitably famous for. However, they had one Lightning Seed in carbon with union jack details, and it looked fantastic! 8). I think the cost of a full custom Lightning Seed F&F is just under £2,000, which sounds pretty good to me.

They use a small factory in Italy to build the bikes and they look fantastic in the flesh (the online photos just don't do them justice). I know they're not one of the established custom builders but their fastidious attention to fitting and biomechanics makes them worth a serious look in my view.

As a very happy customer, I wish the guys and girls there every success for the future.