Dream Build PDX Logo

Your Dream Build, Fully Realized

Frame-up custom bike builds in Portland, one rider at a time.
Flat $499 assembly, including wheel builds, internal routing, and obsessive attention to detail.

Start Your Build

Tell me about your dream bike and let's chase bike zen together.

The Problem with Off-the-Shelf Bikes

Off-the-shelf bikes always involve compromise.
Wrong wheels. Wrong saddle. Wrong crank length.
Gearing that doesn't match where you ride.

You know what you want your bike to feel like, but getting there usually means:

  • becoming your own mechanic, or
  • hoping a busy shop can slow down enough to guide you through a true custom build.

Dream Build PDX exists for people who want something different: a patient, one-on-one process from frame selection to first ride, with every detail chosen on purpose.

What Dream Build PDX Offers

I build custom bikes from the frame up for riders who care about every detail.

You bring a frameset (new or used) and a vision for how you want the bike to ride. Together we spec every component, solve the compatibility puzzles, and turn a pile of parts into a bike that disappears under you when you ride.

This isn't a high-volume service department. It's a one-person studio chasing bike zen; that perfect moment when everything feels so smooth, quiet, and dialed that you forget you're pedaling and just float.

Every build is focused on:

  • thoughtful part selection
  • quiet, precise assembly
  • and that hard-to-describe feeling when the bike just vanishes beneath you.

How It Works

1

Tell me about your dream build

Fill out the build form and tell me what you're imagining: road, gravel, bikepacking, trail, city, or something weird and wonderful. What are you riding now? What's missing? Where do you want this bike to take you?

2

We spec every component together

We'll go through frame, drivetrain, wheels, cockpit, tires, gearing, and all the little details. I help with compatibility checks and standards so you don't end up with the wrong parts or dead-ends.

3

I build, route, and dial everything

Once everything's in hand, I do a full frame-up assembly:

  • frame prep where needed
  • internal routing and hydraulic brake setup
  • wheel building if you want custom wheels
  • careful torquing, tuning, and test riding

I treat your bike like a long, slow, careful project, not a ticket in a queue.

4

We fit, tweak, and chase bike zen

You pick up the bike, we do an initial test fit, and I make adjustments. After a few rides, you come back (or message me) for a follow-up tweak so we can get as close as possible to that smooth, quiet, forget-you're-pedaling feeling.

$499 Flat-Fee Assembly

One clear price. No hourly surprises.

What's included in the $499 Dream Build fee:

  • Pre-build component consultation
  • Compatibility checks for frames, drivetrains, wheels, and standards
  • Full frame prep and assembly
  • Internal cable and hose routing
  • Hydraulic brake setup and bleeding
  • Custom wheel building (if you want hand-built wheels)
  • Initial test fit at pickup
  • One follow-up adjustment after you've had time to ride

What's not included:

  • Frame repair or structural fixes
  • Paint or refinishing work
  • Suspension damper rebuilds or advanced shock tuning
  • Machine-shop frame correction

If a build turns out to be unusually complex or needs extra services, we'll talk through it before any additional costs. No surprises, and you always approve first.

Recent Builds

About

Dream Build PDX

I've spent decades building and rebuilding my own bikes, always searching for that perfect moment when everything feels so smooth, quiet, and dialed that you forget you're pedaling and just float.

Even when I find it, my brain is already thinking about the next tweak to try. I love building bikes. I love riding bikes. I love obsessing over the details most people never see.

After years in the corporate world, I created Dream Build PDX as a passion project, not a volume business. I typically take on about one build per week, so I can:

  • happily wrestle with internal routing
  • lace and tension custom wheels
  • fuss over cable length, housing curves, and noise
  • talk way too long about gearing and tire choice for that one climb or trip you can't stop thinking about

Most shops have to watch the clock. I built Dream Build so I don't have to.

If you're just looking for the quickest or cheapest way to get a bike rolling, a regular shop is probably a better fit. If you want to build a bike you've been daydreaming about for months, and you enjoy the process as much as the result, you're exactly who I built this for.

Is Dream Build PDX Right For You?

This might be a good fit if:

  • You've been thinking about this bike for a while, not just a weekend.
  • You care about how it feels just as much as how it looks.
  • You're excited to talk through details like gearing, tires, and cockpit.

It might not be a good fit if:

  • You just need the cheapest, fastest build.
  • You're not particular about spec or feel, any complete bike will do.

If you're nodding along, we'll probably get along great.

Start Your Build

Tell me about your dream bike and where you want to ride it. I'll follow up to ask questions, talk timelines, and see if we're a good match.