Bike Company Takes Customization to a New LevelBig Shot Bike company allows customers to design their dream ride on an iPad-friendly interface.

Henry Ford's statement that the Model T was available in any color a customer wanted, so long as it was black, is remembered mainly for its pithiness, but the economics behind this assembly-line innovation were revolutionary. By eliminating options, Ford kept prices down, making automobiles suddenly attainable for the masses.

Now the pendulum has swung in the other direction. Today's consumers aren't satisfied with a single option; they expect individually designed products, in the color schemes of their choice--but they don't want to pay a premium for this customization. Fort Collins, Colo.-basedBig Shot Bikeshas capitalized on the trend, making its fixed-gear, single-speed ("fixie") bikes in any color combination the customer wants--so long as it's rad.