Bicycle Mechanics - How do you build a bike?

How do u build a bike? Tell me how what tools you use and what parts you put on where for a road bike.

where does one start?

oh yeah

zinn and the art of road bike maint (http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1931382697/)

Spit on everything to lubricate it, and then just get everything fingertight.

Is there anyone who can just flat out explain it?

How do u build a bike? Tell me how what tools you use and what parts you put on where for a road bike.

A road bike? What kind of road bike?

Racing or Touring?
Hilly terrain or flat?
New cyclist or experienced rider?


Asnwer those intelligently and we maight be able to give you a nudge in the right directions.

Kotts

Racing, flat road bike, and for experienced riders. This is the bike im looking to build.

Never built one but I have advice on where to start:
1) Get job as bike mechanic helper.

2) Take class in welding.

3) [Best way] Get really rich and pay a designer / builder to make your dreams real. My guess is you posted "I have a bunch of money and an idea for a bike can anyone build it for me" You would have gotten responses. On that American inventor tv show it cost $50k to make the wacky tandem a reality.

The front tire is connect to the rim, the rim connects to the spokes, the spokes connect to the front hub, the hub connects to the axle, the axel is connected to the drop out, the drop out is connected to the fork blade, the fork blade is connected to the crown, the crown is connected to the steer tube, the steer tube is connected to the lower headset race, the lower headset race is connected to the head tube, the head tube is connected to the upper head set race, the upper head set race is also connected to the steer tube and contacts the stem and the stem connects to the handlebar, the handle bar connects to the break levers, the break levers connect to the break cables and housing, the break cables and housing connect to the breaks at the crown in the front and the stay spreader at the rear, the stay spreader attaches to the seat stays, the seat stays connect to the seat tube, the seat tube holds the seat post and saddle and also connects to the top tube, the top tube connects to the head tube, the head tube connects to the down tube and the down tube connects to the bottom bracket shell along with the seat tube and the chain stays. The shift cables pass under the shell and connect to the front derailleur on the seat tube and the rear derailleur at the rear drop out, the rear derailleur connects to the chain, the chain connects to the chain rings connect to the cranks, the cranks connects to the bottom bracket the bottom bracket connects to the bottom bracket shell, the shell connects to the chain-stays, the chain stays connect to the dropout, the drop out connects to the cassette and the cassette connects to the rear hub, the rear hub connects to the spokes and the spokes connect to the rim, the rim connects to the rear tire.

Its all pretty straight forward.

Add a water bottle cage and you are ready to go.

Thats it? Don't any of u guys know?

You need a hammer, 1 cup mayonaise(for fork oil), bearing grease pack(JB Weld) and an auger.
First you need the parts. Get anyting. It doesn't really matter. All bike parts are equally and totally interchangeable.
Find the fork, or suspension fork, if applicable. It is the springy thing with two legs and knobs all over. Put the steerer into the long verticle tube in the middle of the bike. What's that black lever thingy on the verticle tube you ask. Well that's a quick release my friend. You can remove your fork in seconds!!!!
Next. Install the crank. The bottom bracket is just a scam dreamed up by the bike industry. You won't need it. Throw it away. Find the "skewer". There will be two. YOu need the longer one. At the back of the bike are "dropouts". They come standard from the factory too far apart. You must bend them in to suite your crankset. The cranks go on either side of the outer frame. Don't be concerned with which to put on which side, it will all work out. Insert skewer, clamp skewer to correct tension, not too loose or you could hurt yourself if you plan to do FR or big drops. Don't forget to put the "cassette" in the between the dropouts as well, laced through the skewer. Voila! Cranks are installed.
Now you need a long broom handle. Most people are using aluminum these days on their bikes, but wood will do jsut fine if you don't need the bling.Insert it into the other end at the front of the bike. The "headtube" is what you are looking for. YOu can now install your stem and bars on the underside of the frame. Clamp the stem firmly to the broom handle. You may need shims. It doesn't need to be tight though so it's not a big issue. The broom handle is held on at the top side with the rear brake lever and shifter. THe "headset cap" threads into the broom handle at the topside to keep the things together. You can trim the handle to whatever drip length you prefer.
Next, install the bars and headset. Install half of the headset onto the center of the handle bars. Put the bars throught the BB shell and put the other half headset on the other side. Press the cups into the BB shell gently, you don't want to wreck anything!!!! The threads provide grip. Once pressed, you are Done!
Next, on to the pedals. THey are bolted to the front "dropouts" on the fork. The spindle threads are press fit into the dropouts. You may need to gently persuade them with the hammer.
That is pretty much it. Throw on the wheels, shifters, tire cables and housings, ashtray and brake rotors.
YOU ARE DONE!!!! Be sure to do the rest of yor work woth the bike in its proper riding position.
WARNING!! Don't forget to use JB Weld on all of your threads and any mating surfaces. JB Weld is also your friend when installing your chain too.

GOod luck and ride safe!!!

zinn and the art of road bike maint (http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1931382697/)

Be proactive! Give yourself an oppurtunity to learn something.

Buy the book listed. Read it 2 or three times. Locate an old beater bike someone is giving away or at a thrift store, etc. Disassemble the bike and put it back together.

You assemble all of the parts necessary for a bike and install them. You can pretty much put the parts on in any order.

How reductionist do you want to be? Do you want to buy a frame and a build kit and hang the parts? Or do you want to build the frame too? Framebuilding is its own profession. What about the wheels? Do you want to start with spokes and hubs and lace them yourselft, or buy pre-built wheels? Wheelbuilding is also a profession.

Step right into my garage. I'm assembling a bike right now. It's a lot easier to show you how than to explain how. Just bring some brew.

Thats it? Don't any of u guys know?
Of course some of us know. we just can't explain all of the procedures and details in the confines of this forum. Entire books (MANY entire books) have been written on this subject. Read some of them.

i put my ass on the seat, my hands on the handlebars, and my feet on the pedals. any questions?

this is one thing the internet is NOT good for, you need some hands on help. go to critical mass and ask someone to show you, hopefully they are friendly enough and willing to help someone ride a bike (i'm nice and friendly and willing to help people out, and i go to CM). other than that, bring some beer to the LBS and maybe they'll help.

Of course some of us know. we just can't explain all of the procedures and details in the confines of this forum. Entire books (MANY entire books) have been written on this subject. Read some of them.
Agreed. Not to mention which tools you need depend on which parts you buy. Campy parts and Shimano parts need different tools. Spline drive, square drive, and ISIS bottom brackets need different tools. You adjust different types of brakes in different ways. Different problems come up which we may not be able to foresee. If any of us were to try to put on this thread everything you need to know, it would take us a few months to finish typing. Give me a few months before I'm ready to click the submit button :D

Say, can anyone tell me everything about being a dental assistant while we're on the subject?

Guys, you're really starting to scare me. I just bought a used frame with the intention
of building it up. However, I did buy the Zinn book and am now reading it.

Perhaps, a more useful question might be what not to try. Installing a headset?
Bottom bracket? Are there un-recoverable mistakes that might damage the frame?

Guys, you're really starting to scare me. I just bought a used frame with the intention
of building it up. However, I did buy the Zinn book and am now reading it.

Perhaps, a more useful question might be what not to try. Installing a headset?
Bottom bracket? Are there un-recoverable mistakes that might damage the frame?

OK, here's someone with an actual question. Random thoughts on this topic below.

Installing a headset isn't rocket science, but you do need some pretty pricey tools, so unless you make a habit of it it's better to pay the shop to do it. You can mess this up if you do it wrong. And yes, I know you can make a version of the tool for like $10 at the hardware store.

If the threads are clean and you know which side is left and right, and you know how not to cross-thread something, bottom brackets are pretty foolproof.

Deraileur hanger funkness on old bikes is sometimes difficult. I would get someone experienced to check your work.

Mounting and dialing in the brakes can be slightly artful, depends on what kind of bike it is.

Follow Zinn on how to measure and cut housing.

Ditto for chain length.

Have a shop prep your frame (bb chase and face, headset ream and crown race prep and all that) before you get started, unless it's a total dumpster bike.

Overall, just don't force anything and you will be fine.

The best way to learn how to build up a bike is to first tear down one if you have one available to do so. That's how I learned to do it. By doing this you will learn what tools you will need for each situation. And also by doing this you will find that sometimes it will help to ask questions to those who know about specific problems you will run into; which is how learning takes place; just like college.

http://parktool.com/repair/ (www.parktool.com)?

Are there un-recoverable mistakes that might damage the frame? Been there done that.

Stripping any threads.

Screwing the BB or pedals in backwards.

Putting too many/few bearings in any of the races.

packing bearings with contaminated grease.

Not tightening enough.

chosing parts that make the bike unstable.

Wrong size bearings.

and the list goes on.

Building anything is very detailed work. more can go wrong than right.

From knowing nothing except basic maintenance, I built three bikes in the last year. It helped to study closely a well-put-together road bike I owned. That, and reading these forum posts. I'm no expert, but with a little patience, and a little reading I believe you could do the same. Park Tools has a good website. I bought parts online through various dealers and eBay and with a few new tool purchases was able to do nearly everything myself. (I did pay a shop to press a headset and set a crown race for one bike). A bike stand is helpful to have, as is a cable cutter, a Dremel tool, and third-hand clamp for brakes. I bought small bits online--cable donuts, cable cover stops, crimps, and a variety of metric stainless screws and nuts.

Tools needed, from front to back:
2 Tire levers
1 Pump w/presta usability
1 Spoke wrench
2 Cone wrenches
1 Metric wrench set
1 Headset installation tool
2 Large ajustable wrenches
1 Allen key set
1 Pliers
1 Flathead screwdriver
1 Pedal wrench
1 Crank tool
1 Double sided bottom bracket wrench (depends on type)
1 Chainring nut tool
1 Cassette tool
1 Chain whip
1 Chain breaker

Also:
Chain lube
All purpose grease

Missing anything?

Missing anything?

A hammer. No toolbox is complete without a hammer...

Guys, you're really starting to scare me. I just bought a used frame with the intention
of building it up. However, I did buy the Zinn book and am now reading it.

Perhaps, a more useful question might be what not to try. Installing a headset?
Bottom bracket? Are there un-recoverable mistakes that might damage the frame?
Only thing I don't do is headset and fork installation. The rest, I did/do myself. The tools for pressing a headset and installing the fork are a bit expensive, and it is probably the LEAST done thing on any bike.

It's as much an art as it is anything else... and you wouldn't ask a painter "how do you paint a picture?". I suggest getting some literature in book form and researching on the internet to get you started. That should help launch the boat.

A hammer. No toolbox is complete without a hammer...

You need three:
SAE, Metric, and a rubber mallet.....
Top

Rephrasing here for the OP: your question is too broad. It's kind of like asking how do I build a house or a car or something similar. You need to get specific on what you have in mind, what your skill level is and so forth, then you can get some coherent answers. I have not "built" a bike and probably never will. I have stripped an old bike down to its frame and then reassembled everything, replacing/upgrading some parts. Are you starting with a frame? It may or may not be a surprise, but there are very skilled people who can actually build a frame essentially from scratch. I wouldn't doubt that a few people on this fourm can make their own components and even the handle bar wrap from some duct tape and chewing gum...so what is your starting point? I think I could, for example, buy a frame from Nashbar or ebay, collect the components I want and put them on the frame. A few of the steps (see some of the earlier comments) I may need to pay someone to do...this would be my version of buidiling a bike: more like assembling a kit. I hope this helps and the little bits of sarcastic humor thrown your way haven't scared you off.

The front tire is connect to the rim, the rim connects to the spokes, the spokes connect to the front hub, the hub connects to the axle, the axel is connected to the drop out, the drop out is connected to the fork blade, the fork blade is connected to the crown, the crown is connected to the steer tube, the steer tube is connected to the lower headset race, the lower headset race is connected to the head tube, the head tube is connected to the upper head set race, the upper head set race is also connected to the steer tube and contacts the stem and the stem connects to the handlebar, the handle bar connects to the break levers, the break levers connect to the break cables and housing, the break cables and housing connect to the breaks at the crown in the front and the stay spreader at the rear, the stay spreader attaches to the seat stays, the seat stays connect to the seat tube, the seat tube holds the seat post and saddle and also connects to the top tube, the top tube connects to the head tube, the head tube connects to the down tube and the down tube connects to the bottom bracket shell along with the seat tube and the chain stays. The shift cables pass under the shell and connect to the front derailleur on the seat tube and the rear derailleur at the rear drop out, the rear derailleur connects to the chain, the chain connects to the chain rings connect to the cranks, the cranks connects to the bottom bracket the bottom bracket connects to the bottom bracket shell, the shell connects to the chain-stays, the chain stays connect to the dropout, the drop out connects to the cassette and the cassette connects to the rear hub, the rear hub connects to the spokes and the spokes connect to the rim, the rim connects to the rear tire.

Its all pretty straight forward.

Add a water bottle cage and you are ready to go.

YOU FORGOT THE RIM TAPE !!!!

Thats it? Don't any of u guys know?
:rolleyes:

Instructing someone from the "Instant Messaging" generation how to correctly spell words, punctuate sentences, and use proper grammar is much like teaching someone how to build a complete bicycle using only an internet forum.

Neither process would involve the student to engage in any form of personal effort, research, or allocation of time. An internship or even simply reading a book is not a possibility. Just give him the what, when, where, why, and how but do it now!

Does Zinn's book come in a form which can be IM'd to his cell phone?

I once built a computer exclusively from the directions given to me through a messaging program. I had no idea what I was doing and was in way over my head but the person typing on the other end managed to talk me through it.

I know that bikes and computers are not exactly the same but both are possible.

This thread reminds me of the movie Apollo 13 in which the tech’s on the ground use their replica of the space capsule to figure out a solution to the problem and then talk the astronauts through the procedure.

Maybe the OP could work out the same situation and have someone on the forum buy all the same parts as him/her and IM his/her cell phone with directions…

Or maybe he/she could just hold out for the day he/she can download knowledge directly into his/her brain (along with some sweet ring tones). :p

In my own process of becoming bicycle literate I’ve seen bikes as first complicated, then simple and now somewhere between. I’ve found that simply maintaining my own bikes has allowed me to expand my mechanical ability at a good pace. Get enough bikes and one of them will always need work.:D

Installing a headset isn't rocket science, but you do need some pretty pricey tools, so unless you make a habit of it it's better to pay the shop to do it. You can mess this up if you do it wrong. And yes, I know you can make a version of the tool for like $10 at the hardware store.

If the threads are clean and you know which side is left and right, and you know how not to cross-thread something, bottom brackets are pretty foolproof.

Not that I advocate this, but I have installed headset races with 2 blocks of wood and a rubber mallet on many of my former bikes, having no problems on any of them. However, I don't think I rode any of those bikes for more than 4 years.

As for the bottom bracket, I am driving myself cazy trying to figure out what is creaking on my new cranks and BB. I have removed, relubed, and reinstalled both parts twice now and am probably going to take it into a shop tomorrow (the one where I used to work as a mechanic), hang my head low, and pay the "real" mechanic to do it right.

As for the bottom bracket, I am driving myself cazy trying to figure out what is creaking on my new cranks and BB. I have removed, relubed, and reinstalled both parts twice now and am probably going to take it into a shop tomorrow (the one where I used to work as a mechanic), hang my head low, and pay the "real" mechanic to do it right.

Is your frame AL? If so it most likely just the frame and the bottow bracket rubbing. This is quite common with AL frames. Mine does that for awhile then goes away, then starts again. The good thing is that there is nothing really wrong with the bike. Just a nuissance.

Tools needed, from front to back:
2 Tire levers
1 Pump w/presta usability
1 Spoke wrench
2 Cone wrenches
1 Metric wrench set
1 Headset installation tool
2 Large ajustable wrenches
1 Allen key set
1 Pliers
1 Flathead screwdriver
1 Pedal wrench
1 Crank tool
1 Double sided bottom bracket wrench (depends on type)
1 Chainring nut tool
1 Cassette tool
1 Chain whip
1 Chain breaker

Also:
Chain lube
All purpose grease

Missing anything?


If you have no tools at all, you could probably just buy one of those tools kits made by Park from Nashbar or something. You don't need all of those either; like a lot of times car manuals will call for a 'special tool' designed just for that car, and more often then not you really don't need it. And you won't need some tools if you buy parts that are all ready together.

Thats it? Don't any of u guys know?

Everybody here who's built a fast road bike, raise your hand. Uh...Shoot, too many to count. Yes, there are those of us who know.

The problem is that your question is so broad that it would take a book to answer it. I think the most serious answer you've gotten (or are likely to get) is the reference to Zinn and the Art of Road Bike Maintainance. Right behind that is the guy who offered to show you if you brought the beer. I'd take him up on it, if I were you.

If you insist on learning everything through the internet, then I would suggest checking out http://www.sheldonbrown.com/harris and reading every article there. Follow that with running a search on this forum for anything Sheldon B. has written.

No joke, the man knows his stuff, and is excellent at communicating it.

Is your frame AL? If so it most likely just the frame and the bottow bracket rubbing. This is quite common with AL frames. Mine does that for awhile then goes away, then starts again. The good thing is that there is nothing really wrong with the bike. Just a nuissance.
It's a steel frame. Now what? :mad: