Mountain Biking - peicing together a bike, good idea for a newbie or not?

I found an '02 Giant AC2 frame with rockshox pro delux and a psylo @ pinkbike.com for $750. The bike is brand new becuase he had it on layaway and got a better deal on a different bike, so its still sitting there with $750 left on the difference. I have never put a bike together but I need to learn becuase I'm going to be taking my bike apart to clean. Do you think this is a good idea for a newbie to put a bike together, or do you even think this is a good deal at all. You can see the ad at its labeled "BRAND NEW, GIANT XTC AC 2" http://www.pinkbike.com/modules/buysell/?category=0&ptimestamp=20030221000000&op=list&keyword=Giant+AC

It's great for the "learning" aspect, however you're going to invest a lot in tuition. You'll need a lot of special tools you probably won't have. Plus, complete bikes are always cheaper than building one up custom. The benefit, you can pick and choose exactly the parts you want. If you're patient, you can get good deals on closeout products.

$750 for a frame and fork is a pretty good deal. I'd figure on at least another $1500 to build it up sweet!

L8R

Really another $1500, I figured that it would be a little while before its complete so the patient part is not a problem, but the $1500 is. Putting the parts on it that I want sounds awesome, what do you think I would pay for the same bike with all stock parts?

of course what am I thinking, for an awesome frame like that to evovle into a sweet freeride/xc bike what am I expecting.

That all depends.

This is how I would build it: I would go with more of a freeride preference, and since I'm a big guy, I go for super beefy and NOT lightweight!

Wheels: Mavic D521's or F519's laced to Profile Racing or Chris King Hubs (approx $500 to $600) or a complete set of DeeMax. ($800)

Tires: Depends, tires can be good for an area and bad for another. Likewise for the rider's preference, but figure $80 - $100 for a decent pair w/tubes and rim strips.

Cranks: Race Face Turbine LP's or Black Spire Duelies,approx. $300-$350 w/rings and bb. Right now I've got some Profile Racing Chromoly w/Race Face rings that I love, so it'd be a tough choice, but those are a bit overkill for this frame.

Headset: Chris King (of course and ONLY), another $100

Stem: Race Face Diablos another $65-70

Handlebar: I like Easton's Monkeylites another $110.

Seatpost: Thomson Elite (I use no other) $65-$70

Seat: any, I'm really not particular on seats. Figure $40-$50

Shifters: XT, good price and very reliable. I'm running XTR's right now, but damn those are expensive, and XT's are almost as precise. I use seperate shifter/levers. So for just the shifter pods figure $65-$80

Ditto for Derailleurs: Shimano XT both for $75- $100

Chain and Cassette: Yep, Shimano XT Cassette ($40-$50) and a Sram Chain PC-69 or PC-99 w/Power link ($25-$35)

Brakes: Hmmm, tough choice. If I were going budget, I use Avid Mechanical discs.($150 pr.), plus some levers and cables. I'd probably use some Avid levers ($25-$50) If I had money to spend, Hayes Hydraulics!($400 pr.) levers incld.

What's left? Grips & pedals. Grips: ODI lock ons $25, pedals: Some nice platforms like some Atom Lab trailpimps $85-$100. or some Shimano 545's $65.

All said and done, figure about $1,750 on the low side of my estimate. This is all top notch stuff, and you could also probably get some stuff cheaper so figure saving $250 to bring it down to $1500 more for the rest of the build!

That would put you at around $2,250, then you've got to buy some tools to assemble everything, add another $250 to $350 for that!

Still, that would give you a great bike, custom built to your (my) specs! Not a bad option!

Or buy the bike complete and replace stuff as it breaks! Usually the cheaper way to go!

would it be cheaper to have my lbs put it together?

O.k, I was looking at Pricepoints Bike Kits, and you can get a complete Race Face/ XTR kit for $1399.99 that's a deal. I'm sure you could probably swap out the brakes for discs.

If you have your bike shop put it together, you'll never learn! It's worth buying the tools and doing it yourself.

If you have your LBS do it, you might as well buy a complete bike from them! Support them w/ your business that way. If you buy online, don't take the parts in, it just pisses them (us) off!

I built my F900 up from scratch and can tell you that I'm now completely self sufficient in terms of my own maintenance. I think it was an awesome learning experience. I built a top of the line bike for WAY LESS than I would have spent just buying it already assembled. I think I paid maybe 1200 bucks for the entire thing when all was said and done, and I got top notch components. See the specs in my signature... all great stuff and it's a sweet ride. You can even pick up a tool kit from Pricepoint for like 40 bucks with practically everything you're going to need for the build. I say do it. Better bike with all the components YOU want on it.

Originally posted by Jim311
You can even pick up a tool kit from Pricepoint for like 40 bucks with practically everything you're going to need for the build.

can you give some suggestions like what should be included I have absolutely no idea what to get. And do you guys think I NEED a bike stand? a2psylnut where on pricepoint did you find that Race Face/ XTR kit?

Umm, under "Bike Kits", full XTR w/all Race Face parts. $1,399.98.

I would suggest getting a work stand. It really makes working on your bike easier. I'd get one of the portable ones. You can get some for under $200.00. Pedro's makes one, Park makes various, and there is one called the Witch Doctor (I think).

They are nice, but not necessary. You can get one of those folding bike holders for $5 from Home Depot and it'll elevate the bike so you can spin the cranks and adjust shifters.

I would as a minimum buy these tools:

Bike Specific: (Either Park,Pedro's or Wrench Science)
Crank Puller
Cassette Tool
Bottom Bracket Tool
Spoke Wrench
Cone Wrench(s)
Pedal Wrench
Cable Cutters
Full set of allen wrenches (Long)
4,5 & 6 (mm) Y wrench
4,5 & 6 (mm) Y wrench boundhous
2,2.5 & 3 (mm) Y wrench
Grease Gun w/Grease (obviously)

Non-Bike Specific:
Set of GOOD screwdrivers (flat & phillips)
Side Cutters
Channel Locks
Creasent Wrench
Dead Blow Hammer
Rubber Mallet
Carpenter's hammer

That's all I can think of at the moment!
visit www.parktools.com and www.pedro's.com
L8R

Here's the kit I have. It only cost me 40 bucks and has everything I've needed so far to build the bike. I don't know how I ever got along without it... I think it was one of the best things I've bought for my bike so far.

http://pricepoint.com/product920.html

-Lifu Prontool Kit
MSRP $70.00 Price Point $39.98

Kit Contains:


-Crank tool
-Hex key wrench sets
-Headset wrenches
-Lock-ring spanner
-Cone wrenches
-Magnetic screwdrivers
-Cassette tool
-Cartridge BB tool
-Chain whip
-Open-end spanners
-Pedal wrench
-Axle sockets
-Spoke Wrenches
-Adjustable chain tool
-6" adjustable wrench
-Nylon/fiberglass tire lever set
-Glueless patch set
-All tools are Shimano compatible.

there's a lot of advice there, but what they forgot to mention is what you should actually do. I say you should get it because that way you'll have a sweet bike to build from. You will have what you want in the frame(most important) and fork which means that the rest of the bike can be tweaked along the way. GO FOR IT

I was looking at the XTR/ raceface bike kit @ pricepoint and it includes a rear derailluer but it doesn't say what speed it is, do you have to specify what you want?

Nope, it's a 9 speed. You may have to specify short, medium, or long cage though.

I run a medium cage XTR with a 11-32 cassette. Runs great :)

One of the FUNNEST thing in the world was rebuilding a beat up old Klein Attitude which I bought for $400 from my buddy (who bought an orange Mantra) a few years ago. I basically bought a frame because everything was so trashed on it. I bought some gourmet ass stuff for that Attitude (and was going to transfer all of it to my Mantra Race which I bought less than 1 year later).

I borrowed tools from my buddies and bought Leonard Zinn's book on Mtn Bike Maintenance. Great fun stuff. And to be able to tweak your own bike to the max because you put it together yourself is a great asset if you've busted something on Mt Tam.

From now on, I will only buy frames and put the puppy together myself.

$750 is pretty good for a frame. I think Klein frames run at least twice that. Or you can find someone selling a absolutely mint bike (hint hint, like me) and buy theirs.

I've been thinking about doing this also. Thanks for the information and encouragement.