Road Cycling - Bike Building?

I'm thinking of buying a build kit, & frame seperately for my first bike. Although I realize that this is not the most cost effective way to do things, I'm having a tricky time getting the components I want with a frame I like for a price within my budget. This will be my first road bike, so I thought that having to put everything together would be a great lesson in mechanics for me, and it might make future repairs/alterations easier to do. Is this do-able or would I be getting in over my head? It seems like it would be a little more fulfilling to have put the bike together rather than buying one pre-made that I don't know anything about. Whaddya think? Go for it and try to build it, or pay some money and take a bicycle maintenance course? Thanks in advance.

Originally posted by BeardedMonk
Although I realize that this is not the most cost effective way to do things

You said a mouthful there! To stop costs spiralling you need to decide on your TOTAL budget. Then try and fit everything in.
Biggest single cost will be the frame. This is the heart of the bike. No point putting expensive components on a cheapo frame.

But already the decisions mount up - Steel frame? Aluminium? Titanium? Carbon fibre?
Good make or poor make? Colnago or Huffy?

Then the wheels.
Then the groupset
Then the seat, bars, computer, chain, bottle cages, bottles, (lights, fenders, luggage - if its to be a tourer or day/night commuter)
Then the LOCK

BUT at the end of it you will have your unique bike that you know inside out.

regards

Stew

So what kind of setup are you looking at?

if you do build your own bike, there are two things you really should leave to your lbs:

1. headset installation. you need a special tool for this, and it's not the kind of thing you'll want to buy.

2. bb installation. if you don't know what you're doing, you can cross-thread the bb, or otherwise seriously pooch the bb shell. best to let the experts do it.

Weeellllll...
My setup (tentatively) is a fondriest madonna or don top racer u107 frame (because they're like half price right now), campy centaur components, and the european equivalent of mavic krysium wheelset (because campy & mavic don't work i believe?) and i haven't decided on the saddle just yet. Opinions suggestions? :)

hey Monk, I'm actually building a Specialized Allez Sport! I researched alot on bikeforums and asked even the most stupid questions, but in the end it will help alot!

In my signature below, I have a link to the component list to my bike I'm building. I'm building a 2001 Specialized Allez Sport with a 105 group and R540 wheelset!!

If you need pointers or questions, IM me

-Dan the Man-

Campy and Mavic do work together, you just need the
right hub for it.
I agree fully with Velocipedio, let LBS do the BB and headset.
If you are going to build it yourself I'd suggest getting a
workstand, it will make things much easier.

Marty

As a mechanic, I recommend you go and have someone build your bike for you. ESPECIALLY if it is a new frame. You will most likely lose any warranty you have if you build it yourself and aren't a licensed/shop mechanic. It may be the more expensive way. But if you don't know road bikes, shifters, etc etc. It probably will be cheaper than new parts/cables/tools.

My advice...

Originally posted by BeardedMonk
I'm thinking of buying a build kit, & frame seperately for my first bike. It seems like it would be a little more fulfilling to have put the bike together rather than buying one pre-made that I don't know anything about. Whaddya think? Go for it and try to build it, or pay some money and take a bicycle maintenance course? Thanks in advance.

Please do not build the bike. I have seen too many customers do this with disastrous results. You may have the technical savvy to pull it off, but as Arsbars said there may be warranty issues...

If you have the brains, ability then I would build it. I am no full time bicycle mechanic but have been building and tearing them apart for over 30 years, and after all you gotta start sometime. Even the 'bike mechanics' had to do thier first one. i have built all 3 of mine in the last 2 years and know I have done it for 1/3 the lbs prices.

For people looking at their first bike of any sort (you're new to the roadie scene) I usually suggest getting it off the shelf or finding a shop that will do the build and let you watch and learn. It's not something that you want to do without some experience (which I'd assume you have) or someone there to give some helpful advice. There are subtle things that can come up with a build that you'll do differently than a wrench would.

It depends largely on your mechanic experience. If this is your first road bike, it sounds to me like you have other bikes around. What kind of work have you done on them?

If you haven't done a lot of wrenching, find someone that has and get them involved in the process. It'll make it a lot smoother and you'll learn a lot.

A little introspection here should provide the answer. Are you mechanically inclined? Have you historically been able to build, assemble, fix, and troubleshoot mechanical things? Do you follow written instructions well?

If yes, then you should be able to do this, since you have the benefit of the Barnett's Manuals in the Bicycle Mechanics forum. You should make a point of purchasing or making all the correct tools however. If you don't, and end up using, say, channel locks to tighten a headset, you'll end up marring the finish of your components and ruining the finish of your bike.

Keep in mind that there are tools you may have to buy. A headset press to install headset cups is the most expensive that comes to mind although you can make one out of all thread and washers. . A torque wrench and the allen fittings is next, but you can get a fairly inexpensive one at AutoZone.

Of course you could just take the approach of some backyard fixers on this forum and install things by whacking them with a mallet or not torgue anything, just using "tribal instinct"(many shops take this approach), but if you do a forum search on Calvin Jones, Olympic team mechanic, his comments on these forums will hopefully convince you to torque everything correctly.

But the mechanical steps in using the tools and the tools required are all clearly spelled out in the Barnett's Manuals. So I disagree with the other ex- and current mechanics here. I am a Certified Master Technician in the Bike Industry, and I encourage everyone to do their own work if they are so inclined. Just read and follow directions carefully.

I'd say that your greatest focus needs to be on the correct settings for your loose bearing components, which will wear out prematurely if not set correctly. Next is the correct torque settings.

With regards to warranties, you may check with the manufacturers to make sure that they do not require dealer assembly or whatever. Campagnolo does not to the best of my knowledge, but I don't know about Fondriest. They are relatively new to the American Market.

Well said, don. Hell, I changed my mind and retract my advice, opting instead to say this: don's right.

I am now convinced that even I can build my own bike......if I can just find that mallet!

When my friend and i built the bianchi, we had the shop put the bb on and the cranks. Oh, and the cassette on the back wheel. we didn't want to buy any tools. BUt we did everything else, like headset, etc.

Originally posted by RdRunner
I am now convinced that even I can build my own bike......if I can just find that mallet!

Don't forget the adjustable wrench and butter knife.:p

Originally posted by ImprezaDrvr
Well said, don. Hell, I changed my mind and retract my advice, opting instead to say this: don's right.

What about sunsetnkc? He said the same thing in fewer words. Cantcha give up a little love for sunset?:p

I'm verbose, so I like it when people take forever to get to a point. :)

Building a bike sounds cool, but time might be a factor. You're talking about numerous hours of assembly, adjustment, etc-- hours you could be out riding...

If you DO decide to do it, check in the "Mechanic" section of this site for a downloadable version of Barnett's Manual...