Bicycle Mechanics - building a bike

I found a deal I could not pass up.
On a Klein Quantum Race.
but its just a frame and fork. I"ve been riding for years but never
build a bike. and I have a lot of question.
1. where to start? I wa thinking of starting with the bottom bracket. which leads me to question two.
2. which bottom bracket is best.
3. which one will fit the klein quantum race.


K

It's more like which bottom bracket will work with the crank of your choice. Then when you have the crank narrowed down, look for compatibility with cassettes, shifters & derailleurs.

Or, if you know how to friction shift, the world is your oyster.

I was rasied on friction shift. but I'm not sure it will work with this frame.
i was wondering if you could mix bottom brackets. I like the ultegra bottom bracket. can I put a dura ace crankset on
what about campagnolo?

Dura-ace no problems , it matches the shimano BB splines, but not a Campy crankset !

Ahuman,
Klein Quantum? S-weet!

You can use a DA crank with an Ultegra bottom bracket. In fact, if you go DA you SHOULD use an Ultegra bb. DA bb's are reputed to be less durable. You cannot put a Campagnolo crank on a Shimano bb. Campy uses a square taper spindle BUT it is not the same taper as the "universal" square taper so you can't mix. Bottom brackets are among the cheapest parts so pick your crankset then get the appropriate bb.

How much work have you done on your bikes? If you have removed and replaced most of the parts at some point, you can build a bike. If you need a headset, have a shop install it. That is about the only thing that might give you trouble. I know a lot of people install their own, but when I built my first bike recently that was the one thing I let a shop do. The LBS I use will install parts free if you buy them there.

If you decide to go DA, don't scrimp on derailleurs. Get the DA ders. They aren't much more than Ultegra and DA does work better.

Building a bike is actually pretty simple if you think about it. Basically you just bolt stuff on. Obviously, getting things just right does take care. If you have worked on your bike and have a good manual you can do it. The manuals all tell you how to remove and replace parts. You do need to read the instructions over a couple of times and be aware of any special things to be careful of. I like Bicycling Magazine's Complete Guide to Bicycle Maintenance and repair.

If you don't have them already there are a few special tools you will need. DO NOT try to get by without them. they are not that expensive. I will try to list all I can think of. Other than these special tools you just need a handful of metric allen wrenches and combination wrenches (open end on one end, box end on the other). Please don't try to do everything with an adjustable wrench. OK, here are the special tools you need and approximate prices:

Shimano splined bb tool (assuming DA) $5
(This is for the Lifu Shimano BB tool at Nashbar. That is what I have and it works fine.)

Cassette lockring remover $6
(For Shimano, you need Park FR-5)

Chain whip (sprocket remover) $6
(Nashbars sprocket tool is on sale right now and works fine)

Crank arm extractor $12-14
(There are two different kinds. Assuming DA, you need the Park CCP-4 or equivalent for pipe billet bb spindles)

Cable and housing cutter $23
(DON"T try to cut cable or housing with regular wire cutters. It will be an exercise in frustration. In this case quality really matters. Get the Park brand)

For crank bolts you need either a 14 or 15 mm socket.

Various allen wrenches, primarily 4,5,6, and 8 mm. Various open end/box end wrenches.

You probably have some of this stuff and might be able to borrow some from cycling buddies.

Don't think of it as "building a bike". Think of it as one part at a time and there is nothing to it. Taping a handlebar takes longer and is more complicated than installing a bottom bracket, and the servicing the bb was the most intimidating thing I did as a first time thing, and that was an old fashioned one. With a Shimano splined bb you just screw it in! With English threading you can't get it wrong because one side has right hand threading the other left had.

If you are slow like me it will probably take you 3-4 hours, and most of that is adjusting ders brakes etc.. Ya gotta remember, it's just a bunch of tubes with parts bolted on here and there. In the time it took me to write this, I could have installed the bottom bracket, crankset and maybe the front and rear ders. See what I mean? :D
Regards,
Raymond

Nice work centurian , now lets hope some a$$hole mechanical engineer dose'nt come along and contradict every well said word that you took the time to type !.

Friction will work with any frame or drivetrain. The only disadvantage friction may have is with racing or training where constant shifting is used to keep your cadence from changing due to wind or hills. Friction bar end shifters will do this nearly as well as STI shifters.

In my opinion, index-only systems are constraining. All your drivetrain components must match in order to drive your bike.

I agree to a point , indexing in the rear is nice , the front on shimano STI , is ...well prohibitive, but on the other hand Campy's front ergo-shifter is very sweet with it's multi-position indexing . :)

I have lots of the tools on your list. I have to get shimano splined
bb tool, cassette and crank arm tools. I was thinkiing that a bb tool cost a lot. and that you had to tighten the bb just so.
someone told me its best to let lbs do it.
this bike aready has a headset cank creek (sp). Is their a better headset?
On my touring bike I have friction gears love them. when people ask me what gear is this and they show me the numbers I really get confused.. (can ride by numbers) 7 is low and 1 is high
but is that up or down.... yuck friction is the way to go.
But I,m not their yet with this bike
oh I almost forgot thanks for your help... (dont go anywhere i will need more)


K

err ok ........joyszee dude.........:)

The older type bb's with fixed cup on one side and adjustable cup on the other are supposed to be difficult to get tight enough on the fixed side. The sealed cartridge splined Shimanos are no problem. Look at the thread right down the way entitled "Yet another bottom bracket question". Someone posted Park Tools link on bb installation. Just follow that and use the appropriate thread treatment - Loctite 242 for steel frame, anti-sieze for aluminum.
Regards,
Raymond

Make sure the seatpost glides in and out like a piston. Badly fitting ones had help wreck frame at the seatpost binding. Manufacturing tolerances vary, so pick one that actually fits your frame.

You can spend a lot of money on seatposts/bars/stem which would be better spend on bearing components. I find 3TTT good value with good range of designs and sizeing.