Bicycle Mechanics - Best place to start...does it matter?

Ok so I got my salsa frame and today the build kit shows up. Does it really matter where I start with the build?

http://mysite.verizon.net/vzeej440/sitebuildercontent/sitebuilderpictures/dscn3311.jpg

Nice road frame. I just finished building up my steel frame, a fire-engine red Surly CrossCheck retro-fitted with S&S Machine's Bicycle Torque Couplers (www.sandsmachine.com, www.surlybikes.com, www.bilenky.com). Looks like they've already installed the headset into the headtube for you, which is nice. And you have a work stand, which will help. I worked on mine 1-2 hours at a time in the evenings and got it done in less than two weeks. I started with the headset/front fork and then the bottom bracket. Next I put on the cranks, derailleurs, rear cassette, and chain, followed by brakes. After installing the stem, handlebar, and Shimano STI levers I ran the cables. Once everything was adjusted (the cables and limit screws on the derailleurs...) I placed the cable splitters (the frame breaks apart with the couplers). Next came the trimmings, like seatpost, saddle, handlebar tape, water bottle cages, cycle computer. I went slowly using liberal amounts of white lithium grease or locktite when needed on various screws and bolts. I didn't use a torque-measuring wrench. Instead I just tightened everything to an "appropriate" degree - whatever I guessed was about right... On my first ride everything was perfect and haven't had to make any adjustements since then.

Yea the headset is installed but I am thinking of getting a Chris King (ok so I asked for one for Christmas, think Santa still comes to 31 yr olds. :D ). The race on the fork has some dimples and I have a new full carbon fork waiting anyway. I am probably going to build it up with the stock fork and this headset and then make the switch in a month or so. Good call on the lithium greese and the thread lock, I will have to swing by Lowes and pick those up on my way home this evening.

Yea the headset is installed but I am thinking of getting a Chris King (ok so I asked for one for Christmas, think Santa still comes to 31 yr olds. :D ). The race on the fork has some dimples and I have a new full carbon fork waiting anyway. I am probably going to build it up with the stock fork and this headset and then make the switch in a month or so. Good call on the lithium greese and the thread lock, I will have to swing by Lowes and pick those up on my way home this evening.I can't think of a place where you need loctite on a road bike. Never use the stuff myself.

If you put a bike together right, you don't need loctite anywhere on the bike. Just be sure to follow proper tq. for the various parts and loctite is completely unnecessary.

Ok so no thread lock, so I will swing by the bike shop and get some proper greese then. :)

I always started with BB, just beucase thats the hting you need a shop to do, you probably dont have the tool and if you ask me it isnt worth it, installing a BB isn't something you do often enough to justify the spending of a 25 dollar tool. I just htink its easier to get it out of the way first.

I would start by clamping the stand to the seatpost and not the tube. But that is just me. And I would torque everything to specs and not guess.

I would start by clamping the stand to the seatpost and not the tube. Is this a steel frame? I would torque everything to specs and not guess.

I always started with BB, just beucase thats the hting you need a shop to do, you probably dont have the tool and if you ask me it isnt worth it, installing a BB isn't something you do often enough to justify the spending of a 25 dollar tool. I just htink its easier to get it out of the way first.A BB tool does NOT cost $25! And a BB isn't something a shop HAS to do.

I would start by clamping the stand to the seatpost and not the tube. Is this a steel frame? I would torque everything to specs and not guess.Having built a bizilloin bikes without a torque wrench,and having ginked nothing suggests is is entirely possible and there is a difference between guessing and having the correct touch.FWIW, the ham fisted manage to bugger things even with a torque wrench.

Actually I am pretty sure I already have the BB tool so I will be doing it myself. UPS just showed up and my build kit has arrived. Big ups to Colorado Cyclist.

Yes there is a difference, but if you have to ask where to start I think using a torque wrench would be a good idea.

First thing to do is put a rag in the repair stand clamp to keep from scratching your paint job. I'd start with the BB, then the cranks, followed by headset/stem/handlebars, then your wheels. Now you can install your shifters/brake levers, chain, and deraillieurs, then run your cables and adjust brakes and derailluiers. Finally install the seat to the seatpost, grease the post before intalling into the frame, and then the pedals, greaseing the threads first.

There's no hard rules. This is just a logical sequence based around derailliuer installation, which is relitve to chainring size.

BB tools aren't expensive, and you'd want to keep one around to tighten it down whenever it comes loose.

First thing to do is put a rag in the repair stand clamp to keep from scratching your paint job. I'd start with the BB, then the cranks, followed by headset/stem/handlebars, then your wheels. Now you can install your shifters/brake levers, chain, and deraillieurs, then run your cables and adjust brakes and derailluiers. Finally install the seat to the seatpost, grease the post before intalling into the frame, and then the pedals, greaseing the threads first.

There's no hard rules. This is just a logical sequence based around derailliuer installation, which is relitve to chainring size.

Greasing the Seatpost and Quill Stem is all important to me these days.

I bulk purchased some old Bicycles(Steel Frames) and nearly all of them had frozen(oxidized) seatposts and stems; which made the frames worthless.

However I have read that the Carbon Seatpost will react to grease and swell and bind in the frame?

Greasing the Seatpost and Quill Stem is all important to me these days.

I bulk purchased some old Bicycles(Steel Frames) and nearly all of them had frozen(oxidized) seatposts and stems; which made the frames worthless.

However I have read that the Carbon Seatpost will react to grease and swell and bind in the frame?

Yea FWIW we are talking about a carbon post here.

wildjim did you try PB Blaster on the stuck stems and posts?

I use copper grease on the bottom bracket threads and any screw or bolt threads on my bike. I also slather inside the headtube and the fork steerer with good grease. Mind you, I live in a particularly rainy part of England so everything gets soaked regularly :(.

Btw, I know tools aren't cheap but I buy every tool as and when I need it. It probably would be a lot cheaper taking my bike to a shop but I like doing stuff myself, properly. It's not that expensive anyway...

Park cable cutter £30
3/8 drive wrench £10
8mm bit for above £4
10mm bit -ditto- £4
Chain whip £12
Cassette removal tool £5
8" adjustable spanner £8
15/17mm Park shop cone spanners £14
Race Face BB tool £8
Park pedal wrench £20
Pair of Park fold up allen keys £15

All £130 so not too bad really :).

I always started with BB, just beucase thats the hting you need a shop to do, you probably dont have the tool and if you ask me it isnt worth it, installing a BB isn't something you do often enough to justify the spending of a 25 dollar tool. I just htink its easier to get it out of the way first.

Agree with sydney. At least on a mountain bike I can't tell you how many times it is saved me maintenance costs to be able to pull the bb, clean, regrease and rethread. I think that was actually my first officialy BIKE tool :)

Torque wrench is nice, I agree, but with a steel frame, steel fork, and steel fork-steerer you really can just make everything nice and tight - again, this just ain't rocket science. Now if you'll be installing a carbon fork with aluminum or carbon steerer, for example, you should probably pay a lot more attention to torque because you can crush a steerer tube if the stem bolts are too tight. As far as the locktight, things are a little different on a cyclocross bike. For example, the spring tension screws on my cantilever brakes do indeed require locktight, according to the manual. Generally you don't need to do this with standard road brakes.

I can't think of a place where you need loctite on a road bike. Never use the stuff myself.

I'm currently building up a Schwinn Peloton 853 steel frame and plan on putting in a Phil Wood BB. I believe Loctite (Phil calls it "thread/sleeve retaining compound") comes with the BB cups/rings (sold seperately) if bought new. You will want to use it in this case. And if you think the price is too high, remember this BB may outlast several frames or people :eek: (as will that CK headset).

BTW, what groupset are you putting on that Salsa frame?

Full Ultegra Triple (we got hills and I aint light :D ) with Velomax Circuit wheels, Selle Italia SLK, Alpha Q Pro carbon post, DEDA 215 bars, ITM Millennium stem. Should be a pretty sweet bike.

I'm currently building up a Schwinn Peloton 853 steel frame and plan on putting in a Phil Wood BB. I believe Loctite (Phil calls it "thread/sleeve retaining compound") comes with the BB cups/rings (sold seperately) if bought new. You will want to use it in this case. And if you think the price is too high, remember this BB may outlast several frames or people :eek: (as will that CK headset).

You might want to call Phil and find out to which he is referring. Loctite makes various grades of thread locker and seal retainer. Their are different compounds for different purposes. You should ensure that you know which you are supposed to apply, and where, before doing so.

http://www.jensonusa.com/store/product.aspx?i=TL707B03
The BBT-8 Chainring Lockring and Bottom Bracket Tool is used for installing and removing the chainring lockring currently used on XTR®, XT®, LX®, and STX-RC® cranksets, and for installing and removing the cups on 1998 and 1999 Ultegra®® and XTR® bottom brackets, and TruVativ® bottom bracket cups. A two-piece tool, the BBT-8 consists of a durable investment cast body and a special machined locking sleeve which secures the tool body to the crankset when removing the chainring lockring. The locking sleeve is double-ended so it will work with both standard crank bolts and the oversize crank bolts used on Shimano®® oversize "pipe billet" spindles.

I rarely find myself tinkering with the BB, my shop only charges 5 dollars for an installatipon if evrything goes well, why bother buying a tool for it? One guy i like to ride with has had his Shimano BB in for 5 years untouched...

For the rest of us who tend to do a complete inspection / overhaul having the proper tool on hand is worth more than taking it to the LBS and losing the time, money and / or gas

Nice road frame. I just finished building up my steel frame, a fire-engine red Surly CrossCheck retro-fitted with S&S Machine's Bicycle Torque Couplers (www.sandsmachine.com, www.surlybikes.com, www.bilenky.com). Looks like they've already installed the headset into the headtube for you, which is nice. And you have a work stand, which will help. I worked on mine 1-2 hours at a time in the evenings and got it done in less than two weeks. I started with the headset/front fork and then the bottom bracket. Next I put on the cranks, derailleurs, rear cassette, and chain, followed by brakes. After installing the stem, handlebar, and Shimano STI levers I ran the cables. Once everything was adjusted (the cables and limit screws on the derailleurs...) I placed the cable splitters (the frame breaks apart with the couplers). Next came the trimmings, like seatpost, saddle, handlebar tape, water bottle cages, cycle computer. I went slowly using liberal amounts of white lithium grease or locktite when needed on various screws and bolts. I didn't use a torque-measuring wrench. Instead I just tightened everything to an "appropriate" degree - whatever I guessed was about right... On my first ride everything was perfect and haven't had to make any adjustements since then.
Where did you get the cable splitters? We've been looking for some. BTW, a torque wrench is a great investment for safety and longevity.

Go to the S&S Machine web site (www.sandsmachine.com) they have of lots of info about the couplers and the various accessories. There are a variety of brands of cable splitters available; they are explained in detail on the website.

Yea FWIW we are talking about a carbon post here.

wildjim did you try PB Blaster on the stuck stems and posts?

I tried PB Blaster, Liquid Wrench, WD-40, Ammonia - Brute Force - Nothing will budge them when they oxidize for a long period of time.

All of my near and dear bicycles are ok - I did remove all seatposts and stems and greased them. Except the Carbon Seatposts in two bikes. . .

agree w/seat post first to clamp it in the stand instead of frame always avoid clamping frame if possible. using plumpers tape on the B/B threads and then grease is a good idea also. might as well now instead of pulling it latert when it creaks.

Well the bike is built and it was actually MUCH easier to do than I thought it would be. The hardest part was adjustment of the front derailluer (height, and cable tension not limits) and wraping the bars which I got done but don't like the result all the much and will probably redo before spring. See the link in my sig for project photos.