courtesi

I have a mental note of what kind of bicycle I want to build but I don't want to show up at the LBS forgetting any parts that need to be ordered. Besides the obvious like frame, fork, etc do any of you have a bike building template that I can download/use?

operator

Post a list of components and we'll tell you what you're missing.

DiabloScott

I have a spreadsheet - e-mail me to addy in profile.

DaveSSS 

You must want to pay the highest possible prices and wait longer. Online is the way to go.

operator

Yeah yeah, real shops are evil they are out to rip everyone off and **** up your bikes and eat your babies. Next please.

neil0502

It was kind of lonely, at first, but ... after a while ... my wife and I really rather enjoyed the solitude

HillRider

They are not evil and out to rip you off, they are limited in the quantities they buy and can't offer the volume pricing the big mailorder dealers can. Fact of economic life.

ejbarnes

Most bike shops make up for the minimal extra costs in service alone.
Add all the shipping and the price difference is not worth the quibble.

Then again it is just nice to have a part in your hands before you lay out the money.

Maybe I can get that $40 carbon fiber water bottle holder on line and save 3 bucks.

sunburst

Online savings are more significant than that. Usually, when I go to my LBS, I am in shock at the prices they charge - full list for everything, and this adds up very fast. I saved $45 on two tires alone, and that included shipping. I really wanted to buy them at the LBS, but at 2x the price!? Don't have that kind of money to throw around.

They still get some of my business. I know they've got overhead, and I occasionally get reasonable advice there (and occasionally not), so I buy some things, but if I was going to buy all the parts to build a bike ...

Mondoman

It's like anything else - you pay for service one way or the other. If you don't need any service and can wait, you can order online; if you need service or you want it now(!), your local shop is the best bet. If you don't know what you're doing, you can end up spending a lot more by mistakenly buying the wrong things online.

In the end, many of us probably end up like sb, buying some things online and others at the LBS. I'm lucky in that one of my LBSs is really into recycling bike parts and has bins full of used parts for very low prices.

Wordbiker

Good for the OP, supporting his or her local economy.

HillRider

The online/mailorder savings on major purchases, say wheels or a complete group, can be very significant. If you can do the installation yourself, the cost difference is major.

A few years ago, I bought a Litespeed frame/Easton fork and a complete Campy Chorus build kit as a package deal from Colorado Cyclist, certainly not the lowest cost provider. I was able to choose exactly what I wanted in terms of crank arm length, stem length, bar width, cassette range, etc. I assembled the bike myself and saved well over $1000 compared to buying the same items locally. And, if I had bought locally, the LBS would have had to order the parts anyway and I would have waited at least as long.

LBS's certainly have their place and, if they have good service and stock the parts you need, by all means support them.

neil0502

If it's not too much to ask ... is there any way we can morph this one into a chain lube thread, rather than an "online vs. LBS" thread?

It's been days....

joejack951

I lube my chains with a mix of Simple Green, WD-40, and saliva. Been working flawlessly for 50 miles now.

dobber

You get better results with a helmet

Doconabike

Hi,

I keep this list in a spreadsheet when building up a bike. I have one column with this list, the next column with specifics, and the next column with the price. As I add parts, I have the spreadsheet keep a running total of price. It is always amazing how expensive it is to build a bike up from scratch if you buy new components.

It is almost always cheaper to buy a new complete bike than to build one up.

Good luck and have fun.

- jc




frame
fork
stem
handlebars
handlebar tape
headset
brake levers
auxiliary brake levers
brakes
brake cables
brake cable housing
shifters
derailleur-front
derailleur-rear
derailler cables
deraller cable housing
bottom bracket
cranks
pedals
chain
seat
seatpost
seatpost bolt
rims
rim tape
front spokes
rear spokes
front hub
rear hub
tires
tubes
rear cassette
light-front
light-rear
rear rack
rear basket
fenders
misc bolts for attaching fenders, bottle holders, etc.

HillRider

One item conspicuously missing from this list: Fork Tough to complete a build without one.

Unless the OP is REALLY building from parts, I'd replace the individual wheel component (spokes, hubs, rims) in the list with "front wheel" and "rear wheel".

CCrew

Kick the dog too..

neil0502

Then we need to discuss your diet ... to know what REALLY works.

Aw, crap. You're fine, then. If you've made it THAT far....

From my build:

WHEELS:
WHEELS
TIRES/TUBES

FRAMESET:
FRAMESET
SEATPOST
FORK
HEADSET

GROUP/COMPONENTS:
FRT DERAILLEUR
RR DERAILLEUR
SHIFTERS
BRAKE CALIPERS
CRANKSET
B. BRACKET
CASSETTES
CHAIN

BIKE-KIT:
STEM
HANDLEBARS
BAR TAPE
SEAT
PEDALS

CCrew

Missed cables neil0502

HillRider

To Wheels add: Rim Tape
To components add: Cables and cable housing

Note: some prebuilt wheel sets come with the rim tape already installed and brifters often come with the cables and housing included but these are needed items no matter where you get them.

DMF 

fork (as mentioned)
skewers
tube protector (depending on area of country)
grease
dork disk
computer
handlebar end plugs
massive chain and lock that weighs more than the bike so you don't have to do it all again