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Buy or build

Old 08-10-09, 06:25 PM
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Buy or build

Do you think its possible to build a bike at a competative price?
When I look at new bikes it seems I'm always saying "if only it had this" or "pretty nice except for that". I'm wondering if it might cost more to modify a $1000 off the rack bike than to watch for deals and sales and put one together from parts.
Am I crazy to think this?
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Old 08-10-09, 06:28 PM
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modify the 1st bike; then save the parts you replace to build up the next frame.
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Old 08-10-09, 06:31 PM
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In the $1K range, it's a little tough; but I did discover that I can build up a Nomad for less than MSRP!
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Old 08-10-09, 07:31 PM
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i built up my commute off of a early 80s steel frame. i had all of the components and tools so it was a cheap build. i can fix things on my own and will replace whats not fixable. nice thing about building a bike is that you get exactly what you want, but often times you run way over budget. friend had a 1k buget for a carbon road bike with 09 rival, they went 700bucks over and will still need to put more money into it. the other problem with building is sizing and inovations in the market. ie, rival 08 was great then in 2009 they revamped the entire product line and its so much better.
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Old 08-11-09, 01:35 PM
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Thanks
I like the idea of building from an older frame but thats the one thing I don't feel comfortable assesing. You know, is it straight etc. Sure would be easier to just plunk down the cash for new. Or I can keep dreaming and riding the heavy, slow, 25 y/o bike I'm on.
sigh.
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Old 08-11-09, 01:52 PM
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It's really hard to build a bike for anywhere near the cost of the equivalent bike new. However, part by part upgrades can end up being surprisingly cost effective. Let me give an example of what I did.

I started with a 2008 Kona Jake -- $850

I added:
Ultegra triple STI shifters -- $150 from Nashbar
Ultegra SL rear derailleur -- $75 from Blue Sky
105 triple front derailleur -- $35 from Wiggle
Ultegra 12-27 cassette -- $50 from Wiggle
Ultegra/Open Pro wheels -- $240 from Bicycle Wheel Warehouse
So, now I've got a CX bike with 105/Ultegra level drivetrain and wheels for $1400. This is what the Kona Jake the Snake costs with full 105 group and Mavic Aksium wheels. So I think I got a pretty sweet deal. Plus, I have a spare set of wheels and a box full of Tiagra parts for future projects.
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Old 08-11-09, 02:02 PM
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Yeah like that.
I guess I could live on craigslist for awhile to get the right bike as a starting point.
Is it obvious if a frame is tweaked? Can a bike shop tell, or does it need to go to a builder?
I'm in portland too and there are plenty of both around.
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Old 08-11-09, 06:53 PM
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Late last year I started building up my commuter all new parts starting with a Nashbar X frame. About half way through, I realized it was not going to be anywhere near the price of a new bike and there was no going back. But, I was able to spread the cost over a long period, interest free (so to speak). And anyway, I really enjoy doing things myself, and I guess I had something to prove.

I thought I would stick to Craigslist, but the right parts were just not showing up. So, I watched for online vendors offering free shipping and tried to stick to discounted components I thought would work well and had decent "community" reviews. I did most of my shopping in the early part of the year and looking back I think you find the best deals right after Christmas in the first quarter of the new year. But remember, for me this was when the whole economy was really tanking.

I'm pretty happy with the final build. Although, my next rig will probably be a stock bike I can enhance over time.

If you do go this road you'll wind up with a bike that is uniquely you. Put your name on it, ride the hell out of it and be proud of it!
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Old 08-11-09, 07:51 PM
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It's possible, but it's also possible to spend way more than you initially intended. There's a lot of $2K+ crosschecks floating around out there.

I know when I try to collect parts for a build over time I end up with a lot of extra parts and several half-built bikes.

If I buy it all at once, or within a very limited time period, it works better. I don't really like working on bikes though. I'd just as soon have someone I trusted to drop the parts off with and have them deal with it. Don't have that person though (plus I'm cheap), so I muddle through with a room full of parts and 6 unbuilt frames in the attic. I've probably put 500 miles on my Casseroll without bar tape.

If there was a point to my rambling it's that I make every effort to buy complete, and almost exclusively used.
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Old 08-12-09, 10:18 AM
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Thanks for the input.
Since I do have time and an old bike I suppose I can wait till something almost usable shows up on CL. I'm not really looking for a 2k crosscheck but a $600 used one maybe!
I pretty much have to stay with one project as I don't think my wife would go for several half built bikes. heh heh.
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Old 08-12-09, 11:10 AM
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Originally Posted by xiyangshen
Do you think its possible to build a bike at a competative price?
When I look at new bikes it seems I'm always saying "if only it had this" or "pretty nice except for that". I'm wondering if it might cost more to modify a $1000 off the rack bike than to watch for deals and sales and put one together from parts.
Am I crazy to think this?
It depends on the frame and how judiciously you watch eBay, and Performance/Nashbar/Price Point/Lickton's , etc. I think if you buy a Soma or Surly frameset and bargain shop you can be close to a grand for a decent bike.
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Old 08-12-09, 11:21 AM
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It depends on your needs:

Do you just need a bike right now? Or do you need a custom bike?

I went with a Cross-Check Complete, just to have a distance bike to get rolling on, and started replacing parts a little bit at a time over the past 20 months.

34t chainring
11 - 32 cassette
SON28/DT RR1.1 front wheel
DT RR1.1 rear rim
Profile Aris stem
CR720 cantis
Thompson post
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Old 08-12-09, 12:57 PM
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The other side is consider what you can really get a new bike for vs. MSRP. If you can find a leftover bike that works well for you the price can be way below MSRP. My last two new bike purchases were about 45% below MSRP. No way could I have built them at that price plus I have an LBS backing me on them.
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