build or buy?
06-04-15, 08:49 AM
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build or buy?
Hi everyone.
My current road bike i picked up at a garage sale is slowly becoming a money pit. Its a cheap bike, beat up, and i've already spent a good bit on trying to fix it up, the frame is straight, but a bit heavy and the paint is chipped in several areas and spots of surface rust, and really needs to be stripped down and repainted.
but thinking of abandoning the project and just get something new.
I'm wanting a lightweight commuter bike, and prefer a single speed to a multi-geared bike.
( my commute is only 2 miles with light hills )
But my question is, lets say with a budget of $500, is it better bang for the buck to buy a completely new bike? or build one?
( lets go ahead and pull used bikes out of the discussion for now )
I don't mind using off-brand parts, and I can steal parts from my current bike that are good ( bars, pedals, crank, brakes, saddle ) but if I build i'd want a new frame/fork, wheelset, and chain, possibly a few other little things. There are some cheap wheel sets and frames online that i've been eying that I could do a sub $500 build with.
My current road bike i picked up at a garage sale is slowly becoming a money pit. Its a cheap bike, beat up, and i've already spent a good bit on trying to fix it up, the frame is straight, but a bit heavy and the paint is chipped in several areas and spots of surface rust, and really needs to be stripped down and repainted.
but thinking of abandoning the project and just get something new.
I'm wanting a lightweight commuter bike, and prefer a single speed to a multi-geared bike.
( my commute is only 2 miles with light hills )
But my question is, lets say with a budget of $500, is it better bang for the buck to buy a completely new bike? or build one?
( lets go ahead and pull used bikes out of the discussion for now )
I don't mind using off-brand parts, and I can steal parts from my current bike that are good ( bars, pedals, crank, brakes, saddle ) but if I build i'd want a new frame/fork, wheelset, and chain, possibly a few other little things. There are some cheap wheel sets and frames online that i've been eying that I could do a sub $500 build with.
06-04-15, 09:00 AM
#2
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Hi everyone.
My current road bike i picked up at a garage sale is slowly becoming a money pit. Its a cheap bike, beat up, and i've already spent a good bit on trying to fix it up, the frame is straight, but a bit heavy and the paint is chipped in several areas and spots of surface rust, and really needs to be stripped down and repainted.
but thinking of abandoning the project and just get something new.
I'm wanting a lightweight commuter bike, and prefer a single speed to a multi-geared bike.
( my commute is only 2 miles with light hills )
But my question is, lets say with a budget of $500, is it better bang for the buck to buy a completely new bike? or build one?
( lets go ahead and pull used bikes out of the discussion for now )
I don't mind using off-brand parts, and I can steal parts from my current bike that are good ( bars, pedals, crank, brakes, saddle ) but if I build i'd want a new frame/fork, wheelset, and chain, possibly a few other little things. There are some cheap wheel sets and frames online that i've been eying that I could do a sub $500 build with.
My current road bike i picked up at a garage sale is slowly becoming a money pit. Its a cheap bike, beat up, and i've already spent a good bit on trying to fix it up, the frame is straight, but a bit heavy and the paint is chipped in several areas and spots of surface rust, and really needs to be stripped down and repainted.
but thinking of abandoning the project and just get something new.
I'm wanting a lightweight commuter bike, and prefer a single speed to a multi-geared bike.
( my commute is only 2 miles with light hills )
But my question is, lets say with a budget of $500, is it better bang for the buck to buy a completely new bike? or build one?
( lets go ahead and pull used bikes out of the discussion for now )
I don't mind using off-brand parts, and I can steal parts from my current bike that are good ( bars, pedals, crank, brakes, saddle ) but if I build i'd want a new frame/fork, wheelset, and chain, possibly a few other little things. There are some cheap wheel sets and frames online that i've been eying that I could do a sub $500 build with.
That's not to say that you shouldn't build your own bike but realize that it won't be cheaper. Build up your own bike if you want something unique and it uses components that you can't find on any other bike but don't do it because you want to save money. You won't.
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Stuart Black
Plan Epsilon Around Lake Michigan in the era of Covid
Old School…When It Wasn’t Ancient bikepacking
Gold Fever Three days of dirt in Colorado
Pokin' around the Poconos A cold ride around Lake Erie
Dinosaurs in Colorado A mountain bike guide to the Purgatory Canyon dinosaur trackway
Solo Without Pie. The search for pie in the Midwest.
Picking the Scablands. Washington and Oregon, 2005. Pie and spiders on the Columbia River!
06-04-15, 11:53 AM
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Since it sound like you're decent at wrenching, and figuring out if something is wrong with a bike, your best bang for the buck would probably be a used bike. Since you have a bike, you have time to peruse CL to find a bike that fits you.
But you can find single-speed or fixies new in that price range. It's almost always less expensive to buy a bike with the components than buying a new frame and new components and building it. If you're good at searching e-bay and CL, then you can probably save a little bit of money.
You can also find some intro road bikes with Claris components for that price range.
GH
But you can find single-speed or fixies new in that price range. It's almost always less expensive to buy a bike with the components than buying a new frame and new components and building it. If you're good at searching e-bay and CL, then you can probably save a little bit of money.
You can also find some intro road bikes with Claris components for that price range.
GH
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