norco_rider77

hey, I'm starting a build and I was thiking maybe you guys could give me tips before I start anything on it

BFG

What sort of bike is it?
XC?
DJ?
DH?
Rigid?
Do you have a budget, if so, what is it?

Mose

Having the right tools for a build will make your life much, much easier.

I'd also recommend against trying to cut the fork steerer tube with a hacksaw, installing the star nut with a hammer, and pressing the headset cups with a C clamp and wood blocks, although they are all doable.

BFG

Yep. I did the first one

maddmaxx 

Unless you have boxes of parts laying around already paid for you should plan for the cost of building a bike to be maybe twice as much as buying a bike with the same stuff on it.

This may not be a bad thing if 1. you want to build a bike that cannot be bought. 2. You are willing to pay the extra cost for the sake of learning how to build a bike. 3. You really just like to build and don't care what it costs.

Why is this? Its because manufacturere buy so many parts that they pay a much lower price for them than you or I do and our source for parts is not direct but rather through some middleman who also gets to make a profit.

Building you own bike though is a lot of fun and can be a very rewarding experience.

Mose

As an addendum to the that one, remember than steerer tubes are almost always aluminum, and grinding aluminum (cleaning up the steerer tube of a fork cut with a hacksaw, for instance) on a bench grinder will do a good job at clogging the grinding stone...

Mose

CAN cost more... definitely. In my experience, twice as much... eh not even close. At least with the four... or four and a half builds I've done. While manufactures can buy components in bulk for much cheaper, they still make a profit on the bike as does your LBS.

You can do a build for much, much cheaper than buying new fully assembled by buying parts on closeout, year old new stuff, or slight used stuff. I built my current FS XC bike with full XT/XTR, RF crank, Avid mechanicals, Marzocchi Marathon S for about $1600, and very easily would have been a $2000-$2500 bike brand new, if not more.

BFG

Nah yeah i didnt do that one Mose.......
I got mad cutting skillz got it pretty right

maddmaxx 

I think twice as much is a fair guess with as I stated, "the same parts". If you want to substitute slightly used parts or closeouts then you can compare that to a slightly used bike or a close out. Don't forget to add in the freight charges to get all the EBAY parts to your house. Getting the best prices on parts usually involves buying one here and one there (separate freight on each).

Yea I build bikes too and that's the only way I'll do it, but when I start to add in the prices of spokes, rim tape, grips, tubes, cables, housings, tires and all the small stuff that it takes to finish the bike then all the money I save on a closeout crankset can't make it up. Good new frame prices have about doubled in the past two years as more and more of the season ending factory overruns are snapped up by the Hong Kong EBAY shops.

Pick a bike sometime, anything. Now make a list of everything that is on that bike and go shopping for the same stuff new at the best price you can get and see what it costs.

Can you save money by picking other parts? Yes but it won't be the same bike.

Having said that, I'll agree with you that shopping for good parts cheap is a big part of building your own bike.

Mose

You can get the exact same parts by buying a build kit and should be a fair deal. Going that route I don't see being twice as expensive as buy the fully assembled bike, even taking freight into account. But I cannot say for sure. All the parts on the build I described were bought brand new except the frame. As you can see, I did not even come close to my estimate of what the price of that bike would be brand new.

Podolak

Who sells build kits at good deals anyhow?

Terrapin Ben

i built my bike this past spring but forgot to factor the cost of grips, cables, rim tape, and all that good stuff. ending up going to moab for spring break to break in the bike and because i budgeted incorrectly and was unable to afford rim tape, i ended up flatting 4 times on the poison spider trail and walking about 6 miles out. good post madmaxx.

mikejo

Building is so much more ejoyable and rewarding than buying one complete.
As for costs-- with eBay and some great deals from internet bike places, it doesn't have to be a lot. However, it takes knowledge and lots of time sitting on your computer finding out the best deals and when to buy.
I built a new 23 lbs XC HT for around 2K => Chris King, Avid Juicy carbons, XT, Thomson, Race Face, Mavic 717, and so on.

norco_rider77

its a dirt jumping bike, also a bit of trials, my budget is $2000, but I've searched online and got it down to about $1600 american. i live in Canada so it will cost more, but the Canadian dollar is worth a lot more these days so im happy im getting the headset and forks put on by a shop but im gona learn how to do it soon.

maddmaxx 

I sat down to total up the costs of the last build (one for me) and I have to admit that the not so high cost side of this thread has a valid argument.
It appears that part of what drives up the cost of my builds is that when faced with a choice I'm more prone to choose the better equipment........as in "aww it only costs a little bit more".
I find that I use things like Avid flak jacket cable instead of generic and lock on grips instead of less expensive.
So I guess that the 2:1 cost rule doesn't have to apply to each and every build. I was breaking my own rule on comparing same to same.
On complete bikes, manufacturers use all sorts of tricks.....this is how you fine a Deore front Derailleur on what is other wise an XT bike.

defcone

So...your saying all the "on-sale" bike products from around the world are being bought by Hong Kong shops? Wow, I live in Hong Kong and I certainly don't see a drop in bike parts over the months.

maddmaxx 

I have noticed that several brands of Frames like Marin and GT are appearing in quantity from Ebay sellers in you area. These Frames (factory overruns) do not appear to be selling from US locations as they used to so I assume that the factory overruns are possibly being handled by sources closer to the factory.

From my point of view this raises the shipping costs and dries up the competition. The price of a nice but inexpensive hardtail frame as available to me in the US seems to have gone up a lot on Ebay over what was available a couple of years ago.

I do not fault the businesses involved, thats just business. I simply mentioned it as a factor to be included when building a bike from scratch.

norco_rider77

ya, u so commonly see a better rear derailer, and one reason complete bikes cost so little is theyre fake! as in, a certain part would raise the price to much to be competitive so they have the company use cheaper metals or on forks get rid of external adjustments. when building u get the real stuff!