hybridbkrdr

I made this list for the fun of it. You can always find Shimano Deore shifters and derailleurs on sale so the overall value of this build could change dramatically. You're welcome to make your own suggestions. This is just a winter boredom thread for those who want to discuss parts.
1. WHEELSET
total: $95
Shimano Deore/Sun Rhyno Lite 26 inch wheelset $95
https://www.jensonusa.com/Mountain-Bi...-Lite-Wheelset
2. FRAMESET
total: $155
Nashbar mountain frame $103
https://www.nashbar.com/bikes/Product...09_-1___202337
Nashbar mountain suspension-corrected fork $52
https://www.nashbar.com/bikes/Product...2_174928_-1___
3. GROUPSET
total: $189
Falcon friction shifters $10
https://www.niagaracycle.com/product_...ucts_id=418214
Shimano Alivio FD-M412 front derailleur $16
https://www.niagaracycle.com/product_...ucts_id=407720
Shimano Alivio RD-M410 rear derailleur $32
https://www.niagaracycle.com/product_...ducts_id=31400
SRAM cassette 8 speed $22
https://www.niagaracycle.com/product_...ducts_id=19636
KMC 8 speed chain $15
https://www.niagaracycle.com/product_...oducts_id=2443
Shimano Alivio crankset with chainguard $33
https://www.niagaracycle.com/product_...oducts_id=6812
Shimano Acera BR-M422 front brake $10
https://www.niagaracycle.com/product_...ucts_id=438353
Shimano Acera BR-M422 rear brake $10
https://www.niagaracycle.com/product_...ucts_id=438354
Shimano Acera BR-M421 brake levers $17
https://www.niagaracycle.com/product_...ucts_id=437092
Shimano BB-UN55 113x68mm bottom bracket $24
https://www.niagaracycle.com/product_...ucts_id=437166
4. OTHER PARTS
total: $218
tires
Michelin Tracker 26x1.95 $25.38 (x2 = $50.76)
https://www.niagaracycle.com/product_...ucts_id=712205
tubes
Michelin Protek $8.32 (x2 = $16.64) Shrader
https://www.niagaracycle.com/product_...ucts_id=720350
rim strips
XLC rim strip $4.16 (x2 = $8.32)
https://www.niagaracycle.com/product_...ucts_id=448695
pedals
Dimension translucent blue $12.50
https://www.niagaracycle.com/product_...ucts_id=721824
headset
FSA Ahead Orbit $26.99
https://www.niagaracycle.com/product_...ducts_id=34750
spacers
Origin8 five times 10mm $7.65
https://www.niagaracycle.com/product_...ducts_id=11166
stem
Dimension 80mm $19.52
https://www.niagaracycle.com/product_...ucts_id=732883
handlebars
Ramiko $13.98
https://www.niagaracycle.com/product_...ucts_id=804112
grips
Sunlite $3.99
https://www.niagaracycle.com/product_...ucts_id=509356
seatpost clamp
Sunlite $4.45
https://www.niagaracycle.com/product_...ducts_id=11850
seatpost
Sunlite $12.48
https://www.niagaracycle.com/product_...ducts_id=11900
saddle
Avenir 200 Series $22.01
https://www.niagaracycle.com/product_...ucts_id=507478
chainstay protector
Wheels Manufacturing $4.82
https://www.niagaracycle.com/product_...ucts_id=437965
spoke protector
Dimension $3.00 (this one 32H)
https://www.niagaracycle.com/product_...ucts_id=419814
Jagwire S-hooks $5
https://www.niagaracycle.com/product_...ucts_id=413118
AS PEOPLE SAY HERE, REFLECTORS AND ACCESSORIES ARE OPTIONAL FOR MOUNTAIN BIKING.
wheel reflectors
Sunlite $2.49
https://www.niagaracycle.com/product_...oducts_id=5777
frame reflectors
Sunlite rear $1.83
https://www.niagaracycle.com/product_...oducts_id=5776
Sunlite front $2.49
https://www.niagaracycle.com/product_...oducts_id=5775
　
Total: $95 + $155 + $189 + $218 = $658
And, if you want to build a commuter...
This backrack allows you to put a rear light.
Sunlite Gold Tec HD Tourer backrack $25
https://www.niagaracycle.com/product_...ucts_id=430988
You can "protect" your wheels with these skewers. May not be ideal for mountain biking though.
Sunlite 5mm hex skewer set $11.38
https://www.niagaracycle.com/product_...ucts_id=507604
Some people like Kool Stop dual compound brake pads but 2 pairs is a little expensive.
Kool Stop dual compound brake pads $11.52 (each pair)
https://www.niagaracycle.com/product_...oducts_id=2497
　
Shimano DH3N72 dynamo front wheel 26 inch $110
https://www.xxcycle.com/wheel-hub-dyn...559-19,,en.php
Busch & Muller Lumotec Lyt front light with standlight $30
https://www.xxcycle.com/front-light-l...25-lux,,en.php
Busch & Muller D-Toplight Plus rear light $16
https://www.xxcycle.com/d-toplight-pl...dynamo,,en.php
Or, you could order a dynamo wheel from the U.S.
Handspun Shimano Deore LX Mavic XM317 $155
https://www.niagaracycle.com/product_...ucts_id=707151

Note that the last time I bought a frame from Nashbar, the derailleur hanger and cable guide came with it (actually, the Nashbar touring frame has a cable guide under the bottom bracket area). (If you're using downtube shifters on the Nashbar touring frame, then you'd need cable housing stops.) The brake cables usually come with the brake levers. Brake pads usually come with brakes. Crank bolts often come with cranksets. For a commuter, you could add fenders, bottle cages, kickstand and bell.

　
　
　

rebel1916

That build needs a flux capacitor to reach it's full potential

DiscTruckerMF

Ive heard that the nashbar mtb frame is a piece of crap because the published specs on ht angle are completely inaccurate. it builds out to something like a 66* head angle I'm new to MTB and recently built up a 29er and I did for slightly more than what you spent and got a MUCH better bike in my opinion. I sourced a lot of parts from jensen and a few from my local craigslist. Some examples of spending a little more and getting a lot more value would be the following

SLX Crank $90 Jenson (I think they are now sold out)
SLX Shifters $38 Jenson
SLX FD $10 XT FD $29
SLX RD $45 XT RD $75
WTB TCS 29" trail wheelset with XT hubs $185 (Another $30 for the tubeless tape and valves and you are now equipped for tubeless, In my opinion a much better use of $$) jenson


I got a brand new diamondback frame off of my local CL for 150 it had the stem, headset, cheapo suntour fork. This was where I saved a lot on my build. I got a used set of XT brakes in great condition for $140 including new tektro rotors. Also, I didn't my RD from Jensen, I got a gently used one off mtbr forums for $40. I actually got the WTB wheels on a deal from chainlove and they came with the WTB laser disc lite hubs and rim tape and valves already installed for $236 including shipping. I also got GEAX Mezcal TNT (their term for tubeless ready) 29x2.1" tires for $25 each from chainlove. In the end my build was pretty much right at $100. Yes for some that $300 additional expense is steep, but in the end, I have a bike with the lowest end part being SLX shifters. When my bike was complete, I could have easily listed in the classifieds for $1500 and sold it with that part setup. I'm not sure that you would be able to resell your bike for more than half of what you spent.
Not knociking you at all, but I think any of us could go into a bike shop and buy a bike with the same specs as what you listed (probably better specs) for less than what you spent. It's very hard to do a build from the ground up and make it work out to a cost savings. I was very fortunate in the ridiculously good deal I got on wheels and tires from chainlove as well as the crank and brakes. FD and RD's can be found in good used condition pretty easily so no big deal there.

I have since splurged on a high end Canfield Brothers Yelli Screamy frame ($525) as well as a manitou tower pro 120 ($310) so now my build is up around $1500 (I sold off the old diamondback frame to help offset costs and also between parts I had in my bin like seatpost, seatpost collar, and hookups from my lbs (free housing, etc) helped me keep my budget in check. Lord knows all the little things really do start to add up when doing a build.

hybridbkrdr

I didn't want to give the impression I bought those exact parts (or at least not in that order). It was a list I made as an example.

3speed

^ I understood what you were going for. I think he's just proud of his build for the budget and wanted to post about it(nothing wrong with being happy about your bike). I would put together a "for fun" build, but my bike took many hours of researching parts whenever I found deals, and that was when I was actually looking to buy them. I can't bring myself to put in the time on a hypothetical build. Would be fun, but unfortunately my stupid body demands that I sleep.

Oh, and DiskTrucker, I put together my minty condition, barely used XTR derailers/ LX shifters/New BB7s/NOS Discipline frame/New DJ2 fork, new LBS hand-built wheels with Sun Ringle EQ27 rims and DiaTech sealed hubs, for under $500. Just teasing you. Your bike is a totally sweet build, and at a great price. It took a year to build mine, grabbing parts only when great deals popped up, so that really helps the budget.

DiscTruckerMF

I understood what he was going for, yes I'm pretty proud of my build but I thought I was just offering some alternatives to parts he listed. For example, people who prefer falcon thumb shifters usually fall into the category of curmudgeon touring cyclists! Have fun reselling a bike with falcon thumbshifters (not to say that is what this thread was about, it's just one way that I was looking at it) I build bikes sort of like I would renovate or build a house, I look for function as well as value. I think the SLX crank is great, 1/3 to 1/5 the price of xt/xtr and very comparable in weight (in fact I've heard slx crank arms are lighter than xt, it's the chainrings that make the difference. I'm also a clyde, you will never catch my 250lbs riding on an alivio crankset. period.

I felt like the op was going for a "whats the cheapest you can build a mtb purchasing every single necessary part on your own thread" where I went with more of a "Whats the best performance for the $$$ build under $1000 using all resources available to you" nothing wrong with either way, like he said, it's a winter boredome thread.

krobinson103

Lets see...

50 for a fuji 20.5" frame
100 for a rockshox tora fork
200 for mt15 wheels and hubs
250 for deore shifters and derailers
80 for a truvativ crankset
Italuan saddle frwe for the fixing
100 for headset/bars
150 for deore hydros

All the parts were very lightly used bar the drivetrain. The random small bits came from my parts pile. 1000 bucks built me one heck of a bike.

Phil_gretz

https://www.bikesdirect.com/products/...9_comp_xii.htm

I bought one to replace my 26" FS bike that suffers from rounding of the shock mounting bracket holes on the rear triangle. Comparable in weight to the hybridbkrdr's build. Components are only decent - but you get hydraulic disc brakes and the low-profile SLX rear derailleur. I only added ergon grips ($32) and PD-M545 spd pedals ($58 delivered, I think). So, that's ~$790 or so for an entry-level trail bike. Good enough for my uses.

ColinL

I would not build the bike in the OP for $658. your labor is worth something, even if you're bored over the winter, and you can buy a much better complete bike for $650. (and did you even have shipping in there? if not, the build costs more like $750, making it even ****tier.)

I would only build a bike from scratch if:

1) you already own most or all the tools needed, including a workstand
2a) you own some/most of the parts
Or 2b) you are building a higher-end bike the likes of which you truly can't find in a shop


If you want an entry-level trail bike the best way to do that is to buy used. There are so many great bikes out there that were barely ridden, or were ridden and actually maintained properly. The second best way is to buy a new bike on sale.

MisterK

For the price of your bb and alivio crankset you can probably get a nicer crankset with an external bb. I just got a raceface ride crankset w bb off jensons for 59$.
The alivio cranks are soo bulky

DiscTruckerMF

I'm a huge fan of BD but this thread is about building!!!!! That BD bike has a lousy fork though. Their sister site bikeisland.com has some great deals on frame and fork combos, you can get a real good price on a frame with a reba fork and then build off of that.

DiscTruckerMF

why so much money for the shifters and derailleurs, seems high for plain ol deore, did you mean deore xt?

DiscTruckerMF

In regards to shipping, most websites offer free shipping over some threshold so he probably wouldn't pay for shipping.

In terms of getting value, I'm a big fan of the NAshbar/Microshift 9spd mtb shifters and Rear deraileur (haven't used the front deraileur) I used them on a commuting bike and they worked great, shifted crisp, and they actually looked really good in person. The throw on the shifter were reasonable, only thing they lacked that higher end shimano mtb shifters have is the abilty to push or pull the shifter. I don't think the website pics do the RD justice, it really does look pretty slick imho. Now because I built them up for a road commuter, I can't testify to their durability in offroad applications but at $30 for a pair of shifters and $30 for a RD, it's virtually disposable.

Sixty Fiver

Something I am working on now...

1988 Kona Explosif frame and a Project 2 fork.

Full XTR 8 speed group.

hybridbkrdr

I just realized the total cost of the groupset I listed there is a bit much for what it is. I could have mentioned that bike24 sells groupsets. Their prices are not bad but even lower without VAT if you're not in Europe.
Shimano Deore V-brake groupset 230 Euro (including VAT, less in North America)
https://www.bike24.com/p211914.html
Shimano Deore disc brake groupset 300 Euro (including VAT, again)
https://www.bike24.com/p211923.html
Shimano Deore V-brake trekking groupset 235 Euro
https://www.bike24.com/p211929.html
Shimano Deore disc brake trekking groupset 310 Euro
https://www.bike24.com/p211938.html

This may sound a little out-of-left-field, but does anyone know of any mountain bike frames that are non-suspension like in the 1980's or early 1990's? I mean a modern one that takes a threadless headset (and not a touring bike).

3speed

There are plenty. Do a search. Sometimes you just have to find the right keywords to search for(Not sure what those are in your case because I've never looked for such a bike). If all else fails, there were 90s bikes that are nice steel frames with 1 1/8" headset that you could put a thread-less ridged fork on. I know there are several current popular models, though. Just gotta find em'.

krobinson103

Deore, but in South Korea the import duties hit hard so you end up paying a lot more for anything sourced from overseas. It may seem expensive, but for here its cheap. If I wanted to buy a bike at about the same level I'd be paying $2000.

But hey, I had fun building her, shes a tank.. quite literally. Crashed into a pile of metal and took zero damage. Perhaps not the lightest but one sweet long distance rider.

dminor 

This, this and this.

I've built all five of my DH bikes from the frame up because it's the only way I could have afforded to own them . . . and that was with a lot of support from some top-notch companies along the way. I enjoyed the process - - creating my spreadsheets, gathering parts, adding up grams, admiring the finished product...and then thrashing the crap out of 'em . And I built one trailbike the '2a' way - - lotta spare parts leftover from past builds. Of course using leftover DH parts doesn't make for the lightest build but the bike has been fun to ride regardless.

But this time around, my SB66 is going to be a turnkey affair. Yeti can put it together a lot cheaper and better than I could scrounging up odd parts.

DMC707

You got a lot of time on your hands to make a list like that --- but then again, it is winter in Canada

dminor 

I think you already did that above. Seriously, hybridbkrdr, you need to quit wasting your time and forum server space on these silly exercises on building not-quite-mountain-bikes. Especially for a total like $658. A typical Specialized Hardrock Disc is twice the mountain bike of that Nashbar/J&B mongrel and its MSRP is only $520.

Burton

I'd start with a budget and by having enough money put aside to actually complete the project. Otherwise it'll end up never getting finished or never getting started - except on paper.

hybridbkrdr

I don't know what gave you the impression I didn't search. I looked at companies like Surly, Salsa, Soma Fabrications, Nashbar, Cambriabike, Chainreactioncycles, etc. And as a passing comment, I'd prefer new and aluminium. Although I was inquiring out of curiosity. I didn't expect anyone to have a real answer. I wanted to see if anyone has any interest in that style of bike. My opinion is companies are now copying each other so much, there seems to be few innovative models around like the Mongoose Rogue.

I thought people could jump in and use their creativity and imagination to talk about different ideas. It may look peculiar on paper. But this would be a durable, easier maintenance type of bike. I read a comment about someone who said a bike with a suspension fork was left unattended for several years. When he tried using it again, the fork wouldn't work. In reality, I started changing my opinion of disc brakes lately. Although I once saw a pic of someone's finger when he worked on his once. I wanted to shy away from that since. Now I'm thinking I may very well have them adjusted in a shop if I cringe at the idea of working on disc brakes. And friction shifters means you wouldn't have to have the adjusted often by a shop. So, rigid forks, V-brakes and friction shifters would make a durable, easier maintenance kind of bike. I do want to build a "sports tourer" however with suspension forks.

Believe it or not, I accumulated enough parts over the last several years to almost complete two projects. Actually, I could complete one if I wanted. But, I decided I wanted to buy a different rear rim and crankset and sell the ones I have. This was done with x-mas and birthday money.

dminor 

It's fine if a kludged-together amalgamation of bottom-end parts trips your trigger. But it's still not a mountain bike; it's a cobby commuter. For too much money.

Burton

Right. So in 2010 you started a thread in the Touring forum asking for help learning how to cook cheap food because you were so broke you barely had any money for food; as of your most recent update (last month) you're available budget is up to $80/ month in food - but now somehow you've actually managed to squirrel away several thousand dollars during that same timeframe. And apparently the idea of a job still isn't on your agenda.

But you actually expect people to take your posts seriously.

Dannihilator

My turn:
Frame: Canfield Brothers DJ($500) or DMR Sect(new)
Fork: Fox 831 ($820)
Rims: DMR Thret(2 @ $58= $116)
Front hub: DMR 20mm hub with 15mm adapters($60)
Rear hub: DMR 6 pawl mini cassette($140)
Brake: XT Trail disc($170)
Crank: Shimano Zee($160)
Chain: Shimano HG73($30)
Seatpost: DMR Lockjaw($20)
Saddle: Odyssey Aitken Nightwolf($35)
Stem: Thomson Elite X4 50mm($100)
Handlebar: Answer Protaper AM($60)
Grips: Lizardskins Bearclaws ($30)
Headset: FSA Orbit ($60)

Total: $2,301