oops.....Continued.......Bang for the buck. If he really ends up riding this a lot this summer, we will start looking for upgraded drive train parts. We are using the BUY IT NOW option for Ebay....it is nice to get the parts without having to go through the auction process.
I have decided to paint the thing myself....WIll probably due a flat paint, with a clear coat...that will also save us some money too. I think that I can make it look good.
New Shimano Sora 3300 Rear Derailleur Short cage Ebay $18.95
New Shimano Sora 3300 Front Derailleur Double Ebay $17.95
New Shimano hg50 8 speed cassette 12-26 Ebay $16.00
New 26” Continental Gator Contact Tires Tires Direct $62.00
26” Tubes $13.00
Used Sora STI shifters Good Condition LBS Co-op $60.00
New Profile Drop Bars Ebay $22.00
Bar Tape LBS $10.00
Shimano 8 Spd chain Ebay $21.00
Seat out of our shed Free
Used donated SPD's

We haven’t chosen a stem yet. Waiting for the other parts to be on before sizing and purchasing…It looks like we should be able to get one off ebay for less than $20.00
Total cost so far projected is $261.00

We know there might be some incidental costs for cables so add another 20.00 for cables. and another $10.00 for brake pads.
This is geting a little expensive, but it will end up being a pretty good bike with good components I think. And.....it is one heck of a lot cheaper than anything new out there in his size.

What are we missing?