It's a blast for *some* people. Case in point...me.

My last road bike was built from the frame up. A buddy gave me a nice frame that he wasn't using. It took me about 2 months and LOTS of cash to build it up with used parts. The ride was "meh". Nothing to write home about. The thing is, you won't know what it rides like till you build it.

Cut to 1 year later...

I'm in my favorite bike shop and I hop on a Specialized Tarmac just to see what it's like...an hour later I ride by and say, "I'm not bringing this back. I'll bring you a check tomorrow."

The thing is, yes it can be a learning experience. But, sometimes it's better to let people who know better do it. I know how to make a steak dinner...but sometimes I want to go out and have a trained pro do it for me.

I'm not fighting for or against the idea of building from scratch or buying off the shelf. I have obviously done both and been very happy with the results of both. I just wanted to share my story. I think that if you can get what you need from an off the shelf bike, then why bother building from scratch? You can learn about bikes as you maintain your new bike.