Originally Posted by Bikewer

The warts, the warts....

Seriously, building a bike up from a frame is not exactly rocket science. If you have a good working knowledge of bike mechanics you should be able to handle it without too much trouble. You will need a few special tools, Bottom Bracket installer...Like that.

If you buy a frame new, it should come with the specs as to what size BB you need, seatpost size, headset reccomendations, that sort of thing.

Unless you're a very good shopper, or plan to spend a lot of time on Ebay, you may not save much if any money. Bike manufacturers buy their parts in large lots, and thus get a considerable discount. Still, It can be fun, and you'll have the satisfaction of knowing that your bike was not assembled by the 17-year-old part-time employee at the shop.