Originally Posted by
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.
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.