So, I've been riding for 3 years now. I really enjoy riding, but I've also found that I really enjoy wrenching on bikes. Over the last 3 years, I've slowly learned how to work on each of the various parts of a bicycle. That being the case, I got it in my mind that I'd one day want to build a bike from the frame up. I figured I could use stuff that I had laying around the garage and buy what I didn't have and throw it all together.

So, I started keeping my eye out for steel frames that I wanted to build. Initially, I was just thinking of buying something and selling it, but as I got into it, I figured I might as well build towards something I would like so I could keep it and ride it. After looking around for a while, I started this thread: http://www.bikeforums.net/road-cycli...tml?highlight=

I finally settled on the Black Mountain Cycles road frame after heading good feedback from [MENTION=391827]dr_lha[/MENTION] on his build with them as well as speaking with Mike Varley. I liked his one man approach to producing affordable, steel bikes. Not to mention, I dug the color of his current road frame. So, I reached out and talked to him about what I was planning. He made me a good package deal on the frameset + the parts I was missing, so I ended up ordering everything through him. Paid via Paypal, he got it all shipped out fast and it showed up, well packed at my door last Tuesday.

My goal was to take my time with it, but it was too much fun and I got it 98% knocked out by Friday afternoon. I was missing a couple of parts, so I stopped there. I did a 150 bike tour over Memorial Day weekend, then had some stuff to catch up on when I got back. Today, I finished the build.

It was a fun process. Not really any gotcha's at all. I'm sure buying the stuff from Mike certainly helped with that. I have to admit, I was a little disappointed how easy it was. I thought there would be some tougher part in there, but all in all, it just worked and went by fast. I did goof up one brake cable, but picked up another one over the weekend and fixed that.

I didn't use any books, just stuff I've picked up along the way, GCN videos and a couple of calls to Mike. He was very cool about answering some questions over the phone and getting everything squared away.

I'll post some pics up in the following posts. With no carbon fiber parts (that I can think of) no-name Taiwanese steel frame and fork, lower end SRAM Rival, run of the mill wheels, the bike came in weighing 20.0 lbs with every thing but the pedals. I tried hard to get it to say 19.9, but 20.0 was the best I could get the scale to read. So with Ultegra, Force, DuraAce, Red, it would be well under 20. For a no-name, nothing special, non branded tubeset and cheap steel fork.

Hoping this rain will let up so I can put some miles on it. Thinking about taking it on vacation with me next week if all the long test rides go well.

Here's a pic at the final build point with pedals: