Originally Posted by
bikerbobbbb
I saw this thread.
Looking to build my own bike! Looking for parts advice!
(Is there any way to subscribe/notify/tag a post for future self-reference on this forum?)
It crossed my mind that when/if my current bike dies, I could build my own. I doubt I'd do that though. It's takes me forever to spec out parts. And I don't really have room for doing a years-long project of slowing building a bike. I'd probably be better off buying what I want, and then doing repairs myself.
You'd start with the purpose of the bike, right? Road vs. mountain vs. something else?
And fit the triangle part of the frame to your body size?
While factoring price, etc.
Given you have decided on the purpose of the bike, then you only have two choices. If you buy new components these days, the overall cost is going to be way higher than buying a complete bike. I was after a set of STI shifters, and the price was £100.00. I saw the exact same set on a new bike retailing at £225.00. So the best new way is to buy a cheap new bike from, say, Halfords, with the components mostly what you want, then ditch the frame and rebuild on a better frame, upgrade the components, such as brakes to a better spec.
This method also takes away the risk of incompatability which you would face if you bought all the components individually.
Second method, is to pick up a used bike from a car boot sale. Make sure that all the expensive bits - wheels, chainset are alloy, then completely strip it. The frame is often heavy, so scrap that and get a better frame. The learning curve of reassembling will give you the experience you need. Picking alloy components will mean that they all polish up nicely.
Some components will not fit. For example, if the new frame is a compact, you may need to change the bottom bracket length. But thats all part of the learning process.
Because you paid little for the bike, you can afford nice touches such as new handlbar tape. As a rule, never reuse any cables, and make sure the saddle is comfortable.
Hope this helps.