Bike Forums - View Single Post - new rider building custom cross check for commute, exercise, enjoyment

08-30-06 | 01:23 PM

#37

late

Senior Member

Joined: Oct 2002

Posts: 8,952

Likes: 1,513

From: Southern Maine

Hi,
1) were the wheels I posted the other day too expenisve? If you can't afford
Wheel House we can try Dimension; but I'd rather see you on the ones I mentioned.
http://www.bikemannetwork.com/biking/p/WECRDIM/WE8797
http://www.bikemannetwork.com/biking/p/WECRDIM/WE8796
Ask your bike shop what they have in the back room. I was looking for a wheel
for my sister this spring and they dug up a cross wheel they'd forgotten about; at a good price.

2) After the frame, the wheels are the most important. Components are more a matter of taste and durability. I posted a $23 LX rear der the other day; you won't find any model a whole lot cheaper. Tiagra shifters are surprisingly good. You can pick up a crank on sale that is not Shimano. This usually means a different BB as well. You can also look at Sora or Tiagra cranks. They are good, just heavier than 105.
3) I agree this is fun. But I have only done it once; I was 50 at the time and I spent a year after I got the frame getting the parts... It is a lot cheaper to buy a bike than parts. If money is tight, there are still a couple things you can do.
The first thing is to make a deal. Take some of the money you saved by buying a whole bike; and upgrade a couple parts at the time of sale. I almost always upgrade the wheels when I buy a bike. The bike shop wants to close the deal; so they will make an extra effort.
The rest you can upgrade a bit at a time. I occasionally score a deal on Ebay, mostly I get new stuff. When I need new wheels, I have Ultegra hubs and Ambrosio rims ready and waiting. I have 2 spare rear derailleurs in the cellar, an LX and a Xt. It was 3 but I used one upgrading my wife's bike this spring. Next year I may use one of the others on my sisters bike. I got a left hand Ultegra shifter after I dropped my bike, but the first one is too stubborn to die

Anyway, you can do it all, even if you don't do it all right now.

If you do get the whole bike, slap a B17 on it, upgrade the wheels, get a larger cassette, and you will have taken a really good bike to the next level.

Last edited by late; 08-30-06 at 01:56 PM.

Reply

0