kroozer 

The only complete bikes I buy are for the family, while my own projects always come in pieces.

I’m usually pretty picky about the components I put on my bikes. I’ll often have one specific model in mind, perhaps with an alternate version if I can’t get my first choice. I buy parts one at a time, so it takes me a while to get together the whole set and undoubtedly costs more. But I get exactly what I want. And once I have a set together I keep it, whereas the frames are more or less interchangeable.

With the frame I’m much less choosy. It will need to be of a certain era and type, and sometimes nationality, but beyond that I almost never look for a particular brand or model. I just wait for something cool to come along that’s within my budget—I’ll know it when I see it. I'm pretty happy with the frames I’ve bought, but there is not a single one in my collection that I was specifically looking for.

How do you guys do it?

Bandera

I use Project Management methodology, very effective but too tedious and technical to go into in a post.
A selection of frames for me comes 1st derived from the Requirements w/ component selection to follow.
Quality, Time & Budget rule all.

Here's pics of my "Test Mule" Rando-ish build in it's 1st incarnations, more mods are being made this winter based on riding experience.
It's actually Phase 1 of a Project to have a custom frame made that I'll build into a keeper unless this proves to fully meet my requirements in it's final incarnation.

Scope of the Project: Build a lugged steel framed road bike w/ the club rider friendly virtues of my '74 International with modern specifications.

The project met requirements, came in on time and on budget.

-Bandera

bikemig 

I like the Stanyan. I still haven't figured out my perfect rando-ish build. I'm working on a salsa casserol frame as mine.

To the OP, I know what I like and I'll pick up frames based on what i need for a certain type of riding to build up. That said, building up from a frame is expensive and I'll buy a complete bike if it does the job I want. So I'd like a fat bike one day and I'll buy that complete because it is very cost effective and I have none of the parts for this build. I'd like a touring bike as well. As much as I'd like to build up from a frame, I may just go with a stock Surly LHT since it does pretty much what I want at a reasonable price. So I'm driven by function first, price second, and aesthetics third. I've just never been able to get into what i think are crazy expensive bikes (I know others might think those bikes reasonable) so I always look at complete bikes before deciding on building up from a frame.

sloar 

usually, i get the frame first. then build on what i can afford. once, i built a bike around a front derailleur.

Zinger

Lol.....A front derailleur. Now I can understand building around a rear derailleur but a front ?

orangeology 

i have a lone fork waiting to find a matching frame.
three of NR rear mechs are also hopelessly in line too.

sloar 

i bought a campy valentino front derailleur off of a forum member, i have always liked the way they look. i built the bike around that.

lord_athlon

I build a bike around whichever part I fall in love with.

Right now im building up a 1990 Schwinn Cross Cut because I want some cantilevers.

Zinger

Wow

I'd say it came out very nice

randyjawa 

I am building a three wheel Falcon San Remo using a Ken Rogers tricycle conversion kit. Quite an adventure, actually...

Ex Pres 

I bought a NOS Sachs Huret FD so cheaply that now I'm collecting more parts for a build - don't know what frame yet.

Oldpeddaller

LOL! That's how THIS started out!



18 months passed.......................

Blue Belly

I guess I'm more particular about the performance of a frame, than most. I build a frame up based on the frame & what it will be best suited for. For example, my recent build was the MX leader. Billed as a great handling bike, with a laid back seat tube & a little on the heavy side, I paired it with a set of nice rolling 36h wheels & the usuall campy DT shifting. This bike is my all arounder. The beefy rims & smooth yet, performance based ride, give me a bike that I can take down a dirt road but, will serve me just as well on the pavement. Not a pure climber, but will feel pretty confident regardless of the situation.

The Golden Boy 

I have a set of Suntour XC-Pro brakes that I'm basing my dream bicycle around.

R3tired

i'm having a hard time answering this question. i have frames that need groups and groups that need frames, and matching them is a problem.

Michael Angelo 

I have a complete Galli Groupset I plan to use on somehting....

Velognome 

Usually it's starts with a part, rarely a frame. One build started from a set a set of pedals. The worst was building a bike to support a Stop Watch and a Terry Clip or was it around a single GB Brake Lever.....ahhh it's all good fun!

PeregrineA1

The most expensive build I ever did was an MTB based on a free fork. I won a supercalifragilicious fork at an MTB event and was compelled to buy the rest to see how wonderful it really was.

I've built on frames and parts. Depends on what comes up.........

jimmuller 

Hmm. There are so many good, affordable components that the frame is the hardest part to choose. After than the tough but interesting task is choosing components that make sense aesthetically, culturally, etc., but still work well. For example, a fully restored high-end racing bike wouldn't do me much good. How to stay faithful while making the bike useful? That's the hard part. Which means I start with the frame and see where it goes.

Drillium Dude 

Can't believe there are already two bikes built around front derailleurs here - and we're not even past the first page yet!

Although building a bike around a stopwatch and its holder is pretty radical in its own right

I normally build around a frame. In fact, I don't think I have a bike that wasn't built that way in my stable these days.

My next project is a Somec frameset I got at Recycled Cycles in Seattle ($100 - still have the tag hanging from it) quite a number of years ago. I came across some pantographed stuff over the years on Ebay and pretty much have a full-pantographed gruppo for it except for the seatpost.

Frameset:



Crankset:



The main stopping point on this is finding someone that can match the paint and do a partial-restoration. I've prepped all the areas that will need touch-up and had a decal set made from a partially-damaged original set.

Maybe someday...

DD

Zinger

I bought an '83 Trek 970 road frame from Barrettscv. I had built one 30 years ago with a couple of different sets of mismatch parts and had to sell it. So this one calls for a budget build this time.

Well I just happen to still have some Ritchey rims and a new Sachs 13-24 7 speed freewheel. So considering what discontinued freewheels cost anymore I guess I'm buying my parts around a freewheel, .

And I've always liked Suntour's slant parallelogram derailleurs with ultra 7 freewheels. So I've been able to find some pretty good Japanese parts (which I have no problem hanging on an American frame) to go with a 1st generation Cyclone RD which handles a 24 tooth sprocket on the short hanger.

Got some great deals on NOS Dia Compe 400 calipers, NOS 7200 Dura Ace shifters (look good against the red & yellow frame) and some NOS Suntour (Nashbar) sealed hubs. Planning on a VO Grand Cru fluted compact with different rings to go with that stuff. So as soon as I catch up with the bills I'll finish her off in time for spring riding.

So to sum it up I'm matching a freewheel to a frame and building around that.

Aaand the Shimano shifters with a Suntour RD matches perfectly my other Trek 500 which has a Shimano RD and Suntour shifters.....

Lenton58 

Not that I've built a lot of bikes, but the ones I have on the road, as well as the projects that are underway are mongrels.

Buying a complete bike here in Japan is difficult because of size. There is just not a lot of choice in the auctions — even though I'm only a bit over 5' 9". Moreover, better C&V machines are expensive, and we don't find them heaving out of dumpsters. So I start with the frame. They have come from various countries in Europe, Canada and the USA. I collect parts that I think will work together. I am always on a restrained budget, so I do not aim for specific groups or exotica. I use some retro, new production as well, because importing vintage parts across oceans gets expensive. The challenge is to get the various things working in harmony, as well as trying to avoid making the finished machine look too much like a frankenbike.

Here is an example of a project for which I have assembled all the bits I will need:

Frame: Gazelle AB in 531c. (Early 80's German export)
Transmission: crankset, FD, RD - SunTour Cyclone
Freewheel: Shimano early 600
Seatpost: New Nitto-85 (Crystal)
Quill stem: New Nitto Technomic
Headset: New Tange Passage
Hubs & skewers: Campy Nuovo Record
Rims: Unknown tubular type
Levers: Shimano BL-400 with spring return
Brake calipers: Shimano Ultegra
Drop bars: New Nitto 135
Saddle: New Bontrager Nebula Plus ... or maybe a used leather Lepper?
Pedals: MKS Sylvan Lites
Straps: Christophe
Chain: New Shimano


IF...
If I put myself out bit, I could trade bits about and mount SunTour Cylcone brakes, Superbe DT shifters and Superbe levers, making a more contiguous "family" of parts, if not all of the same group. If I had more time, if were single, and if I were not doling out school tuition fees every month, I might be more meticulous. I admire many of the completed projects we see on C&V that are really true restorations rather than my mere constructions. I do have an excuse for my Vitus 979 though. AFAIK, these frames were mostly sold as bare frames. Owners built them up using what they felt matched their needs. And so some of them ended up with all sorts of stuff on them — like mine.

Lenton58 

That's fantastic, Randy! Very handsome.

Bikedued

Most of the time it's a frame looking for parts. If the bare frame trumps another bike that has them, it gets robbed and the bare frame built up. Right now I have a true dilemma. I've got this bike(below), and now also have the Raleigh Professional I've always dreamed of. I am seriously thinking about robbing the GB of the drivetrain and putting it on the Pro. The only campy cranks I have though, are on yet another bike with full Gran Sport. I've been so busy though, I barely have time to work on them anymore. I am also going to start a 45 hour a week job with a free health insurance pkg, sooo.. Between that, the rat rod project, home improvements, buying a Miata work car which needs a little work, and bikes... I am officially out of free time for the foreseeable future. A nice problem to have I guess.,,,,BD

This was a bare frame, and my Grand Record got scavenged to build it up...

Lenton58 

I LOVE that GREEN!