Robbie924

Post your custom bicycle build: discuss, boast, and help with questions, suggestions, or all of the above.

Retro Grouch 

Don't focus so much about features. A bicycle is a simple machine.

Think about quality.

Robbie924

Hi I 'm Robbie. I'm new to bikeforums and after looking through many other forums I found this one to be the most useful and the members to be intelligent and friendly. I made this post because I am in the process of building my first bicycle from the ground up and I wanted to use this forum to bounce ideas off of our users and learn about other builds out there. Thanks again for your contributions and input. Here is my build.....


Frame: Surly Troll 18"
*Rear Hub: Shimano Deore M525A Disc/Surly Cog 22t & Spacer Kit $60/2
*Front Hub: Shimano Deore M525A Disc
*Wheels:
*Cranks: Raceface Evolve SS 175mm NW32t 9/10/11
Ring: Surly Stainless 38T
Chain: Wipperman 808 $30
*Tires: Schwalbe Marathon Mondial 26 x 2.15"
*Bottom Bracket: See Cranks
Brakes: Avid BB7/Avid Speed Dial 7
Headset: Cane Creek 40 1-1/8" threadless
Handlebar: Surly Open Bar
Stem: Easton EA70 $60
*Saddle: Brooks C15
Seat Post: Easton Havoc
Pedals: Shimano PD-M324

bmthom.gis

My commuter is based on an old Peugeot frame, with a modern drivetrain and parts.
low end fork/frame (Carbolite 103) with fenders and rear rack
Nitto Randonneuring bars
Brooks Cambium C17 saddle and cloth bar tape
Dura Ace 9 speed rear integrated shifter
Ultegra front integrated shifter (I have a set of Dura Ace bar end shifters to eventually replace them)
Deore rear derailleur
9 speed Deore cassette
Ultegra front derailleur
TruVativ external bb and cranks
Mavic Open Course rims laced to idk what hubs.

99% of this was built up from the parts bin

Robbie924

I recently updated my build and upgraded to a carved C-15. It should be here next week, I'm stoked.

Steve B.

Chinese carbon in the build up stage. While ordering parts from Jenson, I forgot to order in-line cable adjusters, so went to Amazon. Big mistake, as the Amazon vendor has waited a week and still not shipped. As*holes.

Buildup on hold.

Maelochs

Robbie 924, am I confused or are you building SS?

Building a Chinese carbon, Ultegra, bunch of bits ... waiting on the frame ....

LaughingLots

Quality and durability are directly related to features.

This may not be an issue if you're just tootling around on a tricycle but if your bike sees heavier duty use then many features are quite relevant.

Maelochs

Ignore Retrogrouch. He is just being a retrogrouch.

I guarantee when he was contemplating buying at least three of the four rides in his sig, he did all the research and examined every features and option.

idiotekniQues

my build i am dreaming up will be a steel flat bar hybrid. Nothing quite like riding a quality steel frame once you do it.

I'll be lucky to build it in a year.

A Gunnar steel frame built right here in the USA with a Ritchey carbon fork.
Shimano 105 drivetrain running 1x11
Deore XT hydraulic discs or Paul Components Klamper mechanicals
Mavic Ksyrium wheels & Panaracer T-Serv 28c tires
still haven't thought of the little bits like stem and handlebars. May try to go carbon if it's affordable for the seatpost, stem and handlebars.

one can dream

martianone

A Gunnar Roadie, five years ago now.
Custom frame build, getting a perfect fit was the prime mission.
Then doing the build with a balance of solid reliable components.
Just back from a five day ride, 450 km, heat index peaked above 40 C.
Bike felt great and performed well, rider sweat a lot.

idiotekniQues

oh nice you have a Gunnar frame. I was turned on to Gunnar at one of my local LBS's not that long ago. He said they were amazing frames for the price. I'm guessing you can vouch for them after 5 years running? I'm coming from a Jamis Coda Elite steel frame which I love, but want something lighter.

02Giant 

I am starting with a 88 Mongoose steel ATB/"Hybrid" frame.
The OE crankset is replaced with a Sram Apex 50/34.
The OE 26" wheelset w/6 spd freewheel is replaced by a set of Vuelta 26" Zero-Lite wheels with a 12-32 10 spd cassette, KMC chain.
The frame was cold set to fit the 135mm 10 spd. spacing.
Installing 26 x 2.35 Kenda Kiniptions
The OE cantilevers are replaced with new Tektro CR720 canti's.
Retaining the OE fork, replacing the OE threaded headset with a Ritchey 1" threaded. Will use a quill stem, need to order once I determine the correct size.
OE flat bar replaced with a drop bar.
Trigger shifters gone, will install a set of Sram Rival brifters.
OE Shimano derailleurs replaced with Sram Rivals.
The frame will be stripped, repainted white with blue pearl, all bits above are black, will have blue bar tape and cables.
The build is in the test fit of bits and sizing, then will be knocked down for paint.

AlexCyclistRoch

What would be more interesting is if we would share the mistakes we made on our builds. here's one of mine:

Bought a really nice 62cm Trek silver-brazed 531 frame, and built it into a nice bike (which I still have). The frame came without a fork, so I looked around, and settled on a Kinesis aluminum fork, with the same offset as the bike originally should've had. Built the bike without issue. Unfortunately, I neglected to make one check; I should've checked whether the original bike took 700c or 27" wheels. I assumed that, since it was a 'high end' road bike, 700c would've been the original wheel size, but it seems that it likely came with 27"x1". As a result, my fork rides 4mm lower than it was designed to, reducing trail on my steering, and making it just a bit 'twitchy' at speed. I suppose I could take the fork off, and put a spacer under the crown race. Someday I may, but it sure would've been a lot better if I'd done this initially.

Kedosto

Pics would be nice. Jus' sayin'.


-Kedosto

Robbie924

Yes I am, but I am putting a spacer in for the option of gears later.

Maelochs

Okay ... i thought so form the build list but i didn't want to make an assumption and make a bunch of stupider-than-usual comments.

I know it is strong enough, but that fork looks so slender ....

36x22 gearing ... do you plan more urban or off-road?

martianone

YES ! If something bad happened to my current Gunnar, I would get a replacement as soon as possible. The only thing I would do differently, ask them to raise the bottle cage mount a few cm.

Robbie924

I was actually going to inquire about that. For the most part it will be urban, but I was curious about the labor that would go into changing out the fork for off road excursions. If it were easy to do or worth while, would you be able to recommend some affordable fork options?

TimothyH

2002 Fuji Roubaix completely rebuilt from the ground up.

Before...




After...




The color is Prismatic Powders Illusion Blue Berg applied by Custom Coaters in Marietta, Georgia. It's a two step process which activates when the "Illusion" top coat is applied. A fine metal flake gives it an electric glow in some lighting conditions.

The fork is original with a new Cane Creek 40 headset. Groupset is 105. Fizik saddle and Thompson seatpost were reused and matching Thomson seatpost collar and stem were added for style points. I'm waiting on a Thomson top cap and shim so that the entire stem area is black.

I've wanted an FSA K-Wing compact bar for a long time. It was a PITA to cable but if the short debug rides in the neighborhood are any indication it will be well worth it.

Bearings and freehub were replaced on existing Mavik Ksyrium SL wheels. These converted from 9 speed to 11 speed with the removal of a spacer - pretty happy about that.

I wrenched everything myself except for truing the wheels and learned a lot in the process. 18.4 lbs as pictured. Still debugging and few minor details to take care of but 99.9% done.

















-Tim-

Maelochs

I am sure the fork is fine for off-road----as for swapping forks, did you mean a suspension fork? I would ask the manufacturer about that. F

First you'd have to find a suspension fork that was exactly the same geometry, and a braking system which was compatible with whatever you were using on the other fork (lever pull and such.) Then you'd have to disconnect all the cables, take off the cap and stem, and simply stick the other fork in place. Adjusting the brakes would be the most time-consuming step.

Any suspension fork worth using is going to run you several hundred dollars ... cheap suspension forks are for show. I'd just ride the hing as is .... rigid MTBs don't have the same top-speed potential but are as much fun.

02Giant 

My parts are straggling in. Tires arrived and are mounted. Crank, chain, and rear derailleur is on. The brakes are installed. Waiting on the drop bars, quill stem, and clamp on front derailleur hanger to arrive. Once the bars, etc. are mounted I will cut and install cables then it will be time to strip it down and paint.

Steve B.

Got the frame from China last week after an anxious 4 days in Customs. Parts arrived about the same time from Jenson, etc... It's been 6 years since my last build up and that was all 9 speed stuff I had around. This was an all new 105 11spd group, including new wheels.

Did partial build while waiting add'l stupid stuff like in-line cable adjusters. It's my first bike build with them as the frame has internal routing and no cable stops on the frame. Without adjusters you can't install shift cables, and brake cables await as well, as they tape to bar at the same time. And I wasn't installing crank till cables laid in as I learned on past builds to avoid nailing my knuckles on chainring teeth.

So 2 day build, with some time on the internet learning how to install cables in 5800 shifters. Derailer adjustments were easy, this was probably the easiest front derailer adjustment I've ever done. It all worked fine and shifting was great.

So did an early AM ride on Tues., bike rode great and my position was good but will lower stem/bar an inch.

JohnDThompson 

https://photos.google.com/album/AF1Q...u5-QM71u9ay2XQ

Maelochs

So ... with so many of us riding Chinese carbon, should we start some kind of Dead Pool thing----betting on which one of us is the first to die in an asplosion? Winner gets a new frame?

Seriously, I just lifted my bike with one finger. I t was really hard, but then, I am, not particularly strong (nor is my build particularly light.) No tape, and no computer, but pump, two bottle cages, pedals .... ready to actually ride ... and I could lift it with a finger.

I will still get dropped by the grannies on trikes and the grocery shoppers on 1980s MTBs and the kids on BMX bikes, but at night I will be able to sit and look at my bike and know that, sitting still, it is faster than all of them.

Yeah, that's pathetic, but I am old.

EDIT: Also, JohnDThompson, your photo did not load.