xkwox

I was going to save $1700 and buy a specialized stump jumper comp. But now, I am thinking about spending less and getting the same bike by making it myself, or spending 1700 and getting a better bike buy building it.

I am in the median of bike knowledge. I learned myself how to build computers. So I figure i can learn how to do this.. What's a good start on learning? Just buying a frame, then adding one thing at a time to it?

Jameson

This usually doesn't work. Oh, it can be done to a certain extent if your willing to wait and scour the internet for eons and you know exactly what you need and want but the official party line is to purchase at a bike store. You will not ever be able to match the current build spec for less than the factory with their massive buying power. If you can settle for slightly less or "outdated" closeout technology you can build a similar bike for close and sometimes less. I'm not familiar with this bikes current price but if you buy a frame from specialized( if they sell it?) that would eat a large portion of your price limit leaving you less to spec components. I can't imagine specialized is unaware of this idea and prices their frames accordingly.
That being said I've built two of my bikes frame up and had a good time. I am decent with my hands and used to work on cars so I thought no big deal, well bikes are not computers and they sure are not cars. I'm not saying it was difficult but I had a few odd ball problems here and there. I was more than happy to pay the LBS to perform/show me the process. I did buy both bikes who's frames were used from the bike store and bought a lot of parts and tools from them so they often gave me free adjustments and advice. Not to mention discounts on the parts. At any rate I'd recommend buying it from the bike store.

cyccommute 

Building a bike from parts is seldom cheaper than buying a whole bike. Building can be fun but it isn't cheap. There are about a hundred ways you can go wrong if you don't know what you are doing from ordering the proper frame size to cutting cables too short. Each one is going to cost you money to fix which makes the bike more expensive. Then there are the little vampires that suck your wallet dry. Order a frame - pay shipping. Order a crank - pay shipping. Order shift levers from a local dealer - pay shipping and tax. Order the wrong part - pay shipping both ways. Plus cables, cable housing, grips, bars, chains, etc. It adds up.

You might be able to get the stuff off Flea-bay but is that really cheaper? You buy a frame from someone...a real nice Stumpy, say...you get it home, build it up (costing more than you planned for), take it out for a ride - or maybe ride it for six months - and it develops a crack in the frame. You just ate that frame and now have to get a new one. If you buy it new, you get a warranty so it gets replaced. Buy it used and they won't honor the warranty.

I've broken enough frames to know that the warranty is worth the extra price...which is probably cheaper anyway.

As an example, my most recent bike is a build I did. It's a road bike but it's illustrative. I spent $2600 on it and it doesn't have a lot of high end equipment on it. I could have purchased something very similar for less than $2000 and probably less than $1500. It was fun to do and I love the result but I never deluded myself into thinking that it was cheaper.

Before you get too far into this, sit down, pour over parts on-line, get prices, add it all up and see what it costs. Make sure you add about 5% (or more) to each part you order from a different place and then add around 5 or 10% to the total for misc. stuff. Then look at the price of that Stumpy again. It might be more of a bargain than you think

Maelstrom 

Don't forget cost of tools. Unlike computers which is mostly clip in and forget, you need some specialized tools that potentially will cost lots of money.

I would buy whole unless you have an "in" with a bike shop.

cyccommute 

Or buying them twice because you got the wrong damned thing in the first place I tend to forget the tools part because I've spend the last 25 year accumulating tools.

Thor29

Try this - make a list of all the parts on that Stumpjumper, go online, and add up what you can buy the parts for. You'll probably have to call your local Specialized dealer about the frame price. You'll find out that building it part by part will cost a LOT more than just buying the bike. There are two good reasons why you would want to build your own - 1. Because you know exactly what you want and nobody builds a bike like that stock. 2. For the fun of it. But saving money is not a good reason unless your plan is to buy used parts and scavenge for parts.

mikejo

95% of the time, it will cost more to build it yourself. However, I built my Kelly hardtail for less than the cost of a similar build. The frame and fork (SID) alone retail for around $1600 and yet my entire build with new 2007 XT, Mavic, 2007 Juicy carbons, Race Face, and Thomsen was for around $2000. What helped a lot was that Chris Kelly was going out of business so I saved a ton on the frame, and the fork was blown so a friend gave it to me and I just had it rebuilt.
Again, my build is the exception, but by knowing a rich friend with lots of bike parts and scouring eBay for six months, I got a $3000+ bike for $2000.

Terrapin Ben

i built up a stumpjumper hardtail. it took me about 5 months to do. i rode it for about 200 miles. then it got stolen. building a bike is super fun, but i ended up spending about $1,700. and i could have got one brand new for about $100 cheaper and then wouldn't have one reciept to show my insurance company to prove the value of my bike. but then again, my stumpy was custom awesomeness built exactly how i like it. but anyways, i'd say go for it. it was a great experience, super fun, and i learned a lot about bicycles while doing it. just make sure to keep your bike inside when it is not under you.

Nickel

As everyone has already said, building on your own will cost more. I think it's important to invest in a Park Tool kit (ebay) or pick up the parts from a hardware store. The tools will save you money in the long run because you won't have to run to the LBS for every little rattle and click that your bike shouldn't be making. LBSs may also have a wrenching area that you can rent out for a couple bucks and you might be able to get someone to help you out for a couple cold ones. Check with them on component prices too.

I have been able to pick up cheaper parts by swapping with people in the local mtb community and going to bike swaps for lightly used items. I'm not racing so I don't need top of the line stuff so you should think of what kind of biking you will be doing before you invest, particularly in a fork. If you know what you want to order, you can ship it all at once from a website so shipping isn't a problem.

I have this book and I use the park tool website for assembly instructions. I would go to a bookstore and see which one you like the most as some are more visual and step-by-step than others. I was nervous I would break something the first time around but it's really more straightforward then I expected. I think knowing about your bike is important and assembling it yourself is a great learning project.

xkwox

thanks for the tips dawgs

ang1sgt

Sir,

This will be my first post here so please forgive me if I am a noob to this.

I have been out of cycling for a few years due to illness and changes in my family status. Kids getting married, college expenses, and now Grand Children. What a life!

I just bought a Chro-Moly MTB Frame from Nashbar. Now it seems that Nashbar has folks that like them here and then those that don't. I figured it like this. It was a $30.00 Frame and Seatpost deal. If I didn't like it, I would give it to my nephew and let him build it.

This is what I found on the Nashbar Frame. I used a set of Campy Gauges on it to check the rear triangle. It was SPOT on! The frame has canti and disc drops welded on and those welds and those on the frame were very VERY good. Paint Quality was excellent and as good as a Factory bike should.

So far the only thing I've done was drill out the Seat post for the Road style seat binder that I'll be using.
It came with a black alloy Nashbar brand seat post and that was fine by me too. (Remember only $30)
This weekend I bought some parts from the local bike shops. I found a screaming deal on a set of Vuelta StarLite AL MTB Wheels for just a little over $170. These had the looks and performance that I was going for. I also bought an LX 9 Speed Cassette with a 11T small cog to go on these wheels. I put together the new skewers and lubed up the wheels and installed the rear one. (No Fork yet) With the Blue paint of the frame and the Black finish of the Wheels, it has JUST the look I was going for.

I am buying parts as I go along. If all goes well, I'll be at an interview this evening at a Bike Shop and I'll be an employee in short order. This will help in my need for parts and tools.

I have just placed an order today for my Crank, BB, Front Fork and Headset. So far my total for all the parts and the frame comes to $582. Now some would say that this is a lot so far and that I am trying to make a silk purse out of a sow's ear, but this frame is really worthy of what I am putting into it.

The rest of my parts I either have in my "JUNK" bin or on a bike that I can salvage from. Even with that, I'll be into this for about $700. Is it worth it? I will say that it is. I have hand selected these parts with the understanding that it will be ridden in the City Streets for a commuter style bike, and on the weekends will be ridden on fast bike paths and dirt roads. This frame is more than up to the challenge of this.

Chris

Pamestique 

Unless you really know what you are doing it is always cheaper to buy a bike already built up. And if the shop offers a bike on sale... well no doubt it can't be beat.

My friends who build their own, spend months and even years scouring shops and online for cheaply priced parts waiting for the big deal to come along. It seldom does. If you build a bike it's because it will turn out exactly as you like, not because it's cheaper.

I purchased a Specialized Stumpjumper FSR in 2006. I paid $1750 plus tax. I got injuried and hardly rode the bike. I eventually bought a Santa Cruz Superlight at the end of the year, offered at a good price by a shop I like. I sold the Stump for $1200 in November 2006. It was a good deal for the buyer. If you want to save money - watch for deals on used bikes. Silly people like me might be wanting to sell. My friend is currently selling his 2006 Superlight. It's barely been riding (he got injured as well) and not hard at that. It will be a good deal for someone.

xkwox

building your own computer is cheaper..

but building your own bike is more expensive, never would have thought so...


my local shop says they have the comp for $1600

Pamestique 

so offer them $1400 and see if they will take it. I never pay for price for a bike.

sherpaPeak

BUILD IT.

- building your own bike is amazingly rewarding. its almost impossible to put a dollar value to that. also, if you are careful and calculative, building a bike could be much cheaper. even with the shipping cost and everything. Also, bike industry is pretty standardized these days so its relatively easy to figureout what sizes and specs you need. Also, you have this forum as your first hand resource to get some good and not so good ideas.

If I were you I would consider a few other alternative for frame - Kona Kula and Giant XTC. I saw some Kula frames go on ebay for pretty good price...Base Kula was sold for about $150 and delux and Primo were around $250.... and the XTC frame is $280 or something very close...

so yes, BUILD IT....I have just finished (the seatpost is arriving on Thursday) bulding my first bike. It was cheap, it was really rewarding, and I got exactly what I wanted. It took me some time and energy to piece together everything. Also, I did some careful and patient shopping to keep the price down.

here is the detail


Item/Parts--------Name/Model-----------------Original Price---------------Price I paid
Frame------------Haro V5---------------------N/A------------------------$45+$14 shipping (ebay)
Fork--------------Manitou Splice Super--------$300+----------------------$49.99+$10 shipping
Wheels-----------Mavic XM317+XT hubs-------~$300---------------------$89+$14 shipping
Crankset---------Shimano DeoreLX M580-------$115-----------------------$46 + $6 shipping
BB---------------Shimno Deore----------------$35------------------------$10 + included with cranks
Shifters----------SRAM X-7--------------------$67------------------------$20 + $15 shipping
Rear Der---------SRAM X-7--------------------$60------------------------$27 + included above
Front Der--------SRAM X-Gen------------------$35------------------------$10 + included above
Brake Front------Avid BB7 160mm---------------$110----------------------$44 + $7 shipping
Brake Rear-------Quad 5 160 mechanical--------$50-----------------------$35 + tax (bought locally)
Brake Lever------Avid FR-5---------------------$35-----------------------$5 + shipped with the shifter
Handlebar--------FSA FR 270-------------------$60-----------------------$15 + free shipping
Stem------------FSA FR 200-------------------$60-----------------------$15 + free shipping
Headset---------Cane Creek S-8---------------$70-----------------------$25 + free shipping
Saddle----------WTB Rocket V-----------------$70-----------------------$18 + $6 shipping
Cassette--------SRAM PG971------------------$39------------------------$19 +$6.99 shipping
Chain-----------SRAM PG951------------------$25------------------------$7 + shipped with the chain
Pedals----------Kona Jack --------------------$35------------------------$15 + shipped with the tires
Tires-----------IRC Backcountry 2.25----------$100-----------------------$15+$10 shipping
Tubes---------- Ritchey tubes-----------------N/A------------------------Came with the tires
6 bold adaptor for center lock hubs-------------$30------------------------$15
seat post -------FSA SL-280------------------N/A------------------------$15 + $6

cables and Housing (bought from the local LBS, they figured out how much/long I neede without any cost) and I paid about $40 for that. I bought the cable when I bought the rear disc brake from them. The local bike shop also put the headset in the frame which cost me $30.

so the total cost of my build is about $660. I dont know if I could just pick up a complete bike with this kind of spec for this kind of price.

I have spend a bit more on shipping cause I bought the items over a long period of time, but it also let me spread out my expenditure over a longer period of time. I did not even feel that I bought/build a new bike....



my purchases were done carefully....ebay, cambria bikes, blue ski bikes, wheelworld, Pricepoint, Bobs bicycles etc were some of the places where I got most of my itmes.

sherpaPeak

MTB warrenty is a funny thing....there are so many restrictions...I put a vari-travel fork on my Kona Cinder Cone (Zoke EXR Race 85-120mm), now my warrenty is void. so, I dont have much use for warrenty.....in my 15 years of riding, I never broke a frame.....I crashed a couple of frame pretty badly...but that was due to my misuse and lack of skills and not covered by warrenty.....I personally dont find any serious needs for warrenty for Aluminum Hardtails...specially something that cost under $300

tagalog

Well the trick is to find a website that offer free shipping .. I just rebuild my old specialized elite hardtail frame with 2007 Truvativ Stylo 3.3 Team GXP with integrated cups. 44/32/22. Mirror Blk.
2007 Sram XO Trigger Shifters. 9-Speed Rear, Index Front
2007 Sram XO Rear Derailleur, Medium Cage
2007 Sram X9 Front Derailleur, High Clamp, Top Pull. Slv.
2007 Sram 990 9-Speed Mountain Cassette. 11-32T or 11-34T
Sram PC-991 Mountain Chain with PowerLink
All of this for under 600 dollars..and I bought a 2007 xtr front drailleur for 98 dollars. The important thing is to buy a good set of tools, books (haynes, Zinn) and practice. I was so proud after I finished, and took some pictures of myself. all in all, I have a top of the line components and spend less than 1000 dollars that includes a brand new alex wheels. I finished building my bike for about 3 days after I recieved all the parts I ordered.

cyccommute 

I've broken 4 frames...one of them 3 times. That one the company wouldn't honor the warranty even though the sales rep told me that I should replace the fork because they broke. I don't do business with that company...in fact it's out of business. One of the other frames was so cheap that I just had it repaired. But the other two frames were for bikes that were worth far more than $300 and both frames were replaced without question. Considering that a new frame would have cost me from $800 to $1100 (frame only), the warranty is worth the price...especially considering that a whole bike was cheaper than the individual parts.

Building your own bike from parts is fun and rewarding but it is not cheap. I have many bikes hanging in my garage that, with an honest accounting of the cost of the parts, are testament to that.

I'm not saying that you shouldn't build your own bike. All I'm saying is be realistic and realize that it's not going to be cheap.

cyccommute 

You need to do your math better (thanks for actually breaking out the cost by the way). I find the price to be $725 of which $95 is shipping. That 13% of the total price! Original price of the H5 was around $700 from what I can find. From the Haro website, the spec on the stock bike is still pretty good at that price - quite comparable to your bike.

ang1sgt

Even working for a shop, sometimes the bike you want and need to ride has to be built by you to make it your complete bike. As I've stated, that darn Nasbar frame looks pretty damn nice, and while I would have rather bought the 853 tubed frame, I'll see how this one goes and then maybe swap things out and buy the 853. That is what I really want to ride because few bikes are 853 tubes in "MY" price range.

Chris

jm01

you never save money when you build your own bike...however, I found a great frame/fork/BB/crank for my wife, at a great price, so I picked up a 1 year old used donor bike with a good build ($400.00) and swapped the parts...only had to buy a seat post, tires, and new cables/covers., (she opted for a new saddle)...


...took the frame to my lbs and they they built the bike for $80.00 labour. Then I got $250.00 for the old frame and fork

Voila, my wife's Fuji Cruz

sherpaPeak

sorry for poor math. it was really really late at night....and my little boy was having hard time sleeping...he was having nightmares....result of watching a National Geography documentry of big sea creature.....giant squid and all....

anyway, I could drastically reduce the shipping cost if I bought some stuff in big chunks. Also, as I bought most of the stuff online, I did not have to pay taxes....so that is about 9%....if I deduct that I actually paid 4% on shipping (if you consider a locally purchased complete bike).

you are right, the Haro V5 was pretty well speced...but there are things that I wanted and was not going to compromise....here is the Original Haro V5 (just for comparison)

https://www.harobikes.com/atb/v5.php

there are things that I had to have...Like

- Mavic XM317 wheels with XT hubs.........The original wheels were pivit or something, I did not care for it...

- Shimano LX crankset....I have reservations about TruVativ Blaze and specially their ISIS BB

- FSA FR-270 Handlebar and FR-200 stem......I just had to have it...

- Longer travel fork, and specially something that allows you to adjust travel.......I know that splice is a pretty iffy fork...but I made some minor changes and it allows me to change the travel between 100-130.......the original V5 did not have that option...

- also, I just love the Cane Creek S-8 headset......had to have it....I also considered FSA Orbit....but the price on the S-8 was hard to pass...

- I presonally like the BB7 upfront better than BB5s. also, the Quads are almost the same desing as the BB7s (similar adjustment options).....So, I think that my brake set up is a bit better than the original BB5s....

these are probably very minor difference to you....but they were very important to me......and once the bike is put together, I can not imagine buying the stock one.....I know almost every part of that bike.....its a cook feeling.....

and I still think that it was cheaper than buying it stock.....


I am just curious....is there a stock bike that comes with XM317 and LX cranks/BB that cost around $700?

and when you say, building is expensive.......I would say it depends. and it does not have to be....

dminor 

Amen to that. I never would have been able to afford my last three bikes if had not built them.

jm01 - -That's an excellent concept; way to go!

xkwox

thanks for the suggestions, i may build a 29er

born2bahick

My experience is, there is nothing better than riding a bike you've built up yourself. That "Did it myself" feeling is the payback. Don't do a build to save money, Do it for the other rewards.