samburger

I finally got a job! WOOH! So we know what that means! I've come to the conclusion that I'll likely be 40 years old before I have the dough to buy a bike I'd be happy with outright, so I'm going to build a ground-up pimp mobile as a pay-as-you-go option (unless anyone is aware of a financing option for bicycles. If so, please do tell & trash this thread!).

Anyway, I'm hoping for a budget of around $700-800 with the main focus on the components so I can transfer them to another nicer frame down the line. For the frame I'm thinking Access XCL just as something nice enough to get me by for a while until I save up for a FS frame. So for the components, my only standard is that I prefer SRAM X._ over Shimano for shifters & derailleurs. I like the trigger shifters better & it's been my experience that they shift better overall. Everything else is up for suggestion as I don't really know anything about other components. I'm not asking anyone to Google prices & do all the research for me, just asking for suggestions that I might be able to fit into my budget. And I promise this will be the last thread I post about getting a new bike before I actually do so!

P.S. - I was serious about the financing a nicer bike. If this is an option please tell me! But every time I Google 'bicycle financing' it redirects me to motorcycle financing.

cryptid01

Capital One

samburger

Boo. I'm 19 years old, have never held a job for more than 6 months, & don't even have a credit card. They'll loan me a $20 if I'm lucky!

thenomad

You'd be surprised actually at how much they'd give you. Then you'd be in debt for that amount for the next 15 years.
Your option is better, pay as you go.

RossThompson

if your in college, most university credit unions will do it.

ed 

When I was 19y.o., I had been employed as a car mechanic for 3 years and moved on to my second year (of six) as a locksmith.

ed 

How big'a'boy are ya, young Sam?

https://wheelworld.com/product/kona-2...frame-7277.htm

samburger

Well I was a spoiled rich ***** growing up & never learned the meaning up work ethic. Then I turned 18 & my dad told me the only thing he would pay for anymore was college & medical emergencies. So yay for learning the meaning of a hard day's work years later than any person should. Better late than never though, right?

5'10. I'd have to go to a Kona dealer & at least sit on a 16" Five-O to get an idea of the geometry, but I think that with a long stem &/or high offset seat post, I could make it work for my mostly-XC riding. I prefer my bikes to run a little small rather than a little large anyway.

dahut

Get a loan and get what you want. The world is ending in 2 years, so the debt wont matter.

samburger

Ha! Good point from a superstitious point of view, but I'd rather play it safe & leave this world in debt to no one. Never know who you're gonna meet in the afterlife.

And while I would opt to take out a loan if the deal was right, I'm really looking forward to piecing this bike together myself & having everything exactly how I want it. I figure if I can manage to assemble & tune this bike on my own, I should never have to go to the LBS for a tune-up again. And for someone who doesn't plan on giving up biking any time soon, that's an investment.

cryptid01

Go to college. Gorge yourself in the dining hall. Put on fifty pounds real fast. Tell your dad a new bike is the only thing that will save you from diabetes.

ed 

The Five-O is too small for you, Sam. Too much bike for you too. With your leg-shaven style...I'd suggest a nice rigid steel SS 29'er.

BurnNotice

Little piece of advice from a 40 year old similar to you probably in most respects. I worked since Iwas 15 years old. I bought my first car which was a 1971 Torino GT for $1500 way back in 1985! I worked full time hours on part time benefits......in other words, none! I paid may way through college and worked full time during college. Don't get me wrong, my parents gave me some money here and there and I never blamed them for not being able to give me a free ride like those spoiled little bastards I went to school with. In fact, I am glad I did have to do it all myself, because when I go out and buy something like a $15k motorcycle or $4k mountain bike no one can ***** at me for spending money because I earned the right to splurge on myself from time to time!

Back to my point............. got a credit card in college, you know how they do it on campus with all those credit card companies there offering you to build credit! Well I got a card with a measily $500 limit on it and maxed it quickly. Got another and maxed it too! My point, credit cards are a neccesity for travel and buying things at a moments notice. But you have to be responsible to pay those dman things off quickly so you don't get caught in the trap! < Why is the font now in the funky looking look it has!???? I must of hit something!

Okay, figured it out! I would use a credit card to make purchases you can pay off at billing date so you build credit but have no revolving debt! Those things can be quite disastrous to say the least. Also, when you apply, tell the company you want a small limit even if you qualify for more......trust me, temptation will kill you. I have a credit card now with a $25k limit which is crazy! Never would use that unless I needed to bond out of a Mexican jail!

If you have very good financial upholdness as I call it then use it to buy a few components then pay it off each month. And also, get a card that helps you like travel miles or hotel points! I use mine to put monthly bills on like mortgage; power; and groceries which you would pay for anyhow! You know what it does for me.........builds my points up crazy fast for free crap! But you have to use your strength to pay it off each month with the money you would have to begin with! It is a great system to get free crap!

I use my Steelers card and get free nice jackets; jerseys; Steelers paraphernalia all the time! So in a sense, they are paying me to use their card. Now people like me are probably few and in between using them to pay me, but if you can have the discipline to do it this way, you are the winner!

Good luck with the build and post pictures as it goes!

I wish I were 19 again with all the knowledge I have amassed! I would be a rich son of a ***** for sure! I would have invested in google; e-bay; and all those other things I scoffed at but had a chance thinking it was a fad!

Not to mention, I would have become a dentist with hot chicks working for me!

ed 

18" Voodoo: https://www.jensonusa.com/store/produ...One+Frame.aspx

The Alite may be too big or too small for you...they only have 15 and 19: https://wheelworld.com/product/khs-20...frame-7522.htm

samburger

Ha! There's an idea. But in all fairness, my dad has done enough for me & I wouldn't feel right as a legal adult still having him pay for my luxuries.

"I wish that I knew what I know now, when I was younger."

If I knew what I know now when I was 14, I would have aced my way through high school, started working at 16 to build up a good work history for this **** economy, & gotten into a decent college straight out of high school. I can't imagine how much knowledge I'll gain over the next 20 years that I'll wish I had known now, but learning is part of the fun in life.

And I need to apply for a credit card absolutely, it's just a very intimidating thing. I see 20 commercials every hour about debt relief for $5k-20k & it scares the crap out of me. But I need to have a sit down with some of the smarter adults in my life & talk about the best way to go about getting a credit card. I don't want to regret not having any credit down the road.

Sad but true. Maybe if I end up going to North Georgia College next year I'll have more reason for a burly man's-frame. Not down here though.

I can fit a 19" alright. I know every brand has different geometry, but I test rode a few Specialized, GT, Felt, & Giant 19" bikes a few months back & they all felt fine. I preferred the 17" purely for the shorter reach to the handlebars, but a short stem could remedy that. One of the advantages of a ground-up build

Shadow7874

Just get a capital one card, they suck as far as interest rates go but that is good motivation to pay it off every month. Im 21 (and from mcdonough actually, not far from you at all) and i got a capital one card when i turned 18. I missed one payment in the 2ish years i had the card and that was because i had switched to delta's credit union and didnt even know i had a bill for capital one still. Just put small expenses on there like gas and pay it off monthly and you will be fine. Using it all the time will land you in hot water.

Have you thought about the carbon fiber frames on ebay from china? ive been looking into them a good bit and it seems everyone is really happy with them and they dont cost a lot more then some of the other frames that have been recommended.

Also having a bike in college is a life saver, but buy a good lock. I just transferred to GT this semester and my old bike was stolen the first week with the cable lock on it. Now im on some crappy old bike until i buy something new plus a better lock

samburger

Yeah I was looking online & Capital One seemed to have the best benefits of any card I would qualify for. Low interest would be a nice safety net in case I miss a payment, but I would at least start out using it only for things like gas, insurance, etc that I would already have to pay for anyway. That will hopefully instill good habits of making my payments on time so that when I do start buying luxuries with it, I won't overspend my earnings. And where did you go to school? I grew up in Lake Dow & went to Union Grove for the better portion of high school (my mom was a teacher & wanted me to go there).

I have considered getting an ebay frame. It just worries me dropping $200-300 on something that has no warranty or reputable company to go to if something goes wrong. But it's still definitely in consideration. My first buy for this project will actually be a fork (probably RockShox Tora Coil U-Turn from blueskycycling) so that I can go ahead & put it on my current bike & enjoy the luxuries of a suspension fork while I piece everything else together for the project bike.

samburger

Hate to bump threads that I started, but I think the build is finally beginning. After countless hours of searching, I've finally found a local (meaning no $50+ shipping) frame for sale. It's a 2007 Jamis Dakar frame with a Fox Float shock. Not the greatest complete bike, but a solid frame for the pansy XC biking I do. Definitely a major upgrade from my 10-year-old GF Wahoo. The frame appears to be in good condition, though the picture isn't top notch, & the seller claims it has minimal scuffs from regular use & no dents or cracks. I'll inspect it thoroughly before buying, but it's looking good so far. He's asking $275, I'll try to talk him down as much as I can. But either way it doesn't seem like a bad deal considering the shock is $250 new by itself. As much as I'd like to be a badass & buy a beastly Five-O frame like Ed, it just doesn't fit my style of riding right now. This frame does.



With all that said, this is when I'm going to start asking for info on where to find cheap components. Naturally I'll check jenson, bluesky, & wheelworld. If anyone else knows of some good deals on mid-level (SRAM X.7+ & Shimano equivalent) components, let me know so I can snag them up while I'll being financially irresponsible.

OC Noob Rider

#1. Don't indebt yourself needlessly.
#2. At 5'10, assuiming you don't have freakish body proportions you should be riding an 18 or 19".
#3. SRAM doesn't necessarily shift any better than Shimano, ESPECIALLY at the X7 or Deore level and above (from each respective company.)
#4. Don't indebt yourself needlessly. I'm 19 years old and I'm paying my way through college. With the right budgeting, not splurging on eating out with friends, and getting your priorities straight it's easy to afford a XC race bike (24lbs; full XTR) and a Pinarello road bike as well as still having a car (Ask me how I know ).
#5. Don't indebt yourself needlessly.

ed 

Don't do it, Sam. I won't buy a used Jamis dually frame unless it's for pennies. Sure, a new Fox Float will run you $250, but a 4yo one on the 'bay will be around $50-100.00 Only buy new Jamis duallies with warranty. They've had issues with chainstays breaking...and the occasional seatstay. Not an issue if you have a warranty'd new frame that keeps ya covered.

I broke my XLT and it took about 2-3wks to get the replacement stay. Jamis offers great bang for the buck...but IMO and IMExperience...they pharm the rear tri out to the wrong Asian factory. If you're going to buy a used dually, grab a Spec, Santa, Transition, Trek, Norco...something that's got a bit better history.

Trust me, man. Even if you're just going to be doing mild XC...you don't know what that frame has actually been through.



Start watching for an FSRXC or something.

ed 

Yo man...what about those KHS XCxxx frames at Wheelworld? Are they still selling them"?

ed 

https://wheelworld.com/product/khs-20...frame-7512.htm

https://cgi.ebay.com/Santa-Cruz-Super...item4153fe4e08

https://cgi.ebay.com/04-KHS-XC504-Bic...item35ad1b86eb

https://cgi.ebay.com/KHS-XC704R-Bicyc...item3361853f22

ed 

https://bobs-bicycles.com/product/09-...ck-oe-1765.htm

ed 

I'm assuming you need a medium frame, but here's a Lg Sugar:

https://cgi.ebay.com/Garg-fisher-Suga...item3a601c7cde

The Sugar and Jekyll were pretty good XC frames.

mtnbiker66

Are you sure about this?