GNB

I have never had a road bike before and I want a nice one but they can get so expensive! I have seen some very reasonable prices on individual components on ebay, craigslist etc... and I thought it might be fun to build my bike! Is it worth it? Can you really save some good money doing it? It seems like it. Is there a list out there somewhere of everything I will need? Are they relatively easy to build myself or should I get everything and let a bike shop put it together for me? Should I just break down and buy a pre-built rig at a shop? All input would be much appreciated!! Thanks!!

-GNB

2Tired2Shift

You can do a build bike fairly cheap if you are willing to work at finding low prices on all the components. However, you may not save as much as you think over a name-brand shelf bike. The manufacturers get big discounts on components because of the quantities they buy. For example, the bike I'm riding now has full Ultegra. I paid less for the entire bike (new) than I could have gotten the Ultegra group (new) for alone, so I effectively got a free frame, wheels, bars, saddle, etc. and assembly.

mrmatta

Last fall, I was in the same situation. Now, several thousands of dollars later, I've got a really nice bike. There are so many variables with components that it's hard to realistically save any real money over a pre-made bike. The cheaper option is a used complete bike. Building it yourself easily turns into a money pit. There are many things that crop up.

But, that said, I'm really glad I built my own. I ended up building up most of the same high quality new components on a series of inexpensive frames (one cheap aluminum, one used lugged steel, and one singlespeed) and now I really know what I like and don't like. Last month I finally splurged and bought a really nice frame that will last me many years of riding and enjoyment.

With all of the assembling and tearing apart I can now fix anything that might go wrong on the road outside of a cracked frame or broken component. And it was fun. I even built my own wheels.

55/Rad

Building your own bike can be very rewarding, particularly if you are somewhat mechanically inclined. But as 2T2S wrote, it's not necessarily a cheaper way to go. The first is always the most expensive as acquiring the right tools can get costly and most haven't mastered the finer techniques. From there, it gets a lot easier - and more fun.

Check out the Park Tool website for good technical information.

55/Rad

redtires

^^ These are both really valid points, but I'd like to offer one more point of view on this one. First though, I must admit that I am very, very jaded in this area coming from a professional framebuilder and mechanic background, I would never be satisfied with a pre-built bike. But the reasons for this I feel are rather valid. First of all, no shop/manufacturer spec's a bike the way that fit's me the best, they are all spec'd for the averages. And, admittedly, this may well serve you perfectly well, as you say that you are just getting into road riding. But FWIW, here are some of the reasons I always build my own:

I can't stand "anatomic" bars, or deep drop bars. I use shallow drop, "standard" bend bars. And, I always use 44cm (c-c) bars, which are almost never spec'd on a stock bike.

Nobody outfit's a bike in my size with 175mm cranks, and that's all I've used for the last 20 years.

I want to choose my own saddle...that is my favorite saddle (San Marco Regal)

You have to spec your own pedals anyways on a high end bike.

Handbuilt wheels are almost always better and cheaper (but kinda depends on who builds them.. ).

Pure satisfaction of tinkering with bikes.

Now, I realize that many really, really good shops will swap sizes, lengths etc... if you ask, but they only seem to do this on really high end bikes. Most times though, they will charge an "upgrade fee" and the bike comes out costing more than if you just built it up yourself anyways, and you didn't learn anything about how your bike works and how to diagnose and fix issues if and when they arise. I am a huge supporter of the person who builds and works on they're own bike. Anyhoo...that's my two cents.

MONGO!

If you are doing it from a budget perspective, chances are you will spend more money building your bike than you would buying a new one.

Try and find a good used bike, or if your budget is rock bottom, check out bikesdirect.com

2Tired2Shift

Or how about finding a used bike with a good frame and very used components dirt cheap and rebuilding it. You'll learn a lot and will be ready to do a total build next time.

80vette

If you have never had a road bike B4 I would sugest buying a used 2 or 3 year old model.
You can pick up a nice mid level bike for under 1K on ebay or craigslist.
Not really any cheaper was to do it unless you got the bikesdirect route.

Ride, read, learn then get into building a bike.

If you try to build a bike 1st you are letting yourself in for frustration and $'s.

IMHO

Lectron

You can save money, but that's hardly never the fact.
It is good fun though, and you (eventually) get the bike just
as you want it. If you're only looking to save $$, a used bike
is the way to go.

Take a look at Rads signature (links), the 'complete RS build' sticky,
my blog, Patriots builds, ViperZ' builds............Building your own
bike is really something you can get hooked on.

I was at some point seriously considering investing in framebuilding
equipment, but my wife managed to 'talk' me out of it

redtires

Lol...you should absolutely try building your own frame...or better yet...just tell your wife (well, you should do it also) that you'll build her a custom frame first... But seriously, I checked out your builds...wow...I haven't seen a pair of Modolo Kronos carbon shift levers in years!!!!!!!!!!! I had three or four sets of those years ago when I was running all Mavic SSC....man that was a good running bike! They are all really nice!

corsent

Do you have a clear idea of your preferences--both of big matters, like the kind of riding you'll want to do (and under what road and weather conditions), and of "little" matters, like the shape of the bars, the length of the crankarms, the number and size of the chainrings, etc.? You can't divine these things in advance of experience--and to get that experience, you're going to need to get yourself on a road bike. And that's going to cost you money, no matter what.

Buying used is an attractive option if you have a reliable resource for advice--e.g., friends who are knowledgeable cyclists. Buy new only if you have a trustworthy LBS to deal with--one interested not in simply moving inventory, but in meeting your actual needs. And understand that the bike you buy now, new or used, is probably going to look very different a year from now, if not sooner. It might not be cheap, but you can regard it as part of the startup costs of getting into the hobby.

Here's a quick chronology of my own "voyage of discovery:"
1) April 2005: Bought a new Cannondale hybrid. Soon began to envy the road cyclists flying by.
2) August 2005: Sold Cannondale; purchased a new entry-level road bike: A Specialized Allez Elite.
3) October 2005: Did an endo, tacoed my rear wheel, and exploited the opportunity to upgrade the wheelset.
4) [October 2005-July 2006: Various upgrades (e.g. pedals, shoes).]
5) August 2006: Sold Specialized to a neighbor; bought a used steel road bike from a former racer.
6) [August 2006-July 2007: Various upgrades (e.g. handlebars, stem, seatpost).]
7) July 2007: Bought a Surly Cross-Check frame; fitted it out as a SS/FG entirely with components of my own choosing.

My wife has gone through a similar process. That's the way it goes for most everyone. But now I have very definite views about what works and doesn't work for me--so much so that I feel prepared to express them on BF and get sneered at by others. The experience I've gained has been invaluable, but I had to pay for it!

jschatz

I built this bike for $800 with eBay components (Ultegra, 105) and a Nashbar AluC (Kinesis Kinesium) frame, It weighs 19 lbs. and would cost $1500 in a shop.