merlinextraligh

Is easy. Everyone should do it, at least once.

Prior to last weekend, while I'd done every type of repair, or installation that you'd need to build up a frame, I'd never built up a bike from the frame up.

With all the bearings on a modern bike sealed, and virtually everything held together with a 3,4, or 5mm allen wrench, its just not very difficult.

The frame came with the bottom bracket already faced and chased. The headset was internal, with the cups already in the frame, so no need for a headset press.

With the exception of a hacksaw, and a wrench to install the bb bearings, most any cyclist should already have the tools (allen wrenches, screw driver, chain tool, cable cutters.)

Total time for the build up was about 6 hours, of which at least 2 hours was spent chasing the internal cables through the frame.

Unless your using recycled parts, or are very good at sourcing deals on components, you're not likely to save any money, as oppossed to buying a complete bike. But there is a certain sense of satisfaction in riding a bike you assembled, and its not abad use of a cold weekend afternoon.

Namenda

I just put together another bike, this is probably my 5th or 6th. Took about 30 minutes to strip down the old frame, and about 90 minutes to assemble the new one. Most of that was cabling/tuning, and I didn't cut the steerer on the new fork.

Like you said, not very difficult. New bikes are much easier to work on than old ones, despite what some retro-grouch might tell you. Whatever you may not know, is easily found on the Park Tool site.

dstrong 

I built both my bikes from the frame up and my only regret is when I discovered that, no matter how good the deals you get on eBay, the combined cost is sure to be more than buying a complete bike. But I love knowing that I know EVERYTHING about my bike and am probably better equiped than many to handle problems that arise while far from home.

I just bought a 2004 Rockhopper off CL last weekend and just for grins, took it completely apart for a complete cleaning and then re-assembled it. Over Christmas I re-furbished my wife's 1992 Miyata SportCross, even though she doesn't ride it anymore. It gave me the chance to re-acquaint myself with cantilever brakes. There were more "standard" head nuts/bolts (as opposed to allen bolts) than my other bikes and a strange assortment of both metric and standard sizes. But it looks fantastic and I'm hoping to give it to a college age friend of ours that's training for an event in march (she originally borowwed by wife's MTB but it's a tank).

logdrum

You do need to spend the 100 or so and getting a torque wrench for carbon parts and a really good cable cutter.

zatopek

14 builds and counting for me. It's a great hobby. It's a serious addiction. Sometimes I build them for friends for money. Sometimes for friends who can't afford a decent bike. Once, I built one for a homeless guy whose bike was a dangerous rattletrap. When I have so many that my dogs and I can't navigate safely through the house, I sell a couple. I rationalize this obsession as a quest for the "perfect" ride: unobtainable goal but fun to pursue. Also, it's great to build using endless variations of frame materials, component groups, wheels, etc. so I can analyze and compare what works best for me. Most recent build evolved from an eBay demo Velo Vie Vitesse 100 frame, SRAM Force gruppo, custom used wheelset (Velocity rims/Kinlin 270 rims/CXray spokes) and various finishing parts. And, as sick as I am, I've got a couple used frames hanging in the basement, just waiting to be built up.
At this point, my favorites are a BMC Race Master with SRAM Red, a Torelli steel with Ultegra and a Moser Scandium with DA. The Velo Vie gets its maiden voyage on a 60 mile group ride tomorrow morning. Soon as I finish this post, I'm off to prep that bike and dream about the next build.

Grumpy McTrumpy

I made a headset press out of a C-clamp and wooden jigs. Also made a crown-race setter from PVC pipe.

logdrum

My headset press are oversized washers and a 5/8 bolt amd nuts And my crown race setter is a 2 inch hole made on a table and a T-PVC that sits on the hole 1.5 inch OD. Perfect for getting the steerer tube through and to push the crown race in.

mollusk

I've had my boys build Lego sets that were more complicated than building up a bike. This ain't rocket science. And with the advances in BBs, wheel bearings, and headsets since the dark ages when I first started out much of the skill required has gone away. A very wise wrench from that era told me "Any fool can get a Campy Record bike to work well, but it takes real skill to get a crap level group to function properly."

Building a wheel properly is still an art, however. Things are never perfect and how to deal with that to get a great wheel is a real skill.

ComesATime71

Biggest waste of money since the engagement ring,,,,,,

merlinextraligh

I have a nice torque wrench. I didn't bother to pull it out for the build.