Buy or Build? That is the Question...
02-14-20, 03:08 PM
#51
Member
UKFan,
I don't normally chime in, but since everyone here that responded is not arguing... I feel comfortable to speak! I understand you question and dilemma. Here are some questions I must ask...
Are you going to tour full time, touring is your life, you have a support base or financials to build or get you out of a jam? Are you mechanically inclined to repair (field) your bike, derailleur is broken and you remove it and turn your bike into a fixie for the next 100 miles to get help or to the next bike shop...
Do you care about aesthetics, you know color, image that type of thing? What type of riding are you going to do: "touring" means many thing today, bikepacking, old school touring, mix hybrid...
Basically, I was Asking myself your question a year ago... Many responses online from others asking the same question...
I built my bike, $5000+ (I stopped attempting to calculate) and took a year, 6 months finding all the parts (3-4 months just the frame)... No, I didn't go with the LHT... Was in the running but decided on the Soma Saga. I had a mechanic that allowed me to work on a stand at he shop... Once I go all the parts. The hardest part, is getting the drivetrain components that works. I went high-end: XT with downtube shifter (Why these are widely available) so went with Dura Ace.... XT and A e don't work together without more parts... Dura Ace front derailleur didn't work... More money for XT...
Long story short, with all the high end parts, they to will eventually go bad, I'll have to replace and depending on where I'll be at the time I may have to settle for "chesp" parts to continue... I don't have a support team, you may...
I'd say, unless you have fun money to throw away, buy a bike that is built up. Replace the seat to whatever you want (1 part done) and build up as the parts breakdown. Most thing that is very important is the frame, size and fitting. Steel is King unless other factors exist.
Take your time, do you, happy riding!
I don't normally chime in, but since everyone here that responded is not arguing... I feel comfortable to speak! I understand you question and dilemma. Here are some questions I must ask...
Are you going to tour full time, touring is your life, you have a support base or financials to build or get you out of a jam? Are you mechanically inclined to repair (field) your bike, derailleur is broken and you remove it and turn your bike into a fixie for the next 100 miles to get help or to the next bike shop...
Do you care about aesthetics, you know color, image that type of thing? What type of riding are you going to do: "touring" means many thing today, bikepacking, old school touring, mix hybrid...
Basically, I was Asking myself your question a year ago... Many responses online from others asking the same question...
I built my bike, $5000+ (I stopped attempting to calculate) and took a year, 6 months finding all the parts (3-4 months just the frame)... No, I didn't go with the LHT... Was in the running but decided on the Soma Saga. I had a mechanic that allowed me to work on a stand at he shop... Once I go all the parts. The hardest part, is getting the drivetrain components that works. I went high-end: XT with downtube shifter (Why these are widely available) so went with Dura Ace.... XT and A e don't work together without more parts... Dura Ace front derailleur didn't work... More money for XT...
Long story short, with all the high end parts, they to will eventually go bad, I'll have to replace and depending on where I'll be at the time I may have to settle for "chesp" parts to continue... I don't have a support team, you may...
I'd say, unless you have fun money to throw away, buy a bike that is built up. Replace the seat to whatever you want (1 part done) and build up as the parts breakdown. Most thing that is very important is the frame, size and fitting. Steel is King unless other factors exist.
Take your time, do you, happy riding!
02-15-20, 07:01 PM
#52
Clark W. Griswold
Join Date: Mar 2014
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Bikes: Foundry Chilkoot Ti W/Ultegra Di2, Salsa Timberjack Ti, Cinelli Mash Work RandoCross Fun Time Machine, 1x9 XT Parts Hybrid, Co-Motion Cascadia, Specialized Langster, Phil Wood Apple VeloXS Frame (w/DA 7400), R+M Supercharger2 Rohloff, Habanero Ti 26
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If you are interested in building up your own then do it. I highly recommend it. This is my current touring bike (with older picture but it all now has the Dynamo on it)
https://www.pedalroom.com/bike/co-mo...ruckster-34060
I will say notes from my original build that I wish I had changed or gotten then:
Wider tire clearance
Dynamo fork (with the SON SL dropout) and all drilled and set up for wiring
Better rotors at the start (I went with TRP rotors and they just weren't quite what I wanted in stopping the XT rotors are much nicer)
Different hubs (have had zero issues with anything and doubt I will but alas I9 stopped making the free hub bodies for Paul so he stopped making cassette hubs so in the future I could be in trouble maybe? and I wish I had saved all the trouble and just went with Dynamo so didn't have to build up a front wheel I don't need)
Different rims (again no issues and doubt I will have them but maybe would have gone with something a little wider to go with the wider tires I have come to love)
A barrel adjuster somewhere for the rear derailleur (the XT does not come with one mounted and neither do the shifters)
Gevenalle brake/shifters (I ended up with them before I finished the project but I wish it was my first choice instead of trying to bodge something similar together and I would probably also go with the micro shift levers on the front the Dura-Ace are fine but don't quite fit as cleanly)
That all being said I love the bike and it is certainly a nice step up from my old Disc Trucker (which I also liked a lot) and really got me what I wanted as I did do a lot of modification on the DT some needed and some because I didn't quite know what I was doing.
Currently all my bikes have been built from frame up except a bike from an ex-coworker and friend who I am taking care of (and his was a frame up build and it is just a fun bike that probably won't see a ton of riding). It is a fun way to go and certainly gets you what you want without having to compromise (unless you choose to compromise as my list above proves)
https://www.pedalroom.com/bike/co-mo...ruckster-34060
I will say notes from my original build that I wish I had changed or gotten then:
Wider tire clearance
Dynamo fork (with the SON SL dropout) and all drilled and set up for wiring
Better rotors at the start (I went with TRP rotors and they just weren't quite what I wanted in stopping the XT rotors are much nicer)
Different hubs (have had zero issues with anything and doubt I will but alas I9 stopped making the free hub bodies for Paul so he stopped making cassette hubs so in the future I could be in trouble maybe? and I wish I had saved all the trouble and just went with Dynamo so didn't have to build up a front wheel I don't need)
Different rims (again no issues and doubt I will have them but maybe would have gone with something a little wider to go with the wider tires I have come to love)
A barrel adjuster somewhere for the rear derailleur (the XT does not come with one mounted and neither do the shifters)
Gevenalle brake/shifters (I ended up with them before I finished the project but I wish it was my first choice instead of trying to bodge something similar together and I would probably also go with the micro shift levers on the front the Dura-Ace are fine but don't quite fit as cleanly)
That all being said I love the bike and it is certainly a nice step up from my old Disc Trucker (which I also liked a lot) and really got me what I wanted as I did do a lot of modification on the DT some needed and some because I didn't quite know what I was doing.
Currently all my bikes have been built from frame up except a bike from an ex-coworker and friend who I am taking care of (and his was a frame up build and it is just a fun bike that probably won't see a ton of riding). It is a fun way to go and certainly gets you what you want without having to compromise (unless you choose to compromise as my list above proves)
02-15-20, 08:48 PM
#53
Senior Member
my mistake was putting on an adjuster at the exit of the shifter, one given to me from someone who thought it would work, but in the end it must have been a cheap one or perhaps one for brakes, because over time it would go slightly out of adjustment, resulting in ghost shifting. My mistake was that I kept thinking it was either the shifter itself (that bolt you can adjust lever tightness) or my actual cable tension..... basically after living with sort of half assed adjustments and not my usual excellent indexed shifting (something I never have, no matter the shifter type) I finally realized it was the barrel adjuster, and got a good inline one.
Spliced my housing up near the head tube, put in the adjuster and presto, no more shinanigans and stable shifting with the usual pretty much "set and forget" indexing once initial cable stretch was done.
oh, and I agree about more tire clearance, one major reason I chose to get a Troll
and yes also on wider rims.
02-16-20, 08:53 AM
#54
Senior Member
I started with a Soma Saga frame, and built it up from there. It was my first build, and I found it interesting all of the choices that I realized I had to make, choices that are already made for you, even with "custom" bikes. I didn't want index shifting, and ended up with SunTour derailleurs and Shimano bar-end shifters, which I love. Built my own 26 inch wheels, which haven't lost a spoke or needed truing since.
It is absolutely the best bike I've ever owned. I can ride that thing for weeks on end and still love getting on it. Didn't save much money, though, the whole thing ended up costing me about $3k when all was said and done.
It is absolutely the best bike I've ever owned. I can ride that thing for weeks on end and still love getting on it. Didn't save much money, though, the whole thing ended up costing me about $3k when all was said and done.
02-16-20, 02:07 PM
#55
Clark W. Griswold
Join Date: Mar 2014
Location: ,location, location
Posts: 13,594
Bikes: Foundry Chilkoot Ti W/Ultegra Di2, Salsa Timberjack Ti, Cinelli Mash Work RandoCross Fun Time Machine, 1x9 XT Parts Hybrid, Co-Motion Cascadia, Specialized Langster, Phil Wood Apple VeloXS Frame (w/DA 7400), R+M Supercharger2 Rohloff, Habanero Ti 26
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yup, when I put my gevenalles on, I realized only then that the xt rd didn't have a barrel adjuster.
my mistake was putting on an adjuster at the exit of the shifter, one given to me from someone who thought it would work, but in the end it must have been a cheap one or perhaps one for brakes, because over time it would go slightly out of adjustment, resulting in ghost shifting. My mistake was that I kept thinking it was either the shifter itself (that bolt you can adjust lever tightness) or my actual cable tension..... basically after living with sort of half assed adjustments and not my usual excellent indexed shifting (something I never have, no matter the shifter type) I finally realized it was the barrel adjuster, and got a good inline one.
Spliced my housing up near the head tube, put in the adjuster and presto, no more shinanigans and stable shifting with the usual pretty much "set and forget" indexing once initial cable stretch was done.
oh, and I agree about more tire clearance, one major reason I chose to get a Troll
and yes also on wider rims.
my mistake was putting on an adjuster at the exit of the shifter, one given to me from someone who thought it would work, but in the end it must have been a cheap one or perhaps one for brakes, because over time it would go slightly out of adjustment, resulting in ghost shifting. My mistake was that I kept thinking it was either the shifter itself (that bolt you can adjust lever tightness) or my actual cable tension..... basically after living with sort of half assed adjustments and not my usual excellent indexed shifting (something I never have, no matter the shifter type) I finally realized it was the barrel adjuster, and got a good inline one.
Spliced my housing up near the head tube, put in the adjuster and presto, no more shinanigans and stable shifting with the usual pretty much "set and forget" indexing once initial cable stretch was done.
oh, and I agree about more tire clearance, one major reason I chose to get a Troll
and yes also on wider rims.
I don't quite need the clearance of a Troll but would have liked 700x42 at this point and probably would continue running 700x38 for most of my riding..
