devilshaircut

So my friend Chloe (new to fixed gear riding) wants a new bike and I am in charge of building it apparently. Without going into too much detail as to why, I am pretty much going to have to build the bike frame-up.

My question is ... what is the best way to get parts (specifically: cog, straps, toe clips, brake lever and caliper, seat post and clamp, bottom bracket, bb cups, pedals, headset, stem, handlebars - parts where going basic will not matter to her) for a decent price? I've done my own pricing on Google, eBay, and checking reputable stores I know off the top of my head ... but when I total up these parts, even when I go super basic, total more than if I were to buy a complete bike on eBay to scrap.

I know that buying something piecemeal is always more expensive than buying a set, but since I am cornered into building the bike frame-up, I don't have many options.

I tried looking at various kits, but they all seemed like they forced you to buy certain parts I did not need or other such nonsense.

One option would be to go to my local bike co-op (or pull parts from my stockpile, or trade for parts), but I believe she wants new parts because she's been saving the money for this bike for a while and she wants everything to be new.

At the moment I am considering buying a complete bike and scrapping the parts. :/ But I would rather not do this because I am sure some of the parts will end up being incompatible anyhow.

It is either that or buy some of the parts with my own money and tell her I got them for cheaper than I actually did. :|

Help is appreciated, if there is a solution at all to this problem.

aznsap

i would think craigslist and ebay

geoffvsjeff

First, why are you so stuck on building around a frame? So you have a frame that MUST be used? I completely understand if this is the case, I am just curious why it is such a secret. If you have a frame and share that choice, it would eliminate the compatibility issues you are concerned about.

Second, if you are buying new part-by-part, there isn't a great inexpensive way to do it. Search all the sources you mentioned, and wait for really good prices, which may or may not ever come.

Going the route of cannibalizing a bike is probably going to be your most cost-effective option. Good luck.

axcxnj

welcome to reality, its almost always more expensive to build up a bike from parts than to buy one outright. you COULD just wait for great deals and sales...but that could take a long time to get everything you want

geoffvsjeff

Also, I assume the $700 cap includes frame price, which again, makes it important to know what you are looking at for a frame, so we know how much is left for everything else.

If $700 does NOT include the frame, and you are having trouble coming up with options, then what exactly are you looking at, because I could do a lot of REALLY nice stuff for $700 in non-frame parts.

wearyourtruth

if she wants a specific frame, you might be able to do what i did with my MTB. i found a frame i really wanted, sold only as a frame. instead of piecing it together, i bought a bianchi SASS on ebay for cheap (because it was a HUGE frame there weren't many bidders), swapped all the parts over, and sold the bianchi frame. the only part that wasn't compatible was the seatpost.

adriano 

bikesdirect + sticker pack = chloe custom > $700

1fluffhead

Just tell her you don't know anything about bikes that cost less than a grand.

dayvan cowboy

is there a bike co-op near by?

yoyosup

You hittin' it right?

devilshaircut

I am boxed into building this from scratch because she already picked out the frame she wanted. I mentioned earlier, there IS a bike co-op, but she wants new parts. I may just tell her that she will have to compromise on some parts, but I was hoping there was a way. I realize that new parts are expensive when you buy them piecemeal, but I was hoping maybe someone knew of an affordable bike kit I could purchase.

She is also locked into an pretty clear vision of what she wants the bike to look like aesthetically, so some parts are already determined. The parts she doesn't care about (the ones I listed) can just be simple chrome parts that are durable but generic.

That is a good idea - didn't think about it. I will explore this option.

I am gay, so no.

iamthenoise

pshh, don't let that stop you.

ADSR

For 50 dollars plus shipping, I got a bike minus wheels. It was all used and 80's, but some of those parts looked just fine gently used.

bw286

buy a bikesdirect bike, part it out, sell the frame

Cyclist0383

+1

It'll be a little bit of a hassle, but you won't find a cheaper way to do it.

Geordi Laforge

+1

darksiderising

You're being annoyingly (intentionally?) secretive. Part of the reason that people help out on threads like this is that they want to know what you are building up with what parts. That part is interesting.

Tell us what frame and parts you are referring to. Resistance is futile.

Jabba Degrassi

Tell your friend Chloe that visions cost money and if she wants a bike built with new parts, and very specific new parts at that, she had better get ready to pony-up the required dough. You may be able to score some used parts on the cheap from ebay or cl, but you're not going to find brand new parts at anything significantly under the going rate unless you are extraordinary lucky or patient, or, in all probability, both.

She knows what she wants. If you want to be nice, rice the parts, give her a total. If she doesn't like it, tell her she can spend the next year scouring ebay and cl daily herself. Or maybe she should work a bit of overtime instead so she can afford her dream bike sometime in the next century.

devilshaircut

Okay well some of the reasons I have to build frame up include the fact that some of the parts are already bought (by her), pieces which, if I were to take a prebuilt bike, she would essentially be purchasing twice. So if I could avoid that, I would like to. The frame we are working with is the Kilo TT frame on Bikes Island. It ended up being a good choice because its fork can be threaded or threadless giving more options, and it is easy to find parts for. She has also already ordered the cranks and stuff. Mostly the colored parts. Now I am trying to find the other parts I listed ... but it is likely at this point I will just buy a Kilo TT and take the parts from it and sell the frame.

So if anyone wants the Kilo TT frame.

Hah.

The things I do for my friends. :|

Hah! I have something to add there but I am not in the mood to get banned for sexual harassment today. Lol.

bw286

wow. why didn;t you guys just buy a prebuilt kilo and then replace the other parts?
dumb.

devilshaircut

At the time, she didn't want to mess with powder coating (having it done, and finding someone who would do it), and she wanted the bike to be pure white, that's why. That bike, when we were purchasing, only came in her size in black and green, and she hated both of those two colors and didn't wanna wait on a powder coat. So she opted for the white one on Bike Island.

darksiderising

Not really a good reason to choose this frame. Quality 1" threaded headsets and quill stems are not cheap new, so you'd either have to sacrifice the newness or the quality. There are fewer 1" threadless options than 1-1/8", in addition. Either you two are misinformed or she just wanted a cheap frameset. Nothing wrong with either of those.

Also, you're better off -- since you are looking to do this on the cheap -- going threadless, as paying someone to finish threading the fork and cutting it to the right length without damaging the threads can be pricey.

Can you let us know what she has ordered so we can try to avoid recommending parts that will make the bike's appearance bunk?

mavimao

Wheels:
https://www.bicyclewheels.com/merchan...egory_Code=FGM

Go threadless. You'll need someone to install the headset (trust me, just pay someone else to do it).

Headset:
https://www.nashbar.com/profile.cfm?c...ess%20Headsets

Look through nashbar.com for all the little stuff you'll need. They're really cheap.

devilshaircut

What frame would you suggest then, for a sub $700 dollar build?

Eighth Inch Scrambler? She didn't wanna have to repaint. Honestly, this is one of the best budget frames money can buy. :|

If it were my build, I would pay closer to the $1k range and do the parts myself, but not everyone can do that.

mavimao

I think the Kilo will give you the most bang for your buck. It's an awesome frame for an awesome price. The only other option I would suggest is to find some light, old used road frame that someone is getting rid of.