Hello,

I am a struggling student, who commutes by bicycle. I found a good deal(I think) on a used Velo Vie Vitesse 200 carbon frame. The reason that I bought it was that it was 62cm. Being 6'3'', I don't have many options in the small community I live in. The LBS only carries road bikes up to 58cm here. Doing some research, I think my best option is to run a chain tensioner and go SS. I don't have an extra 500 for a 105 group.

What I am wondering is what should I be buying. The frame had the fork assembled, and also included a ritchie seatpost. I have limited experience assembling bikes, and I don't know what I should be looking for. I bought a Mercier Kilo TT Pro in my size, because of the limited offerings at the LBS. Having that as my main whip, I do have some knowledge. Some things I know I need are:

Wheels
Bottom Bracket
Crankset
Brakes
Barstem and bars
Tensioner
???

Basically, I want to buy stuff that will last, but not be super quality. I would gladly sacrifice weight for long lasting. Where should I be ordering from? I buy most of my stuff from Amazon . I am also wondering what my options are for the wheels. I am currently running my Kilo on the freewheel, and I don't like the knocking sound that shimano freewheels make. Can I somehow buy a freehub wheel and a one cog cassette on it? Is that going to last longer/be cheaper than a flip/flop hub? Considering I do, in the future, want to add a 105 group, are their certain things I could do that would "Future Proof" the build for the future?


Thanks for the consideration, and let me know if you guys need pictures or measurements of parts, like the wheel spacing. I do want to get the parts soon.

If you want to go geared in the future, buy a wheelset to suit. You can run a single cog on the freehub with PVC pipe as spacers or even fit a cassette and just use one gear. Fit a derailleur as a chain tensioner. You can either buy a good one now or just any old cheapie/second hand/reject just to keep the chain under control - you're not trying to change gears so you only need the dr for the spring tension.

However, you will need both brakes and brake levers. The brakes can be used again but also come with a groupset. Brake levers will have to be discarded when you go to gears.

I personally reckon what you're proposing is a mug's game unless you're willing to buy your groupset in bits and pieces (not the most cost effective). Take a deep breath, do it properly now and save later on. You can also consider going to Tiagra rather than 105 - considering the development over the years, you're still getting a damned good groupset.

An alternative, if you don't mind different and your frame has mounts for cable adjustment, is to set her up as a SS now (as described in paragraph one), buying Tektro brake levers which are actually pretty good, then buying a set of Dura Ace bar end shifters. You can either mount them on the bar ends or on the frame in the traditional down tube position. Different and not 'racy' but cheaper than buying funny shifters.

I'd also keep my eye on places like Pro-bike kit and ChainReaction cycles, online shops that have a lot of different specials.

The crankset is irrelevant, just buy what you'll need later because it will do the job whatever you choose to do.

Generally speaking - it's dearer to build a bike than buy one, dearer to build one up then change it's type than do it right the first time and, most importantly, having a 'groupset' is irrelevant because over time, you'll change this bit, then that bit, then something else so any bike that serves you a long time will become a mixed bag of components.

I don't understand. You are poor, you have a complete kilo already but now you are building a carbon road bike but you don't have money for components, does that sum it up? It sounds like you don't have money to spend on a second bike. If you want a road bike you should buy a complete because it will be much cheaper, you should buy aluminum, and you should buy used.

When I was a young struggling student, I owned a cheap Peugeot UO8 10-speed that was completely stock. It wasn't until I was much older and had a good paying technical job that I bought something nicer. Like RMS said, it does not compute. Sell the carbon frame and use the money to buy food and textbooks.

Thanks for the help guys. I am probably just going to what europa advised. I don't want/need a road bike. I was just wondering if there their were things I could do make a possible future fitting of gears possible. I will just buy or find a ol' dirty DR and use that as a tensioner. By the way, I managed to get the frame for 120 USD. Tell me if I missing something, but the budget of the bike would look like:

120 - Frame
40 - Brakes
40 - levers
30 - Saddle
25 - Bullhorns
50 - SS Crankset
30 - Bottom Bracket
200 - Wheelset
10 - Cog
7 - Chain
$560 plus tax total.

Also, as someone who does commute by bike, and doesn't own a car. It would be nice to have a plan B ride to get to school or work, and not have to call in because of broken spokes, flat tires etc. I understand I can go and buy another SS from BD for 300 bucks, but would rather not.

Why would you ever need to call in over a flat tire? If you're going to ride a bike, knowing how to fix a flat on the side of the road is necessary.

What scrod said ^

Plus i could and have found very nice used road bikes on CL where I live for less than what you are spending I bought my Ironman for $290. It had downtube shfiters but it's a great frame and the components where tricolor Shimano 600 which were high end in their day and still functioned better than new low end brifters. My friend bought an older carbon Specialized Roubaix with 105 for $500, another friend got a really nice condition older CAAD8 for $400. Depending on where you live you can get a lot more for your money than what your spending.

$$ - Stem
$$ - Pedals
$$ - Brake cables
$$ - Tires
$$ - Tubes
$$ - Rim tape
$$ - Bar tape/grips

Allright bros. I thought about it, and you guys are right. I will just spend the $$$ towards another wheel and gatorskin for my Kilo. I still want to hang on the frame and build it when get some more dosh. I think that it was a steal, until it cracks and I get some pieces of carbon inside my rectum and kidneys .

Scrod, did you see Ghost B.C. earlier this year? Did you have a white conversion with black and death metal stickers? I think I recognize you from that show.

That wasn't me.

Topeak mountain morph pump <$80
Patch kit <$5
Work gloves (if you never clean your bike) <$20
Saddle bag <$40
Trixie or other wheel wrench <$20
Spare tube <$8
Tire patching lesson from LBS <$2

You don't need a third wheel. A spare tube is all that is necessary. Save your money for lights and soup.

Don't forget:

Powertap rear wheel: $700
Joule head unit + HR strap: $200
WKO+ software: $130

That's a grand right there, plus more for some books to rear and/or coaching service, which should cost upwards of $200/month if it's worth anything.