jargo432

Well my build seems to be taking forever. (as per the title) As I mentioned a while back I'm building a Disc Trucker. (my first build) It seems like I'm always either waiting for a tool or a part.

To date I've had the headset put in but am waiting for a star nut driver to finish putting it all together. I've got a stem, spacers, star nut and a Nitto Randonneir handle bar. I was trying to figure out the best way to cut the fork tube and remembered a friend of mine at work does quite a bit of welding. So I called him up and asked if I could use his chop saw. Well, the next day he called me and told me he put the saw in the back of my pickup and that I could just keep it. He'd been wanting a new one for a while and was looking for an excuse to buy one.

I've also put in a seat tube and today I put on the crankset. It's a raceface 24 32 42 10-speed. The man that's advising me said It would work for 10 or 9 speed cassette. (I'm leaning toward the 9)

After I get done with Christmas It'll begin to go faster. I'm chompin at the the bit here.

Anyway enough jabbering about my bike... Tell me about your first build.

hueyhoolihan

you can try installing the stem without the star nut. just keep the stem straight, push the stem down hard, and simultaneously tighten one of the stem bolts. you may get lucky and find that it is adjusted properly.

as for cutting the steerer, just buy a hacksaw blade, wrap half of it in an old rag and saw. takes longer if the steerer is metal...

mdilthey

Measure three times, cut once.

It took me at least two builds to stop letting the fork drop out when I was installing headset spacers and stem.

edthesped

I used a stem riser to install my star nut and decided to leave my fork uncut for the season or until I'm certain of the height i want. A guy over on mtbr is usung a Syntace f119 for a 1 1/4 steerer and a shim on his uncut steerer and can now vertically adjust his handlebars on long rides an option that I find appealing and may try to copy his idea.

Doug64

I use the largest deep well socket that I have that will fit inside the steerer tube to seat the star nut. I suppose you could center it in the socket using a long bolt. That would help allignment when installing the cap. However, I have not had any problems just using the socket.

I agree with edthesped about leaving the steerer tube uncut until fit is dialed in. Heck, I still have not got around to cutting my LHT steering tube, and I finished the build over 3 years ago.

robow

Yea, take Doug's suggestion, use the largest deep well socket that fits inside the steerer tube and tap it down with that, I can't remember the size right now but works like a charm and you don't have to worry about stripping threads. Also, easier than taking a saw to the steerer tube to cut down, use a tube cutter that one would use on copper pipe for plumbing purposes, gives a nice even clean cut, if the steerer is steel, it will take several revolutions more than aluminum but don't use on carbon steerers.

ksisler

Probably the most efficient approach is to start a spreadsheet with an entry for every possible part that will make up the bike. Start another section for all the tools, greases, stand, allen wrenches, and proprietary tools that fit the stuff in the first section. After you have filled in the spreadsheet, then begin looking for the best price for each item, entering the URL and the price and the shipping for each. By totaling the cost down to the bottom (use the Sum tool - it looks like a Greek sigma) to keep your dreams aligned to your budget ability.

When you have a viable source and a viable price for all the items you will need, start buying all of it and wrench it together.

PM me if you need an example spreadsheet which might provide some insights and possibility some items you may have forgotten to list.

/K

ksisler

doug64; That is a beautiful Surly. I have got to get around to getting one...

hueyhoolihan

following this advice would be a good reason why it's "Taking FOREVER".

saddlesores

don't cut it! not yet! just add some spacers until you've ridden a bit
and decide where you actually want things to be.

also....perhaps you've got room to add another stem for mounting
gadgets or hbar bag.

jargo432

The place I'm going to cut will be pretty high. I'll be using the stem plus 5 spacers.

Thanks for all the advice on putting in the star nut. I'd looked at all of them but decided to buy the right tool for the job. I've built a lot of things and have found out that most times when I try to improvise it bites me in the butt. (plus I'm thinking this won't be my last build and nothing beats having the right tool for the job)

bradtx

jargo432, A first build is a learning experience, future builds will be smoother. A touring build is complicated a little bit because the drive train is often a mountain bike/road bike mix.

General advice: Leave the steerer tube uncut until you have your fit dialed in. Leave your handlebars unwrapped for the first couple of rides so you can adjust the handlebar angle and hood placement for fit without the hassle of wrapping the bars a second time. Combinations of components that work for some may not work for you on your bike, don't lose your temper.

Brad

saddlesores

about that star nut......broom handle.

https://www.bikeforums.net/bicycle-me...-star-nut.html

edthesped

Now that I'm at a computer and can type... I had a stem riser from a previous bike, why I said leave the steerer tube uncut, that I used to drive the star nut. I threaded the star nut into the riser just as I would attach it to a steerer on a bike. I eyeballed the depth I wanted to drive in the star nut, very conservatively, then held the steerer tube and riser in my left hand and tapped on the stem cap with a rubber mallet with the right, it really didn't take much force to tap it in start light and increase force until it starts going in. In total it took me less than two minutes to seat the star nut and it went in straight as an arrow. Maybe I got lucky but in any case the stem riser will be used for future star nut installations.

You really should consider leaving your steerer tube uncut as it won't take much more effort to cut it in the future than it will now and once it's cut it's cut. I know I regret how I cut my first steerer tube, hence the reason I own a stem riser.

Tourist in MSN

I usually leave my stems angled down, then if I want to raise it later I can turn the stem around. This effectively makes the steerer tube higher. I generally leave 10mm spacer above the stem but sometimes (like in the photo) use 20mm of spacers above the stem.



On another bike that I built up to be an S&S travel bike, I wanted the steerer tube to be shorter for packing purposes. I cut the steerer tube three times in my efforts to make sure I did not cut too much the first time. I would do this again, it is worth the extra time to pull the fork off, drive the star nut down farther, put it in the vice and get out the hacksaw and cut. I wrap tape around it at a 90 degree angle to get an even edge to cut, mark on the tape which side of the tape is to be cut, and cut it making sure that the hack saw blade stays right on the edge of the tape. That way my cut is straighter than if I just tried to eyeball the cut.

The other less desirable option would be to cut it too short the first time and be angry at myself in perpetuity.

Steerer tubes really like to get rusty. I spray Framesaver or a primer paint on the steerer tube (after masking off the painted parts) before I reassemble to cut down future rust. I also put a piece of tape inside the head tube to keep any water that gets in there to keep that water out of the top tube and down tubes. I learned this trick when one of my bike frames that I bought had that headtube tape installed by the manufacturer.

robow

Spreadsheets..... Bah Humbug !
Rule #1 Don't add up the costs to obtain a total, you'll realize that in the end you barely saved a dime as compared to buying the completed bike, unless you already had parts laying around (though it will be to your exact specifications and the pride in your first build is priceless)

cyccommute 

I don't agree. Keep a spreadsheet so that you have a record for insurance purposes. Do not under any circumstances let your wife know how much your fleet is worth

On second thought, hire an accountant to keep the spreadsheet for insurance purposes and never let them divulge the details. Knowing that the replacement cost of your fleet is edging up into the territory of a really nice car...and possibly supercar status... isn't good for the digestion

I do find, by the way, this consternation about how long a "build" takes to be rather amusing. I've built many bikes up from frames and I've gone from bare frame to finished product...including driving 60 miles round trip to get the frame, stripping parts off on old frame and building the wheels...in less then 8 hours more than once.

fietsbob

This Piece BHP-21 - Headset parts - BBB can function as a stem raiser , or Instead of a Star Nut.

I got one as a stem raiser, Its a 1" Quill with a Bolt , Hex socket + internally threaded, so once the wedge is tightened ,

a 6mm Bolt thru the stem cap works as Usual . for threadless headset adjustments ..

So you can leave all the shim spacers off and put all of the Quill inside the fork steerer.

It went on this Bike (bought Used , factory sawed off fork steerer too short for My fit.) WB Bicycle Gallery: Robert Clark's Koga Miyata WTR

hueyhoolihan

just the other day, someone posted something funny along those lines. he wrote words to the effect that, "i'm terrified that if i die my wife will sell my bikes for what i told her i paid for them."

robow

I agree Huey,

Yea, my wife still thinks......for some odd reason......that one of my titanium bikes is only shiny aluminum, and that's OK with me.

OK, OK, for insurance purposes keep all your receipts, just don't add them up as tempting as it might be.

jargo432

I don't mind if my wife knows how much it all cost, I just don't want to know how much her stuff cost. ( I don't need the stress )

veganbikes

Just wanted to put a good word for 9 speed. They are adding more gears to the same amount of space they had previously so they have to make thinner chains and thinners are generally less durable and less durable for a fully loaded tourer is NO BUENO! I wish they would make a nice 8 speed touring specific gruppo as I would be fine and dandy with one less cog in the rear and a little thicker chain that being said I haven't had any problems with 9spd.

I just added a Thomson seatpost to my DT and will probably upgrading the saddle and a few other bits here and there as I have been doing. Good luck on the build

SalsaShark

A screwdriver through the threads of the star nut works well for a guided installation as well.

mstateglfr 

If I were to have all the parts lying around already cleaned, sure building a bike up from the frame could be done in less than 8 hours. Without hesitation.
But often times around here I read about builds that are a long process due to not having everything ready at the start.
Posters either buy as they go for savings, or perhaps because they aren't sure what they want/need until once they get into the build.

As for me- I really only work on steel roadbikes and it takes hours upon hours to just get the grease, grit, and grime off the frame and components, not to even mention addressing rust. This is why it takes so long- its a process that if rushed, leads to a less than ideal rebuild.

cyccommute 

I can't see why steel road bikes would take more time to clean than any other kind of frame. And if it takes "hours upon hours" to get rid of the grease (that's the main problem), you need a different solvent. I'm not a huge fan of Simple Green but even it doesn't require "hours". Mineral spirits, on the other hand, cuts through the grease in seconds...even the stuff that resembles peanut butter or, worse, grape jelly.