Building your own bike - good or bad idea?

[youngoldbloke]

I've built most of my bikes up from bare frames, it's great fun plus it allows you to build to your own spec. One thing I'm surprised no-one has suggested (unless I missed it) is buying a 2nd hand bike to strip and rebuild.

yes, you missed post 4

Might be an idea to acquire a cheap 2nd hand roadbike and take it apart, then reassemble it and get to know how it all fits together.[/QUOTE

 

[raleighnut]

yes, you missed post 4

Whoops I'd even given it a like too, mind it has been a 'tiring' weekend

 

[Ian H]

I build and service my bikes. The two touring/road machines are also bespoke frames.
Doing it on the cheap:-
I bought a second-hand Marin MTB which had a bent frame. I replaced the frame with an On-One, got some lighter forks. Had to replace the front mech. changed the stem, chainset, discs, pedals, seatpin and saddle. Most of the parts were sale/clearance/special deals.

 

[Dan B]

Not many [tools] I'd have thought. The OP does a lot of jobs anyway so he'd have most things. Maybe spoke key, chain whip, possibly something for the bottom bracket

headset gubbins?

Cassette tool
Chain link extractor
Cable cutter if he doesn't have one

 

[youngoldbloke]

Of course, if you are going to maintain your own bike/s you're going to need a lot of those tools anyway. Soon paid for and more by the money saved by not paying for bike shop servicing.

 

[Dan B]

Of course, if you are going to maintain your own bike/s you're going to need a lot of those tools anyway. Soon paid for and more by the money saved by not paying for bike shop servicing.

Very true. And if you have more than one bike to maintain you might need several of some of them (I'm currently up to three BB extractors, two cassette tools and a freewheel extractor, because square taper, two kinds of outboard BB and two brands of cassette)

 

[ianrauk]

I recently built up a bike. I bought a Ti frame from Planet X. Stripped an older bike and from those components and other components I had in the shed. I built up this. The bike is my daily commuter and tourer so it takes some fair old all weather abuse.

The only thing I asked my LBS to do was fit the headset, everything else I did myself.
It was a very satisfactory job to do. Take your time and read up or You Tube for tips.

 

[derrick]

I possibly didn't explain myself well enough in my OP .....

It was clear to me you explained yourself very clearly.

 

[Profpointy]

Cassette tool
Chain link extractor
Cable cutter if he doesn't have one

Well he'll surely have a wire cutters, and most cyclists have a chain tool, which anyway isn't dear. I grant you the cassette tool

 

[GrumpyGregry]

Of course, if you are going to maintain your own bike/s you're going to need a lot of those tools anyway. Soon paid for and more by the money saved by not paying for bike shop servicing.

except, ime, for headset gubbins. proper gubbins being quite pricey and rarely used by the diy-er.

 

[GrumpyGregry]

I recently built up a bike. I bought a Ti frame from Planet X. Stripped an older bike and from those components and other components I had in the shed. I built up this. The bike is my daily commuter and tourer so it takes some fair old all weather abuse.

View attachment 371878

The only thing I asked my LBS to do was fit the headset, everything else I did myself.
It was a very satisfactory job to do. Take your time and read up or You Tube for tips.

Lovely bike. Nice moody picture.

The only job I get an lbs to do is headset fitting/removal. (and I can't be arsed to build my own wheels as DCR builds 'em better)

 

[GrumpyGregry]

Very true. And if you have more than one bike to maintain you might need several of some of them (I'm currently up to three BB extractors, two cassette tools and a freewheel extractor, because square taper, two kinds of outboard BB and two brands of cassette)

Chain whip. I've standardised on BB's across the fleet. But I do have Shimano cassettes and Campag Cassettes but my cassette tool is double-sided. the SS needs fancy dan freewheel tool as it uses a fancy dan freewheel.

 

[Lozz360]

I possibly didn't explain myself well enough in my OP.

I would get enormous satisfaction from buying every single individual component and then screwing/bolting the entire box of parts together myself, mad as that might appear to be. BUT of course I have to consider my very restrictive budget, as such if it is going to be less expensive to buy a bike from the likes of Decathlon, Merlin or Planet X and change a few things such as the cranks and the stem, then so be it.

At the moment, I believe I will need a 54 frame, fitted with 165 cranks and an extended stem due to my upper body length.

But in the mean time over the next few days I will compose a detailed list of my needs and see how it all starts to pan out................

Unless your body is extremely out of proportion, you could choose the frame size based on your height rather than inside leg, try the bike before buying it to make sure you have stand over clearance and make the necessary saddle adjustments. Would be cheaper then building a bike from scratch and limited need fror changing components.

 

[buzzy-beans]

For the time being I have knocked on the head an individual bike build and will more than likely initially go down the second hand route, buy a finished bike with a frame that is the right size and then buy/fit some new shorter cranks, longer stem and a new saddle etc.