I Want To Build My Own Road Bike

[jethro10]

I built an MTB bike.

The same model of frame as a built bike from Wiggle is £1599

Mine is lighter and all other parts a a level above the wiggle model, some considerably.
I have a few unusual choices to suit me that I would have had to spend extra on, and it ended up costing me £1500
I saved approx £300 including the bit's I would have had to buy.

Oh, and I learned a lot and enjoyed it immensely.

Jeff

 

[Globalti]

Look around a buy a second-hand steel road bike then fettle it a bit. I bought a very respectable 1990 bike in Columbus SLX steel for £150, got a lot of enjoyment out of upgrading it to 8 speed and a better spec, rode it for a while then sold it, almost covering my costs. Here it is in half-improved condition:

 

[Christopher]

does anyone else finding that cutting the cable housings to exactly the right length is really tricky?

Edit: does the OP realise that a few specialist tools will be needed to fit the bottom bracket, cranks, cassette and and the very least a decent pair of cable cutters will be needed too?

Tip: after cutting a cable I poke the sharp end of a dart into it to clear the hole of the plastic lining. The dart is just the right diameter to do this.

 

[jethro10]

does anyone else finding that cutting the cable housings to exactly the right length is really tricky?

Edit: does the OP realise that a few specialist tools will be needed to fit the bottom bracket, cranks, cassette and and the very least a decent pair of cable cutters will be needed too?

Tip: after cutting a cable I poke the sharp end of a dart into it to clear the hole of the plastic lining. The dart is just the right diameter to do this.

Absolutley, well worth reminding, a few specialist tools will be needed and were bough by me also, about £50 worth. but I've since saved that using them on maintenance costs for mine and the Wifes bike. And now I have the peace of mind of being able to fix anything quickly.
For cable cutting, I use side cutters, then re-squashed the shape back roundish, then similar to your dart. A dart is a really good idea actually. But I've had no problems with the cables.
THe cost of the tools, I had "built in" to the cost of the bike, I forgot that, so my bike was another £50 cheaper really



J

 

[gbb]

Immensely satisfying building your own.
531 frame, upgraded to 8 speed, low end groupset (sora) , a mix of new and old components and new Tiagra wheelset...still cost pushing £250 by the time i'd brought tools for it all. But its like having a 'brand new old bike', goes like a dream, rock solid. A similar specced new bike would have been £400-£500.
Ironically one of the most expensive bits are likely to be the shifters. I was lucky and had a nearly new set spare...add the cost of those and it'd have been considerably more expensive.
Its certainly not cheap, but i'd do it again like a shot.
You'd struggle to even make a profit if you sold a bike you'd built, even if you got bargain priced components.

Someone mentioned cable outer length...i had that difficulty. When you havnt got the old ones, its a bit of guess work. Mine arent right...they're ok, but not right. One day.....

 

[Christopher]

And Just One More thing: the headset. Takes skill and the right tools to install one properly. Of course a secondhand frame may already have one installed and you may not need to do anything to it. In a brand-new frame it is often necessary to have the headtube reamed and faced and that takes special tools.

Personally I have the LBS do all my headset work as it is so important the work is done correctly that I don't do it. They don't charge very much to do this but it depends on your lbs whether they will do that work at all, they may not think it worth their while if you are going to do all the other work.

Forum member theclaud bought an aluminium frame and had an absolute epic sorting out the headset. The relevant thread is in 'knowhow' somewhere.

 

[emulsifier12]

If you have the time and patience then you could build up your own bike using ebay etc. I did exactly that and I am very happy with the end product. I learnt a lot and can now replace any part as I know exactly what went onto the bike.

I would start with a good quality frame, if it is in good nick then no need to respray etc. Good luck.

 

[GazK]

I would agree with the "go for it" crowd. I think those who say it isn't the best VFM are missing the point. I'm in the middle of updating an old 531 tourer. The original finishing kits is bobbins but its a lovely ride. By the time I have finished ill have an all day bike with a classic feel but all mod cons (STIs etc) for 500 quid. And I will know how it works in detail. Where can I get that retail?