I have decided to build an off road tourer from the ashes of my Gary Fisher Tarpon. I am looking to put in hub gears, dynamo front hub and am contemplating trying to squeeze in disc brakes. I am also looking to switch out the rusted saunter front shocks for rigid forks. I am not sure what I am letting myself in for so I was wondering if anyone had any newbie tips?
What does a newbie to bike building need to know...
- Thread starter alilamb73
- Start date
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steve50
Disenchanted Member
- Location
- West Yorkshire
Hello and welcome, the best way to learn is to get stuck in and do it. Have a good selection of suitable tools handy and try not to be too brutal when loosening or tightening anything on the frame as it could strip threads etc. replacing suspension forks with rigid will affect the geometry and handling of the bike, I did it with a Scott mtb and it made the front end very light and twitchy.
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Ajax Bay
Guru
- Location
- East Devon
My tip is: don't delay starting this till you've obtained all the bits. Lot's of fun to be had including building your own wheels with those hubs.
Don't think it will be straightforward to achieve a rear disc brake setup. Maybe someone on here know's the way, on an aluminium frame.
Don't think it will be straightforward to achieve a rear disc brake setup. Maybe someone on here know's the way, on an aluminium frame.
Smurfy
Naturist Smurf
- Location
- Smurfette's Kitchen
Hub gears are not quite as simple as they appear. Check that the drop out spacing is correct, and that you can get a chainline that is within 1-2mm of straight, or preferably perfectly straight. Check that you can get the gear change cable to exit in your preferred direction. Make sure that your sprocket-chainring choice will not exceed the torque limit set by the hub manufacturer (quite important if you are a 16 stone pedal stomper).
Think about wheel building, as the large diameter of the hub flanges may mean that 2 cross is more appropriate than the 3 cross usually used with small flange hubs. Same comment applies to dyno hub if it has large flanges.
Rigid forks are not quite as common as they used to be. You might need to shop around a bit to find what you want. Probably on the internet, as most local bike shops are unlikely to have much.
A lot of info is available on the web, so read up on the spec of the geared hub before you buy something, only to find later that using it will be awkward.
Think about wheel building, as the large diameter of the hub flanges may mean that 2 cross is more appropriate than the 3 cross usually used with small flange hubs. Same comment applies to dyno hub if it has large flanges.
Rigid forks are not quite as common as they used to be. You might need to shop around a bit to find what you want. Probably on the internet, as most local bike shops are unlikely to have much.
A lot of info is available on the web, so read up on the spec of the geared hub before you buy something, only to find later that using it will be awkward.
the bald eagle
Regular
- Location
- Merthyr Tydfil
The main thing you need to know is that Google is your friend! God knows where I'd be without Google and YouTube!
When it comes to building a wheel is a wheel truing stand a must or can you work it out from suspending the bike and using the forks?
Smurfy
Naturist Smurf
- Location
- Smurfette's Kitchen
I've built a few wheels and never bothered with a stand. In my opinion, the single most important factor is measuring the rim and hub accurately, and using the spoke length calculator correctly.
