Building a "Balanced" Bike...

Quoted post said:

So, if your were to build a bike, how many % of your budget would go to the frame? The drivetrain? The wheelset? etc.?

better start out with a good frame. you can't build a good bike without a good platform to start with. putting excellent components on a crappy frame still makes it a crappy bike. same with the components. XT will serve you pretty well without spending the money on XTR. i have all XT on my mountain bike and it just does fine. and if you ride a lot of "hard on your bike" trails, better get a good set of wheels too or you'll be truing them and rebuilding them all the time. so each has it's own place. a good frame and xt build kit will give you a really nice bike without spending a ton of money. hope that helps some.

Quoted post said:

Originally posted by rtsy
Where I am, one can buy a US$40 "complete" mountain bike from the equivalent of a U.S. Wal-Mart. It's probably unwise to upgrade it's grouppo to XTR. 😄

So, if your were to build a bike, how many % of your budget would go to the frame? The drivetrain? The wheelset? etc.?

Bicycle manufacturers answer your question when they specify the components that go on the frame. They not only save you the time, but also save you money by passing through considerable savings.
David Ornee, Western Springs, IL USA