Building a bike from scratch

[BriKins13]

Ive been looking for a road bike, Ive almost decided to go with a Klein Qpro V for 1800$ but i was recently told to try and get a good fram and get last years components for less money... it almost sounds like a good idea cause the V only has 105 components, but a great frame- does anyone know if buying a frame and last years components is a good idea? or anyone whos done it have any tips?
thanks

 

[RC2]

The Q-Pro is an AWESOME frame if you're interested in a fast, light weight, stiff bike that is absoluletly race-worthy (FWIW if your training it's a pretty aggresive goeometry racing bike) with a great build quality and ride. Don't scoff at the 105 level grouppo -- MUCH better to put yer $$ into a wonderful frame vs. buying a run-of-the-mill ultegra bike w/ a questionalble frame. That said, it's really about the frame, that's how your decision has to be made. Does it fit you perfectly? If you don't know, go to a Klein LBS for a fitting, were talkin' about a lot of $$ for a bike that's worth it ONLY if it fits you. Good luck, it's a Beautiful bike for sure.

 

[capwater]

Ive been looking for a road bike, Ive almost decided to go with a Klein Qpro V for 1800$ but i was recently told to try and get a good fram and get last years components for less money... it almost sounds like a good idea cause the V only has 105 components, but a great frame- does anyone know if buying a frame and last years components is a good idea? or anyone whos done it have any tips?
thanks

Q Pro is da bomb. Nothing wrong with 105 group. I'd take the Q Pro w/105 over a lesser frame with Ultegra anyday.

 

[artmichalek]

does anyone know if buying a frame and last years components is a good idea? or anyone whos done it have any tips?
thanks

It is and it isn't. Building a bike up from a frame can end up costing a lot more than buying a full bike because the bike companies get big volume discounts on the components. The key is to be patient. You're going to have to look at a lot of places and probably do some waiting to catch good closout deals on the parts. Ebay can be a good source but requires a bit more caution.

 

[capwater]

It is and it isn't. Building a bike up from a frame can end up costing a lot more than buying a full bike because the bike companies get big volume discounts on the components. The key is to be patient. You're going to have to look at a lot of places and probably do some waiting to catch good closout deals on the parts. Ebay can be a good source but requires a bit more caution.

I just finished a build. Mainly I wanted to do a complete build for the experience and I did have some parts avilable cheap along with a spare frame. That being said, it would have been cheaper to buy a complete bike had I needed to buy all the parts. eBay is a great source, but you have to know the value of stuff. I've often seen things go for more there than at places like performance.com and nashbar.com.

 

[JohnO]

It definitely costs more to roll your own, than it does to buy already built. However, if you know what you want in a frame, and you know what you want in a group, building your own may be the only way to go.

I built my road bike up from a bare frame and components three years ago. Found the frame and wheelset on ebay, group and bars came from an online bike shop - new groups weren't any cheaper on ebay. Since then, I've replaced the handlebars (found Cinelli RAM bars cheap on ebay), wheelset (who doesn't buy another wheelset every so often) and saddle (several times, I got a picky butt), but otherwise no changes. No need to, I got exactly what I wanted, and the bike has been trouble free for three years. The only components I changed were due to good deals I found later or just because I wanted them, not out of necessity or deficiency.

Besides, there is something neat about building your own bike - the end result is uniquely you.

Nothing wrong with 105 - a riding buddy has been using 105 for the past three years, with no problems.