Building my first Bicycle

[protigee]

So as the title states, I just took up a new project of building my own bicycle. In the last few months I have fallen head over heels into the love for cycling. I purchased a good steel frame (Centurion Accordo RS for those who care) for a loaded tour I recently took, and it also currently doubles as my daily commuter/road bike. The time has come to get a really light weight bicycle that can scream around town.


The choice to build a bike instead of buying one came from my narcissistic tendencies that no one can please me, and so I must do it myself. Also for the pure gratification that I know everything that went into building my bike and that it is like no one elses that they are currently riding.


Now it's time to seek some help from you fine gentlemen/ladies that might have some more experience in helping me nail down what parts I need. I have looked up a whole list of what is needed to build a bike, and I have an idea of what type of parts I want to use... OH, and I forgot to mention... I just recently picked up the frame/fork/seatpost combo for a steal of a deal (aluminum/carbon). It's a Pinarello Angliru 2007 edition.

I want to build this bike all Campy (or as close to as possible to keep the Italian feel) and I'm currently seeking help in purchasing the wheelsets, cassette + shifters, stem and handlebars.


--I'm not looking to short myself on wheels, and am willing to spend somewhere between 250 - 1300 dollars. Any advice in what I might be looking for would be greatly appreciated.
--Here is something I'm looking for possibly (any opinions on them? or similar wheels?) http://www.campagnolo.com/jsp/en/wheelsdetail/item_Zondacop_catid_10.jsp

--Someone has told me that I need to make sure the cassette and the shifters correspond, and I'm confused on what exactly I would be looking for in the specs.

--Stem and handlebar recommendations ? Personal preferences ? Shoot me some links, I will read up on them all! I want to learn!!!





I'm not a complete noobile to cycling terminology, so don't hold back.


Hopefully you don't mind that I posted this in your "buying a bicycle" thread when its clearly a "building a bike - seeking help" post...

Thanks.

 

[alienator]

There you go. I only buy frames so that I can build my bikes up with exactly what I want. Building up the bike yourself is the best way to learn how it works, how it's put together, and how to fix things. There is also no shortage of satisfaction that comes from building up your bike. The best way to get a constructive survey of opinions and options is to list the things you've got your eye on and tell us what your specific ideas are on the types of parts you want to use.

 

[protigee]

Yupp those are my exact thoughts Alienator!

Hmmm.. a parts list you say? I'll post this reply with what I'm currently eyeballing and then update my original post.

To be honest, I'm just window shopping wheels currently. However, I do want to keep these Campagnolo 700c, but I am open to any references to wheels that are highly durable and handle well in dry/wet conditions for optimal braking power.

I'm looking for a 10 or 11 speed rear cassette, however I don't know what specifics I want the teeth to be as I don't know what the different options feel like when riding in different sized gears. I currently ride a 6 speed rear cassette 12 28. I do like it, however it is too small as you could imagine. What is the difference between different manufacturers of cassettes? And how much of a difference do the teeth make on the gear sizes? Is it just preference at that point?
On shifters, I have no clue what I'm looking for except that I want to keep them Campagnolo if I can. They just need to match up with the cassette and look sleek, haha.

I want a lightweight stem (preferably carbon, but I have seen some high end aluminum stems too). Here is something I glanced at today, Ritchey WCS C260 (http://www.artscyclery.com/reviews/RS260/RS260review.html). But again, I don't really know what I'm looking for in this department.


Honestly, I feel overwhelmed by all the choices and selection I have at my doorstep for customizing and building up this bicycle. Just writing it down and explaining it to others makes the weight feel a little less heavy. I'm trying to do research on parts that I want and have an idea of what I want the final picture to look like but with so many options I jump from one idea to the next without learning anything. Maybe by learning about your opinions I can make some educated decisions about the final product!

Thanks for the quick reply Alien

 

[protigee]

here is a picture of it.

 

[alienator]

Nice frame and nice find. It's doubly nice as it doesn't have the Dali inspired (or windowpane acid inspired) forks and seat stays of current and recent Pinas.

 

[danfoz]

Originally Posted by protigee .


I want a lightweight stem (preferably carbon, but I have seen some high end aluminum stems too). Here is something I glanced at today, Ritchey WCS C260 (http://www.artscyclery.com/reviews/RS260/RS260review.html). But again, I don't really know what I'm looking for in this department.

Great stem, I'm running one now (the alloy version). It's an aesthetic masterpiece, as is the single bolt Ritchey seatpost that matches. In fact I'd go so far as to say I haven't seen a nicer stem since my old Cinelli 1R.

 

[danfoz]

Btw, just one other thought on stems, aside from the usual offerings most are familiar with (Deda, FSA, Easton, etc.), Thomson makes some simply gorgeous hardware. The X2 is exquisite, and while I have not run this particular stem, I have run their Elite seatpost (and matching seatpost collar) and X4 stem and the machining is hands down some of the best in the industry. Personally I would stay away from Easton stems, they make good stuff but not those - the faceplate hardware does not sit and tighten well. YMMV.

Edit: here's a pic of the X2 -

 

[alienator]

I'm a big fan of 3T stems and Ritchey stems. I prefer alloy stems to CF or CF wrapped stems because the CF stems don't offer much of a benefit over the alloy stems. My current stem is a 3T ARX Team stem like the one below: