A friend and I are going to spend the summer checking out trails in the Midwest (I'm in Chicago). Given my limited budget for a new bike, I'm going to build one with a good frame and decent to pretty good components. I'm having trouble finding a small/medium (I'm 5'3"😉 cannondale frame w/lock out shocks for a decent price. Any advice on where to find besides ebay, what parts to spend more on and what can wait until later?
All suggestions (including trails - checked out Yankee Springs this weekend - a bit sandy but crazy fun) are appreciated.
although I ride a Cannondale I wouldn't advise it for the budget conscious and generally it is much cheaper to buy a bike than building it from components
Originally posted by nicholas206gti although I ride a Cannondale I wouldn't advise it for the budget conscious and generally it is much cheaper to buy a bike than building it from components
I agree, cannondales see way over priced. The only reason why I ride one is I got it for free 😄 Otherwise i'd buy a Giant or Avanti.
i was gonna do the exact same thing but you would be a lot better off just buying a new bike.
When the bike compaines buy their product, they buy it in bulk, so, its cheaper. Pretend they buy the frame for $1000 and forks etc all come in bulk. So, it would cost them $1500 to put a bike together. Now u go to the bike shop buy your frame for $1000 and you try and buy the rest of the componenets for $500... u cant do it.
Just out of interest how much are 'conventional' lockout front suspension forks? They don't seem to be all that widely available, and when I asked at my LBS he mentioned they're worth "drug money" :p
If a new bike is out of your price range, consider buying a used bike. If you know what to look for you could end up finding a great bargain.
I'm currently riding a Giant NRS2 and love it. It's a full suspension bike and thought I would like to have a hardtail, as well. I checked into purchasing the frame and adding the parts as I go. I found that building a bike is very expensive. The same bike that I was going to have when completed is about $450 cheaper when purchased already built by the manufactuer. You'll definitely want to research before you do this.......
Not sure you could do a lot better than a Cannondale, especially if you want a lockout on the fork. Most suspension fork companies like Rock Shox only put the lockout feature on the highest model in a range. So for example with the Rock Shox Duke, only the Race version (the most expensive) has a lockout on. Cannondale generally spec the lockout on all their suspension forks as standard, and they're always adjustable while your riding, whereas most other forks aren't without a remote lockout lever kit.
We might be able to help a little more if you gave us some idea of what you've looked at and your budget 🙂
Unless you've had experience riding, and know the components you want, you're better off buying a new bike than trying to build one up - it's a lot cheaper. I built my own up by default - bought a used MTB, and found that most of the components were shot, so they had to be replaced. Another good reason NOT to buy a used MTB off of ebay...
Just my opinion, but I've tried a locking front shock, and it didn't make that much difference. I don't know that I'd spend a lot of money on a front locker if I were on a tight budget. Save the money and invest in a nicer set of wheels instead.
Originally posted by atormon A friend and I are going to spend the summer checking out trails in the Midwest (I'm in Chicago). Given my limited budget for a new bike, I'm going to build one with a good frame and decent to pretty good components. I'm having trouble finding a small/medium (I'm 5'3"😉 cannondale frame w/lock out shocks for a decent price. Any advice on where to find besides ebay, what parts to spend more on and what can wait until later?
All suggestions (including trails - checked out Yankee Springs this weekend - a bit sandy but crazy fun) are appreciated.
Thanks! Aileen
With out details like your budget and which shocks you are planning to lock out, it's hard to say. Are you buying a complete bike and upgrading or are you building from scratch. A Cannondale isn't a bad choice when buying a lower end one and upgrading later. The frames are excellent, light strong, stiff, did I mention stiff. But you pay for the frame. You might also find a bike with a frame that is not as light and bettr parts for the same money. Don't build from scratch unless you have access to all the tools or have considered the cost of going to your LBS to have thins like the headset pressed, the steerer cut, and the race seated. And you'll still need tools, cables, housing, tubes, rim strips etc. Check online for bikes being sold through reputable online bike shops. OR Craigslist for parts or bikes. Good luck.
[QUOTE]Originally posted by atormon A friend and I are going to spend the summer checking out trails in the Midwest (I'm in Chicago). Given my limited budget for a new bike, I'm going to build one with a good frame and decent to pretty good components. I'm having trouble finding a small/medium (I'm 5'3"😉 cannondale frame w/lock out shocks for a decent price. Any advice on where to find besides ebay, what parts to spend more on and what can wait until later?
All suggestions (including trails - checked out Yankee Springs this weekend - a bit sandy but crazy fun) are appreciated.
Thanks! Aileen [/QUOTE
Errata: I meant to say it was a good idea to buy the lower end C.DAle and upgrade-the parts-later, not the whole bike.
