Tell me what you think (building a bike)

[KikyoMerc]

I am building my first racing bike and would like some opinions on the equipment I have chosen so far. I havent actually bought anything yet, just set it all online. I am just starting, so keep that in mind.

Heres the set-up:
Surly Pacer frame and fork
Cane Creek S-3 threadless black headset
FSA OS-170 31.8 90mm 84/96 degrees black stem
Ritchey Pro 40cm 31.8 road bars black
Cinelli Macro Splash light blue/black
105 black STI Levers
Tektro RX40 brake calipers
Salsa Shaft seatpost
Selle Italia Flite seat blue
105 bottom bracket
105 crankset black
Time RXE pedals
Tiagra Front Derailleur
105 black rear derailleur
2 HG-53 chain
105 9spd cassette 12-25
WH-R550 wheelset
Michelin Megamium 2 700x23

 

[jitteringjr]

For just starting out, it looks good. 105 will do well for you. How much will it all cost?

 

[fish156]

Looks very nice, but I would go with SRAM or Wipperman chains instead. Having a "master" link makes life a lot easier for a lot of reasons.

 

[gclark8]

Tiagra FD?

Price a 105 groupset, 10 speed will be out soon.

A better chain too, HG 70 or Whipperman.

Double or triple, we all get older and those hills just get steeper..

 

[boudreaux]

I am building my first racing bike and would like some opinions on the equipment I have chosen so far. I havent actually bought anything yet, just set it all online. I am just starting, so keep that in mind.

Heres the set-up:
Surly Pacer frame and fork
Cane Creek S-3 threadless black headset
FSA OS-170 31.8 90mm 84/96 degrees black stem
Ritchey Pro 40cm 31.8 road bars black
Cinelli Macro Splash light blue/black
105 black STI Levers
Tektro RX40 brake calipers
Salsa Shaft seatpost
Selle Italia Flite seat blue
105 bottom bracket
105 crankset black
Time RXE pedals
Tiagra Front Derailleur
105 black rear derailleur
2 HG-53 chain
105 9spd cassette 12-25
WH-R550 wheelset
Michelin Megamium 2 700x23

A Surly for a 'racing' bike?? Surely you jest.

 

[KikyoMerc]

I can't give a price because my friend who is helping me with it is the manager of a bike shop, so I can get some good deals. He reccomended going with a Tiagra FD, I was not sure, and am still not sure about that. I am getting 2 cheaper chains for training, when I start actually racing I will get a nicer chain. It is going to be a double. I am getting the Surly frame super cheap, and I decided to use it because I will crash it, and a steel frame will be easier to fix than aluminum. Why shouldnt I use a Surly for a race bike?

 

[boudreaux]

Why shouldnt I use a Surly for a race bike?

No reason at all if you like a boat anchor for a handicap.

 

[jitteringjr]

No reason at all if you like a boat anchor for a handicap.

How uncharacteristic of you boudreaux. You usually can appreciate the value of cheap equipment when most others can not.

That frame weighs in about the same as other steel frames so I don't see a problem especially if he is getting a deal from the shop. Do you have a justifiable reason for not liking the Surley or is it a personal preference? I ask because Surley is one frame that I am looking at when I build a commuter/ cross bike. I am leaning towards the Bianchi Volpe though so constructive criticism on the Surley would be appreciated.

 

[John M]

I am building my first racing bike and would like some opinions on the equipment I have chosen so far. I havent actually bought anything yet, just set it all online. I am just starting, so keep that in mind.

Heres the set-up:
Surly Pacer frame and fork
Cane Creek S-3 threadless black headset
FSA OS-170 31.8 90mm 84/96 degrees black stem
Ritchey Pro 40cm 31.8 road bars black
Cinelli Macro Splash light blue/black
105 black STI Levers
Tektro RX40 brake calipers
Salsa Shaft seatpost
Selle Italia Flite seat blue
105 bottom bracket
105 crankset black
Time RXE pedals
Tiagra Front Derailleur
105 black rear derailleur
2 HG-53 chain
105 9spd cassette 12-25
WH-R550 wheelset
Michelin Megamium 2 700x23

While it is certainly fun to build up a bike from scratch, if you are going to build up an essentially entry to mid-level bike (105/tektro/WH-550), you can probably get a better deal on a stock bike from a major brand. In fact the best deal will be to find a closeout on a bike with a nice frame and cheaper components and upgrade the wheels initially and subsequently upgrade the components as they wear out or money allows. After a year or two you will have a sweet bike based on that nice frame.

Also you may crash, but actually destroying a frame in a crash is rare. It is usually the the things that stick out like bars and rear derailleur that get hurt.

Just my 2 cents.

 

[jitteringjr]

you can probably get a better deal on a stock bike from a major brand. In fact the best deal will be to find a closeout on a bike with a nice frame and cheaper components...

He said he is getting a deal from a bike shop manager buddy so I doubt this is the case.

 

[KikyoMerc]

What cheap frame would you reccomend if Surly is such a horrible choice?

How about Leader frames, they are pretty cheap, and from what I have heard decent frames.

I can not get a deal on a stock bike this year, so its either build a bike, buy one at MSRP or wait till next year.

Thanks for your opinions,
Kikyo

 

[boudreaux]

How uncharacteristic of you boudreaux. You usually can appreciate the value of cheap equipment when most others can not.

That frame weighs in about the same as other steel frames so I don't see a problem especially if he is getting a deal from the shop. Do you have a justifiable reason for not liking the Surley or is it a personal preference? I ask because Surley is one frame that I am looking at when I build a commuter/ cross bike. I am leaning towards the Bianchi Volpe though so constructive criticism on the Surley would be appreciated.

There is cheap or good value,and then there is inane for the stated purpose.The frame and fork weighs 6.7 pounds(excel) and it's a pig.Good for a comuter if it spins your beanie. For the same price(cheap and good value) as excel gets for the frame and fork he can get a real Cdale caad4 race frame from GVH bikes. If he's looking for cheap, a $50 mid 80s Japaneese steel double butted garage sale special would offer better value and no more weight. Hell, that's what I'd go with for a friggin comuter and save alot of money.

 

[slimer78]

I was also looking at the pacer as an everday bike. I saw on the lickbike.com website that they had a complete bike for about $1300. I dont know wherelse to find a decent steel bike for less.

 

[Tonto]

I was also looking at the pacer as an everday bike. I saw on the lickbike.com website that they had a complete bike for about $1300. I dont know wherelse to find a decent steel bike for less.

$1300 for an everyday bike? You're in the US right? Surely you can do a lot better for $1300 over there?
I live in Ireland where bikes and bike parts are much more expensive and I built up a decent steel bike for less than that.

Considering you can pick up a superbly crafted masterpiece of a frame like the Gios Compact for $795 (excelsports.com), surely you can get plain 'decent' for a lot less than $1300?

 

[KikyoMerc]

I am also looking at Leaders frames (not sure which model, more than likely the LD-350R). What do you think of this/these frames.

 

[slimer78]

Allright, maybe better than decent. It comes with campy centaur companents and some nice wheels.

 

[dhk]

There is cheap or good value,and then there is inane for the stated purpose.The frame and fork weighs 6.7 pounds(excel) and it's a pig.Good for a comuter if it spins your beanie. For the same price(cheap and good value) as excel gets for the frame and fork he can get a real Cdale caad4 race frame from GVH bikes. If he's looking for cheap, a $50 mid 80s Japaneese steel double butted garage sale special would offer better value and no more weight. Hell, that's what I'd go with for a friggin comuter and save alot of money.

boudreaux, good point as usual. A guy I ride with built up a couple of Surly Long Haul Truckers for touring. It's a nice heavy-duty all-steel frame and fork...if you can take the pea-soup green "signature" color. (His wife couldn't, and spent a bunch more money to have the frame repainted metallic red before it was built up.)

Not familar with their other frames, but Surly seems to have a good value for money concept going, along with a "Fair Trade", anti-hype marketing image.

 

[KikyoMerc]

Has anyone heard of Leader? No one has mentioned anything about that question yet.

 

[boudreaux]

Has anyone heard of Leader? No one has mentioned anything about that question yet.

Generic bang for the buck disposable frames from Asia.

 

[KikyoMerc]

Generic bang for the buck disposable frames from Asia.

So would they make a better first racing bike than a Surly? The 2 I am looking at are, http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&category=98084&item=3693903620 and http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&category=98084&item=7166214337