want to build a bike..



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Scott C

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I've long thought about building a bike, and I'm sure many of you reading have done this. I don't
ride a lot, but would welcome the building process and knowledge learned / pride from doing this. I
don't want to spend over $400-$500 total (prefer the $400 range as I can buy a bike that's OK for me
for around this price.)

There are two options, head to a bike store, tell them the above, and have then suggest frames,
breaks, headsets... all the components, or perhaps there is some consensus of a general frame I
should get, wheels, / components. (OK, maybe there is 1000 to choose from, I do not know)..

If I do this, should I put most money in the frame? derailers? maybe it does not matter at this
price point?

Lastly - will I end up with a much better bike doing this, than buying one in this price range. I
don't mind spending the time and doing this slowly as I have a bike to ride in the mean time, but I
don't want to end up with a bike worth less money than the combined total of the parts - because
production bikes can use the same components but purchased at a lower price than I can buy for.

Thanks for any comments.

Scott
 
From my experience, for bike shop employees and for consumers; it's usually much cheaper to buy a
bike than build one up. If you mountain bike, parts break anyway- upgrade when parts go bad.

-kurd

"Scott C" <[email protected]> wrote in message news:lRMKa.27784$3d.16035@sccrnsc02...
> I've long thought about building a bike, and I'm sure many of you reading have done this. I
> don't ride a lot, but would welcome the building process and knowledge learned / pride from
> doing this. I don't want to spend over $400-$500 total (prefer the $400 range as I can buy a
> bike that's OK for
me
> for around this price.)
>
> There are two options, head to a bike store, tell them the above, and have then suggest frames,
> breaks, headsets... all the components, or perhaps there is some consensus of a general frame I
> should get, wheels, / components. (OK, maybe there is 1000 to choose from, I do not know)..
>
> If I do this, should I put most money in the frame? derailers? maybe it
does
> not matter at this price point?
>
> Lastly - will I end up with a much better bike doing this, than buying one in this price range. I
> don't mind spending the time and doing this slowly
as
> I have a bike to ride in the mean time, but I don't want to end up with a bike worth less money
> than the combined total of the parts - because production bikes can use the same components but
> purchased at a lower
price
> than I can buy for.
>
> Thanks for any comments.
>
> Scott
 
>I've long thought about building a bike, and I'm sure many of you reading have done this. I don't
>ride a lot, but would welcome the building process and knowledge learned / pride from doing this. I
>don't want to spend over $400-$500 total (prefer the $400 range as I can buy a bike that's OK for
>me for around this price.)

Building a bike this was is much more expensive than buying a complete one unless, like many of us,
you have a huge parts stash lying around. Your best bet is a used bike. If you aren't real
knowledgeable find a friend who is to guide you. You'll end up much better than the piecemeal
approach. Good luck, Phil Brown
 
"Scott C" <[email protected]> writes:

>I've long thought about building a bike, and I'm sure many of you reading have done this. I don't
>ride a lot, but would welcome the building process and knowledge learned / pride from doing this. I
>don't want to spend over $400-$500 total (prefer the $400 range as I can buy a bike that's OK for
>me for around this price.)

A more feasible option is to purchase 2 somewhat similar / somewhat different used bikes on Ebay and
mix-n-match the parts. Maybe respray one of the frames yourself. With a digital camera and some
inkjet decal paper and adobe photoshop or similar you can make your own decals, or recreate the
original ones.

I think it's impossible to buy a road bike's worth of band-new parts for $400 in a local bike shop,
let alone get any sort of frame to go with the parts. The bike manufacturer gets at least a 50%
discount on bike parts vs. the exhorbitant prices you pay for individual parts at a bike shop. On a
fully assembled bikes, often, you get a free frame and rims / seat, typically, if you sum up the
costs of the components.

- Don
 
Tell us more about making decals with inkjet decal paper- where can this paper be obtained?

Donald Gillies wrote:

> "Scott C" <[email protected]> writes:
>
> >I've long thought about building a bike, and I'm sure many of you reading have done this. I don't
> >ride a lot, but would welcome the building process and knowledge learned / pride from doing this.
> >I don't want to spend over $400-$500 total (prefer the $400 range as I can buy a bike that's OK
> >for me for around this price.)
>
> A more feasible option is to purchase 2 somewhat similar / somewhat different used bikes on Ebay
> and mix-n-match the parts. Maybe respray one of the frames yourself. With a digital camera and
> some inkjet decal paper and adobe photoshop or similar you can make your own decals, or recreate
> the original ones.
>
> I think it's impossible to buy a road bike's worth of band-new parts for $400 in a local bike
> shop, let alone get any sort of frame to go with the parts. The bike manufacturer gets at least a
> 50% discount on bike parts vs. the exhorbitant prices you pay for individual parts at a bike shop.
> On a fully assembled bikes, often, you get a free frame and rims / seat, typically, if you sum up
> the costs of the components.
>
> - Don
 
Thanks for the inputs, you have talked me out of this.. If I upgrade, I'll buy a bike already built.

sc

"Gary Smiley" <[email protected]> wrote in message news:[email protected]...
> Tell us more about making decals with inkjet decal paper- where can this
paper
> be obtained?
>
> Donald Gillies wrote:
>
> > "Scott C" <[email protected]> writes:
> >
> > >I've long thought about building a bike, and I'm sure many of you
reading
> > >have done this. I don't ride a lot, but would welcome the building
process
> > >and knowledge learned / pride from doing this. I don't want to spend
over
> > >$400-$500 total (prefer the $400 range as I can buy a bike that's OK
for me
> > >for around this price.)
> >
> > A more feasible option is to purchase 2 somewhat similar / somewhat different used bikes on Ebay
> > and mix-n-match the parts. Maybe respray one of the frames yourself. With a digital camera and
> > some inkjet decal paper and adobe photoshop or similar you can make your own decals, or recreate
> > the original ones.
> >
> > I think it's impossible to buy a road bike's worth of band-new parts for $400 in a local bike
> > shop, let alone get any sort of frame to go with the parts. The bike manufacturer gets at least
> > a 50% discount on bike parts vs. the exhorbitant prices you pay for individual parts at a bike
> > shop. On a fully assembled bikes, often, you get a free frame and rims / seat, typically, if you
> > sum up the costs of the components.
> >
> > - Don
 
On Fri, 27 Jun 2003 01:11:45 GMT, "Scott C" <[email protected]> wrote:

>Lastly - will I end up with a much better bike doing this, than buying one in this price range. I
>don't mind spending the time and doing this slowly as I have a bike to ride in the mean time, but I
>don't want to end up with a bike worth less money than the combined total of the parts - because
>production bikes can use the same components but purchased at a lower price than I can buy for.

Especially in the lower price ranges, it will cost more to build a bicycle with lesser components.
 
Your first, and formost decision should be the frame. It really is the heart of the bicycle. It
desides what kind of bike it will be (racimg, touring, dirt, commuting, etc.).

Also, the majority of the bike's handling characteristics are based on the design (and quality!) of
the frame.

Besides, the frame decides what _color_ the bike will be, and we all know how vitally important that
is... ;-3)

May you have the wind at your back. And a really low gear for the hills! Chris

Chris'Z Corner "The Website for the Common Bicyclist": http://www.geocities.com/czcorner
 
If I recall properly, your frame is painted like a woody. You could do that to any frame.

On Fri, 27 Jun 2003 19:32:31 -0400 (EDT), [email protected] (Chris Zacho "The Wheelman") wrote:

>Besides, the frame decides what _color_ the bike will be, and we all know how vitally important
>that is... ;-3)
 
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