Building a SS on a budget, advice please

[MacB]

Gaz if you want to keep it cheapish I'll have a rummage, I know I could do drop bar brake levers, like new, with brand new cable inners and outers. I can also do a chainset(not sure about chainring though) and maybe a BB, need to check what I've got.

Let me know and I'll take some piccies for you to peruse and check the specs on the stuff...I'll also keep it cheap.

 

[frank9755]

You do have to really decide at this point just how much you want to spend on a build and at what point it would be simpler to just get an entire 2nd hand ride to convert with just a rear wheel or even just buy a new one.

Just using the list you gave I could burn through the fat end of £500 very easily but that doesn't necessarily mean the value or utility will be any better.

Chainset - any reasonable quality double from the last 30 years will run just fine, that's why second hand rides work well for conversion, just stick with square taper and run the 42 ring on it's own.

Wheels - System EX hubs are cheap and cheerful and work, more expensive hubs won't offer anything more except a weight saving as nearly all of them run on the same old replaceable cartridge bearings, with an undished wheel at the rear you could also away with 32 over 36 as well.

A sturdy simple fixed that works is cheap to do, that's the whole point, you can use cycle jumbles, new old stock and your bits box to build them but just remember that it's almost always cheaper to convert a whole old bike rather than building up from scratch.

Zoiders is right. If cheap is your priority you may well be able to sell what you have and buy the bits you need to do a budget conversion like AW's and be in credit.

 

[Bensbikespares]

If you want some Used bits let me know ive got evrything in stock (hence the name)

 

[MacB]

Zoiders is right. If cheap is your priority you may well be able to sell what you have and buy the bits you need to do a budget conversion like AW's and be in credit.

Frank and Zoiders, great idea, but he's just bought the frameset from me - yes you could go complete bike but, IMO, at that sort of pricepoint the wheels would be a bit of a let down. We're always reading things like, 'yep good bike but your first upgrade will want to be the wheels', etc. At the moment I reckon Gaz is looking at a total spend, counting bits he already has or may need to buy, of about £120 then he needs to add the price of the wheelset and chainset, to include chain, tyres and tubes. Say that's another £200 so a total spend of £320.

I can guarantee he could buy a prettier bike as a complete deal, but I seriously doubt he'd get the quality level by spending £320 on a complete bike.

 

[gb155]

Frank and Zoiders, great idea, but he's just bought the frameset from me - yes you could go complete bike but, IMO, at that sort of pricepoint the wheels would be a bit of a let down. We're always reading things like, 'yep good bike but your first upgrade will want to be the wheels', etc. At the moment I reckon Gaz is looking at a total spend, counting bits he already has or may need to buy, of about £120 then he needs to add the price of the wheelset and chainset, to include chain, tyres and tubes. Say that's another £200 so a total spend of £320.

I can guarantee he could buy a prettier bike as a complete deal, but I seriously doubt he'd get the quality level by spending £320 on a complete bike.

The voice of reason

:-)

 

[Zoiders]

Frank and Zoiders, great idea, but he's just bought the frameset from me - yes you could go complete bike but, IMO, at that sort of pricepoint the wheels would be a bit of a let down. We're always reading things like, 'yep good bike but your first upgrade will want to be the wheels', etc. At the moment I reckon Gaz is looking at a total spend, counting bits he already has or may need to buy, of about £120 then he needs to add the price of the wheelset and chainset, to include chain, tyres and tubes. Say that's another £200 so a total spend of £320.

I can guarantee he could buy a prettier bike as a complete deal, but I seriously doubt he'd get the quality level by spending £320 on a complete bike.

The idea is a second hand bike, early 80's steel if possible

In a lot of cirumstances you get something sturdy and reliable and you only need a new rear wheel or just respace and redish of the existing one.

 

[MacB]

The idea is a second hand bike, early 80's steel if possible

In a lot of cirumstances you get something sturdy and reliable and you only need a new rear wheel or just respace and redish of the existing one.

is pretty much what he has and the frame is spaced for modern hubs, so he's looking wheelset, crankset and BB as the main outlay. Best will in the world, if you pick up an old 80's bike I don't fancy the chances of getting one with a crankset and BB that need no attention.

I'll leave this aspect of the discussion now as I'm too involved having sold Gaz the frameset.

Back on the parts bit, I'm not free until Friday Gaz but I'll take pics then of the parts I can offer and you can peruse to see if you want need any of them. For example I'll do the Tektro drop bar brake levers, with brand new cable inners and outers for £10 posted, the levers themselves are as new as well. I really can't remember the details of the other bits I have without checking...cheers...Al

ps. if it's flat bars you're going with then I've got a pair of v-brake levers you could have free

 

[gb155]

is pretty much what he has and the frame is spaced for modern hubs, so he's looking wheelset, crankset and BB as the main outlay. Best will in the world, if you pick up an old 80's bike I don't fancy the chances of getting one with a crankset and BB that need no attention.

I'll leave this aspect of the discussion now as I'm too involved having sold Gaz the frameset.

Back on the parts bit, I'm not free until Friday Gaz but I'll take pics then of the parts I can offer and you can peruse to see if you want need any of them. For example I'll do the Tektro drop bar brake levers, with brand new cable inners and outers for £10 posted, the levers themselves are as new as well. I really can't remember the details of the other bits I have without checking...cheers...Al

ps. if it's flat bars you're going with then I've got a pair of v-brake levers you could have free

Appreciate your assistance dude

As for bars, I've got a nice set of drops for it :-)

 

[gb155]

Gys, Guys Guys

I have this bike, doing nothing (Too small), i'd totally forgotten about it TBH

Can I steal stuff from it ? (Not the wheels tho)

 

[MacB]

Gys, Guys Guys

I have this bike, doing nothing (Too small), i'd totally forgotten about it TBH

Can I steal stuff from it ? (Not the wheels tho)

you could Gaz, but you might be better selling it as a complete bike and using the funds towards parts...I'll get the pics up later when I can get the camera back off the kids

 

[gb155]

you could Gaz, but you might be better selling it as a complete bike and using the funds towards parts...I'll get the pics up later when I can get the camera back off the kids

What sort of price would I be looking at mate ?

 

[MacB]

What sort of price would I be looking at mate ?

on forums not a lot but on e-bay you could do a lot better, luck of the draw I'm afraid. If the bike's complete and operational it'll do better obviously. Maybe make a list of the parts on it you think you could use/want...I'm guessing at the drivetrain and brake levers. But is the drivetrain up to SS/fixed and how comfy would those levers be compared to new ones?

You might even do best if you broke it down to parts(though I hate that this has to be done) and sold them as seperate e-bay auctions.

 

[MacB]

right, I've put a pic up in my garage gallery here:-

http://www.cyclechat.net/gallery/album/4072/47-macb-garage/

it shows the Tektro RL340 road levers, they have a quick release bit on them as well, the new brake cable inners and outers that came with my Tiagra levers. The Ofmega Alpine triple crankset, 170mm, with a UN54 BB, I can also throw in a 48t chainring that has a fair bit of life in it, was only used on a hub gear. I have some, pretty old, chainring bolts but they are double not single, you'd either need to use a bashguard with them or buy some spacers...alternatively you can buy single ring specific bolts.

I can let all of that go for £30 inc postage