first self build, opinions and help wanted

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Deleted member 41544

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So new to cycling, bought my first bike last summer when my car engine blew up and with a costly wedding looming finances were tight, anyway went to argos and bought the cheapest road bike they had so I could commute, a DBR pursuit by raleigh at a sale price £119.99 loved cycling but quickly wanted more than needed a better bike, but afore mentioned wedding stopped this so I decided I would make myself a better bike on a budget, a good entry level road bike if you will.
spotted a carrera virtuoso 2012 on gumtree at £50, had a quick scan of reviews and thought this would be a good point to start my build, since then I have gathered the following all second hand apart from the headset
Carrera virtuoso 2012 £50
FSA headset £12
Tiagra 10 speed sti shifters £52
Tiagra rear mech £12
Ultegra front mech £7
Shimano FC R-600 compact chainset and b/bracket £28
Shmano rs10 wheels w/ conti gatorskins £65
Itm alcor 80 bars £11
Carboncycles 80mm stem <200g £13

still a few more bits to get but the total build should come in at around £350 for a 9kg bike, but was thinking would these parts be more at home on a more up market frame?
should I go for a carbon fork or not, the stock steel fork feels really solid, but would carbon offer me much benefit in ride quality giving better efficiency or is it just less road buzz and a weight saver?
 

raleighnut

Legendary Member
:welcome: Sounds to me you've got the balance of components about right, but I'd give the fork a test with a magnet as it may well be Aluminium in which case go for a carbon one but if it is steel it should be plenty comfortable as they are very good at absorbing 'road buzz'.
 
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Deleted member 41544

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hi thanks a lot, all the info I can find on the web says hi-tensile steel, I will check with the magnet but think I will stick with it, its comfortable and the bike feels solid
 

Spoked Wheels

Legendary Member
Location
Bournemouth
So new to cycling, bought my first bike last summer when my car engine blew up and with a costly wedding looming finances were tight, anyway went to argos and bought the cheapest road bike they had so I could commute, a DBR pursuit by raleigh at a sale price £119.99 loved cycling but quickly wanted more than needed a better bike, but afore mentioned wedding stopped this so I decided I would make myself a better bike on a budget, a good entry level road bike if you will.
spotted a carrera virtuoso 2012 on gumtree at £50, had a quick scan of reviews and thought this would be a good point to start my build, since then I have gathered the following all second hand apart from the headset
Carrera virtuoso 2012 £50
FSA headset £12
Tiagra 10 speed sti shifters £52
Tiagra rear mech £12
Ultegra front mech £7
Shimano FC R-600 compact chainset and b/bracket £28
Shmano rs10 wheels w/ conti gatorskins £65
Itm alcor 80 bars £11
Carboncycles 80mm stem <200g £13

still a few more bits to get but the total build should come in at around £350 for a 9kg bike, but was thinking would these parts be more at home on a more up market frame?
should I go for a carbon fork or not, the stock steel fork feels really solid, but would carbon offer me much benefit in ride quality giving better efficiency or is it just less road buzz and a weight saver?

An alternative would have been picking up a Carrera Subway for £349.99 - but I can see the fun in what you have done too.
 
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Deleted member 41544

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the subway is not really a road bike though and for my £350 I'm getting a higher specc'd bike plus I got some compact bars, a shorter stem and some sti shifters for my other bike.


I used a virtuoso for years as a commuter, good solid bike , i now use a self build based on a carrera vanquish frame .

what have you done to the vanquish? just reading this forum i was wondering how much difference the frame makes? if any?
 

cyberknight

As long as I breathe, I attack.
Sora rear mech
claris shifters
r500 wheelset
https://www.cyclechat.net/threads/the-project-build-new-commuter.157133/
2014-05-31-13-25-51-jpg.46495.jpg
 

cyberknight

As long as I breathe, I attack.
the subway is not really a road bike though and for my £350 I'm getting a higher specc'd bike plus I got some compact bars, a shorter stem and some sti shifters for my other bike.




what have you done to the vanquish? just reading this forum i was wondering how much difference the frame makes? if any?
I think the frame on the vanquish is 6061 vs 7005 alloy and i think its butted tubing rather than plain gauge on the virtuoso, with the carbon fork its lighter .When i weighed it on the bathroom scales it was about the 10 kg mark .
TBH according to the blurb 6061 is just easier to work with and a little lighter but for a commuter i doubt you can tell the difference.
 
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Deleted member 41544

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I'm sure I read the virtuoso is 6061, it seems a pretty light frame, can't wait till the wife releases more funds to get it finished.
In the meantime I took the 8 speed sti set up and moved it on to the original bike, having trouble getting the front mech set up though, so I'm bike less at minute!
 

cyberknight

As long as I breathe, I attack.
I'm sure I read the virtuoso is 6061, it seems a pretty light frame, can't wait till the wife releases more funds to get it finished.
In the meantime I took the 8 speed sti set up and moved it on to the original bike, having trouble getting the front mech set up though, so I'm bike less at minute!
It might be now, mine was 7005 but it was the old blue/black one so the newer model might be different .
 

mrbikerboy73

Über Member
Location
Worthing, UK
@rugbyleaguebiker I had a Carrera Vanquish, like yourself I bought it for £50 and changed a few bits here and there. It was a good bike to me, never letting me down for the 5-6000 miles I did on it. I then sold it on for....you guessed it, £50!
Sounds like you've got some bargain bits there and you'll have a great bike that doesn't cost the earth. Good work! :okay:
I replaced the steel forks on mine with some carbon ones from a Scott Speedster. Big difference in weight and they soaked up the bumps a bit better too. Got them from eBay for about £20 I think. It was worth it.
 
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Deleted member 41544

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@mrbikerboy73 i had planned to get the rest of the bits over the next 2 months and build it up, may take a bit longer to get a carbon fork, but i suppose its not a big job to swap forks a bit later on
 
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