If I were to build a road bike...

[goose11]

I have been looking for a good Sunday / race bike for the last 2/3 weeks – something ideally 56cm carbon, that isn’t over say, 4 years old. Everyday, about ½ of my waking hours spent looking at Ebay, Gumtree, Craigslist London and….nothing!

I’m getting seriously frustrated with not having a bike (reason for search is previous bike stolen) and want to remedy this ASAP.

So if I were to look at building a bike to a similar spec:

a)[FONT=&quot] [/FONT]How hard is it (previous bike was first roadie so v.limited tech knowledge)?
[FONT=&quot] [/FONT]Is it feasible to get a carbon frame and a build a whole bike for say less than £500?
c)[FONT=&quot] [/FONT]Would it be cheaper than buying ‘off the shelf’?

The idea being I try and find a decent 531 framed bike for day to day (maybe for under £100 I’m reliably informed on this forum) and use this considerably nicer/better bike for the weekends.

I’m happy to put the work in and do this, but I’m desperate to get back on the wheels so any advice welcome!

Thanks all.

 

[Steve Austin]

I think you will be extremely lucky to be able to build a carbon bike for less than £500. The bench mark bike of choice for many looking for a Carbon bike is the Planet X bike at about 1k, which really is about as good a deal as you could hope to find.

If you are hoping to build from 2nd hand parts, then i don't think you will be able to get a complete bike built from decent parts for less than £500. You might be able to find a 2nd hand bike, but i reckon you'll end up paying near the 1k for a 2nd bike anyway

 

[goose11]

I think you will be extremely lucky to be able to build a carbon bike for less than £500. The bench mark bike of choice for many looking for a Carbon bike is the Planet X bike at about 1k, which really is about as good a deal as you could hope to find.

If you are hoping to build from 2nd hand parts, then i don't think you will be able to get a complete bike built from decent parts for less than £500. You might be able to find a 2nd hand bike, but i reckon you'll end up paying near the 1k for a 2nd bike anyway

OK - thanks - so I'm barking up a tree essentially? I need to either up my budget or down my spec buying used, regardless of buying complete or building?

 

[Steve Austin]

You could get lucky!! but I think it may be time to review your options..

 

[PpPete]

OK - thanks - so I'm barking up a tree essentially? I need to either up my budget or down my spec buying used, regardless of buying complete or building?

I think so....
Especially if you want to get it done quickly, the right bargains on components are fairly infrequent anyway, and as for buying a carbon frame 2nd hand....not everybody would take that risk.

I've started collecting a few odds & ends towards my own titanium "dream machine", but I reckon it will take a couple of years before I have enough to make it worth buying the frame to hang them on.

 

[accountantpete]

Personally I reckon you could pick a really nice second hand aluminium frame/forks from a top-end maker for £200 and a lightly used pair of decent wheels for £200. I'd finish it off with entry level second hand stuff- £200 should be enough- and a pair of tyres/tubes -say £40

 

[goose11]

You could get lucky!! but I think it may be time to review your options..

Fair enough. In which case I think I'd rather buy ready built and used - In which case is there anywhere else I can be keeping an eye out in London to find something?
Appreciate the advice.

 

[harry dunn]

HAVE A LOOK AT DH CYCLESPORT they do a nice alloy trainer on ebay called METEOR frameset about £200 with carbon forks headset cinelli bars stem seat post, also comes as a complete bike for £469. I can recommend them , nice guys .

 

[PpPete]

I've not tried their bikes, but +1 for DHC.
They local(ish) to me.

 

[fossyant]

You won't go far wrong with the Ribble Winter bike - £500-£600. Alloy frame, carbon forks....

Don't get too hung up about carbon bling....it's the engine not the bike.

Other option is an older steel framed bike, but the good ones are going at a premium.

 

[swee'pea99]

A good old steel frame beastie. Bad ebay listing, bad pic, perhaps something minor wrong with it. (Mine a 653 framed Dawes - all Shimano 600 compnents, now converted to fixie and goes like shoot off a shovel, but it was v fast even when geared. Slight dent in toptube - irrelevant - and hideous paint job, totally scraped up. Like it matters. £53.) Who needs carbon?

 

[Rhythm Thief]

[quote name='swee'pea99']A good old steel frame beastie. Bad ebay listing, bad pic, perhaps something minor wrong with it. (Mine a 653 framed Dawes - all Shimano 600 compnents, now converted to fixie and goes like shoot off a shovel, but it was v fast even when geared. Slight dent in toptube - irrelevant - and hideous paint job, totally scraped up. Like it matters. £53.) Who needs carbon?[/QUOTE]

That's what I'd do. Much more my sort of thing.

 

[goose11]

[quote name='swee'pea99']A good old steel frame beastie. Bad ebay listing, bad pic, perhaps something minor wrong with it. (Mine a 653 framed Dawes - all Shimano 600 compnents, now converted to fixie and goes like shoot off a shovel, but it was v fast even when geared. Slight dent in toptube - irrelevant - and hideous paint job, totally scraped up. Like it matters. £53.) Who needs carbon?[/QUOTE]

Swee'pea99 - you're the inspiration for the 531 tube for day to day! On a previous post you suggested this - I think thats a great idea for the week, thanks. I plan to pick something along these lines up as soon as I can. If you spot any 56cm belters - let me know....

 

[stevevw]

+1 for the Ribble winter bike. I built my own last year and it cost more than you can get this years complete bike for. Bargain at £580 for the Tiagra version.

If you are near to North Herts you can come and have a go on mine. The latest bike that I am building is probably more what you wanted but even searching out bargains I have spent over 1K so far, would have been far better off going for a PlanetX or Boardman off the peg. No fun in that though.

 

[02GF74]

I wouldn't buy from Ribble. NEVER EVER AGAIN. They are theiveing lying c***s. My opinion but you do what you want.