Is building a bike cheaper?

[Dogtrousers]

The self build advantage is - as said above - that you are in full control of choice of components. Depending on the type of bike you want there may be a niche supplier who will do a bespoke-ish build for you, getting the personalised spec you want, but using their expertise/wholesale buying power. I'm thinking in this case of Spa, who let me supply my own wheels (on condition that their grumpy wheelbuilder was allowed to insult them), and who were happy to discuss most of the components, within certain boundaries. Others may be doing similar stuff in the lightweight roadie market, I don't know.

 

[number3]

I'm wondering whether all you really need is a very good frame. Then instead of buying a new bike just upgrade components as the technologies move on. Sounds simple doesn't it?

 

[Kestevan]

I recently built a new bike for Mrs Kes, based on a Dolan Prefissio frameset.
I hunted around for new components and was lucky enough to get groupset and wheels at substantial discount (Merlin were running a promotion).

The build came in about £100 cheaper than a similar spec pre-built from Dolan (although ours has better spec wheels & tyres).

If you are prepared to wait till components become available at discount, or are flexible with the spec it's just about possible to better the pre-built price.... but you also need to factor in the cost of any tools you may need, and the time/skills necessary to actually do the build.

 

[vickster]

I'm wondering whether all you really need is a very good frame. Then instead of buying a new bike just upgrade components as the technologies move on. Sounds simple doesn't it?

No because it's nice to be able to change the frame aesthetics, I suppose you could get it repainted but where's the fun in that...there's no shopping involved

 

[Nigeyy]

Unless you have some components you want hanging around, it would be a rare case where building is cheaper, let alone including the cost of labour and tools. The only advantages are getting a precise spec you want and the pleasure and satisfaction of doing so. Unless you are into bike building I would usually recommend the bought bike route. While you may not get the precise spec you want, you can usually end up pretty close to it.

 

[vickster]

A friend built mine for me, as he has built many bikes before he had all the tools. I got him an lbs voucher as a thank you

My built bike is totally different to stock:
Sram rival full groupset (excl brakes as sram don't do long drop, so those are shimano); 50-34 front, 11-32 rear
Fulcrum 5 wheels
Michelin pro 4 tyres, Schwalbe tubes
38cm pro plt bars
100mm pro stem
Pro seat post
Hope bb in gunmetal
Jagwire grey cabling
3.2mm lizard skin tape in grey
Crosslevers
Specialized oura ladies saddle
Sks chromoplastic mudguards
Topeak rack

I think the headset may be the same, or close to it! Everything was new other than tyres and rack

Stock bike http://www.evanscycles.com/products/genesis/equilibrium-20-2013-road-bike-ec043734#features

So really only the frame and forks are the same!

 

[number3]

A friend built mine for me, as he has built many bikes before he had all the tools. I got him an lbs voucher as a thank you

My built bike is totally different to stock:
Sram rival full groupset (excl brakes as sram don't do long drop, so those are shimano); 50-34 front, 11-32 rear
Fulcrum 5 wheels
Michelin pro 4 tyres, Schwalbe tubes
38cm pro plt bars
100mm pro stem
Pro seat post
Hope bb in gunmetal
Jagwire grey cabling
3.2mm lizard skin tape in grey
Specialized oura ladies saddle
Sks chromoplastic mudguards
Topeak rack

I think the headset may be the same, or close to it! Everything was new other than tyres and rack

Stock bike http://www.evanscycles.com/products/genesis/equilibrium-20-2013-road-bike-ec043734#features

So really only the frame and forks are the same!

Was it cheaper?

 

[vickster]

Yes, because it would have cost me a fortune to change everything!

I reckon I came in around rrp, or at least within a couple of hundred. And i have a higher specced bike

But I actually have a bike I love and that I can ride comfortably, the latter being far more important to me than cost

 

[e-rider]

Can you get more value for your money if you buy all of the components for a bike separately and build it yourself or do people just build their own bikes to get a specific build that might not necessarily be available on a stock bike?

it's NOT cheaper, it's actaully significantly more expensive, BUT it is much better!

 

[vickster]

I wouldn't have said mine was significantly more expensive. Perhaps 10% tops and actually probably the same if I had factored in new stem, bars, tape (groupset aside)

If you essentially build the same bike, then yes, buying whole is much cheaper mostly

 

[Cubist]

The upgrade route, or "Trigger's broom" approach is also great. I bought a stock XC bike, a Cube Ltd, with a bit of a discount. I sold on the fork and bought an OEM bargain air fork. When the chainset finally wore out I replaced it with an eBay "new other" , and drip fed it with little upgrades as and when I could afford them, handing down kit to the kids' bikes as I did so, or selling on to defray the cost. I got a pair of good Superstar wheels for Christmas, and again put my old ones onto my daughter's bike, selling hers off. The last original parts other than the frame were the brakes, which again, I sold and spent another tenner on a set of "nearly new" SLX. I then treated myself to a Cotic Soul frame and set about swapping the parts over. Great fun, but I then went onto upgrading the shifters, front mech, and bottom bracket, converted it to 2x9 and bash, then added a Reverb. Since then I've swapped around various wheelsets so it now has Hope Pro2 Evo on Arch Ex rims, and swapped the fork for a 20mm (cost of selling mine and buying new "other" about twenty quid). Next Christmas present was a carbon bar. I haven't a clue what it has cost me over the time since I first bought it in 2008, but it's still exactly the same bike, except all the parts have been swapped over or replaced and upgraded, some more than once. If you look really carefully you can see the differences.
Before:


After:

 

[Nathan AV]

I built my road bike (Kinesis racelight frame and full 105) for £272 and it only took about 7 month. Being patient and finding the right bits you want on offer (sales, classifieds, ebay etc) then it can be worth it.
once I got the frame I was just going to transfer all my current components onto it and then be done with it but I got carried away and ended up with 2 complete bikes.

 

[Matthames]

I wouldn't say it is cheaper; but stock bikes are always going to be a compromise. With a self build you can choose what components you use and how the bike looks. If you are mechanically minded and enjoy tinkering, building from parts can be a lot of fun.

 

[youngoldbloke]

I wouldn't say it is cheaper; but stock bikes are always going to be a compromise. With a self build you can choose what components you use and how the bike looks. If you are mechanically minded and enjoy tinkering, building from parts can be a lot of fun.

Agreed most stock bikes do compromise - most often with wheels and tyres, cheap saddles, mixed groupset components. I bought my Rose CRS because it wasn't a compromise - I was happy with all the components in their standard configuration, and I haven't changed anything on the bike since getting it . I did consider whether to have the monolink seatpost and saddle, and in the end decided to try it, (very happy with it) but could have chosen the standard clamp and another saddle anyway. I specified a different bar tape however! (Also a longer stem, and more spacers than standard). High end Ritchey finishing kit, Mavic Kysrium Elite WTS, full Ultegra 11 speed too (with choice of cassette, cage length) - and this was in 2013 when most brands were still fitting 10 speed. Rose also gave 10% off other items ordered with the bike, so I ordered a pair of Keos too. They also fitted a chain catcher for me. When I tried to add up the cost of buying all the bits and pieces separately, from different suppliers offering the best prices, I couldn't get within £100s of the Rose price.

 

[alecstilleyedye]

i've done both the 'trigger's broom' and custom new bike.

the former is best for cash flow, the latter for overall cost.

the former started off as a carrera virtuoso from halfords with a standard double chainset and a mixture of shimano sora and unbranded bits as a groupset. it's now got a full tiagra groupset with low ratios for the local hills. the cost of all that is almost certainly more than buying a new bike of similar quality.

the latter was purchased from ribble via its bikebuilder. working to a budget of £1400, i got the best bike, for me, that i could get. unless you're an elite road racer, the number of options are excellent.

having a good idea of what you need is key; you can spend a lot on a bike and still need to change things if you really don't know what you're doing…