My first self-build road bike - a shopping list.

[Andrew_Culture]

I'm poor and avoid borrowing money or getting things on tick, so I've started building myself a road bike in installments. I have a budget of about £35 a month, and so far have the following:

- Claude Butler Echelon 2009 frame with forks, headset and drop bars (stripped of everything), and still with seat post

- Two donated wheels from a friend's old Pug bike

So here's my project shopping list, have I missed anything and does anyone have and recommendations for bits of kit to keep an eye out for (new or second hand).

Bottom bracket
Cables
Quick release wheel doings
Brakes
Brake pads
Brake levers
Front crank (possibly singular, hopefully 54t)
Pedals
Rear cassette
Duruellier (sp?)
Gear levers
Tyres
Inner tubes
Handlebar tape / grips
Seat
Bottle cage

Gawd that's a long list, here's to actually riding this bike some time in 2015!

 

[Slioch]

Bottle cage(s)
Quick release for wheels

 

[RecordAceFromNew]

Gawd that's a long list, here's to actually riding this bike some time in 2015!

Fwiw bikes are nearly always cheaper than the parts, whether new or used. Since you are not starting with very much the cheapest and quickest way to get there might still be saving the money for a few months and buy a donor bike. You do have to watch out for incompatibilities, e.g. front mech mounting, seatpost size, cassette vs freewheel, etc. etc., but you will have to watch out for that even if they are sourced piecemeal.

Alternatively even if you were starting with nothing it won't take you more than 9 months to get this brand new.

 

[TheDoctor]

The CB Echelon costs £350 new, and it's not as good a bike as the Triban that RAFN mentions^^
For £299, I'd save a whole world of grief and get down to Decathlon.
And a 54T single chainring? Is Suffolk really that flat?

 

[Andrew_Culture]

Hmm, that Triban does keep popping up all over the forum, and it would be a LOT less hassle than finding all the parts!

 

[musa]

Hmm, that Triban does keep popping up all over the forum, and it would be a LOT less hassle than finding all the parts!

One of the most rated bikes VFM

Keep the project over going when you have time and funds bit by bit.

 

[Andrew_Culture]

The other bit of shaky logic in building a bike is that if I put it together then I might understand a bit more about fixing.

Plus I've just paid for the wheels I've been given to be set true and have the bearings replaced.

Front crank will be next as I want to be sure there's nothing wrong with that part of the frame before proceeding down this route any further.

 

[Andrew_Culture]

What does VFM mean? #n00b

 

[musa]

What does VFM mean? #n00b

by all means continue building as you said maintenance knowledge you'll have

Value For Money

 

[Andrew_Culture]

Thanks

 

[Andrew_Culture]

Just in case anyone needs closure on this here's what I've decided - I'm going to save up for a Triban 3 and use this Claude Butler frame to build a fixie, possibly to sell.

The wheels I've been given are set up for a fixie and I have some fancy velosolo handlebars in the shed so I'm already half way there!