Novice building a roadbike from scratch.

[gersandy]

Ok, im looking for a few pointers. Im going to build my own road bike. Need to know where to start from. Wheres the best places to go for frames, brakes, wheels, etc?
Im a mechanical technician, so shouldnt have any problems with building the bike, i just need a starting point for the parts.

 

[musa]

depends on the ideas you have well for me anything planet x have some nice frames but do you want steel or carbon, vintage looking and lastly your budget if you have one

 

[RecordAceFromNew]

Please only do it because you are happy to pay for the fun and experience of doing it and/or you can't get what you want off the shelf. It will probably cost you ~40% more otherwise, even assuming time and tools are free.

Ribble wouldn't be a bad starting point in terms of component range and price.

 

[Svendo]

Merlin cycles often have good deals on groupsets and factory wheels, as well as other bits like pedals etc. I got mine from there for my build. I googled and shopped about on internet for handlebars, seat post etc.

 

[youngoldbloke]

Please only do it because you are happy to pay for the fun and experience of doing it and/or you can't get what you want off the shelf. It will probably cost you ~40% more otherwise, even assuming time and tools are free.

Ribble wouldn't be a bad starting point in terms of component range and price.

+1 - It's instructive to look at one of their special edition bikes and then price it up on their bikebuilder.

 

[gersandy]

depends on the ideas you have well for me anything planet x have some nice frames but do you want steel or carbon, vintage looking and lastly your budget if you have one

I'll spend whatevers neccesary. To be honest, im using a hybrid just now for commuting to work (an 8 mile round trip). But ive started using it at the weekend on long road trips. So i thought id invest in a decent road bike. Ive been looking around and cant seem to find one i like, so i may aswell build my own.
I'll have a look on planet x for some ideas. Cheers.

 

[e-rider]

Don't do it!

You might be a mechanic and have no trouble 'building' the bike, but there is so much more to it than that, and as a novice (your words) you will make many expensive mistakes! Add that to the extra cost of building a bike as opposed to just buying one, and it doesn't make much sense at all.

If you go ahead with the build, my main advice would be to buy a matching frame and fork set (to ensure correct geometry - one manufacturers rake is not always the same as another), and keep all drivechain components from the same range. Research correct crank length, bar width, reach and drop, stem rise and length before buying, as well as gear size choice and buy appropriate wheels for your intended use (rather than the ones that look cool).

Good luck!

 

[gersandy]

Don't do it!

You might be a mechanic and have no trouble 'building' the bike, but there is so much more to it than that, and as a novice (your words) you will make many expensive mistakes! Add that to the extra cost of building a bike as opposed to just buying one, and it doesn't make much sense at all.

If you go ahead with the build, my main advice would be to buy a matching frame and fork set (to ensure correct geometry - one manufacturers rake is not always the same as another), and keep all drivechain components from the same range. Research correct crank length, bar width, reach and drop, stem rise and length before buying, as well as gear size choice and buy appropriate wheels for your intended use (rather than the ones that look cool).

Good luck!

Thats great advice, i know i'll make mistakes and regret things. So i'll do research, and hopefully post my results inva few months time.

 

[e-rider]

Thats great advice, i know i'll make mistakes and regret things. So i'll do research, and hopefully post my results inva few months time.

Unfortuantely, research only goes so far. Personal experience is what you need and you can find that on the internet!

 

[simon.r]

I'd say the oopposite - do it!

As said already you probably won't save any money (although if you're prepared to spend hours hunting down bits and bidding on ebay there are some bargains to be had), but the satisfaction of putting something together and then riding it is huge. You'll gain invaluable experience which will help when you have mechanical issues as well. On top of that you get to specify exactly what you want - there aren't many off-the peg bikes that I look at and think I'd change nothing.

One excellent source of information is Sheldon Brown's site, extremely useful for understanding some of the 'why' as well as 'how'.

 

[Monsieur Remings]

One other angle if you're new to cycling, tools are expensive and you have to accomodate for this within your budget if you have one. You'll no doubt use the tools again but maybe looking at a few hundred quid at the minimum.

 

[simon.r]

One other angle if you're new to cycling, tools are expensive and you have to accomodate for this within your budget if you have one. You'll no doubt use the tools again but maybe looking at a few hundred quid at the minimum.

Good point, but offf the top of my head, to build a bike (as opposed to servicing one) I don't think you'd need to spend much. Assuming you already have a set of allen keys, screwdrivers and a lump-hammer, I think the only specialist tools that you'll need to build a bike from modern components are a BB tool, chain splitter, cassette removal/installation tool and cable cutters (inner and outer), so £50/£60 should cover it. And some grease and coppa-slip.

You could argue that you need a torque wrench and a proper headset insertion tool rather than a lump-hammer and block of wood, but given that the OP is a mechanical technician I'm assuming a degree of mechanical sympathy that will see him through I'm also assuming pre-built wheels that don't need tweaking.

I reserve the right to add to this list if something else pops into my head, but I think I've covered the minimum there!

 

[Cubist]

Good luck! As others have said, buying components at retail price will just about double your costs, as you simply don't have the buying power of large manufacturers. The internet is your friend here, but you need to decide what you want to use, and ensure it's compatible with your frame, forks, wheelset etc, then spend as long as you can checking prices online before buying.

Once you know the proper name and part number, type it into Google and search. It'll often bring up a list of results including postage/delivery costs and you can choose from there. Be aware that not all special offers show up this way, but the following sites often have bargains online, so check them manually just to be sure: Ribble, On-One, Tredz, Tweeks, Woolly Hat Shop, Absolute Cycles, CycleStore, CycleSurgery. ALso check the main sites at Evans, Merlin, Chain Reaction, Wiggle to see whether they are having a sale or special offers on big purchases.

Consider also buying a donor bike. One example would be online retailers like Canyon. If I were to be building a bike on a custom frame I would look at their range for a bike with the groupset that I wanted. Their prices are ridiculously cheap with fantastic component spec, often jaw-droppingly cheap. You could buy their 105 groupset bike for example @ 999 euros, swap the bits onto your new handbuilt frame, and ebay the original frame and any leftovers to recoup costs. I challenge anyone to find a 105 groupset for less than say £400, and less than £160 for the Aksium wheelset that bike comes with. £560 for wheels and groupset, leaves £240 out of the initial £800 you spent. Tot up the costs of a decent set of bars, seatpost, saddle, tyres, and you'll see just how much you'll be saving by going down this route. Ebay the frame and finishing kit off the donor bike and you'll be laughing. Possibly!

Whilst we're on ebay, be aware that it is not a source of many bargains. It's great for consumables and finishing kit like cables and chains, but quality components with a generally good reputation tend to attract silly bidders, and you'll see a used mech going for a fiver less than you can buy a new one for, so do your research beforehand and don't get caught up in a bidding frenzy. It is however good for selling stuff you don't need!

 

[Hacienda71]

High on Bikes were by far the cheapest online retailer I found for the Sram groupset I put on a recent build I did.
When buying a groupset compare exactly what you are being offered as the cost of things like chains and cassettes if not included can make what appears to be a bargain to not be.

 

[Svendo]

High on Bikes were by far the cheapest online retailer I found for the Sram groupset I put on a recent build I did.
When buying a groupset compare exactly what you are being offered as the cost of things like chains and cassettes if not included can make what appears to be a bargain to not be.

Oh yes, high on bikes, web or ebay, are a good store cheap store, I've had excellent service exchanging some overshoes for a smaller size recently.
Also beware too good to be true stuff, especially from far east as fakes are not unknown. Also bargains from abroad can be spoilt by customs duties.