List of everything you need to build your first bike

David9694 wrote:

I wonder about the economics of all this vs say a new buy or buying a B’Twin and stripping down and replacing and undesirable / short cut bits.  I suspect that if you’re DIYing you’re not going to use the manufacturer standard tricks of scrimping on certain unsexy parts.  

I know that this is old but still, I registered myself here just to answer this comment. Hope it will help someone. 

So right now I'm thinking about buying Genesis Croix De Fer 20 2021 bike. It's built mostly with Tiagra components. The problem is I don't really like the colors (red and blue). But I do like the color of the same Croix De Fer 725 frameset which one can buy separately (yellow). So I'm considering buying the frameset and building my brevet bike on top of it. Either way I will need to order handbuilt touring wheels with dynamo and Marathon Almotion tyres, so Croix De Fer 20 stock wheels do not make any sense to me.

Anyway I started counting. Sorry, I'm not from the UK so my numbers are in EUR:
Croix De Fer 20 complete standard build - 1679 EUR
Croix De Fer 725 frameset - 600 EUR
Similar components if I buy them by myself - around 1000 EUR

Then I will have to spend 300 more EUR if I buy the wheelset I want and not the one similar to Genesis. It costs 470 EUR and the one used in Genesis stock bike must be about 170 EUR.

So if I buy a frame and build a bike with similar specs to Croix De Fer 20, I will spend more or less same amount of money as if I buy the complete bike. But if I add 300 EUR I will get my dream bike for 1900 EUR in total.

Now, I found this Triban RC520 rig by Decathlon which is built with Shimano 105 (excluding TRP brakes, Microshift cogs and some Shimano crankset). The most interesting part is that it costs only 830 EUR!

And I thought, what if I buy this Triban RC520, then buy Croix De Fer 725 frameset, then install components from RC520 onto Croix De Fer and then add my custom wheelset?

Well, it would cost me 830 + 600 + 470 = 1900 EUR

The amount is exactly the same! But remember, I will keep an extra road/gravel/bikepacking/audax frameset, and road wheels with tyres, and my dream bike will get 105 series components instead of Tiagra. 

Looks like a good deal to me. I just bought RC520 so wish me luck with the rest.

Good luck - it's great fun as long as you have the time, don't rush things (that way lies cross-threaded BB shells and additional swearing) and read the manual. Shimano Dealer Manuals are very comprehensive and fairly easy to follow. And there's always the awesome Calvin from Park Tools to help.

I've self-built two bikes from scratch and done complete groupset swaps on a few more. Always external BBs or square taper so I haven't had to deal with press-fit BBs. The only thing I've had my LBS do is cut the steerer for me once I was happy with my position. 

Once you've done one and got the tools together suddenly you can start looking around at race frames with basic kit, swap your better group over, sell the Claris/Sora stuff, and have a race-ready bike for half the price of pre-built. Focus, Specialized, Giant, Trek, they all tend to use the same frame and just differentiate price based on finishing kit and groupset level.

I've just completed an upgrade on my new MTB, going from Acera/Altus to Deore 11sp and a double to 1x. As my first MTB I would probably have gone with an high spec off-the-shelf build but they simply weren't available earlier this year. Only additional skill I need to learn for MTB fettling is bleeding hydro brakes. 

Bought as in ordered, or has actually been delivered?  That's one thing that has changed since last year. 

Hope everything fits!

I just went to one of the local Decathlon stores in Berlin and took a bike from a showroom. It's simple with Decathlon but it's not that simple with Genesis. Currently they do not deliver outside of the UK. And as far as I know, other British manufacturers don't do that, too. But I have at least a whole year to order this frameset, hopefully things will get better this year. And meanwhile, I can enjoy my cheapo Triban. The plan right now is to build the bike either this winter or next one. 

We've been chuntering on here about Rose bikes stopping deliveries to the UK - sign of things to come, perhaps? 

Can't  apologise enough for our current round of stuipidity - we're going to make Kent, the closest county to France, permit only for lorries - it's all in a good cause, a brighter future, towards completing our EU Exit in the middle of a pandemic in the depths of winter.  What could possibly go wrong??

No idea about Rose bikes to be honest. They do not explain why they stopped delivering to the UK. Genesis did not mention a reason for not delivering to the EU as well. But some EU stores are open for pre-orders of Genesis' new range.

Spa Cycles state explicitly that they do not send orders outside of the UK due to COVID. So I thought it must be the same reason for others. I don't know if Brexit has anything to do with that. Also Ribble, for example, seem to continue delivering to the EU, at least to Germany. So it must be possible and hopefully, other manufacturers will get back on track soon

David9694 wrote:

What could possibly go wrong??

At least we don't have a PM that hides at the first sign of things going wrong.

Dart22 wrote:

What is the best company/place to buy all of the required parts from? Does building your own bike work out cheaper than buying one?

Thanks

Plenty stores online..
Parts needed listed above.
If looking into regarding quality at low price.
Gum tree seconds are awesome..
Some might need a vinegar bath and a lube.
But years before fancy dancy materials, effort from high prestige of sport leaders went into production with the materials they had use of.
Found a (rides like a new one) chromoly double butted frame combination complete bike with $100+ retail lighting. $100. No way I can build cheaper than that. Lights cost more than purchase price.
Got home.. Put wheels on, inflated tyres.. Little finger picked it up.. Compared it to a 7kg racer.. Not much in it but noticeable.. (To my pinkie finger).

If building own.. Another source is used.. Often the find of high quality (hope it doesn't get rusty) artwork.

When building it is almost nearly more expensive or cheaper.. Rarely is the cost the same.

AfterPeak wrote:

Dart22 wrote:

What is the best company/place to buy all of the required parts from? Does building your own bike work out cheaper than buying one? Thanks

Building your own bike is way way more expensive but so much more satisfying. Its mainly all the tools required that I found to be the expensive bit but now I could swap components or change a frame in half a day so you can keep your bike up to date and do all the maintenance (Bar a couple of jobs I would leave for the experts). Park tools are the best but as you expect they are the most expensive (I would get their cable cutters). I basically brought a tool here and there and any brand as long as the reviews are good.

Building your own bike is miles cheaper. You don't need 'all the tools' on the first day. If you shop around for parts you can save literally thousands of pounds, as I have done with all my bikes. And you end up with something unique, not just built to a profit margin.

To be frank; Who cares? It's a great experience and very satisfying. The knock on is that you become less reliant on bike shops as you can do all the repairs yourself. Take it as far as you want, wheel building insn't that difficult.

I still let the pros fit bar tape though, it's a friggin' nightmare.

Woldsman wrote:

Let’s hear it for the humble screwdriver. Isn’t that what was used to fit the front and rear reflectors - and bell? Maybe the groupset included derailleurs with the newer Allen key style limit screws. If not I would suggest the Vessel Megadora 900 +2 JIS jobby if a Shimano/SRAM build.

Cheaper and more practical: a bag of M3 hex screws from the hardware store to replace the JIS headed screws.

don simon wrote:

4lb lump hammer for general fitting, straightening and tightening.

Something smaller for delicate work.

Sounds familiar...

https://goo.gl/images/jYGZ6R