Having a bike made & want to start collecting items

[crazycanuck]

Our lovely bike mechanic/frame builder is going to make me a new bike later this year. (cheaper than having an IF shipped to aust..:eek:) I want to have a cool bike with nice bars, etc & need some suggestions.

I want 40cm bars (w drops) and would like some good quality ideas.

What about cranks etc? I'm a short chickadee..

Help!

Tanks
C

[BleeckerSt_Girl]

Your bike builder should be the one to decide on the length and type of cranks- based on your measurements and on the type of gearing you are going to get.

Handlebars are a very personal thing, but if you are 'short' you may want to consider short reach bars.
I am not short but I love my Salsa Poco short reach ergonomic bars.
Try to test ride both regular shaped drop bars and ergonomic drop bars- people tend to either love them or hate them, depending on how their hands feel on the bends.

[Bluetree]

I recommend going to a fitter before building up a new frame. If they have a FitCycle, or equivalent, it can tell you exactly the size components you need. They can dial in your new frame's exact geometry, and measure your needs according to a fit, or by taking measurements off your existing bike.

When I built up my last frame, I assumed I needed the same size stem as my last one, but because of the different geometry and setback, it turned out I needed a longer one... a mistake that could have cost $100+ since I was buying a lot of stuff on eBay.

Your intentions also have to be considered when choosing components. Do you prefer aero, or lightweight? Race, climb, touring or all-purpose? If you climb alot, you'll want to consider spending a bit more for lighter, more expensive carbon parts. If you want to race, perhaps your greatest emphasis should be on a wheelset. Do you want clinchers, tubulars, or tubeless... Each has aspects of ease vs performance.

Also keep in mind the Golden Rule of bikes:
Lightweight. Strong. Inexpensive.... Pick two.

Enjoy yourself in this process... Bike building is fun! :D

[crazycanuck]

Ah yes, i do remember I spoke to him a while back about cranks.

We''re just in the discussion phase at the moment. He's not building anything except his new bike shop at the moment. When it opens (it's called cycles bespoken) in the next few weeks, this will be on the cards.

Thanks

[BleeckerSt_Girl]

I recommend going to a fitter before building up a new frame. If they have a FitCycle, or equivalent, it can tell you exactly the size components you need. They can dial in your new frame's exact geometry, and measure your needs according to a fit, or by taking measurements off your existing bike.

When I built up my last frame, I assumed I needed the same size stem as my last one, but because of the different geometry and setback, it turned out I needed a longer one... a mistake that could have cost $100+ since I was buying a lot of stuff on eBay.

Your intentions also have to be considered when choosing components. Do you prefer aero, or lightweight? Race, climb, touring or all-purpose? If you climb alot, you'll want to consider spending a bit more for lighter, more expensive carbon parts. If you want to race, perhaps your greatest emphasis should be on a wheelset. Do you want clinchers, tubulars, or tubeless... Each has aspects of ease vs performance.

Also keep in mind the Golden Rule of bikes:
Lightweight. Strong. Inexpensive.... Pick two.

Enjoy yourself in this process... Bike building is fun! :D

I totally second all of this!
I guess I was assuming the builder was also an experienced fitter who would first measure you thoroughly, look at your current bike's geometry, figure out what needs to be different and what should stay the same (based on both their knowledge and on your input about your current riding issues), take your riding style and goals into account...then work up the right geometry, the right materials and components to get you where you want to be....not just weld up a frame based on a few measurements and then have someone else fit you to it later.
Ideally, the whole idea of a custom bike is that the bike should be fitted to YOU (even before the frame is created), not you being fitted to the bike. A custom 'whole bike plan' should all be a seamless integration of geometry, components, and fit. Having a mutual vision in mind for the new bike, shared between you and the builder, is crucial. Margo at Luna Cycles really did it all for me when making my new bike, and now I am spoiled. :o
If you plan on slowly collecting components yourself, you'll have to coordinate with the builder in terms of putting rack braze-ons, deciding on rim and tire widths, brake/fork clearance for fenders if you want them....things like that cannot be easily changed after the frame is built. Again, having a vision for your new bike and planning ahead with the frame builder will be important to get the outcome you want.
It's very exciting! I know exactly how thrilled you must feel...congratulations on planning for your new baby! :)

[sgtiger]

+1 to what BSG and Bluetree said on the custom fabricator offering recommendations based the your measurements and the geometry of the bike that will be built for you. Also many of the lbs/builder here offer a discount on components when they build a complete bike. The discount is usually enough that it's cheaper to have a complete bike built vs. buying components piece by piece. The bonus with that is that they'll swap out components at no additional charge (unless it's an upgrade) if it's not quite the right size/fit.

[aicabsolut]

For bars, I'm also not short, but I really like my short reach / shallow drop bars. One thing to consider is if you want classic or ergo bend. That's personal preference.

Another thing is if you want wing top bars or if you might want to create a wing top effect with double layer bartape or gel pads. If you ride a lot at the corners, especially when climbing, wing top bars might annoy you. If you tend to grab the hoods to climb out of the saddle or if you ride a lot resting on the tops, then you might like a flatter top bar. A lot of those are carbon bars, but there are some good aluminum options as well.