bike building

[waterlilli]

Anyone built up thier own bike? Any suggestions on great sites or books? I have someone helping me, but I would like to be a part of it, not just stand there during the process.

[Kpicha]

Hi Waterlilli,

What bike did you end up getting? Weren't you looking for one around December or so? Its always fun too hear what everyone ends up with :)

Zinn and the Art of mountain/road bike maintenance is excellent. If you're building a mountain bike, the CD Break it, Fix it, Ride it, is a good help too. It has better pictures than the book but sometimes its hard to get around the software. I haven't yet built a bike but when I get my new frame I want to see what's going on and try to do most of it myself with someone assisting. It should be fun!

Good Luck!
Kristina

[missliz]

I've unbuilt and rebuilt a lot, the way of the mountain biker... The most important thing is to have the correct tools, and a buddy familiar with them to teach how they're used. Bike tools are weird, and highly specialized. No book is the same as doing it, and good on you for wanting to learn :D !
Putting in headsets and bottom brackets is the tricky bit 'cause the tools are so odd. A high end sealed headset is the toughest part, at least for me, so don't be afraid to bail if you get confused. It's all in the minor adjustments. If whoever is helping you is a good mechanic though, you're in for a real treat. We girls get to ask the dumb questions, don't pass up the chance to learn. A lot of a good bike build is in the hand of the mechanic- a master who does this all day and then rides, so if things aren't totally copacetic when you're finished don't be ashamed to have somebody fine tune it. ( And harrass them with questions if you can) You mess up once or twice along the way. As long as you don't force anything and break it, you should be fine.
You go girl. Bond with the bike.

missliz

[goddess1222]

i second liz. go for it. i want to hear all about it.

[waterlilli]

I am really excited about it, I want to learn to do more on my bike rather than rely on my husband, he always fixes things on my bike. I have lots of help and my brother has all the tools and builds bikes all the time. I just ordered the frame and it will take 3-4 weeks, so I have time to educate myself a bit. I am still thinking about the parts, I know most of what I want. Ride safe.:)

[Kpicha]

I sure do wish I had someone to learn from! I really wanted to build up my frame myself, aside from the headset and BB, but ended up taking it to the LBS. I was hoping to hang around and watch but that didn't work out. :(

I'm getting ready to put on a bashguard so, that should be fun! I've changed my pedals (from 959s to Time Z's), stems and handlebar myself but as far as cable routing and hydraulic brakes go, I'm out of the loop.

You've got some time to read up on what you'll be doing so that'll really help. The Specialized website puts up chapters of the Barnett manual and that's very good, so is the ParkTools website.

What frame did you get? What is your build spec going to be ? It sounds like you'll have a ton of fun with building it!

Cheers,
Kristina

[missliz]

I used to harrass Adam with questions- He owns my LBS and taught me some aewsome stuff. A lot of it I learned by doing, but he would tell me what tools I needed and wasn't all snide about putting my screwups right. He'd also tune the bike to pro race spec- I would never have learned to set up two finger braking if he hadn't done it first so I would know there was a higher standard. When I lived in another city for two years and had to trade at shops where they don't let me in the mechanics room I was shocked, I'd always been able to talk to the mechanic and learn stuff. How boy snotty of them.
So what are the new toys? Tell all, please.

missliiz

[Kpicha]

Two finger braking? Am I missing something? I thought my brake levers came setup for 2-finger braking! :)

That is soooo cool that you learned yourself that way! I am really jealous!

WEll, my new ride, is (giggles in delight) a 15" metallic silver Turner XCE with a Romic. Easton Monkeylite SL bar, Easton EA70 seatpost, FSA stem (possibly a Race Face Deus soon), Hayes Hydraulics, Mavic CrossRocs, Maxxis Larsen TT tires, and Wylder Callisto saddle (I might be switching that out too). Am I missing anything?

I've only had two rides on it but so far it blows the pants off anything i've ridden before! Talk about perfect balance!

Cheers,
Kristina

[waterlilli]

Why are you thinking of switching out the Callisto? I am curious, because I have the Duluge and wanted to put a Callisto on my new ride. I am going with XT parts and an XTR derallier(spell?) I putting Wylder stem, bars and grips and seat. Brakes I have not decided, anyone know about the Hayes Comp vs. the mag? So much fun!!!!

[waterlilli]

Oh yeah, headset? Opinions please is Chris King really the one and only? I do love the Rasta color (he he)

[Kpicha]

The Callisto is a great saddle, especially for climbing but I just can't seem to get it to fit right. I've tried tilting up , down, forwards and backwards and just can't seem to find the sweet spot. Its a perfect length and width though. I just wish it was a comfy as a Butterfly or the butterfly wasn't so wide in the back.

As fas as they Hayes go, I don't know what to telly you other than I believe the Comp is the Hydraulic version and the HFX mag is the mechanical one. Have you ever checked out MTbr.com? They specifically have a brake forum and i bet if you asked over there, you'd get a lot of great responses. Oh and Ridemonkey.com has a lot of great info too.

Ah, Chris King! I was so tempted to get the Rasta! Then seriously considered red but since I have a Cane Creek S-2 which is working perfectly fine, I figured it wasn't worth spending another $100.

So, what frame did you get?! You still haven't told us!

Oh, by the way, I forgot to mention, I'm using SRAM X.0 shifters and der with an XT front der.. Got a candy red Manitou Black Super Air fork. Very nice looking bike, I might add :D

[waterlilli]

I decided (after looking at a million bikes) on a Santa Cruz Juliana! It fits me perfect. I am building this one up as cross country and will get one for downhilling. It is polished with balck swingarm.

[Kpicha]

That's going to be nice looking!

You downhill, too! That sounds like a blast! I'd love to try doing that but everything is so far away from where I live its not really worth the time getting there. Maybe some day though.

How much longer until you get your frame?

[missliz]

Yes, Chris King is the one and only- and I have the red one, It's the best :p ,of course. Rasta shmasta. We go all rasta-fried after the ride, girls.
When I was refering to two finger braking I wasn't referring to levers, but to the difference between brakes, and brakes set so sweetly that you can keep the thumb and forefinger on the shifters and still gently finesse the pads with the middle and ring fingers- for miles. Did you ever have the days ride when you realized you'd become quadraped, you now rode with all four limbs and had total control? True two finger brake set up is part of that, subtle speed control and constant shifting available. No slop in the brakes at all. I could set up cantis that well, but can't for the life of me figure out V monsters.
Fortunately the LBR has a new Mt bike magician who can tune those puppies to the standard I want, "cause I HATED v brakes when I first got them. They were lame. Still thinking about getting some Avid cantis if I can find them, but maybe I'm getting to be a retrogrouch. But then I'd need another bike 'cause I always wanted hydraulics, the cops all have 'em and love 'em, and then I need a disc bike for all the mucky swampy stuff down here- hate to waste a t shirt to clean rims to get home safe... So many toys, so little time.
So I've been out of the loop while I was hurt- what's the Callisto? Who makes it? I'm still riding my '95 Zaskar hardtail, probably will be buried with it (love that bike) but she needs fashionable new goodies every year- and I need to change saddle shapes. Enlighten me?

missliz

[waterlilli]

check out the Callisto and other great stuff!
http://wylder.com/components.htm

I would not consider myself a downhiller yet. I do some downhill, but always whimp out at the race and watch my hubby. I am getting a pass to Whistler this summer. Fun Fun

[Kpicha]

Oh girlfriend, you've gotta get disc brakes! Once you try them you'll wonder why on earth you didn't switch sooner! With all the muck and wetness around here, v-brakes should be banned as a safety hazard! :) Just kidding of course. But, the improvement is drastic.

I get what you're saying about the setup. I moved my levers closer in and they seem to be working pretty well. Although, I might be interested in trying Razor Rock Levers. I've heard they're great for small hands.

The Zaskar is a nice ride. Got to peddle around on single-speed version and was impressed with the stiffness.

Happy Trails!

[missliz]

Lucky girl- I always wanted to try downhill, but it's flat here and the chance never came up to travel for it. Dual slalom looks like a real kick too, has anybody tried that? I read some really interesting bike porn :p about the bikes, BMX meets full suspension. Sounds fun!

missliz

Thanks for the link. I need a Terry, though. Like that hole in the nose.

[missliz]

I know I need discs, but I'd need a whole new bike with the appropriate brackets and such. I was about splash out when I got hurt and then it seemed kinda moot. Now that grinding through the mud in low gears is a reality again, the time to shop is coming.
I only got the stinkin' V brakes 'cause I needed a whole new drivetrain and that seemed to be the way to go, since I was ditching integrated lever/shifter Shimano stuff. My LBS staff think they suck totally, but I didn't have the budget to go hydraulic on top of the other new goodies.
And speaking of brake levers, all of 'em can be moved in, but what I was talking about with two finger braking has nothing to do with levers. It's all about the fine tuning down in the brake itself. The V horrors are much better since I had the bike overhauled (it was on the living room wall for three years) and this new guy worked on them. Incredibly better. He has the magic touch.

missliz

[Asa]

Chris King is the only headset, whatever the color :) I have built lots of bikes, and there really isn't much more satisfying than riding your own creation. Hayes brakes are great, but I prefer Shimano Hydraulics because they use mineral oil instead of corrosive and envromentally nasty dot 4 type fluids.

[missliz]

I need to point out that when you buy Shimano parts, you support Shimano bull ****. They've created a compatibility nightmare to push riders into buying whole new drivetrains instead of just fixing or replacing a part. Of course the factory rep says that when a shifter goes, well it's time to buy a new bike 'cause yours is obsolete. Yes, he really said that to me. And the ingenious things they come up with!, like a two dollar replaceable pin every time you break the chain. Mineral oil isn't exactly environmentally freindly either, so I wouldn't sweat the little bit of hydrocarbon in a set of Hayes brakes. You make a bigger mess driving to the trailhead belching carbon monoxide than with a line leak. Which is a good reason to go Magura- Nobody I know has ever even heard of them having trouble. The Chris King of brakes:D .
If it really bothers you I bet you could run hydraulics with cooking oil as long as it's the proper density. ;) The stench could get nasty after a while though, that vegetable oil will oxidize and go really rancid. Bleed your system really well.

missliz

[Asa]

Yup, Shimano is a pain in the butt, I admit, but I really like their brakes. They set up easy and have a nice feel. I realize that mineral oil is not exacltly environmetantally friendly, but it is a lot less hazardous to work with - it won't eat the paint off your bike or the skin off your fingers. I bleed tons of brakes, so this is an issue for me. As for the chain pins, they are a joke. I just buy Sram Power Links and give the pins away. I run Sram X.O. shifters and rear derailleur and it is awsome. I did go with the new XTR cranks, they are very sexy. And, as soon as someone comes out with a front derailleur that can match the XTR, well...

[Kpicha]

Yeah, SRAM X.0 is the way to go! I didn't think I was going to like the gripshift but its so nice to be able to shift 3 gears at a time!

missliz - I guess I haven't had that two finger braking setup then since I misunderstood. Is that only for v-brakes then?
By the way, sounds like you'll be needing a new frame then soon, huh? ;) bike shopping is sooo much fun!

I probably ought to post this question as a new thread but I'll stick it out there anyway just to see what you ladies say.

I just bought a Raceface bashguard and my understanding is that I should just be able to remove the outer chainring and put the bashguard on but I can't seem to even get the bolts loose. Is this supposed to take a lot of effort? or am I going the wrong way. If I'm facing the drivetrain side of the bike, I'm trying to turn the allen wrench counter-clockwise. And once I get the bolts loosened, will the other chainrings come loose, too? By the way, I'm using XT Hollowtech cranks (2002).

Cheers,
Kristina

[Asa]

Hi!
You are turning the bolts the right way, are they turning and not coming loose or are they not turning at all? And yes, when they do come out, your outer and middle chainrings will come loose.
Asa

[missliz]

The Brake thing- Kpicha, it's all brakes. It's about the difference between some bozo working in a bike shop and a bike mechanic who's a true citizen of The Bicycle Nation. You can have all the spiffiest parts in the world but you need somebody with the magic touch to really bring out the bikes potential. You can develop it, it's a practice and experience thing. But once you have the bike whisperer work over your ride your expectations and understanding will rise because you know what's possible. Same game with derailleur tuning. You just get spoiled and want it that way all the time.
And yeah, SRAM is awesome stuff. I have a new drivetrain that defines the term "like butter". Sweet.

missliz

[Kpicha]

Asa - the bolts aren't even coming loose and I think I've stripped one already :( Uh oh but that's good to know that the middle ring will come loose too.

Missliz- Ha, the bike whisperer! That's good. I must have been lucky with the first person who built my bike b/c my SRAM really did shift like butter and then one of my kids thought it would be neat to push on it and ever since then it hasn't been quite the same. I haven't found anyone with that magic touch yet. :(

Can hydraulic brakes be setup that way, too?

[Asa]

Bummer, hate stripped chainring bolts. Sounds like someone got a little crazy with the Loc-tite! If you end up stripping them all, take the bike to your favorite shop and have them drilled out. If you want to try it youself, lt me know and I will help. And yes, disc brakes can be "whispered" to. I'd whisper to your bike, but it probably wouldn't hear me from California!:cool:
Asa

[Kpicha]

ooo, loctite! That didn't even cross my mind! Great:rolleyes: Now, what am I supposed to do?! I think I'm getting in over my head!

hmm, yeah, CA might be a little too far, unless my bike has Bionic hearing -lol ;) Know anyone in VA? :)

[missliz]

damn, I am soooo spoiled- I have a couple of good mechanics. I'm also a real psycho ***** about who is allowed to lay a finger on my bike, so maybe that helped me find these guys. If I don't like the mechanic I'll pick up Miss
Bike and walk... If you have a club or ride events, ask around. Riding into the LBS covered in mud will usually get you on the A list, especially if you wear a push up bra:p . It's a tough world, be a diva.

missliz

You know, loctite usually breaks if you use a cheater bar. Or, I bet the threads didn't get greased last time it got put back together. Try a cheater bar anyway, that's what they'll try in the shop. Get a peice of pipe (galvanized, not soft metal) out of the junk pile in the garage and slip it over the long end of the hex wrench. This gives you more leverage and can break the loctite/ crud/ no grease seal better. Make sure your darling is tight in the stand, you may want to stand on its base to keep it stable. And pray to the bike gods, Velo, Roubaix, and Gnarly (who looks like Missy Giove).
Good luck.

[Asa]

The cheater bar is a good idea. Make sure you use a brand new wrench when you try it, since it will be less likely to strip the head. If the bolts are aluminum, and they probably are, they may strip anyway with that much force, if the loc-tite doesn't give up first.
Asa

[Kpicha]

Well, I ended up going to the LBS and they just took off the whole crankset and replaced the big ring with the bashguard. And again, I didn't get to watch. What a pain, every time I go in there, I end up getting stuck with this one particular guy and I must make him uncomfortable or something b/c he never wants me around. Oh well.:rolleyes:

But what a difference having a bashguard makes in getting over logs! If you ladies don't have one, I highly recommend getting one! My confidence has increased tenfold now! Woo hoo! :)

Cheers,
Kristina

[goddess1222]

the dorky bike mechanic is uncomfortable, because you probably know a heck of a lot more about bike building than he ever will. you rock!!!!!

[Kpicha]

LOL! Yeah, I wish I knew as much! At least in theory I do but not in practice! Guess I better start trying more things on my own.

Oh, speaking of trying things on my own - I blew up my new tire yesterday and BAM! It exploded right in my ear! What a weird sensation that was and my ear is still ringing to day. Now, I know not to trust my tire gauge and double check that the bead is seated properly. That was one scary moment (that I laugh about now)!:eek: :)

Cheers,
Kristina

[missliz]

Cool- kinda blows that they wouldn't let you play, but rock rings are great.
Maybe you need to check out another shop- one where the guys will talk bike with you, then you can ask questions and eventually weasel your way into the back. Thats what I did, but at the time I was the only woman around town riding dirt seriously, and so I was a rare treat I guess. (sheds tear for squandered youth, shakes fist at gods) Learn to flirt.
It sounds really cheesy, but those magazines like Mountain Bike and Bicycling, who run exactly the same ten issues every year, have a lot of good stuff on basic machanics, and tips 'n tricks. And lots of pictures for the slightly learning disabled among us (all those headplants).:D

missliz

[missliz]

The Goddess is right- that does sound like an insecurity thing.