building a bike from the frame up?

[surgtech1956]

How many of you are 'bike builders'? I've seen quite of few showing off a new frame. I'm thinking about a winter project - building a bike. I would appreciate any advice. Is there a good book to get? What about tools? Thanks, Nancy

[light_sabe_r]

hi surgtech! ^_^

I'm waiting on my frame to show up. I'm lucky cause DF is going to help me. but I'm picking all the parts myself with his know how thrown in.

Tools - Allen keys. Small Phillips head screw driver. WD40 (if you by a frame with the seat poast JAMMED in)

Parts - Totally depends on what comes with the bike and what needs replacing. I bought the frame and fork. Here's the list of what I bought or already had to get her up to scratch

Bar Ends
Flat handle bar
Drivetrain
Bottle cages
Saddle
Seat post
Headset
Groupset
Wheels
Bike Computer
Panniers
Pannier Bags
Saddle Bag (with spares and patch kit)

A lot of this stuff BF and I had lying around already - Had to buy the saddle, bar ends, handlebars and the pannier stuff.

BF bought a vintage frame. He also bought paint and invested in some metal work decals to restore this gem to a beauty. ^_^ If the paint needs to be restored then you'll also need Paintstripper, Paint, Polyurethane top coats at the minimum

If you want to be really creative - Get down to your local scrapbooking shop and buy some of those rub on letter transfers! Write your own slogan and paint the polyurethane over the top

[surgtech1956]

Thanks for the info. I'm going to have to browse Ebay.

[Batbike]

How many of you are 'bike builders'? I've seen quite of few showing off a new frame. I'm thinking about a winter project - building a bike. I would appreciate any advice. Is there a good book to get? What about tools? Thanks, Nancy

Last Fall I was injured and decided to build a frame to pass the time and wait for my body to heal. It was exciting. Fortunately I have a really good friend who was able to help me build it, but it was our second bike building experience together so I knew much more than I did the first time! If you have a friend who knows bikes, they will be a MUCH better helper than a book, but there are a LOT of good bike books to use -- Zinn's, Park Tools, Sheldon Brown, and Bicycle Magazine.

As for tools, start with the basics -- long handled Allen/Hex wrenches, screw drivers, cresten wrench, flat wrenches, lube, grease, wire cutters, pedal wrench, and drivetrain tools for your brand. No matter how prepared you be, you will end-up needing SOMETHING when you start building -- it goes with the territory!

Parts -- think MAIN parts and work from there: frame, fork, drivetrain (crank, derailleurs, shifters, cassette, bottom bracket), brakes, stem, handlebars, seatpost, saddle, wheels. Then, after you put that together, you will need to add cables, housing, spacers maybe, headset, cable caps. Of course, if you want to build your wheels too, that is a WHOLE other world of hubs, spokes, rims and the right type of rim tape! Like the tools, there is always SOMETHING you need to add/buy that you didn't think of to finish the bike!

Building a bike is fun and frustrating!!! Personally, I have LEARNED so much about bikes by working on them -- even if I don't get it right and have to redo it or have someone fix my fix! If you are interested in building a bike, I would encourage you to start building, even if you don't have EVERYTHING you need ... like Rome, a bike does not need to be built in a day!!

[SadieKate]

I build my bikes from the frame up with consultation and fine-tuning from my hubby. First of all, I let the pros install the headset and chace the bottom bracket. These can be tricky and the tools are expensive.* It just isn't cost effective to do that ourselves.

As far as chosing the parts, pay close attention to compatibility. This is the number one thing the stores complain about. People buy all the parts, find out stuff doesn't work well together and then show up at the LBS with their box of parts expecting the shop to magically make it all work like a finely tuned machine.

Do you have any friends that do this? Or would your shop let you come in to help and observe if you bring them pizza one winter evening? I'm with BatBike in thinking you will learn far more with a hands-on mentor, both in the parts-picking process and the building process. There are little tips and tricks about what to grease and what not to. What to grind down (such as cut ends of cable housing). Just a lot of little stuff that is easiest learned at someone's knee. Cutting housing and cable ends to the exact right length (I hear the boys in my LBS back in CA snickering now - just as long as they don't snicker at me).

I highly encourage you to find that someone and go for it.

*OK, you can install a headset with a homemade dowel system, but I wouldn't recommend it for a newbie.

[smilingcat]

I've build up number of bikes. Things to remember:

If you buy a frame off e-bay, does it come with a fork or not and what about the headset? Brand new from manufacturer, you will get a fork and frame but generally no head set unless its integrated.

steer tube comes in 1" or 1-1/8" mostly non-threaded these days.

Steer tubes will require some cutting.

seat post also comes in several sizes so do pay atention. This will determine the size of the clamp on type front deraillure. And if the front deraillure is a hanger type there are two sizes as well. And if it is a hanger type you might need to check if it will be compatible to a compact double chain ring.

Bottom bracket. you again have two choices. This will be determined by the frame English or Itallian. so if you do buy a bottom bracket make sure it is comaptible to the frame.

Oh the stem and handle bars. Again there is the regular size and the oversized.

But most important of them all. If you do build up your own bike, you get a bigger bang for your buck with good rear deraillure, and good set of wheels, followed by bottom bracket.

And generally it is much cheaper to buy the complete groupo or mixed groupo then buying one piece at a time.

mixed groupo would be something like DA rear deraillure, DA shifter/brake set, ultegra front deraillure, cassette, hyperglyde chain...

If you need help or questions, please PM me. Also the other person who can help you would be DebW. She knows far more than me. If you are not sure about the cost of an item, like is it a good dal or not again PM me,

It really isn't all that hard to do. just be patient and be cautious. And have lots of fun.
smilingcat

[DebW]

All good advice. If you're dealing with a brand new frame, it will probably need facing/reeming/thread chasing the first time the fork and bottom bracket are installed. In that case, let the pros handle that part. If it's had a headset and bb installed before, then installing another one is quite doable.

[SadieKate]

Bottom bracket. you again have two choices. This will be determined by the frame English or Itallian.

Um, unless it is a mountain bike or a newer road crank needing an external bearing BB or dble vs triple or . . . don't make assumptions there, roadie.

That's why it's all so stupidly complicated and a mentor is a good thing.

[smilingcat]

Um, unless it is a mountain bike or a newer road crank needing an external bearing BB or dble vs triple or . . . don't make assumptions there, roadie.

tis true... I'm strictly a roadie since I do not trust myself on a single track or just plain mtn bike. sudden Tree hugging or Saguaro catus hugging from a bike isn't my idea of fun. I'm not too good with steering and just god awful with braking.

smilingcat