Build up a bike?

[jessmarimba]

Thanks for the faith, guys My SO was a lot more positive about that suggestion than I was expecting, too. I'm still going to think about it...I'm mostly afraid I'll end up with a bike that doesn't fit right. Nothing could be much more uncomfortable than my old one, but I need something awesome to convince me to try this again

[uforgot]

Okay, I'm curious. What does your user name mean? I'm asking because I was a music major (percussion) in college. Do you play marimba by chance?

[jessmarimba]

You guessed it I teach percussion for fun, now.

Very cool - I've only run into one other person in the cycling world who knew!

[jessmarimba]

Originally wanted a Kona King Kahuna but was considering a Spot Longboard 9. Kona's got a similar bike I could get once I'm cleared for trails...but I'm kind of enchanted with the Spot right now.

Oh & my friend down your way says there's a weekend group called kickin asphalt, if you were still interested...seems like they're very friendly and open with a wide range of riders. She didn't know anything about classes or instruction though.

[Cataboo]

Oh - you're talking about building up a mountain bike... all I can say is that forks can be very expensive.

[Bike Chick]

It's fun picking out each and every new part for your bike. You learn a lot about bicycles in the process too.

[Becky]

Do it! I'm building up my Salsa El Mariachi right now, and having lots of (impatient) fun with it.

Yep, it's more expensive than buying a stock bike, but when it's all done, I will have a bike that's exactly what I want. I've picked some stuff up that's lightly used, and I'm always watching cycling sites and Ebay for good deals. Make sure that you know exactly what you need in terms of compatibility and jump on the good deals.

It's not that hard to put together either. You might need shop help for frame prep or headset installation- stuff that can sometimes require expensive tools. Hanging the other parts on the frame is pretty straightforward. The worst case is that you need your shop's help to fine-tune the last little bits.

Good luck and have fun!