# So I want to build my own road bike....



## penquin (May 23, 2011)

Hello all and thanks for looking at my thread

Quick intro about me...

My name is dario im a college student that is fairly new to cycling. 

I started cycling as a hobby to loose weight and im happy to say that I have lost 25 pounds and I am almost at my ideal body weight. When I started cycling I was doing on average 8 miles every other day which was a big deal for me some one who never did any type of exersize. Now im happy to say on average I do a 36 mile trip about every 3 days. My first and only road bike was a Schwinn le Tour I paid about 500 for it at my LBS. It has been a good bike but I haven't been completely satisfied. After trying my friends Fuji Newest 2, I decided I want to build my own road bike.

Now I been doing my reading and looking at different forums to see what people recommend but I haven't found really what I am looking for, so I apologize if some one has all ready asked some of my newbish questions.

Theres a lot of hills where I live so im trying to avoid Single speed bikes.... I also want to start racing... I fell in love with this sport its just a very expensive hobby

My frame budget has to be less then 700 (which is a lot for a college student... so I want to do this the right way)

So first things first frame... Im determine to get a good frame a decent price... I live on craigslist and ebay looking for a good deal =).. sadly haven't came across to many and if i did i thought this might be to good to be true and ended up passing on it... A brand name isint really a big deal for me im not a flashy person I been looking at the three following frames can any one please give me some words of wisdom before i blow my money

http://cgi.ebay.com/ORGANIC-BIKES-C...00584284560?pt=Road_Bikes&hash=item2eb3c14990 (ideally what i want... im a very "green" guy and love the idea of a bamboo bike... but my question is it worth the buy? I seen really good review on calfee bamboo bikes but i cant afford them)

http://cgi.ebay.com/P1-Full-Carbon-...30624974742?pt=Road_Bikes&hash=item35b251d796 (second option, never heard of the brand, cant seem to find reviews, but at the end of the day its a carbon frame can you go wrong with it?)

http://cgi.ebay.com/DOGMA-CARBON-FI...60592127578?pt=Road_Bikes&hash=item256409665a (never heard of this brand cant seem to find any reviews on them... but at the end of the day its still a carbon frame so is it a safe buy? this is my third option)

Thanks in advance!


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## robdamanii (Feb 13, 2006)

Your two ebay links are from chinese produced frames that come with no warranty or after sales support. It is also unknown what (if any) quality control they pass through, both from a safety standpoint and a construction standpoint. There have been issues with cable stops not drilled out, resin in head tubes, headsets and crown races not fitting without modification, resin in bottom bracket threads, etc etc. 

If this is your first bike build, I'd HIGHLY recommend you look for a good quality, durable aluminum frame from any major manufacturer if you have any thoughts of ever need after sales support. There are plenty of them out there. They will also be much more forgiving of your amateur mechanics during the build process (assuming you want to build it yourself) especially if you lack specific tools such as torque wrenches and such.

Beyond that, I'd suggest that you visit MANY local bike shops and ride MANY bikes somewhere in your price range. See what you like and don't like about each of them. Right now, it sounds like you've only ridden a couple bikes, and you're not entirely sure of what specific geometry or features you're looking for. Before you buy any frame, you'll need to know EXACTLY what you want, otherwise you have a high potential to buy something and be unsatisfied again.

IMHO.


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## penquin (May 23, 2011)

Thanks for the advice... you could not be more right I really dont know what I want but im not to happy with my schwinn... But I will keep looking around and no i did not plan on actually putting the bike together my self... I had planned to buy all the parts and take it to my LBS


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## robdamanii (Feb 13, 2006)

penquin said:


> Thanks for the advice... you could not be more right I really dont know what I want but im not to happy with my schwinn... But I will keep looking around and no i did not plan on actually putting the bike together my self... I had planned to buy all the parts and take it to my LBS


That does make it easier.

If you're planning on the LBS to build, make sure you get a labor quote. It may cost you a hundred bucks to get that built, depending on their labor rates. 

Definitely factor it into your decision.


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## penquin (May 23, 2011)

Will do...

Quick question... 

Whats your input on the bamboo frame?


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## robdamanii (Feb 13, 2006)

I've never ridden a bamboo bike, and it's not really high on my list.

It's a novelty, sure, but I'd rather have aluminum for that price. Calfree bamboo bikes are expensive for a reason...


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## Waves77 (Aug 15, 2010)

How about Tsunami? Custom Alu frame for about $650 (from what I've heard).


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## Wookiebiker (Sep 5, 2005)

Waves77 said:


> How about Tsunami? Custom Alu frame for about $650 (from what I've heard).


I believe they are $750 now.


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## Wookiebiker (Sep 5, 2005)

My questions would be these:

1. Do you want a "Custom" frame...or just a custom "Build" on a regular frame?
2. If you want a "Custom" frame do you "Need" a custom frame?

If you are just putting together a custom build for cheap, then my suggestion would be to purchase a complete bike off of E-Bay and ride that. If you can't find one you like, purchase one for the parts...then purchase a frame separately and transfer the parts from the bike you don't like to the frame you do...and then sell the other frame on E-Bay.

If you need a custom frame due to odd body dimensions...Tsunami is about as inexpensive as you are going to get and that's going to eat your entire frame budget and a little more. Anything else is going to be out of your price range....so I'd wait for another financial aid check to come in before moving on to a custom frame if this is the case.


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## penquin (May 23, 2011)

wow... im such a noob I wasn't aware that you needed a custom frame to build a custom bike... I thought you can purchase any frame and just add stuff to it... I think it will be better for me to stay away from building a bike for a little bit until i get more familiar with the sport and the overall mechanics of a bicycle at this level... 

Someone recommended a planet x bike for me.... I never heard of the brand but found some pretty good reviews online...

Thank you all for the input.... I would hate to make another purchase and not be satisfied


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## robdamanii (Feb 13, 2006)

penquin said:


> wow... im such a noob I wasn't aware that you needed a custom frame to build a custom bike... I thought you can purchase any frame and just add stuff to it... I think it will be better for me to stay away from building a bike for a little bit until i get more familiar with the sport and the overall mechanics of a bicycle at this level...
> 
> Someone recommended a planet x bike for me.... I never heard of the brand but found some pretty good reviews online...
> 
> Thank you all for the input.... I would hate to make another purchase and not be satisfied


A "custom bike" is generally known as a frame that is built specifically to your body, the geometry you want, and tubeset you want. A "custom build" would be more along the lines you're talking about where you buy a frame and select your components piece by piece.

As was said earlier, ride lots and lots and LOTS of bikes to find what works for you before spending any hard earned money.


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## Wookiebiker (Sep 5, 2005)

penquin said:


> wow... im such a noob I wasn't aware that you needed a custom frame to build a custom bike... I thought you can purchase any frame and just add stuff to it... I think it will be better for me to stay away from building a bike for a little bit until i get more familiar with the sport and the overall mechanics of a bicycle at this level...
> 
> Someone recommended a planet x bike for me.... I never heard of the brand but found some pretty good reviews online...
> 
> Thank you all for the input.... I would hate to make another purchase and not be satisfied


As *robdamanii* mentioned you don't need a custom frame to build a bike...but some of us either need them or desire them.

It sounds as if you are building a bike with your own selection of components...which is fine because you end up with a bike that you want from the start instead of having parts that you are not happy with.

So don't worry about it...just remember when talking "Custom" on a bike forum that generally means a fully custom frame (geometry, tubing, paint, etc.).

For your original question...what you need to do first if find out what size and dimensions you need in a frame, then go from there. This is important because no matter how much you may want a specific frame, if it doesn't fit you won't ride it. 

When you figure out fit, figure out what you want in a frame...Do you want it to be quick handling, stable handling, stiff for racing, softer for touring, do you need fender mounts for rain rides, do you need bike rack mounts, etc.

Once you have that figured out...then you can start thinking about which components you need to put on the bike. 


Did you get a frame with a BB30 bottom bracket? If so you need a BB30 crank (or Bottom Bracket adapters for a standard crank). 
Do you need an integrated headset or external headset? 
Is the cable mounting internal or external? 
What gearing do you need...compact or standard? 
What rear cassette size are you going to run? If it's bigger, say anything over 27 tooth for the largest sprocket you might need a specific or MTB derailleur to cover the gearing needs.
What size/shape of bar do you want and works best for you?
What type of pedals are you going to run? Do you need the versatility of being able to walk around? If so, MTB pedals may work best for you. If you are racing you have road pedal options such as Speedplay, Look, Shimano, etc.

So...going a custom build route can be a bit complicated, but if you do your research it can be very rewarding. However, the process can take a while to complete and for many it can be a winter time or longer project.

Just some things to keep in perspective...and one reason I might suggest looking for a used bike and going with that. This way you can test ride it, get some time on a more modern bike and start to figure out what you really want in a bike and components...when you get that figured out you will be in a better position to make frame and component selections.


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## penquin (May 23, 2011)

Will do... Im just so anxious to upgrade... but it will be best to look around like everyone has recommended... other than craigslist do you guys know of any place where people sell there bikes??

Thanks!


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## penquin (May 23, 2011)

Im about to go look at a used bike....

http://orlando.craigslist.org/bik/2397289173.html

If the bike is in good condition is this a good price ?


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## robdamanii (Feb 13, 2006)

Wait, you want a time trial bike?


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## penquin (May 23, 2011)

No I don't... I asked the guy if it was a
Tri bike and he said it was a rode bike I guess he
Tried to pull a fast 1...


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## Wookiebiker (Sep 5, 2005)

penquin said:


> No I don't... I asked the guy if it was a
> Tri bike and he said it was a rode bike I guess he
> Tried to pull a fast 1...


It looks like an older Cervelo P1 which was a Tri-Bike with a reversible seat post which would technically make it usable as a road bike...but not a good one. I'd keep looking since you should be able to find a nice, raceable road bike for $800 or so.

My suggestion would be to look into Cannondale CAAD series bikes. Great frames, light weight, race oriented but capable of longer rides and since there are so many out there you can usually find them for fairly cheap.

As for options on where to purchase...Obviously Craigslist, but you can also try local shops that are selling used bikes, E-Bay and of course the classified ads on RBR.


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## penquin (May 23, 2011)

Thanks wookiebiker!


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