any websites or books that could help me with building my own mountain bike. Has anyone done this ? all the parts seem readily available, what are the advantages/disadvantages to buying one staright off the shelf.
Any help appreciated
2007-12-20 00:59:56 · 7 answers · asked by Anonymous in Sports ➔ Cycling
Not that I know of.....you can get bits and pieces of knowledge from people, catalogs, websites, etc.....but to my knowledge there isn't a builder's handbook anywhere. But there should be!!!
If you build up a frame, you WILL pay more.....sometimes a LOT more than what you would buying a complete bike. If you shop smart, you can do pretty well, but it's almost always cheaper to buy a bike rather than piecing it together.
The advantages are choosing what you want, knowing that the job is done right (if you have the knowledge and skills as a mechanic), and the satisfaction of just DOING it.....it can be fun!
The disadvantages are....well, the money thing is a big one! If you're not savvy on bike parts and the market, or if your mechanic skills are lacking, then you'll more than likely run into lots of little frustrations and delays putting the bike together. You can figure them all out, but it can really p*ss you off in the meantime. lol. For instance, simple things like front derailleurs, headsets, and cable routing/housing ferrules can drive you nuts if you aren't familiar with all the various parts available, frame designs, etc.
Don't let anyone persuade you that you *shouldn't* give it a try if you want to.....just know that it isn't always a piece of cake and that it'll probably take you one or two builds until you're likely to get everything right (buying and building) on the first try. :o)
2007-12-20 03:41:02 · answer #1 · answered by Ride!Urban 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
My advice to you is . . .Don't!
Building a bike, with new parts, from scratch, will cost you dearly! It will cost far more than a new bike!
If you need books, etc. to help build your bike, that tells me you have little experience at this, you could end up building a costly mistake.
Buy a reasonable MTB to start with and upgrade the parts as you go, not only will this give you experience on the mechanical side but it will give you an insight into what items make the real difference and what upgrades would be most beneficial to you!
.
2007-12-20 03:28:55 · answer #2 · answered by onlyme Mr G 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Don't bother, It will cost far more in money and time than buying a ready made bike. Also If you make your own Bike unless you know what your doing will all the parts be compatible ?. And also you will have no warranty !
The only advantage is you can make a bike unique to you but unless you have a lot of experience you wont know what is good or bad for you anyway
2007-12-20 01:23:19 · answer #3 · answered by ajpshares 3 · 2⤊ 1⤋
You could check Park tools website.
The advantages of buying a complete bike is that it will be cheaper and everything is supposed to work nicely together.
The advantages of building yourself is that you choose what you want in the bike, and usually you will get a nicer bike if you choose the components correctly, but it will cost considerable more.
2007-12-20 06:11:53 · answer #4 · answered by Roberto 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
If you need a book to help you put together a bike I would strongly recommend against it. There are many things that you need to know that just can't be put in books.
On top of that it will cost you at LEAST triple what a comparably equipped production bike would cost- and probably not work as well.
2007-12-20 04:22:28 · answer #5 · answered by bikeworks 7 · 0⤊ 1⤋
check out pricepoint.com they have build kits
2007-12-20 05:18:16 · answer #6 · answered by Firecracker67 4 · 0⤊ 1⤋
could cost ahell of alot of money if your not careful
2007-12-20 05:40:50 · answer #7 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 1⤋