Having been keen to justify/buy a full susser for a while, I have looked online and seen the deals available on Kona Dawg frames at CRC.

I have a very limited budget and was wondering if I can build up a bike for £1,200 – I am struggling to keep it the build within budget, and have put together a list of stuff that I think I would need to make up the build.

Any items you think I could save cash on, or alternatively are bad spec choices? I have shifters/brake levers already (dreaded dual control combo), rear sram cassette and rear xt mech already. Also possibly could resurrect some old dmr v8 pedals.

I had considered alternative of (a) purchasing a whole bike (eg discounted giant trance) and (b) buying a donor bike such as a on-one 456 complete build. I am stuck between not wanting to go overboard and not wanting to compromise on the fork/frame/wheels. Are those the right items of spec to prioritise? Most of the items would come from Merlin/CRC.

Potential build below (advice on wheels particularly appreciated):

frame kona dawg 319.99
crankset deore 57.99
fork roxshox revelation 15mm £270
shifter/brakes deore (donor brakes to attach to calipers to dual control shifters) £80
rear mech xt (already own)
wheelset mavic crossride 15mm front axle £200
bar kore tortion 19.99
stem truvativ hussafelt 23.99
headset Hope £60
pedals nukeproof £50 (or own)
grips odi £17
chain SRAM £25
cassette SRAM already own
front mech xt £25
saddle fizik gobi £38
seatpost race face/easton £30

Total circa £1,200

Apologies for the poor table formatting!

Yes frame, fork and wheels are the bits I’d prioritise too.

Possibly spend a bit more on the wheels and save money on some of the other components.

I have a pile of good quality new/nearly new components to clear out and would be happy to do you a job lot. Email in profile if interested, sorry for spamming if not!

Bump for the ‘It is Monday morning, oh crikes I have 5 more days of this’ crowd.

You can drop a bunch of notes on the headset, if its just 1 1/8th, can get a decent enough sealed unit for £20

Unless the cassette you have is new or done almost no milage you might need to add that.

Or you can get all new in that budget.
http://www.paulscycles.co.uk/products.php?plid=m1b0s1p3709%5D

Stretch to £1400 and they have a dale with 10 speed and Fox forks.

http://www.paulscycles.co.uk/products.php?plid=m1b0s1p3710

I built mine up proper cheap as a first full susser. Raided my spares, my brother’s spares, classifieds and ebay. Think the only new parts were cables and the chain guide bash thing. Now running on different wheels (tubless on bontrager race). Owes me about £300 (I did have a lot of spares!) and it’s great fun 🙂

Thanks for your comments – chakaping, am just getting budget costs together at the moment before I make the decision either way.

Tinsy, good tip, will have a look at cheaper headsets. Only thought of Hope as I was going to ask the LBS to fit it (and I wanted to support them on that part of the purchase at least). If it is worth waiting an getting better wheels (rather than cheapo ones), I thought I might get these from LBS as they are good value and they stock nice pimp Hope ones.

Restless, that looks like a nice bike – what tyre clearance do you get on the back? I quite like the idea of running fatter rubber (I like 2.25 plus for summer).

Pretty sure you could get a giant trance frame for that secondhand.

I respect you for wantong to support the LBS but if you did choose to the headset and wheels I think you could possibly get better deals. This FSA headset I’ve found really reliable.

I was also really tempted by these wheels, should be light , reliable and can be easily run tubeless.

It looks like a great build, building your own is really satisfying.

Clearance at the rear bridge is useless on them, a 2.1 Maxxis advantage or crossmark is the limit really. Unless the later ones got better, mines a 2005 (I don’t think they did though)

some good priced wheels on superstar….
http://superstar.tibolts.co.uk/index.php?cPath=40

if you are considering full bikes, hows about the yt industries wicked 150? amazing value on their bikes

If you’ve got £1200 have you looked on somewhere like Paul’s cycles for any clearance bikes?
I’d be surprised if you can’t get a Trance for that.

Or how about a Camber? Worth scouring the ads in the back of the mags…

seems a bargain

Diggers – funnily enough I looked at the Escarpe 2. Both seem amazing value, noticed the price of Kona Dawg frame has just gone up. Also, I am slightly put off by restricting the size of a rear tyre.

I have looked at the Trance x4 too – seems good value.