Hi all – to learn more about how bikes work and to secretly end up with two bikes at the end of it (!) i'm building a 29er and have just ordered an inbred 29er frame.

Q: is there a necessary or recommended sequence to things, or do I need everything at once – what are the next steps I should take?

Thank you for the advice and suggestions.

there's a logical progression as to what goes on when, just cos of how it all fits together. i would say it goes something like:
frame
headset & forks
stem and bars
brakes, brake levers and shifters
wheels, rotors and cassette
tyres
mechs
bottom bracket
cranks, chain and drivtrain
seatpost, seat, pedals, grips
off you go.

I'd do it all in one go but it doesn't really matter.
Seatpost first to make it easier to get in the workstand.
Then headset & front end – fit forks and stem together so you know how short you need to cut the steerer.
I'd do the BB next but after that pretty much any order you want.
Save the cabling of the brakes and gears til last.

I always do the seatpost & clamp 1st.. onto the stand

Headset
Bottom Bracket & cranks
Front Mech
Forks & Stem
Rear Mech
Wheels
Bars
Brakes
Hook Gears up
Pedals

Beer

Depends if you have a workstand or not.

If you do then seatpost and clamp first.
Headset
Forks
Stem then cut steerer with a bit of extra length just incase
bars
shifters
brakes
bb and crank
mechs
wheels including cassette
chain
align brakes and setup gears
tyres grips saddle etc

If you dont have a workstand
Tyres and cassette on wheels
Headset
Forks
Stem and cut steerer to length as above
Bars so you can lean it against something
Wheels
Post and Saddle so you can lean it against something
Shifters and brakes
bb and crank
mechs and chain
align brakes and setup gears
grips

FWIW I dont have a workstand but wish I did.

Notes:

Get plenty of headset spacers so you can find the correct hight after shakedown rides
Get grease
A track pump is useful
Remove all the new stuff from boxes before you start
use the proper tools for the job headset press etc

HTH

Unbelievably frickin helpful. STW community generously gives every time. Thanks! (Now I get to buy a bike stand too – win!).

oh yeah, my build order is sans stand, hence the wheels being in is pretty useful early on as it means it can stand up (in my living room 😆 )

You dont *need* a workstand I've built loads of bikes without one. Using a workstand is a hell of a lot easier when setting up brakes and gears.

I find a turbo trainer a useful double up as a workstand; certainly allows easy gear adjustment

if you dont have a work stand.

Forks onto frame
put together your wheels (tyres on and pumped up)
wheels in forkandframe
then you can stand it on the ground to bolt on all the rest of the parts.

if you have a stand.

headset in the frame, fork on (and stem to hold it all together)
then bolt on the rest of the parts (easier to do with the wheels off) then finally, put the wheels in and adjust the mechs and brakes.

either way, dead easy.

i found that when it got as far as this:

it was quite hard to resist the temptation to try to ride it in the flat 😆

As others said add the parts that screw/press in to frame first BB, headset, post. Then forks stem bars, after that it's upto you. But I'd say gear+brake parts and cabling then first then add wheels and fettle.

Cut your forks last, after testing. I use a threaded bar and a bumper pack of spacers to preload the headset then do a few* test rides, once I'm 100% certain I cut the steerer.

OK ok sometimes more than a few, long steeres are not a crime! (but watch your nuts)

I would say cut it shorter than that as you are unlikely to need 50+mm of spacers ever. Get a load of 5mm spacers and stick a couple under and a couple above the stem and cut it at that height. That is with all the bearings and spacers fitted to the headset and everything assembled as you would be riding it.

Enormously helpful 🙂