[Closed] Build it your self or off the peg bike

you probably need to be more specific

i couldnt find what i needed for my commute bike, i needed fast and light on the road, strong frame/wheels with good mud clearance for the forest track i also commute down. i also wanted to use the bike for touring. so i made one up myself based on a cross bike frame - new very little before i started out - learnt loads in the process and really enjoyed the whole process.

so if you want custom made , do it yourself with help from the forums etc
if you want a better price for the spec buy off the peg. is what i would say.

If you mean....

a) Buy frame, then build up using your choice of parts.

or

b) Buy a full bike from a shop.

....Then they both have advantages and disadvantages.

For option a, you really need to know what you want, and what you want it to do. Also bear in mind it will take a bit longer, and will definately cost you more. BUT you will end up with a bike that 'should' be perfect for you, and no-one else will have one just like it.

For option b, you get instant gratification - a bike to ride straight away. BUT there will be compromises. Manufacturer's cut corners on the spec (on unseen parts like BBs, and cables) unless you go for a top-of-the-range bike. Also the bike will be more of a jack of all trades, designed to appeal to/suit the many, not just you.

The choice is yours.

Option c) buy a 'botique' frame build option and get them to change all the parts you don't like whilst still taking the discount.

Build your own.

I spent weeks planning it, constantly changing my 'on paper' spec, watching the pile of parts building up and wishing for the next part to arrive.

Took me best part of a day to build, with the odd bit of trial and error, but without a 9 year old and coffee/beer/smoke breaks would have been done in an afternoon.

A couple of tweaks and it was perfect and everything has so far worked pretty much flawlesly. You get a decent sense of satisfaction too.

Or build your own out of all the bits that have got 10/10 in the mags, and find that it rides crap...

For me, buy 2 bikes from my LBS over a couple of years; then buy a frame and build it up from the best bits having sold the original 2 frames - plus having a pile of spares.

They sell off the peg bikes?

Where's the fun in that.

what is this "off the peg" you speak of?

My GF thinks all bikes come as piles of bits 😆

I've got 3 bikes that i built, it's a lot of fun, but the $$$ soon add up. My FS I bought off the peg & have changed very little in 3 years, everything was more than adequate.
Not sure what I'd get next.

buy one "off the peg" through a cycle scheme, sell off all the bits you don't want and upgrade the rest!

You probably get better value buying a complete bike, but then if you end up spending loads of cash changing the spec (*ahem) then that's not too much of an issue I suppose.

I would never buy an off the peg bike, if i did i'd immedietly start changing bits.

I see my bikes as on going projects 😛

If you're on a tight budget and/or can get a really good bargain on a complete bike (i.e. last years model for £x00 off), off the peg is probably the best route.

If you don't really have a budget and want the bike exactly how you desire, then speccing it yourself is probably the best route.

Get down the shop & test-ride, test-ride, test-ride: anything you don't like will become apparent and if it's a big ol' chain-store they're staffed by [s]pussies[/s] helpful people who will [s]cave in to your demands[/s] certainly listen to your queries and help you right out.

If you like the ride then you can always upgrade bits as things wear out.

build it up yourself.

actually do it yourself, dont get a shop to do it, thats no fun.
spend the spare money on a nice workstand and some basic tools.

if your not going to build it yourself, get one off the peg, as you get more bike for your money.

Get one off the peg as they offer a massive value for money.
Get some holidays with the difference.
Change bits as they fail.

I much prefer to build my own bikes, I have 4 bikes 3 of which I built myself.
If you are paitient then you can aquire top quality parts at a fraction of a shop cost's. I hunted around for the Wife as she is due a better bike and came across a fantastic carbon H/Tail in mint condition for a superb price, the frame was to big so I totally stripped all the top spec parts from the bike and got a superb smaller frame on here at a great price. Once I build it up she will have a top spec bike for less than £500 😀
But its not just about saving money it is also about using parts that suit your style of riding, with most off the peg bikes there is always something that you dislike and want to change 😕
If you have the time then build your own there is nothing better than standing back when you have finished and taking pride in the finished article.

I tend to build (road bike, C2W and BMX the exception) as I enjoy the process and fettling bikes. Having said that, my wife reckons it's not too good for my health - ask me again when I'm cleaning up brake fluid that's jetissoned from a blown piston, you might get a different answer. Like footstomper I tend to look for the bargains, but the value of some off the peg bikes is pretty impressive, particularly at the moment with parts prices in the stratosphere. If you're patient though you can generally put something together with equal or better parts for less.

Building is defo most satisfying, but it takes a while to know exactly what you want and you have to have a clear idea before you start. Also if you can most of the bits second hand but still in good nick its even more satisfying!

well i have just bought off the peg, and for me it is perfect. Think if you buy a bike to do one thing, eg. Xc racing then apart from minor things there wouldn't be a huge amount to change till it wears out. Probably better to custom build if you want a bike that can do a mixture.