ive been looking at a custom build around an evil sovereign for a few weeks and have a frame on order which should be with me any day now.
Ive never built a bike from scratch so spoke to a shop that would build it to my spec. Having 'virtually' bought the items online from merlin it has come in at £200 cheaper and i dont have to deliver the frame to the shop at my time and cost as well.
I also like the idea of building it myself so i will kinda know how things work and go together so my question is are all instructions, washers,nuts, allen bolts, lubricants etc required included in the components when i buy them?
thanks....
Do you have all the tools required to build up a bike?
Headset press, bottom bracket tool, brake mount tool, torx keys, allen keys, thread lock, cable cutters, grease, torque wrench/ key....
No (apart from washers), but a tub of grease a workstand and a decent set of tools can be had for a lot less than £200. Whether your time is worth more than £200 depends what else you've got going on. I don't have a lot of spare time, so would rather pay my LBS to do the work. Then I can spend my spare time riding, and know that if the bike isn't screwed together properly, or if anything is damaged during assembly it's someone else's fault. Got to be worth a few quid I reckon.
Incidentally, if there are a few parts that are much cleaner online, why not supply them with the frame, and just pay the LBS to supply the bits that they're competitive on and build it?
There's nothing better than building your own bike, but it will cost you more than you anticipate, it always does. 😉
Brake mount tool? Whats that then?
I say go for it, plenty of online guides, putting all the bits together isn't that complicated, plus you get to increase your tool collection! Get your lbs to do the 'hard' bits such as the headset.
You will need lubricants and tools. If you want a good book on bike building and maintenance I'd recommend "Zinn and the Art of Mountain Bike Maintenance".
Building bikes is hugely rewarding!
Have fun!
Do you have all the tools required to build up a bike?
Headset press, bottom bracket tool, brake mount tool, torx keys, allen keys, thread lock, cable cutters, grease, torque wrench/ key....
Eh? For gawd's sake don't try and scare him off before he even starts!
When I built my own bike up it improved my maintenance skills/understanding overnight, as I realised it meant no job was that complicated (except wheel building but it cheaper to buy pre-built wheels). At worst take anything your unsure about to your LBS.
As for that list of tools:
Headset press - thread rod, nuts and some large washers (or even just a lump of wood and a hammer)from your local hardware shop, or just take it to your LBS for this "job" if your scared of damaging the frame
BB tool - worthwhile getting one
Brake mount tool - ?? in years of building bike I've never felt the need for a "Disc Mount Facing Tool", just get a set of brake shims to straighten any IS brake mounts or at worst take it to your LBS.
Allen (hex) keys - yes get a decent set and this will save you years of aggravation (Halford's "professional" set are what I bought)
Cable cutter - forget expensive cycling ones, and just get wire cutters, £6 from screw fix.
Torque wrench - unless your a gorilla, just use common sense.
Thread lock is useful but not essential (brake bolt come pre-coated), and everyone should have some grease somewhere, if not get some!
Lots and lots of info on the net on how to build bikes, so no need to even buy a book, try here for a start (very clear info):
http://www.parktool.com/blog/repair-help
Just get the BB mount faced and the headset faced and fitted and you can do the rest yourself
I have a zinns book you can have its battered and bruised but it's the bible for beginners really I used it religiously when I started building a couple of years back, simple things like removing play from your headset via starnut and stem can seem like rocket science till you learn how this book makes it all pretty simple.
About the only real difficult (ie expensive tool) job is the headset, so this is one item that is best bought at an LBS for a fitted price.
Otherwise get a workstand, a copy of Zinn and whichever tools they recommend.
Tools only need to be bought once, but can be used many times - unlike paying someone everytime. Or you could be like the guy at Glentress on Sunday who'd walked down the last descent because his rear brake was locking on - he had neither a mini-tool nor actually knew how a post-mount caliper could be 're-centred'...
And get cycle-specific cutters, they aren't dear.
Cycle specific cutters? Really? I'm using a 5-quid one from screwfix that have done me proud for the last 3 years. The only thing it struggled with was some cheap outer from Halfords but it's been fine since then with my usual stuff.
As above, enjoy the build, most things have been covered.
One that hasn't yet is cutting the fork steerer.
Nothing to worry about, but one of the key "measure twice cut once" tasks - no second chance if you get it wrong so make sure you're ok with what you're doing.
You'll need a hacksaw and some form of "guide" (you can get a tool from merlin that's good) or can use an old stem or two clambed to the steerer to keep the cut straight. Then metal file it to take the sharp edges off.
When doing your first build, its best to allow for at least 30mm of spacers above the headset, gives you some scope for adjusting how high you set your stem. Once you've built it, ride the bike for at least a month and you'll make your mind up where is best for you by playing about with the spacers putting them above/below the stem. Don't cut the steerer down to flush until you're absolutely sure (if ever).
I'd say this advice is particularly relevant if you're putting adjustable forks on your Sov. You'll probablly find your own sweet spot for fork length, but in the future you may want to wind the fork out or in (for DH or jumping) and some spacer flexibility will allow you to adjust the stem height to keep your bars at the level you're used to.
You'll need a hacksaw and some form of "guide" (you can get a tool from merlin that's good) or can use an old stem or two clambed to the steerer to keep the cut straight. Then metal file it to take the sharp edges off.
or a pipe cutter from your local DIY store but like loum says measure twice cut once
I have just built a second bike up myself, hugely rewarding and does make a build that much more personal. However, nobody has mentioned a rubber mallet. Hindsight is a wonderful thing, especially when fitting white forks...
Do it, it's easy. Buy a bottom bracket tool, Sov is standard HT2 type so a [url= http://www.chainreactioncycles.com/Models.aspx?ModelID=10179 ]Spanner like this[/url] is all you need. Headset tool is also straightforward to make but at [url= http://www.rosebikes.co.uk/article/cyclus-headset-press-tool/aid:22688 ]this price from Rose[/url], I'd just buy one. Everything else is just hex and torx that you likely have already. No need to "face" anything unless you have really bad uneven paint/powdercoat, in which case just pare it back with a blade.
Simple enough to do. Take your time, measure once cut twice, leave the big hammer alone
My main tip - get a big tub of coppaslip and use it on every thread
I've "built" several bikes from scratch, now, and I'm not the handiest of chaps. It's extremely rewarding.
Just to emphasise - measure TWICE, cut ONCE and if in doubt, ask for advice.
frame arrived today so things get serious!!!
thanks for all the advice. I have found a new bike builder very close to me in london rather than one over 2 hours away! so im gonna start myself and if i run into any difficulty i only have a 10 minute drive. cutting the fork steerer is something i probabley wont attempt myself but the rest i will have a good go at. i think i will get more out of it if i do it myself and also when something goes wronng i will have a much better idea of what and why. will let you know how i got on