My first home built frame, first 29er, first time fitting a headset, first time bleeding my brakes, first time building a bike on my own, first time not messing up my gear cables. Only made a few mistakes, like trying to fit a front mech cable to the rear mech (was very concerned as to why it wasnt long enough), made the seat angle (~73.5deg) too steep and cant get my saddle far enough back and have ended up with a handed bottle cage (which is great for people who take their bottle out with their right hand, more difficult for lefties. Now know how not to drill tubes). Thankfully everything important like the head tube alignment and the rear axle alignment is fine!

Specs are as follows, 631 44mm head tube (120mm long), 853 front triangle, columbus zona stays, paragon 142×12 rear drop out, standard threaded 73mm bottom bracket, 31.6 post. 70deg HA at a 490 ATC.

X0 shifter, x9 type 2 rear mech, hope mono mini brakes, archs on hopes, hope headset and BB, Sram S2200 cranks, Absolute black narrow wide 30t ring, 3T carbon bars, grips from the surly (new ESI extra chunkys on the way), thompson post, specalized saddle, rocket rons, 11-36 cassette, niner RDO rigid forks, race face 60mm +/-6deg stem.

Previous posts I’ve made
http://singletrackworld.com/forum/topic/so-i-built-a-thing-completed-frame-content
With a full build album of the frame here

Handed bottle cage

Non-drive side!

Managed my first ride on it today and although it was short and tame I really can feel the larger wheels pulling me up, the frame is bloody stiff considering its made of steel, couldn’t make it flex under power and its all held together.

Chapeau.

Looks really good mate! When are coming up to let me have a test spin? 😛

Ill be back tomorrow nathan, more than welcome to have a thrash on it then! (also having a takeaway, join us)

Is there enough post in the frame?

Nice bike though

Oooh yea go on then!

dobo – probably, its a 410 post, certainly a lot more post than there was in my boardman, about 3″ more and its no way near the limit (of the post).

Why such a short stem……..don’t seem right.

dunstick – because it fits me, unfortunately I also knew very little about geometry when I started this build and hopefully the next one will be a lot better in that sense.

Noooooo. Why did you have to post such a thing? Now I want to build my own bike. I just had a flick through the build album – did you use a brake rotor as a staybrace? Good effort anyway.

Eulach – it wasnt amazigly difficult either, did most of the filing with sand paper and the tube to mitre it to. Yes I did, a HS1 rotor to be exact that, stole the idea from chickens frame emporium!

Good work 8)
What was the end result with the squashed seat tube?

Superb, interested to hear how it rides.

P20 – they gave me enough money to make me go away for ever. Which is nice!

ds3000 – should know by tomorrow! If it stays intact. Carpark test says stiff as a very stiff thing.

Lol 😆

I like it, but think the forks really don’t suit the frame. X

Well done I like that a lot and having a self built frame has got to be the height of manliness:)

I would be eternally scared of a random piece of the frame kebabing me at any moment if I built it though.

Well done! Frame looks nice – needs a steel fork though.

Would love to weld my own bike up, very cool!