Planet X – Build your own

A friend is tempted by the London Road build your own deal. What are chances that the frame *won’t* need chasing and facing prior to build.

I dont have the tools to prep the frame but can do everything else.

Anyone have any experience of building one up previously?

(And yes, I know about the seatpost issues)

A decent bike shop should chase ‘n’ face for not too much money

APF

Built 3, all fine apart from some minor seatpost lotto grief.

Mr LR frame didn’t need facing/reaming – I just fitted everything.

Schweppes Ginger Ale can shim for the seatpost and all good.

Another mate the same, so 4 all ok.

Apparently if one was to ask nicely we’ll press the crown race for you.

Apparently if one was to ask nicely we’ll press the crown race for you.

however its unlikely to be the crown race that matches the headset

Just make sure you have the parts needed to finish them off which are listed in the px listings for the diy bikes.

My LR was fine apart from me cross-threading a bottle boss and the baggy seatpost was fixed with a thomson seat collar to replace the team issue light thing.

The rim tape is awful though, I’d get it replaced before you get a puncture as it rumbles really easy and then keeps a sharp edge.

Wasn’t impressed with the lack of reflectors on a “commuter” bike and both and I and PX were quoting the same bit of legislation to each other butt they didn’t understand that the latest amendment was brought in specifically for companies like PX (no pedals it’s unbuilt therefore you don’t need to supply reflectors). A simple question “is the bike for competition/event use?” would tell them if reflectors are needed to be fitted.

Cheers Guys, good to know.

Having had a bike from PX that needed a fair bit of rebuilding why not cut out the middleman and save a few quid?

When I built mine , the only problems I had were the bottle bosses were a bit stiff frist time I put bolts in, two of the brake caliper bolts were also a bit tricky almost feeling like they were cross threading but they were fine in the end, the seat post was very slightly baggy sorted with seat clamp now fine, and the bottom bracket on the drive side was a bit of a bugger to get to go frist time, however I had ordered my bb from my lbs who fitted it for free what should have been 5 min job turn in to a 30min jobs as the mechanic had to chase it out 3 times, I was lucky.

I am really happy with it now the rest of the build was fine and dead easy, paints a bit thin and chips a bit easily, mine and olive green one looks real cool imo .

Other than that its a good bike, I reckon that it has cost £500 all in finished and I was using 2nd hand parts ,bars ,groupset ,and wheels.
I would say its a good deal but just be aware the small bits can add up in price,
regards
Mr34

so apart from the BB not fitting properly all bolts needing to be forced in and the seatpost not really fitting so requiring some adaptions….apart from that its a great bike

They used to sell cheap bikes now they sell bikes that are cheap for a reason

Shame

The latest email refers to them as Special Build in their title……….. ooh special

The latest email refers to them as Special Build in their title……….. ooh special

Special as they cant even be bothered to throw in 2 rim tapes and some cables…

Additional parts required to complete the bike build.
Rim tape x 2
Inner brake cable
Outer brake cable
Outer gear cable
Gear Ferrules

Does the ad in small print say you will need your own welding gear?

And then following the supplied instructions your finished article:

I can’t work this out…..

‘Special Build’. Hmm. Whats included in the deal? Do I just need to add in:

Rim tape x 2
Inner brake cable
Outer brake cable
Outer gear cable
Gear Ferrules

Everything else needed for a complete bike comes in this package? I just need to assemble?

help!

Correct

Cheers cp. I might plump for it, ta.

Bought one. Will update you all on the build experience later.

All I was saying my pervious post was in retrospect I should have chased out the treads first, its all been minor stuff really apart from the bb the non drive side was fine and the mechanic was just being careful with drive side but it was fine in end.
Im still happy enough with it especially as I got it reduced, and it was the only way for me to get a gravel /adventure , cx type bike.
good luck with your build .
regards Mr34

last year’s 20 pages of LR woe…

Mine is still going strong, just put the winter tyres back on again. Chasing and facing is seldom actually necessary… Be prepared to source a slightly bigger seatpost…

For a bit of balance, I’ve had in no particular order since 2001….:-

OO Inbred mk2
OO 456
PX Superlight Team ALU
PX London Road
OO Scandal 26er
OO Scandal 29er mk2 18″
OO Scandal 29er mk2 19.5″
OO Carbon 456
OO Parkwood
OO Inbred 26er Slot D/out
PX Carbon Pro
PX Kaffenback

(ug!)

All have them have been great – no thread defects at all, all seat tubes the correct size etc….

I have had various other OO/PX frames in the past, they’ve all been fine.

But the quite prevalent LR’s ‘wizards sleeve’ issue and the consistently poor responses that others seemed to have received leads me to draw the conclusion that it really isn’t the company it once was.

Despite myself though I was still eyeing up parkwood frames this week as they’re down to £90.

But if I went and bought it would be sat in the garage for months while I got round to buying parts an building it and given the shonky construction of the LR already in there, I don’t know if I really want to chance it, plus it’ll be back to that sort of price again sooner or later…

Nah I might do it the other way next time, gather parts and then see what frames are about, OO might be in the mix but they’re not the only option by a long way…

For a bit of balance, I’ve had in no particular order since 2001….:-

And we know all of those (bar the LR) pre-date the current ‘issues’ with the company. Actually, does that make you the only person with a LR that didn’t have a dodgy seat tube? 😀

Mine weren’t that bad.

Anyway, I noticed the almost identical replacement for the LR, can’t remember the name, takes a 27.2 seatpost (hopefully), not 31.6.

I can’t help but think that “special” build would be more appropriate punctuation.

It wasn’t just the London Road frame, this is Fatty Trail with its “shandy shim”

[/url]IMG_1064 by Scud75[/url], on Flickr[/img]

Anyway, I noticed the almost identical replacement for the LR, can’t remember the name, takes a 27.2 seatpost (hopefully), not 31.6.

the “Full Monty”? they want £350 for the frameset…

Has anyone placed an order for a self-build LR in the past week?

Ordered mine last Sunday, got the “All our bikes are built to order by our expert mechanics here in Sheffield and, if all parts are in stock, you will receive an email within 48 hours with your exact build date” email, but nothing since.

Yes, I will ring them, but was wondering if its just me.

I would’ve expected to receive the bike parts in that time. It’s a self build so it doesn’t matter how busy their expert mechanics are

I thought so too, wukfit- will ring them later.

Got them by phone; its been picked up and in some courier’s place. No email received by me. Ah well.

Does online tracking confirm that phonecall?

No, because I’ve got no tracking email. Are you thinking what I’m (now) thinking?

During that phonecall, I would have wanted a tracking number, without it their response could simply be a stalling mechanism.

Got back onto them and got the reference. I should have got it earlier. Thanks.

It was delivered yesterday, unexpectedly.

All seems in good order, the all-important seat tube/ping seems to fit ok.

However- it looks to me as though this cassette needs a spacer for the Gipiemme disc wheels; the 2nd sprocket is loose.

Would I be correct in saying this? There doesn’t seem to be a spacer supplied.

If they’re 11-speed compatible you need a spacer for 10-speed.

Cheers Atlaz- just checked and the wheels are 11 speed compatible.

Dang, no spacer included…..and its a Sunday…..