Build My Custom Road Bike!

July 9, 2008 2:53 PM

Build My Custom Road Bike! I bike to work 7 months out of the year, but I'm by no means a bike geek. However, I'd like to build my own road bike because I'm tired of my Mongoose. MeFites, please guide me through this process and/or recommend resources to help a first-timer out.

I need recommendations for each and every aspect of the bike; frame, brakes, shifters, gears, tires, etc.

I'd like a 21-speed road bike. My Mongoose Pro is a 21-speed with 26" tires, if that helps out any. I basically use the bike to commute to and from work, 6.6 miles round trip each day. I could just buy a bike, but I'd like to geek out about this a little and do it myself.

If you have any questions, please ask; I'll answer what I can.

posted by sciurus to sports, hobbies, & recreation (31 comments total)

When you say "build" are you thinking from the ground up? (that is, do you want to lace the spokes into the hub, tension them and so on? Do you want to press the headset into the fork?) If so, the best resource I know of is Sheldon Brown. Be sure to poke around-- there are pages and pages.
posted by BundleOfHers at 3:04 PM on July 9, 2008

A 7-speed (7 rear gears + 3 up front = 21) roadbike is pretty old, so you'll probably be more in the 9-if-not-10 speed, with your choice of chainrings up front (granny gears, etc). The first thing you really need to figure out is your budget, though.
posted by rhizome at 3:13 PM on July 9, 2008

nb: buying components gets really expensive really quick.

I grew up about a mile from the original nashbar warehouse, so buying all sorts of discounted bits and taking them back to school in boston, buying frames on the cheap, building up bikes and sellling for profit was fairly easy.

once I joined a road suspension fork to the crit frame I used to race on. rake was totally wrong and the bike became quite squirrelly (no pun intended). same bike I put a straight bar and some grip shifters which had almost but not quite the right amount of throw for the front+rear road derailleurs. so there are some things you do have to really give thought before doing, although I enjoyed experimenting and don't mind being wrong now and then.

building up wheels is rather more complicated although it is worth trying at least once. as BundleOfHers mentioned, sheldon can be considered to be $diety. rest his beautiful soul.


I recently got a mongoose 700c commuter type bike and I love it. single speed though, so it's kicking my ass (eventually that's a good thing) -- next choice was this guy. also 700c. could do without the suspension myself, but 24 speeds are somewhat more practical than 1. if they have another 15% or 20% sale this summer I'll be sorely tempted.

guess I have gotten to the point where I prefer buying a bike that works to fiddling with something I built. but I find I still have new things to learn: adjusting disc brakes, the mind-boggling concept of an eccentric bottom bracket, dealing with ahead-type headsets (yes I know those are hardly new but this is the first time I ever had one) so it's still fun in a few ways.
posted by dorian at 3:21 PM on July 9, 2008

To be honest, the best experience I've found is simply to tear-down the bike as-is.

Living in the rust-belt, it's often a yearly ritual. Some things like the bottom bracket, possibly the headset bearings you might need special tools for, but it's all good. Working on your own bike, especially if you've replaced components or otherwise generally customized it, helps a lot when something does break down the road, makes it a lot easier if you understand how it works, to rig something to get you home.

Cellphone helps too, when it's something that just can't be repaired at the side of the road. I doubt I've answered the initial question, just some thoughts, maybe some others will find them useful.
posted by hungrysquirrels at 3:30 PM on July 9, 2008

Really wish MeFi had an edit option, but my first comment about tearing-down the bike, obviously the important part is putting it back together (once the various bits are cleaned). If one can do that, it really gives some confidence on longer rides, and can allow you to help-out someone else who may have had a part break. And once you've done it a few times, seriously, if I has welding skills and and jig, I'd consider building a bike as well. Incidentally, on Instructables, not too long ago there was an article where some dude shared his build and experiences with building a bike frame jig, if that's along the lines of what you're thinking. Lots of other bike mods on that site too.

Assuming you carry some basic tools, including a chain breaker, it really feels good to help-out a fellow rider in need. On a road bike, you may be less likely to a chain breaking, but on a few of my mountain bike rides, my buddies have had a few chains give way on climbs.

Sorry, that's all I can offer, not being a roadie. Even any commutes have been on my MTB's.
posted by hungrysquirrels at 3:48 PM on July 9, 2008

Ok I'll bite.

Frame and Fork: Surly CrossCheck
Wheels: Mavic Open Pro 32 Hole laced to Ultegra hubs (front/rear)
Tires: Continental Ultra GatorSkin 28c
Cranks & Bottom Bracket: Shimano FC-R700 Compact 50/34
Pedals: M324 Clipless SPD Platform Pedals
Chain: Wipperman 10-speed Connex
Front & Rear Derailleur: Shimano Ultegra
Cassette: Dura Ace 12-27 (get a 28 if you can find one)
Headset: Chris King
Stem & Handlebars: Too personal of a choice here
Shifters/Break Levers: Shimano Ultegra
Brakes: Ritchey Logic Cantilever
Seatpost: Thompson Masterpiece
Saddle: Personal Preference
Fenders: Zefal
Racks: Old Man Mountain Red Rocks
Panniers: Arkel Commuter
Lights: Dinotte 140R Rear and 600L Front
posted by spikeleemajortomdickandharryconnickjrmints at 3:52 PM on July 9, 2008 [4 favorites]

hungrysquirrels actually I was thinking the same thing but I wasn't sure how much maintenance sciurus has done on gtst own bike, familiarity with more common and more specialized tools, etc. I should have asked.

so yeah it may be enough of a start to do things like get a chain tool and clean/replace the chain. get whatever the latest appropriate bb tool is and clean or replace the bottom bracket. get a third/fourth hand tool to help you adjust your brakes. otherwise a good set of hex wrenches is almost all you need these days. buy a rear rack and install it and get a cargo net or a pannier or two.

some of the tools, based on size/weight and immediate usability, you want to take with you all the time. chain tool as was mentioned. folding hex dealie. tire lever or two.

consider things like getting mtb-style clip(less) shoes (at least you can almost walk in them unlike road shoes) and some platform pedals with built in clips (e.g. crank bros mallet is a nice one) so that you can use the clip shoes but also regular shoes some days. not exactly necessary but yet another bit of maintenance and learning if that's what you want.
posted by dorian at 3:54 PM on July 9, 2008

For commuting in traffic, for handlebars I like the narrower profile of road-bike style, rather than the wider mountain bike ones - if anything (like a motorist buzzing you too close) brushes your handlebars, you're definitely going down, while the same is not always true of the rest of the bike and you, so the part that protrudes the most shouldn't be the handlebars imho. Actually, that's mainly just appeal-to-safety pseudo-justification for opting for the slimmer profile, which is often useful if negotiating tight urban spaces, parked cars, and even walking the bike on the sidewalk around other peds, and, um, negotiating spaces you really shouldn't be using. :)

For lights, either use ReeLights, (or better, Reelights plus battery lights). Reelights are always-on, never have flat batteries, you never have to switch them on, or forget to turn them off, or are tempted to not turn them on because it's daytime and you don't want to flatten the batteries, etc etc.
Because they use frictionless generation, and use LEDs instead of incandescent, and blink the LEDs instead of constant output, they don't add noticeable drag the way dynamo lights always used to. (I napkin-mathed their power drain at about 0.02% of the energy I'm putting into the pedals when cycling up a hill - totally unnoticeable)
(CoolTools review)
posted by -harlequin- at 4:18 PM on July 9, 2008

It would definitely be worth your while to spend some time at bikeforums.net. I've spent countless hours there in the past week figuring out what components to put on my new frame.
posted by J-Garr at 4:42 PM on July 9, 2008

Wow, great answers so far. I'm not thinking of going to the extreme of lacing my own spokes, basically, I want to start with a good frame and then assemble the bike from parts I purchase retail, or get from the local bike co-op.

I ride my bike in the toughest gear [my thighs are carved from wood now!] almost all of the time, except when I hit the steep hills in the Cuyahoga valley. I'm not intimidated by tearing the bike down to its basic components and reassembling it; I've fixed flats, greased the chain, adjusted the brakes, basic maintenance, but nothing too serious.

When I was 8 or 9, I did something similar with my bike, new pedals, tires, grips, all that crap, but an adult bike has a lot more involved that I'm not really knowledgeable about. I know what a derailleur is, but the considerations on tweaking bike stuff and the considerations therein that dorian mentioned are beyond my ken.

My Mongoose Rockadile SX has grip-shifters, but crappy brakes, a mountain bike handlebar, and handles like you'd expect; not really well for city riding, turns like a battleship.

Budgetwise, I figure I should be able to put something nice together in the $400-$500 range, especially since I'm willing to buy/scrounge for good used parts; although I'm flexible, if I have to drop $300 for a good frame then I'll do it.
posted by sciurus at 4:43 PM on July 9, 2008

$400-$500 is pretty entry level for a complete bike -- if you are looking to build your own up at that cost -- your definitely going to need to find a plethora of used parts. If your talking mountain bike -- even basic forks run $150+. A good wheel set is $200. Your local coop should be able to get you started though. Spike lee's build up is probably north of a $2000 bike :).
posted by SirStan at 4:50 PM on July 9, 2008

Last year I saw a really good-looking book about maintaining/swapping/assembling every part of a bike, with the tricks, tools, and each step clearly demonstrated in a series of easy-to-follow photographs. I can't remember what it was called, and I regret not buying it, but I'd suggest getting something like that to help with the process. Perhaps people here know it or can recommend something similar?
posted by -harlequin- at 4:51 PM on July 9, 2008

If you don't mind a no-name Taiwanese frame.. go with these guys: http://www.bikesdirect.com/.

I would take the bike they ship you, tear it down, and rebuild it. It wont be 100% bike geekery, but its MUCh easier to build up your first bike with parts that DO fit together.
posted by SirStan at 4:55 PM on July 9, 2008

This bike is only going to be used on Cleveland streets [which have their share of canyon-potholes] but its not going to be a mountain bike by any stretch. I might very well tweak the bike up to the $2k range in parts over the years, but half a k is what I want to aim for at first, especially since I'm a n00b at this gig. I'm not interested in racks and panniers, but I'm willing to invest in good brakes, a good frame and the wheel package.
posted by sciurus at 4:56 PM on July 9, 2008

If you buy the frame, saddle, and wheels new, you can then piece everything together off ebay for pretty cheap. If you don't care about the brand, but just about compatibility, you can get every other part on my list for $5 each (if you're patient enough). That's used, of course.

When those parts wear out, which could be between ten and ten thousand miles, you can replace them with something nicer. That way you're still getting a nice, serviceable ride right now, and with regular investments you can upgrade/replace components as necessary.

You'll really appreciate having a repair stand when you're assembling a bike. You'll also appreciate quality tools that were meant to do the job. Also, check out http://bicycletutor.com. He's adding new stuff every week.
posted by spikeleemajortomdickandharryconnickjrmints at 4:58 PM on July 9, 2008

Oh, and the book that -harlequin- might be talking about is Zinn and the Art of Road Bike Maintenance.
posted by spikeleemajortomdickandharryconnickjrmints at 5:00 PM on July 9, 2008

I'm with spikelee if you want gears - except that the D-A cassette is overkill, save $60-100 and get the Ultegra version. For a low-maintenance commuter in Cleveland (assuming it's fairly flat) I'd go single-speed, though - XT crankset, FSA DH 42t ring, gear it around 15-18 in the back with a second gearing on the flip-side of the hub.

Lacing your own wheels is dead simple if you aren't building a geared rear wheel, and only slightly harder to dial in if you need to dish it for gearing. I recommend it at some point in your life.
posted by kcm at 5:25 PM on July 9, 2008

(Second or thirding Zinn's books: I lived by the Mt Bike version when I tore down my first Trek MTB, and own the Road Bike flavor too. There's even a Tri bike one now!)
posted by kcm at 5:27 PM on July 9, 2008

good lord those reelights are brilliant. maybe when the price comes down...

I had heard good things about bikesdirect and considered them at one point. but you also can't go wrong with nashbar or performancebike, 'specially when they have a sale on. nashbar sells some pretty good own-branded frames and for decent prices. but even on sale that will be $200-300.

one thing you are going to want to do is go to your LBS and try on many different frames. it's a personal thing and there are so many variables... yes you can alter such as stem length/angle/rise, bar shape/width/rise, seatpost height etc. but things like top tube length, head tube angle, seat tube angle, standover, rake, etc., can't always be compensated by the adjustable bits. you can build an awesome bike, even cheaply, but if it doesn't fit you then it doesn't fit you.

go to a store or your coop or wherever, and get some ideas and inspiration.

right now I am seriously considering the bike I linked earlier. but even from the same company and very similar style, the geometry is so different that it's pretty hard to decide: should I get the same size of my current mongoose which is perfect for me, or to go a size smaller which the figures seem to indicate. it is a hundred times harder than finding pants that fit you. if I was smart I would find a store and try it on, but there really aren't any around here.

re: potholes. my bike has 700x47 which is truly insane; I have no fear riding over storm sewer grates. but I've been calculating what smaller tires I can fit on there. the bike I am lusting after comes with x35, rather more reasonable. still scandalous considering I raced on such as 700x18-21, but conditions were just a bit more optimal then.
posted by dorian at 5:45 PM on July 9, 2008

Building your own bike from scratch is not as glamorous as it seems. It's a lot like painting a house where the actual task is kinda fun but there's so much prep work before and clean up after that on the whole it makes more sense just to pay someone else to do it.

First, it takes a lot of time, strength, skill and very expensive tools to prepare the frame, i.e. face/chase the head-tube and bottom bracket shell. If you've never done this before it's almost guaranteed that you'll screw up and destroy the frame. And the cheaper the frame, the more important it is that you do this and do it right, unless you want your headset or bottom bracket to die within 6 months. Especially since you'll be commuting daily.

Second, slapping all the parts on to the frame takes at most half an hour. The fun part is over pretty quickly.

Finally, installing / adjusting derailleur and brake cables is tedious. Lots of measuring and cutting and recutting, and tweaking, and adjusting. Same with wrapping handlebar tape. It'll take as much time for these last steps as everything else before. And the consequences of setting up your brakes incorrectly are pretty serious.

Furthermore, building a bike isn't fun if you don't have a full set of real bike tools and a work stand. Heck, the tools alone should cost you more than $500.
posted by randomstriker at 6:17 PM on July 9, 2008

-harlequin- if the previously mentioned book wasn't what you had in mind, admittedly the thread had gotten long so I haven't read it all, but one of the best books I have is Richard's Bicycle Repair Manual

(http://www.amazon.com/Richards-Bicycle-Repair-Richard-Ballantine/dp/075130087X/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1215655856&sr=8-1)

Don't know why it's so expensive on Amazon, the back says $13.95, but both myself and a friend have found it useful in basic maintenance tasks. May not apply in your situation if you're already proficient, but Google crawls the site so maybe someone will find it useful as well. Cheers.
posted by hungrysquirrels at 7:17 PM on July 9, 2008

I ride my bike in the toughest gear

Don't do that. Lance won seven tours in part by out spinning the competition. You should be making 90 rpm or better, never let it fall below 80 unless you are coasting and resting. You will be more efficient and your knees will last much longer.

half a k is what I want to aim for at first

This is hard. If you could go to one k your options increase exponentially. At your price range you might want to consider a fixie, and you definitely want to consider something used. New bikes in the $500 price range are really not worth the money long term. They are heavy, have cheap parts and are not suitable for upgrading.

For commuting, reliability is paramount, but perhaps a bit less so for you as you only are going a short distance. You don't really need anything fancy for this distance. Even so, at $500 you are in department store bike territory.

The one company that comes to mind for excellent frames in low end bikes that can then be tricked out into much better bikes is Cannondale. Their low end bikes tend to have excellent frames with really substandard parts. As those parts wear out, you can replace them with better parts to achieve a great ride. Still, a $2k bike is kind of a waste for a 3.3 mile commute, but when you take it out on weekends, or take the long way to work, then it will be appreciated.

Anyway, the most important aspect of any bike that will be ridden for long distances is fit. If you are going to stick to a 3.3 mile commute, that is not so much an issue as you are only going to be on the bike for ten or fifteen minutes. Once you start to hit 45 minutes or so fit becomes critical. You can mess up your joints with an improper fit.
posted by caddis at 8:33 PM on July 9, 2008

Yeah, I had the same thought with that part about riding in the toughest gear.

I make a point, in my commuting, to ride in one of two gears. Not crosschained. Not pedaling at 50 rpms. I try to keep my cadence quick and smooth. When I was living downtown, where it's flatter, I could get away with one gear. Not anymore. My knees and legs in general are happier when they spin.

Good luck with the new bike.
posted by computech_apolloniajames at 8:55 PM on July 9, 2008

I did read the word "build", but I'm going to ignore that and recommend a complete bike.

I'm a big fan of my Bianchi San Jose, a single-speed cyclocross bike. Very sturdy, comfortable, great for NYC potholes, and very commuter-friendly. (Has rack and fender mounts, chain guard ring to keep your khakis grease-free.) I really like the cantilever brakes; I find them really reliable and so much less fuss than other brake systems, especially disc. I did remove the knobby tires and replace them with thick (30mm) road-tread tires.

The 30-gear version is the Bianchi Volpe. A friend of mine owns one and uses it for his Seattle commute. He loves it. (He also swtiched out the cyclocross tires to something slicker.)

I know the concept of single speed seems crazy to most folks, but it is really worth a try. You save a lot in weight, you gain efficiency, easier maintenance, and less to worry about while riding. For a commuter who doesn't have to deal with lots of steep hills, its ideal.
posted by Cranialtorque at 9:27 PM on July 9, 2008

In re: to the toughest gear thing; I didn't consider knee-wear, I usually just go for max speed, when I'm even one gear lesser, the spin doesn't keep up with my RPM. Single-speed is out of the question, when I ride back from the local strip mall, I have a steep grade to climb; and I probably ride uphill into a 20mph headwind at least 3 days a week [the aerodynamism of a road-bike will hopefully cut down on this].

Randomstriker, I can go to my local bike coop and use their tools and stand, so that cost-sink isn't a worry. I've also been renovating my house, so I know how tedious prep work can be. I never want to see another paintbrush again!
posted by sciurus at 4:55 AM on July 10, 2008

I commute on a (relatively) ancient off-brand hybrid bought about 1990 or so. Shimano 105(!)components, hyperglide, 21 speed. Still original brakes even--I can't believe they work as well as they do, but I can lock them up when I wish.

I point this out just to mention that a) a used bike can still treat you well, b) name-brand isn't necessarily everything, and 3) 21 speeds ought to be enough for anyone. :)

Really, if you really want the best value for the dollar, consider used/off-brand. Realistically, I don't know if sticking with a 7 speed rear is a good idea considering they're getting less common now. Will they always be as easy to find as, say 8-9 speed in a few years? I don't know.

Some other scattered recommendations: I'd stick with rim brakes, personally--but there are plenty of people who will recommend otherwise. Brooks saddles are often recommended by/to commuters, though I haven't tried one myself. Consider if the frame will accept the type of rack/panniers/bag you're considering, if you're planning on putting a rack on. If you're locking outside, don't get a high-end frame if you don't want it more likely to be stolen.
posted by RikiTikiTavi at 9:27 AM on July 10, 2008

Let me tell you, though, that the most aero road bike setup is going to also be the least aero setup. :) When I ride a ridiculous blade-spoked semi-aero-rim full carbon job across the bridges here in crosswinds, I really feel it. The combination of force and nerves takes a good 5-7mph off my max descent speeds on the worst days (hey, like today!).

It doesn't happen as much on my oldschool boring steel setups. The blade works both ways, just an FYI.. aero in one axis generally brings less aero in another. You'll see the pros ditch their aero carbon wheels for low-profile rims in the windy mountain stages of stage races like the TdF.
posted by kcm at 5:41 PM on July 10, 2008

kcm - you have a bike that has "aero" styling, but not true aero shaping. A properly designed bike will remain aerodynamically efficient (and indeed may be even MORE efficient) in cross winds. E.g. look at the lenticular aerofoil technology used by Hed, which results in measurably LOWER drag when their wheels are hit by wind approaching from 5, 10, 15 or greater degrees from head-on.
posted by randomstriker at 11:33 PM on July 10, 2008

Yeah, the HED lenticular discs ($700+ ea) are pretty nice, but maybe not the ideal commuter wheel. :) I was under the impression that the turbulence breakup was more for the close-range air disturbances coming from the rider himself, but I suppose that could translate to crosswinds a little - although you're still dealing with a disc, and one that's twice as heavy as a price-comparable spoked wheel.
posted by kcm at 11:45 PM on July 10, 2008

Keep in mind that the most un-aerodynamic thing on the bike is the rider. An aerodynamic position on a round-tubed bike is much more aero than sitting up on an aero bike.

But seriously, for commuting, comfort trumps aero every time.
posted by spikeleemajortomdickandharryconnickjrmints at 1:17 PM on July 12, 2008

Yeah, the main reason I want to build the bike is so that I can position myself on the bike more aerodynamically. That's pretty much impossible on my hybrid. I can feel the drag my body creates when I ride directly into the headwind on my way home. It adds up to ten minutes to my 20 minute commute when it is especially bad. Other than that instance, I'd have no need to sit in a racing posture.
posted by sciurus at 2:44 PM on July 13, 2008