What frame for SHIMANO LX GROUPSET?? total newb here.

lincolnkent

Hi, Im a mountain bike newb and would like to build my own bike from scratch, and after some research, I think my first buy will be a SHIMANO LX GROUPSET from ebay, for £160. now with the questions...

1. £160 = is that a bargain or you think its better/cheaper to get diff brands for each parts?
http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll? ... 0187408582

2. I'm thinking about buying a second hand specialized hardrock/rockopper or gt avalanche frame - which one would you prefer?? is it ok to fit in the new lx parts into a secondhand frame, or is it better to get a brand new frame, which one then??£100 budget

I know, for a newb like me, I should just buy a new bike, but I think I'tll be more fun buying part by part, I dont know, is it just me or whatt?

thanks

dunker

1. i don't think that's a very good deal as you can get the latest 580lx groupset from www.merlincycles.co.uk with lx v-brakes plus levers for £151 or a full set plus hydro brakes and wheels for £285.

2. it should'nt be a problem using a second hand frame as long as the parts you buy fit it i spose. out of those frames i guess the gt or the rockhopper? dunno i've never ridden either.

£385 for a rockhopper or gt fitted with full lx sounds good

supersonic

This is not going to be easy for a total newbie, as you will need the knowledge and tools to build it too. You'll also need a saddle, bars, stem, forks, headset, tyres etc which will push the budget up a lot. Then consider what you can get for 299, like this:

http://www.chainreactioncycles.com/Mode ... elID=17829

TBH, this time round, I'd buy new from a good shop and try some out to get a feel for what you need. Most people who build them tend to do so after riding for a while.

artillerydave

I would second supersonics comments, the build up option rarely works out a cheaper option and is usually done by riders who want to build a bespoke frame and riding kit as they know exactly what they want. A full built bike option is much more cost effective for a first timer, however later on down the line there is nothing as satisfying as fully building up your own bike from scratch with all the kit you want. getting the right tools for the job can add £150 to the cost alone.

lincolnkent

thanks Dunker for the merlin cycles link, and is there any compatibility issues that I need to look out for, regarding choosing the right frame for the lx groupset? And anyone can suggest a good frame, and where to get them, for 100-140 budget? thanks!

supersonic

The front mech swing may be an issue with a frame. What sort of frame do you want, and for what type of riding? What length travel suspension fork do you have in mind? And do you have the tools to fit all this kit?

lincolnkent

front mech swing? I'm looking to buy a gt avalanche or specialized rockhopper/hardrock frame, but Im also after a gt zaskar frame if I can get a bargain. I'll be using it offroading on weekends and on the road as well. I dont have the tools but someone offered to help me fit it all together for a cost.

@supersonic, you know your gt zaskar, what model/spec is that? Is it proper lightweight?

zero303

lincolnkent: As what supersonic said, the amount of money your going to end up spending is going to build a massively inferior bike compared to what that money would get off the peg.

You're going to end up spending £500 - £600 building a custom GT avalanche and it'll probably be a lot worse than if you'd just bought a new GT avalanche...

Don't want to seem like I'm having a go but it doesn't sound like you know what you're doing either and things like fitting a bottom bracket and headset are not things newbies should be doing, let alone fitting forks! I'm quite savvy with general bike mechanics but the above are things I still don't do...

supersonic

RE the Zaskar - its an older frame, but light at 3.8lbs. Is a 1996 Zaskar LE. Is a different sort of frame to a HR or Avalanche, which have diferent geometry and are heavier.

dirtbiker100

just buy a new bike. it sounds like this could be a bit over your head :?

lincolnkent

ok thanks for the advice, I think I finally know what to do, instead of building me own bike, I'm going to buy a 2008 GT avalanche 3.0 then upgrade to XT groupset, and avid bb7, so again I want to know what do you think of this.

And also what other mtb on gt avalanche 3.0 price range that is worthy of that upgrade? pref lightweight, thanks!!!!

supersonic

It depends: you can start with an average bike and have long term goals, or a bike that has a mix of parts and upgrade the bad ones... or just a good frame. So it depends what your budget is and what you want. To me, getting an Avalanche 3.0 and putting XT on is bad value - might as well get a 1.0! Think about the fork,

lincolnkent

is it bad value just because of the fork? Im going to get a good fork anyway soon when I get the money. for now, Im obsessed with them deore xt parts, is this wrong?

zero303

Im obsessed with them deore xt parts, is this wrong?

No it's not wrong, XT is nice, but it's not going transform a low range bike so don't bother.

I'm running a deore/LX mix on a £2k rig and if it's good enough for that, it's deffo good enough for an Avalanche.

If you've got a big upgrade schedule planned, just spend all the money on the bike in the first place. If there's sufficient budget being held back for upgrading, just go for Avalanche 1 disc from the off and ride it stock for the rest of the year. In early 2009 it'll probably be knackered from the winter slog and you can then either upgrade it or spend the cash on something newer and better.

The Avalanche's are amazing bikes for the money but there does come a point where going nuts on upgrades mean it turns into a case polishing the proverbeal censored ! (Note, I'm not being a bike snob here, just that forking out on full XT and a set of Fox forks is probably not the best thing to do on an Avalanche.)

Chaka Ping

Hi Lincoln - Maybe you are getting a bit carried away.

What people are trying to get across to you here is that your thread title is the wrong way round.

Most MTBers think in terms of "what components for my frame?" rather than "what frame for my components?".

What's your total available budget for buying MTB stuff at the minute? people might be able to give you useful suggestions on how best to use that to get yourself a decent bike.

lincolnkent

zero303 wrote:

No it's not wrong, XT is nice, but it's not going transform a low range bike so don't bother.

so what makes a bike high range? frame? wheels?

thanks.


@chakaping, at the moment I have about £550 to spend, I know I can get a good mtb for that but after some reading on this forum and some research, I became excessively meticulous with all the components, like I said, I obsessed with xt's, but I dont mind the stock wheels/forks, which seems to be more important.. omg I'm such a noob! apologies.

zero303

so what makes a bike high range? frame? wheels?

Have you heard of the saying "the sum is greater than the parts?". It's having everything improve in unison that makes the bike better. In the case of the GT though, it's a great frame for the money but eventually you'll reach a point where all the good components in the world are going to be let down by what is ultimately a budget frame.

When I look at bike specs, I'm not swayed by lashings of XT as a primary concern, nor fancy finishing kit.

Order of importance, for me it goes:

1. Frame
2. Fork
3. Brakes
4. Wheels

Although tbh Fork, wheels and brakes are equal. After this, fancy groupset and finishing kit is a bonus. The GT Avalanche 1.0 disc ticks all the right boxes at the price point and would be worth upgrading to a point.

Chaka Ping

It's good that you're doing your research, and you've hit on something in realising that the frame isn't necessarily the most expensive part to upgrade.

If you're looking for a high level of equipment on a decent (basic) frame, check this out...

http://www.merlincycles.co.uk/?fn=produ ... egoryId=39

Only slightly over your budget with the current 10% discount, at £584. Fantastic VFM!

You could ride this for a year or two and the kit would sit just as well on a high-end frame if you decided to upgrade later.

Fuzzyboy

"for now, Im obsessed with them deore xt parts, is this wrong?"

You were talking about LX parts in the earlier posts! This should answer your question about whether you are right to be obsessing over certain parts. My advice: don't run before you can walk. Get yourself riding regularly before you become obsessed with parts. You never know, it might not be for you. Doing everything backwards is bound to end up backfiring.

Good luck!

[email protected]

Buy a brand new complete bike and upgrade as and when needed, you'll save money time and effort

dunker

quick everyone, hide the xtr kit better not let him see that heh

lincolnkent

dunker wrote:

quick everyone, hide the xtr kit better not let him see that heh

lol, I was actually looking at them, but naah, thats too much :P

So, still, I havent decided yet what to do, but I already bought these on the mtb ads section:


avalanche 2.0 2006 mtb, zaskar frame, avalanche frame, easton bars, stems, seatposts, saddle, wheels. all for £140

if your wondering why I bought so many, I have two brothers and I want them to get into mtbiking as well, So now Im stuck with two frames...but still I have not touched my own £550 budget.

lincolnkent

So this is what I ended up with...

rockhopper 07 frame
full 08 xt
tora 318 u-turn
hope pro11/mavicXC717
chris king headset
syntace stem/bars
dmr v8s
avid bb7/sd-7 levers
a2z Ti QRs
salsa liplock
sdg i-beam saddle/kore post











Ended up spending £850, all brand new except frame & forks.

not bad for a newb?

supersonic

Looks very nice, perfectly reasonable build!

nicklouse

but was not an LX build

stumpyjon

Oooo the slippery slope to upgrading :roll: