building your own bike

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  • meagain
    meagain Posts: 2,331
    If that 'dale not sold in say two weeks offer "500 quid in cash in your hand tomorrow" and go and get it.

    Worth a try.
    d.j.
    "Cancel my subscription to the resurrection."
  • onehipwonder
    onehipwonder Posts: 129
    I would have to agree about the take your time idea as I bought a second hand Ti frame in December and finished the build tonight :D You can get some good savings if you look around and don't get too hung up on weight weenieism. An extra few grammes on a cheaper groupset can easily be outweighed by spending more on good wheels, for example I paid £250.00 for Campag veloce groupset and got a pair of Fulcrum racing 1's for £450.00 which was just in my budget range. So look around and enjoy, can't wait to take mine for a spin.
  • webbhost
    webbhost Posts: 470
    Just ouf of interest... they sell bikes as 50cm, 55cm, 56 cm etc etc.

    WHat is this measurement? How do I find out what CM my current bike is?
    http://www.battlesnails.com/index.php?datastream=6
  • redddraggon
    redddraggon Posts: 10,862
    webbhost wrote:
    Just ouf of interest... they sell bikes as 50cm, 55cm, 56 cm etc etc.

    WHat is this measurement? How do I find out what CM my current bike is?

    A 54cm bike could be a totally different size to another 54cm bike. What the size means varies from Manufacturer to manufacturer.

    It's normally a variation of the seat tube length.
    I like bikes...

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  • redddraggon
    redddraggon Posts: 10,862
    edited March 2008
    To add a bit more to my previous post....

    E.g. I might be a 60cm (ISP) if I got a De Rosa Idol (I don't actually know if that would be the size though), but a 52cm if I got Specialized Tarmac.
    I like bikes...

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  • heavymental
    heavymental Posts: 2,091
    Webbhost, the link to the thread I included in my last post should help you understand. Basically, you should just look at top tube length for the sizing as the seat tube length isn't the most useful figure to you. That thread also has info on measuring your current bike.
  • webbhost
    webbhost Posts: 470
    Hi again,

    after contacting the buyser of this bike and getting a little info, I have to say I am still interested in it,so I measured up the top tube on my dawes giro and it came to 54CM (Middle of seat tube to middle of front fork tube right? can anyone just clarify that)

    Now they only sell the frame in sizes 45, 50 and 55, so I'm guessing its a 55. 56 cm is 1CM difference so I think it would be a rather good place to start!
    http://www.battlesnails.com/index.php?datastream=6
  • System_1
    System_1 Posts: 513
    The 45, 50 and 55 sizes are the seat tube sizes. Not at all the same as the 54cm top tube length you've measured.

    Try and forget about the numbers that manufacturers give as 'size'. This will be the measurement between the bottom bracket and either the centre or the top of the seat tube. Given the different ways that each manufacturer takes this measurement and the fact that the vast majority of frames are now compact, this 'size' is almost entirely redundant.

    The single most important measurement is the 'effective' top tube length. The reason you don't use an actual top tube length is that different frames have different amounts of top tube slope meaning that two bikes with the same physical length top tube might differ by 1cm or more in the reach to the bars.

    You've measured your top tube at 54cm but it's a compact frame so the important 'effective' measurement will be bigger than this. You need to try and imagine your bike has a horizontal top tube so take your measurements to the centre of the seatpost while keeping the measuring tape horizontal. This will give you a much better idea of what length you need and then base whatever bike you buy on this size which will give a much better fit.

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