Help me build a bike!

D4MJT

Hi,

I'd like some advice on buildng a bike, basically I want something I can tinker with and add to over time, to turn into something really nice and usable. I get bored if I haven't got something to tinker with, and now I've sold my car, I need to able to tinker with the bike!

My budget is initally the £500-700 area, but I'd like to stay as low as possible for now. I'm after a cross country free-riding bike, I wont be using it for competition use, but I would like to get back into days away riding somewhere etc.

I want to get a decent frame, that I can upgrade around, I dont mind getting more basic components to start with that I upgrade gradually.

So, suggestions for decent kit people?

Splasher

Cross country and freeride are kind of opposing criteria. the main criterion for XC is lightweight and efficient (short fork, long top-tube). Main criteria for freeride is strength (big drops) and control (long fork, shorter top-tube).

There are All Maountain frames that can handle a bit of both if that's what you want but they're heavy for XC. If you want to limit your freeriding to trail centre size stuff then something like this would probably suit without being too heavy.

http://www.marin.co.uk/2008/bikedetail.php?ModNo=3871

D4MJT

hey, I've been reading a good bit this morning, and what's become obvious is that this is a fairly big hobby, and I dont think I know exactly what I want to do just yet. I'm looking at getting an all-rounder mountain bike first I think now, and then sort of see where that takes me.

This sound fairly sensible?

mintsauceridesaKonA

Sounds like you want a all mountain type to me, as you sound like what I was lookign for.
I bought an end of season Kona last year & have upgraded what I need to into a nice bike.

Gone are the days when I'd buy a brand new complete bike & forks are getting much cheaper for very decent spec in the last year or so.

D4MJT

Ok, so I've looked around and decided on buying a GT Avalanche 3.0

I've based this on, it's fairly low cost to buy now, and I have no gear, so I've also bought a pump, some glasses, and a helmet too.

It seems a good spec bike for what I want, but most of all, of all the reviews I've read, they all say it's a great bike to get and upgrade, as the frame is decent, and that's what I want really, so when it gets here, I'll give it a go and see what it's like, then upgrade as necessary from there really, then I get to tinker on, and I have a running bike to start with.

8)