build or buy?

mozzy10

Hi everyone,

I'm helping my girlfriend buy a bike. She has c. £550 to spend. I’ve been looking around for good deals but thought I would post here to get your opinions. This will be her first mountain bike; she is 5’4” and will be riding mainly fire roads round the new forest, maybe south downs too.

So here are the options:

http://www.decathlon.co.uk/EN/rockrider ... 58/#TAILLE £500, great spec for the price. Hydraulic brakes and tora suspension.

http://www.chainreactioncycles.com/Mode ... elID=30552 £409, again, good spec for the price, suspension and brakes are a step down from the rockrider 8.1.

http://www.wiggle.co.uk/p/cycle/7/Focus ... 7576/#more £399, similar to cube but is woman’s specific which will be a help.

The fourth option is that I build her a bike around a brand-x xc frame from CRC. I would get a deore groupset and wheels from merlin with hydraulic brakes.

frame brand x 100
forks Exotic forks 85
groupset deore 169
wheels deore 70
tyres Raceking folding 2.1 32
stem
bars ? 15
headset fsa pig 14
seatpost ? 15
saddle selle italia ladies 10
grips 5
pedal v8

total 515

What do you think is the best deal? I was thinking of getting an inline seatpost if I do the build myself to shorten up the top tube. The pedals and stem I have already. Any other suggestions for whole bikes or on the build specification?

Thanks in advance.

supersonic

Some good deals about for builds - but factor in the tools, postage and that you can't try for size like a full off the peg build.

You need to add the cost of the pedals and stem in, any spacers, inner tubes, rim tapes so looking at £600 for that.

mozzy10

Well I have the pedals, tubes and stem at the back of my cupboard, so I was gonna let my g/f have them for free (as I do gain a riding partner our of this!). I have all the tools as I built my current bike. The only thing I don't have is the tool for facing the BB- but will I need to do this if the frame is new? Anyway, I could always get the local bike shop in.

The main disadvantage as you say is test riding. But then thats same with the internet bikes I've listed. I think were gonna do a tourof bike shops to get an idea of size and shapes of bike she likes.

What do you think of the self build spec, even if it runs over with spacers and chain etc. I don't think it will go past £550

nicklouse

The only thing I don't have is the tool for facing the BB- but will I need to do this if the bike is new?

99% of the time you will need to do so.

supersonic

The Deore groupo and wheels are a bargain. Not sure of the frame - plenty of others at that price, and cheaper deals. Will she be OK with rigid forks? Can get Toras for £115.

Headset depends on the frame type. Pig is overkill really. No need to waste money on V8 when Wellgo do cheaper versions.

mozzy10

cheers for the speedy replies guys -very helpful.

The pedals are bought already and are just gathering dust as they came off my bike when I switced to clipless. Where are the toras listed for £115? I had thought about getting second hand SID or toras off the ebay. I chose the carbon forks as we will be riding pretty tame stuff. I'm not sure suspension is really needed for fireroads, I thought high volume tyres and a carbon fork would smooth out the buzz and save over a kilo in weight compared to a low end fork.

cheers

supersonic

Hmmm, OnOne appear to have sol out, they were there in the week! Merlin do the lighter SL version for £130.

But as you say, a rigid fork can be perfect depending on your uses.

This may be out of date a bit, but could come in useful to you: I often put together budget builds!

http://www.bikeradar.com/forum/viewtopi ... dget+build

mozzy10

thanks SS, those links are great. I think I will use the headset and handlebars you linked to. I think I will stick to rigid carbon forks as the most important thing is to get her on a bike in the new forest. If the bug bites and we go futher a field then an upgrade to suspension maybe possilbe in the future.

I'm interested about more suggestions for frames though!

Anonymous

http://www.on-one-shop.co.uk/acatalog/S ... RDERS.html

http://www.on-one-shop.co.uk/?p=3378#comments

I think it's worth paying extra for this lovely pink On-One frame which it will be in stock in a few weeks time, it's £135 and it's steel frame. have a look at the links above and here the pic below:



I would try keep the bike as light as you can for her, no need to buy big 2.1 tyres if it's mosty on fireroads, 1.8 or 1.9 tyres will be fine, foam grips is worth getting as it's lighter and softer on the hands, short stem is a must for ladies and on-one frames, good luck

supersonic

It does weigh 1.5lbs more than the alloy frames though.

mozzy10

mmm, the g/f does like the look of the pink on-one. Will the on-one still need the BB shell facing after purchase?

Some food for thought. I could save some weight off tyres, but race kings 2.1 come up quite narrow and are already quite light.

I guess the next step is to go to a bike shop and try some bikes to size up.

nicklouse

mozzy10 wrote:

mmm, the g/f does like the look of the pink on-one. Will the on-one still need the BB shell facing after purchase?

I would.

mozzy10

so just continuing.....

what is the difference between a '456' and the 'non sliding dropout' inbred? It says on the site that the 456 is for 4",5" or 6" forks and the inbred is for 3" or 5". Is the inbred lighter more racier feel?

Not sure on size yet but if on-one have long top tubes she will probably be 14" and the pre-orders seem to be sold out for the pink 456! How can you sell out on pre-order?

Then the non sliding dropout inbred are are only in barry white black (and she prefers pink). I hear things about an inbred SL but can't find them for sale anywhere.

Does anyone have any information to answer these question?

thanks

mozzy10

found the answer to my question here:
http://www.bikeradar.com/forums/viewtop ... 456+inbred

seems the non-sliding dropot inbred would be better suited to 100mm adjusted carbon forks than the 456. Although the 456 would take 100m.

So here is my next question. Is there much difference in weight?

supersonic

B#About 0.6lbs - the standard inbred seems better suited to you. Still not as light as the alu frames ;-)

mozzy10

yeh, I think you're right that standard inbred should be the first choice steel frame. Although the fact that the 456 may be availible in bright pink holds some sway with my girlfriend (though it says sold out on their website in 14").

apart from the brand-x i don't see much other choice around £100 for alu frames. The merlin malt 1 would be an option but it is only availible in 19" -way to big for the g/f.

has anyone got any other suggestions for £100 hardtail frame for use with 100mm fork?

The Northern Monkey

nicklouse wrote:

The only thing I don't have is the tool for facing the BB- but will I need to do this if the bike is new?

99% of the time you will need to do so.

I didn't get my BB faced.... still got the same BB a year later after some pretty heavy abuse (not every week mind, but i'm a bit heffer though!) and it still performs sweet as a nut!

rowlers

cheap alloy frame here:

http://www.dirtyjobikes.co.uk/Frames/Di ... emi_Creme_

Not pink mind!

mozzy10

the pink are out of stock at on-one in 14" and besides it seems like a 456 is not what she needs.

so the options are

on-one inbred: £135, ~4.5 lb / 2.04 kg (14")

brand x xc frame: £100, ~4.3 lb / 1.95 kg (for unknown size)

beone karma: £120, ~3.5 lb / 1.6 kg (taken off review on CRC)

Can anyone comfirm these weights for me?

Rowlers do you know the weight of the alu frame you linked to?

cheers

supersonic

The weights seem correct.

The Beones are lovely frames.

rowlers

mozzy10 wrote:

Rowlers do you know the weight of the alu frame you linked to?

cheers

sorry no, but I'll find out as I'm interested in one too!

ride_whenever

on the inbred thing, my female housemate does love riding my 456, says it's just hilarious fun.

ravey1981

Id go for the inbred , but i would say that as I've just bought one.

Don't get too hung up on the frame weight thing...half a pound (hell even a pound) is naff all in real terms, you'll feel weight in wheels and tyres more...

More important is geometry and how the bike "feels" to ride. Although this is very subjective i know...

Anonymous

I would get the Inbred too, steel is the best imo, please click on the link and scroll at the bottom where it will tell which frame is suited best for you with your height and your inside leg length,

http://www.on-one-shop.co.uk/?page_id=590

ride_whenever

OI

that's my one!

beardytwo

Dirty Jo is 4.5lb in a 20" so there should be a useful weight save with an ex small (14"). They have a shortish top tube aswell so that may help...

mozzy10

thanks for the input everyone. It seems like the dirty jo is similar weight to the brand x once you take into account guestimations about frame size.

I think this narrows it down the inbred or the beone.

If it was my bike then I would choice the inbred, just to see what the fuss is about steel. But then I'm inquisitive about steel having only riden alu before.

I think its going to be hard explaining the differences to my girlfriend, when a) ride quality/feel is hard to describe, and b) I have never experianced steel myself.

On paper the beone is about half a kilo lighter, has a nice finish, has seat clamp and headset included and costs £15 less. This makes it rather hard to look past.

supersonic

Just because it is steel doesn't mean it will feel much different - hefty steel frames can be stiffer than light alu ones!

mozzy10

I understand you can engineer the frames differently, and size of tubing can have greater effect than material. But, there must be some quality that is leading all these people to buy and build up the inbred frame rather than alu. There must be some hidden ride quality (and i've seen it described before) that leads to them being so popular. There must be some advantage to the ride of the inbred, otherwise why would people ride a bike half a kilo heavier?

Anonymous

Steel is popular and making a comeback now, I have ridden both Alu and steel and found steel more rewarding to ride on the off road tracks with a flex and springy feel when hitting hard ground while the Alu is very harsh and can rattle your crown's out of your teeth so maybe a gumshield will be handy on the Alu!

I ride steel myself and wont go back to Alu anymore, maybe let the gf look at both frames and let her choose what best for her, good luck whatever you pick and keep us posted with your project.