Build on a bugdet...

mountaincookie

Hi

I've just done a 50mile club ride for the first time....on a kona dew plus hybrid....and have realised I'm going to have to build a road bike if I want to keep up!!!

I've got a bugdet of £400 absolute MAX, and I'm planning to build from 2nd hand parts completley.

In my mind I want a good nic frame - reynolds 653 preferably/aluminium if I have too and then whatever components are decent and going for a good price. I'm really not fussed about stuff matching just fussed about the decent frame so I can upgrade over time as parts wear.
Carbon forks, fancy wheels would be nice but I don't have hope on my budget.

So any advice? What sought of prices should I be paying for frames? What compenents are ''too cheap'' to bother with? I'm not that knowlegable in road bikes, know a lot more about MTBs

Cheers!

timmyturbo

just by all the parts used from ebay , or get an ebay frame . then in cycles search on EBAY , use the search filter an type in broken or repair . and then you can find an entire bike for maybe £120 with 7 year old 105 on it etc for example .

it very easily doable to make a bike for your budget . maybe in the £400 your could even get a half alloy half carbon frame .

cheers and good luck

nochekmate

IMO you will be far better off just looking for a complete bike on the secondhand market. £400-£450 can throw up some occasional bargains and below are some examples of bikes that I have bought in the past couple of years at that price

Specialized Roubaix 2008 carbon bike for £430 (bought nearly 2 years ago now so an even better price in reality)

Isaac Pascal full carbon bike/Shimano 105 groupset for £400 (bought for a colleague)

Specialized Allez Elite 2008 carbon forks & stays/ Shimano Tiagra (bought about 2 years ago for £300 for a colleague)

Pinarello Treviso steel complete bike for £100!!

Trying to put a bike together for that money (whilst enjoyable) may not necessarily be the most cost-effective way of doing it (despite Timmy Turbo's post on the Scott Addict R1 for £680 - not always easily achieved and buying a damaged carbon frame to then repair may not be to everybody's choice)

Look secondhand and ideally pay cash on collection so you can give the bike a good look over.

Don't know about your size/location but if I was looking at the moment, this bike would be of interest. Yes it's above your budget but the RS80 wheels are excellent and could possibly be sold for £200+ and then buy some Shimano WH-500s to replace the RS80s and you'll be around the £450 mark with a decent bike at that price.

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/CANNONDALE-SY ... 4842896ac9

styxd

I'd buy a complete 2nd hand bike for £400. Sod the steel frame, for £400 you'll get a decent alu frame I would have thought, along with carbon forks and probably tiagra drivetrain (or maybe older 105 if you're lucky)

mountaincookie

cheers for advice

Hmm ok I'll have a think. TBH I can't really go above £400. I see the advice about buying a whole bike. Perhaps I should post in the classifies. I'm a bit limited as no car so can't travel (in notts at uni)

Oh yeah, I'm 5.5/6 so on the shorter side, so probs need a 50cm/small frame?

Sod the steel? *sniff* guess might be wise...do love it though

mountaincookie

Bought cboardmen frame + carbon forks + crank + headset for a little over quater my budget.
Trying to find second hand decent components is a night mare! People want so much for them!

Bozman

Have a look on Ebay for complete bikes, you'll pick up something like a 3yr old trek 1.7 with 105 for around £400