New Frame. Where do I begin? :)

Mark909

Okay so I've taken advantage of some good deals that are on at the moment and bought myself a brand new frame!

I'm planning on swapping over as many component parts from my current bike as possible.

I really want to learn bike mechanics and want to try to do as much of the build as possible myself.

However I'm not really sure where to begin! Can anyone point me in the right direction of any books or websites that will help me out?

Which parts of a build are relatively easy to do that I'll be able to do myself and which are the bits that are only possible with special tools and/or have a good chance of me messing it up that I should pay a bike shop to do?

Thanks for any help and I'll hopefully keep updated my build in the 'you mountain bikes' section!

cooldad

Parktools website has pretty much everything you'll need.

cooldad

Plenty of vids on Youtube as well.

butcher of bakersfield

For books:
Zinn and The Art of Mountain Bike Maintenance.
And I believe Park Tools do a decent book as well.

On the web:
Park Tools
Sheldon Brown

nicklouse

I would not bother with Zinn.

butcher of bakersfield

nicklouse wrote:

I would not bother with Zinn.

Any reason?

Mark909

Thanks guys park tools it it then!

Does anyone have any advice on protecting the frame?

After putting the decals on im planning on getting it laquered and then wrapping helicopter tape around it.

Can anyone recommend a good supplier of helitape and whats the best way to go about doing this?

bobbygloss

butcher of bakersfield wrote:

nicklouse wrote:

I would not bother with Zinn.

Any reason?

I find it is good for the basics and general working, but my copy is from 2004, and so most of the detail is obsolete. Pages and pages of breakdowns of shifters and forks that you will never see. Internet is a lot more useful for specific components.

cooldad

Mark909 wrote:

Thanks guys park tools it it then!

Does anyone have any advice on protecting the frame?

After putting the decals on im planning on getting it laquered and then wrapping helicopter tape around it.

Can anyone recommend a good supplier of helitape and whats the best way to go about doing this?

Plenty on Ebay, but it is a mountain bike, it's supposed to be covered in mud.

specialeyes

cooldad wrote:

Mark909 wrote:

Thanks guys park tools it it then!

Does anyone have any advice on protecting the frame?

After putting the decals on im planning on getting it laquered and then wrapping helicopter tape around it.

Can anyone recommend a good supplier of helitape and whats the best way to go about doing this?

Plenty on Ebay, but it is a mountain bike, it's supposed to be covered in mud.

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/160654597544? ... 1438.l2649
I used this. 1m strip is plenty to cover areas where cables are going to rub. I wouldn't bother trying to protect the whole frame, as cooldad says. It's for getting dirty!

Mark909

Thanks special eyes ill check it out on ebay.

Im not sure about this assumption that I want the helicopter tape to stop my frame from getting dirty? I'm wanting to protect my frame against damage such as cable rub and chips etc. My current frame is a bit of a mess especially the chain stay where i didnt use a protector so I am wanting to make sure that my new frame is kept in tip top condition!!

cooldad

So get a chainstay protector (or old inner tube) and put bits on where cables will rub. Sticky taping up a whole frame just seems silly, IMHO of course.