Building a bike

leonr

Hi Guys,

I'm getting a little 'frustrated' looking for bikes that would fit me (6ft5) and take some XC and mild downhill (alps mild downhill that is).

I'm just wondering, if I was to buy a frame, say a Kona Coiler etc, are all parts of bikes interchangable? Can I then collect other 2nd hand bits off ebay, shocks, handle bars, wheels etc and build it up? Or is this just going to be a receipe for disaster?

It sounds like a bad idea to me the more i think about it. I'm logically minded, I will have no problem putting it together I dont think, it's more knowing what I actually needed.. for example the gear levers and rear gear set, does that come as a kit? part of the rear frame? What abouth the crank, chain length etc? hmmmm maybe not a good idea

Thanks!

supersonic

You need to find the spec of the frame and then spec up parts that will fit. IE headset type, seatpost size, rear axle standard, front mech, seat clamp, forks to fit headset, bottom bracket (and cranks to fit) and so on. SOme groupsets are available as kits, but not all parts will fit sometimes.

Chain length is determined when the crank and cassette is fitted.

leonr

Ok thanks!

And i'm guessing a '26" wheel' is just a 26" wheel, I mean the axle would bolt into almost any frame right?

My Plan..
1.) research frame specs as suggested and note compatibility
2.) check out cost of 2nd hand recommended items (shocks etc)
3.) buy forum/ebay parts

4 build!

The frame would come with pedals/crank etc and rear shock so I get a head start on that!

(by the way just so I don't sound like a complete idiot I understand you can't just buy ebay special items and expect them to work, don't worry - I will research the components first)


Thanks!

delcol

And i'm guessing a '26" wheel' is just a 26" wheel, I mean the axle would bolt into almost any frame right?

as long as it is the correct one for the frame 135x10 135x12 142x12 150x12 jsut be sure you know what size the frame requires.
like supersonic says certain parts are specific sizes to frames headsets bbs seat posts seatclamps etc.

leonr

Thanks!

Out of interest, where are there bearings in a bike frame? The crank (assuming a set on each side?) and the front tube/neck part? Is now a good time to replace these? And Where do people by new bearings from?

Thanks!

cooldad

That would be bottom bracket and headset. There are also bearings or bushings in suspension pivots and shock mounts.
When depends on whether they need it.
Where depends on what they are.

leonr

Ok the next question is brakes....

Does anybody happen to know if the standard coiler brakes (HFX 9 XC 160mm) are good enough for mild downhill? What are the sizes on the stinky etc? Would anybody bother upgrading these or changing them to a better spec?

Also, can you change the disc size but keep the same caliper? (I feel I am going to learn alot in this thread!).
Whats best practice here? Do calipers comes with a recommended size disc?

Thanks again guys, much appreciate it! 8)

cooldad

What exactly is 'mild downhill'?

leonr

cooldad wrote:

What exactly is 'mild downhill'?

The sort of trails that have mud, bumps, those brake ripples that occur , small jumps that mean you go around 1ft high... if you don't keep pulsing the brakes you will go too fast and poo yourself.

So not hardcore, but enough to require non overheating braking and fastish bumps. Not 1-2 meter drops or anything crazy.

If it helps, the first time I went I was always using the brakes due to fear, this was on a smaller brake specced bike and I could notice the fade, they seemed to become spongy (I know this was due to my constant braking but I would rather it didn't happen!). Last time I rented a stinky and I had no issues at all, although this may of been because I had more confidence and was alternating/pulsing brakes at random burts to keep speed under control?

cooldad

Sounds like normal mountain biking to me. Can't suggest anti poo yourself brakes, but Shimano XT are excellent. Or Formula. Or Avid Elixer. Or Hayes Stroker Trail (stop my bulk with no problems anyway).
Having two threads is going to get very confusing though.

leonr

cooldad wrote:

Sounds like normal mountain biking to me. Can't suggest anti poo yourself brakes, but Shimano XT are excellent. Or Formula. Or Avid Elixer. Or Hayes Stroker Trail (stop my bulk with no problems anyway).
Having two threads is going to get very confusing though.

yeh im sorry about that, I was planning on the other thread for more recommendations and then there was activity in this one.

Thanks for your input by the way, it helps me alot!

I'm currently just thinking about the wheels.. I think the hub needs to be 135mm (does that sound correct?) and the standard is a Shimano M475 which takes a 9 casette 11-32 , it seems the default rims are 32 spoke.
Am I right in thinking that any 26" rim would fit in there and I can attack the 9 speed casette (assuming the hub is compatible)? Does it matter how many spokes I use? It seems (looking at pics) people are using all sorts of combinations.

So basically....

1.) I find wheels which have hubs already
2.) I buy hubs and find rims and then buy 14g spokes?

Any recommendations on rims in that case? Most common-half decent


Thanks again! I've spent about 4 hours reading about bikes now and trying to figure out what parts I need.

Chunkers1980

Think this is where the term all mountain comes in... (although I don't like the terms as with trail) but it does help to show what bikes can handle without breaking.

Just read your latest post... You need tO ask more specific questions, and let us know what you're trying to achieve on what dollar.

Russell160

With respect, your questions indicate you are something of a beginner and yet your are attempting quite an exotic advanced build and considering building your own wheels. This is a recipe for trouble, and possibly accidents if you are looking at alps type mild downhill (or anything for that matter). Why not buy a bike that's already built and upgrade it bit by bit and learn as you go along? And/or get a book. As Chunkers says, then you can ask more specific questions which will get better answers. Alternatively, get a mate/local bike shop to advise as you go along. If you are buying off ebay and not sure what you are doing you will be getting loads of kit that doesnt' fit together, costing you a fortune and you still won't have a bike. Personally I would have a rethink, no offence.

leonr

Russell160 wrote:

With respect, your questions indicate you are something of a beginner and yet your are attempting quite an exotic advanced build and considering building your own wheels. This is a recipe for trouble, and possibly accidents if you are looking at alps type mild downhill (or anything for that matter). Why not buy a bike that's already built and upgrade it bit by bit and learn as you go along? And/or get a book. As Chunkers says, then you can ask more specific questions which will get better answers. Alternatively, get a mate/local bike shop to advise as you go along. If you are buying off ebay and not sure what you are doing you will be getting loads of kit that doesnt' fit together, costing you a fortune and you still won't have a bike. Personally I would have a rethink, no offence.

I totally agree! and no offence taken.

I will probably ask somebody who knows about bikes to help me along the way, and I really do NOT want to build my own wheels, that is exactly the point of my question, to help me understand the best way to tackle it (if I do).

The reason for the thread was really so I can understand whats actually involved.

Again I appreciate the help offered on here!

EDIT: I realise now you can actually just buy prebuilt wheels, I missed that entire section on the webstores and assumed they were all second hand or people were building their own......so no, i will not be building any wheels, thankfully.

cooldad

Still confusing over two threads, but you have a really chunky frame - a freeride bike, designed for 150mm forks etc.
They won't be cheap (you don't say if it came with a shock as well but if not ditto).
Once you add on the necessary chunky bits you are talking about an expensive build.
Original spec here
http://www.bikepedia.com/QuickBike/Bike ... &Type=bike

cooldad

You'd struggle to buy the parts for the price of this
http://www.chainreactioncycles.com/Mode ... tedKingdom
which is a bit more modern.

leonr

Will check it out!

Out of interest, what would somebody expect to pay for decentish 2nd hand forks?
That is of course for a beginner rider who just hits the odd bit of rough terrain and will not be doing big drops/jumps or anything like that.

The Rookie

With some luck and a following wind you can pick up some good used forks for under £100, something like 4 year old Bombers for example.

leonr

The Beginner wrote:

With some luck and a following wind you can pick up some good used forks for under £100, something like 4 year old Bombers for example.

Thanks for the info, i'll do a little research on this I think! 8)

Ryan Jones

Forks I'd look for are an old set of Marzocchi 66's in 150mm format (2005/2006 vintage), or a set of Z1's of a similar age if weight is a concern at the expense of stiffness. I say that because my old ones twanged a lot with a set of HFX9's and 200mm rotors ! They were well rated brakes back then and gave me no cause for concern in the stopping duties.

Wheels like old halo's are plentiful and easy enough to come by and not such a risk to get secondhand as an inspection should highlight any problems. Handlebars would be my concern as a tiny hairline crack which could be easily missed could result in a lengthy hospital stay and some tough ones can be brought new relatively cheaply.

I found shops which have dismantled bikes and are selling the bits can throw up some bargains; my rear mech, shifters and wheels were brought this way with considerable savings on rrp, most likely to find such shops on ebay.

leonr

Ryan Jones wrote:

Forks I'd look for are an old set of Marzocchi 66's in 150mm format (2005/2006 vintage), or a set of Z1's of a similar age if weight is a concern at the expense of stiffness. I say that because my old ones twanged a lot with a set of HFX9's and 200mm rotors ! They were well rated brakes back then and gave me no cause for concern in the stopping duties.

Wheels like old halo's are plentiful and easy enough to come by and not such a risk to get secondhand as an inspection should highlight any problems. Handlebars would be my concern as a tiny hairline crack which could be easily missed could result in a lengthy hospital stay and some tough ones can be brought new relatively cheaply.

I found shops which have dismantled bikes and are selling the bits can throw up some bargains; my rear mech, shifters and wheels were brought this way with considerable savings on rrp, most likely to find such shops on ebay.

Thanks! 8) , that is good info

I'm just getting my head around all the options and how the parts all fit together if I do it... I think I need a 1 1/8th fork (head tube? not sure of the terminology) as it's slightly tappered? Then the standard bars seem to be a 31.8?
710mm seems to be a common width from reading, I guess it depends on personal preference though.

If I was to build it my main concern is that it's safe, I would get an expert to check i obviously.

Thanks again!

Russell160

You might find this helpful:

http://www.parktool.com/blog/calvins-co ... ild-a-bike

The Rookie

You need a 1 1/8" steerer (the head tube is the bit of the frame it goes through), standard bars are 25.4mm, oversize (or o/s for short) are 31.8mm, the stem needs to be the same size as the bars.

leonr

Spot on, thanks!