Look what I built :) - my new bike

jonomc4

I decided as I could not get exactly what I wanted by buying a complete bike, that I would source the parts myself and get what I wanted and then build it myself.

This I did which considering on my last bike I only cleaned the chain/gears - pumped the tires was a big step forward.

Anyway apart from a mishap with the ordering of the groupset all went very well. I totally enjoyed the experience of building it myself (process was u-tube, manual, build, disassemble, rebuild) and found it really therapeutic.

Also by taking my time in buying the parts I was able to save about £1,200 on list price if I had bought it off the shelf - if you have the time - I really recommend it. I also now have a load of new tools and in-depth knowledge of my bike.

I had to get the BB30 bearings fitted at the LBS as the tool for that was too much to warrant for a one off and then I paid for a professional bike fit when it was completed.

And then end result!









To put it simply I am as happy as a pig in sh1t!

raymondo60

Nice one! You should be very proud of yourself. Hope you enjoy riding it as much as you enjoyed building it. Just out of interest, what was the 'groupset' mishap?

migrantwing

Congratulations! Looks great! Just goes to show what can be done when you put your mind to it.

ShutUpLegs

Wel dun, If only Bike Radar had a 'Your Bikes' section

jonomc4

ShutUpLegs wrote:

Wel dun, If only Bike Radar had a 'Your Bikes' section

hmmmm - OK I was umming and arrhhing whereto post this! I gathered from the tone of your post I missed the proper place - now I see it!

Re the qroupset - it was nothing major - the bike is a mix of Sram Red and Force - the shop I ordered it from, ballsed up the order, delivering things late and then delivering the wrong parts - in total it delayed me for 2-3 very annoying weeks!

I am loving riding the bike, the acceleration and handling are a joy, out on the flat it is almost effortless to break the speed limit, I am still sh1t on hills though. I think the total weight is about 7.5 kg but I have yet to accurately measure it. I could make it lighter by a bit but I cant afford new wheels yet and I love my saddle too much. Having gone from a fast road hybrid to this, requires a small amount of retraining - I need to improve my flexibility a bit and strengthen my neck muscles a bit - but I did 60 miles on the weekend with no major aches so I am getting used to it fast.

Like I say though - if people have the time - read a few books on bike geometry, groupsets, gearing etc etc and then plan your own bike - try the bike frame out before buying though at the LBS or from a friend to check the size (I did this and still came very close to a cropper). Building the bike really was such a joy and a fun learning experience and for me also saved a good amount of cash. The wife nagged a lot about it, but I was in the garage so I didn't hear her

houndlegs

Very nice indeed. How much did it cost you to do it that way?

Peddle Up!

Readers' Bikes. 8)

I say.

jonomc4

houndlegs wrote:

Very nice indeed. How much did it cost you to do it that way?

Built the thing for about £2,400 + about £80 on extra tools.

I had about 2 months to look around for best deals though as I was waiting for the insurance cheque. Things like the wheels cost less because I won £250 from Evans bike shop for a review I did. The saddle was £180 but I carried that over from my other bike.

Swos

Very nice bike

EclypseDesigns

Very clean. Must admit having been out a few times on my new bike i think a differing saddle is required, how do you find the SMP ?

jonomc4

I eventually got it off eBay from a German shop. They are available from UK sellers though. The hardest thing is trying one out before you buy - unless you have a LBS nearby which stocks them then it is a real risk buying one.

Evans were very kind and let me use their ass-o-meter to measure my sit bones so at least I got the right model - but buying it was a real risk. I took the opinion though that as they were so rare I could sell it as new on eBay for at least 9o% of the price I paid - but I bought it as cheap as possible to lessen the potential loss - I got it about £30 cheaper.

The selle smp site does have a very good range of sizes and saddle types with varying padding to out and out carbon. You can see them all on the site here:

http://www.sellesmp.com/smp4bike/en/products/saddles

I did a review on the saddle on my blog which you can flick through here:

http://ukmambo.blogspot.co.uk/2011/09/s ... eview.html

I am very happy with the choice - but was unhappy to take such a big risk on such a very expensive product (RRP about £180 for mine) without being able to try it out first though at an LBS.

I did a lot of investigation into the saddle purchase - maybe 20 hours - investigating the comfort and health benefits - so I didn't make the choice lightly.