First bike build, parts advice.

biker1984

Hi guys..

I have just bought myself a Trek Top fuel 8 2008 frame, and i am going to build it up over a month or two (finances permitted lol)..

I have a few parts that i already know what i am buying.. Breaks are sorted.. Cassette, bars, stem and headset..

My main concerns are a crank and bottom bracket, forks, derailleur and front mech..
I want to be as conserving as i can with the funds o have available, but i do want to buy the best i can with what i do have..

I was looking at the Shimano Deore M590 crankset.. Is this good value, or is there something much better for a little bit more..

I'm going to be running 9 speed cassette..

My budget for crank, bb, forks and front and rear mechs are around £325-350.. I dont mind buying second hand for a better deal...

Can i get a decent set up for that money?

Any advice will be much appreciated..

Thanks guys..

Biker1984

jedocherty

See if you can't get fairly new SLX from ebay.. i think it's the sort of groupset that gets upgraded fairly quickly on new bikes so you should get a pretty big saving vs brand new.

the forks depend on what you want to ride (and what wheels you have)... it's probably the part you'll notice the most so maybe go for something like http://www.wiggle.co.uk/rockshox-xc30-t ... sion-fork/ and have more for the chainset etc or spend more on the forks and less on the rest http://www.chainreactioncycles.com/Mode ... elID=54600

If i were you i'd decide on the forks first, then the mech's and then see what's left for the chainset and cups.

Twelly

I am just starting a similar project, bought frame and wheels, starting to collect up all the little bits (bars/stem/tyres/tubes/pedals etc) and then buying the forks next payday.

I have decided on a Deore drivetrain as I have used Deore kit on an older bike for years and had no problems at all. Deore is also a bit cheaper than SLX and much cheaper than XT.

RE the crankset - You can't go wrong with the Deore triple for £60ish to be honest but I am going for a single ring set up on the front. The cranks I have chosen are more expensive but I will save money by not buying a front mech, cable and shifter. Also makes for easier set up and maintenance.

FYI - the Recon Silver forks are £110 on On One's website - http://www.on-one.co.uk/i/q/FORSRETK/ro ... th_lockout - This is the fork I am using for my build.

I set up a spreadsheet and wrote down every single part I am going to need (no matter how small) and then put my budget for each part (£20 for a shifter, £5 for an inner tube etc etc) and totalled these at the bottom. This gave me a budget of £770 which I thought was a lot. After hunting around for parts on ebay and different sites, I have managed to find pretty much every bit for a bit less than my budget and I stuck the web links or place I found it cheapest on the sheet so I can go back and order once I have the money ready.

Estimated cost for everything is now about £560 and I'm doing orders of about £150 each month for the next few months.

I can send you the sheet if you like, It has really helped me.

biker1984

Thanks for the info so far.. @ twellysmat I like the sound of your parts and cost sheet.. Sounds logical and you know what you need and budgets.. If you could send me a copy of that to me that would be great..

Sirus1984uk@aol.com

Those rock shox look alright for the money.. I would really like some fox's on it, but realistically I can't afford it..

Thanks..

no9ismine

Try this for any remaining parts- I almost bought myself.
viewtopic.php?f=40050&t=12856030&p=17643528#p17643528

The Rookie

When I built mine I set myself a target for how I wanted the bike to turn out but knew I didn't have the budget to do it all straight away, so either bought what I wanted or compromised heavily to something cheap enough at the time, so probably the only bike with a latest XT rear mech and square taper cranks for a while....keep your eye out and buy the right part at the right time and you'll save a fortune!

Twelly

Have emailed you the sheet, Its still got all of my costs and parts on there but you can change it to suit your build

Twelly

MonsterCat wrote:

Estimated cost for everything is now about £560 and I'm doing orders of about £150 each month for the next few months.

You what?

gaff_taff

Deore chainset's are class, cheap and you get the hassle free external bottom bracket, which are child's play, some good deals about, i got a full chainset with bb etc off the bay for 15 quid, all because he couldn't get the pedal off, i did so got a bargain