Hints and tips on building a bike

Dudders29

Can anybody offer any tips for when building a bike for the first time. I'm gonna have a go from scratch and was wondering are there any good tips and does and donts

danlikesbikes

YouTube park tools and they have a series of videos broken down into steps and easy to follow too. Obviously it's a ply to get you to buy their tools however the advice they give is pretty good.

Plenty of other good video resources out their just spend some time checking to find one you like

arlowood

If you're new to building bikes then my main advice would be to select a frame + forks combination that comes with the headset already installed. That removes one procedure (headset installation) that can be tricky to do yourself . Of course you can always ask your LBS to do it if necessary and usually the charges are quite modest.

Secondly I would advise buying a frame with a standard BSA threaded bottom bracket. This means that the BB installation is straightforward and also that future maintenance and replacement are easy to do. Pressfit BB's (BB30, BB86 etc) require specialist tools for installation although again your LBS could do the job for a small fee.

Don't forget to factor in the cost of tools eg workstand, allen keys, chain whip, cassette lockring tool etc. A good quality set of cable cutters is a must otherwise you will be plagued with gear shifting issues

cycleclinic

the advise is just do it. you will find things that you have forgot or don't work together well or even you just bought an incompatible part. This will happen regarless of how much reading you do unless you are quite clued up on bikes and you what it can still happen. But it is also how you learn and this is the reason for doing it apart from when it is done you will have something that you have built and is right for you hopefully.

Park tools website is the best place to start for the practicalities. Also make a list of the bits you need before you buy them that way you won't forget anything. I still do this bit.

fatdaz

I did my first bike build this year and will do another next year. I started off knowing nothing, couldn't even adjust gears, and got all of my information from the internet. There was some trial and error - I had to run the rear gear cabling 3 times before I got it right - but in the end it all went well.

One thing I would recommend is to put together a list of all the bits you need before you start buying stuff - make sure everything is the right size to fit together (right headset size, front derailleur fitting, seat post diameter etc). If you're in a hurry to do it don't forget the little things like bar tape, cable clips, QR skewers, seat post clamp), you can lose a lot of time waiting on these relatively insignificant bits.

I'd recommend to have a go - I found the whole experience very rewarding

sigorman85

Don't stick to your budget there is always something better that you will want for it that's triple the price
Buy a decent torque wrench
Do your research
Get as much advice as poss
Learn from your mistakes as you will make some for your first build so don't think you going to get it correct the first time
Sit back and look at what you have made and a pat on the back

letap73

Download the e-book/reference to excellent you tube videos:

http://www.flocycling.com/buildabike.php

Adding to what Arlowood said with regards to bottom bracket - BSA 68mm preferably with a shimano bottom bracket - its cheap and durable and imo much better than the GXP bottom bracket.