Bike build advice

Jeztheshed

Alright. I'm 32 this month and am thinking of asking the wife not to bother with any presents on the understanding that it's fine for me to order a carbon frame set from velobuld, Deng Fu or a similar company. I feel building my own bike will be a good experience. I have a winter CX/type type bike and a hardtail so for this build I'm after a road bike with the right balance between aggressive stance and comfortable position. I'm just over 6' with a 31' leg and I currently weigh 98kgs (although this is on its way down).

Bearing all this in mind, what frame set from where would you recommend?

I'm not asking for anyone's opinion on whether it is wise to buy cheap Chinese frames as there are already plenty of threads on that subject.

If anyone wants to suggests further choices re grouset and wheels then feel free. I'm looking to have fun building a dream bike but making sensible decisions with money i.e. Shimano 105 Vs ulterega in terms of actual performance.

Budget for frame is up to £700 and overall budget for bike from handlebars to pedals , tyres and all the rest is £1500 to £1900 max

Thanks in advance for any suggestions. I would genuinely really appreciate some advice as it's such a minefield with bike components and compatability.

crescent

Definitely do it. I built my own bike about 7 years ago and it is a great experience. You will know it intimately when you are finished which is a godsend for doing maintenance etc. I used Ribble for my frame but they seem to offer a more limited range now than in years gone by. Have a look at them and the likes of Planet X and Dolan as well. This is a good time of year to pick up bargain components as well so shop around and see what's on offer - even if you don't have the frame you can still get everything in place for the build.

helterskelter

You can pick up a Planet X / holdsworth carbon for well under your budget. They do a couple of lovely frames at around the 500 mark currently.

Spend the saving on some far sport carbon wheels.

mrb123

I know you're looking at Chinese frames, but you could get one of these in budget. Top quality carbon frame with lifetime warranty.

The geometry also gives a good balance of being a race bike but not super extreme.

Different sizes and colours are usually available if you shop around.

https://activesport.co/epages/80c85f8f- ... gKkbvD_BwE

joe_totale-2

You'd just about fit on a medium on of these if you wanted a disc brake speed machine:

https://www.cyclerepublic.com/boardman- ... meset.html

Don't forget that Cycle Republic also take BC discount.

akh

Building a bike is great fun. I've done it a few times.

Buy a work stand if you don't have one, and all the right tools for the job, including a torque wrench. Tools will last years if not a lifetime, and make the whole process and future maintenance much easier. Don't blast all your budget on the bike then screw up the cable routing because you used crapy pliers instead of nice cable cutters, been there, it's false economy. Have grease (essential) and ideally anti-seize (desirable) handy, all the metal parts being screwed together should have a coating of one or the other, you'll be glad when you try to unscrew them after 12 months. Don't hammer in bearings with the wrong tool, buy a press or pay a shop to do it with a suitable press. YouTube can teach you pretty much everything you need to know about the build process if you don't already have the knowledge.

I've used Tiagra, 105, and Ultegra. Hard to tell them apart in the blind test. Ultegra isn't a lot more expensive than 105 though, so I'd be tempted to go for it just to avoid the "what if" syndrome. Dura Ace is so much more expensive than Ultegra it's never been an option for me.

Most factory wheels have a weight limit of around 100-120kg. You're going to be getting over or close to that (weight limit is bike + rider + clothing and accessories, etc), so it's something worth being aware of. Hand built wheels might be an option, check out the thread under road buying advise. There are some very knowledgable people in there who can recommend suitable wheels, including suitable factory wheels.

I've used cheap aluminium and expensive carbon finishing kit. It's probably the most money spend for the least gain of any component. There can be a slightly comfort improvement from carbon, but you're better off buying a frame geared towards comfort and large tyre clearances if that's your aim. You can easily upgrade finishing kit down the road, invest the bulk of the money in the other parts. This is especially true if you're not sure of the fit you want, better to realise you want to try narrower bars or a longer stem when they're 30 quid alloy ones.

step83

Can second a planetx frame, they are basically just a chinese frame with a paintjob anyway, I picked up an RT-80 a couple of years back its been solid.

arlowood

Look closer to home rather than going for a Chinese import.

My recommendation would be to check out Paul Milnes Cycles. They are a bona fide cycle shop in Bradford but offer new and nearly new framesets online through their Ebay shop. Link to the frames on offer is here

http://www.ebaystores.co.uk/Paul-Milnes ... 34.c0.m322

One example they list within your budget and that would fit is an Ex Team Ridley Fenix

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Ridley-Fenix ... 28576a5c58

I've bought a couple of frames from them in the past and they are great to deal with. If you call them direct they will usually offer a discount on the Ebay price since they avoid Ebay fees. Alternatively they may offer to install the BB of your choice depending on what groupset you plan to fit.

They also have an ex Team PMC Ridley Fenix which is at the top of your budget

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Ridley-Fenix ... 1ee8782654

lakesluddite

Helterskelter wrote:

You can pick up a Planet X / holdsworth carbon for well under your budget. They do a couple of lovely frames at around the 500 mark currently.

Spend the saving on some far sport carbon wheels.

I'm currently shopping for the kit to build up one of these:

https://www.planetx.co.uk/i/q/FRPXEC130 ... d-frameset

They are now selling at £610 (depending on colour - for some reason a bit of neon green takes the price up to £999! :? ), which makes me glad I bought before Xmas as I got mine for £500 . Still below budget though, and it's 'allegedly' aero road bike of the year 2017.

svetty

Another vote for Planet X. They use Chinese 'open mold' frames with a paint job. You get a UK warranty for not any more than it takes to import your own.

Jeztheshed

Thanks for so many encouraging and helpful posts. I am been swayed away from a direct from China purchase. The Paul Milne's ex team cycles are really tempting and seem to be excellent value. I love to get a good deal and have no qualms about second hand purchases especially as carbon is supposed to have excellent longevity compared to alloy? Interested that people recommend a medium frame when I say 6' with 31' leg. Would large not be more comfortable? I'm gonna have a good think about the size as this is obviously crucial to get right. Already got a bike stand and tools. Gonna go for it though. Really appreciate the time people take to give helpful advice

cougie

Carbon is very resilient and pretty much indestructible in normal use. Of course a crash can break it but a crash can break every frame. CF is often very repairable too if it's worth the cost.

As to sizing - that depends on the frame. But a smaller frame is a better bet than one too large.

arlowood

Jeztheshed wrote:

Interested that people recommend a medium frame when I say 6' with 31' leg. Would large not be more comfortable? I'm gonna have a good think about the size as this is obviously crucial to get right. Already got a bike stand and tools. Gonna go for it though. Really appreciate the time people take to give helpful advice

I suggested the Medium because your stats are pretty close to mine. I'm 5'11" with a 32" inseam and I've always aimed for a frame where the top tube is around the 56cm region. The Fenix SL in Medium has an effective top tube of 56.5cm so my feeling is that you should be able to get a good fit with judicious choice of stem length. The Fenix SL in Large has an ETT length of 58.5cm which IMHO could be a tad too big at your height and inseam measurements.

pippi_langsamer-2

Medium Ridley's are more like large in most other brands...

froze

Yikes, the name brand made me want to run and hide. I wouldn't buy anything direct from China, if something is wrong with the frame when you get it you'll have no warranty service which might mean the frame you spent money for could be completely useless. You need to stay with a company doing business in the US

By the way, carbon fiber is NOT indestructible under normal use.

Here is one example of an issue with a Chinese bike, note the brand; https://road.cc/content/forum/224718-de ... arning-fyi Getting a bike from China is a hit and miss proposition, some will be just fine and others not so fine, it's a risk. I read some time ago a guy who bought a titanium Chinese generic frame direct from the manufacture in China, when he got the bike he couldn't get the fork to attach so he took it down to an LBS who tried to but they discovered the headtube had somehow became ovalized and the headset race wouldn't fit, so the guy contacted the factory and they said to send it back and they will send him a new frame...many months and many non returned e-mails later he not only never got a new frame, and he never got his old one back.

Anyway, as far as components go 105 is extremely good, it's the best value for the money, 105 is considered Shimano's work horse component groupset. I see no need to go to Ultegra, especially since Shimano has trickle down technology, 105 use to be Dura Ace of a few years ago, so essentially you're getting DA for a lot less money than DA went for back 5 to 7 years ago.

i.bhamra

Don't totally discount an Alu frame, some really good quality ones from Kinesis, Cannondale, Bowmann et al would fall within your budget and have the added benefits associated with a new frame purchased from a retailer with a good reputation.

I built up this Aithein Evo for ~£1650, comes in at 7.8kg with pedals and cages and is great fun to ride. Everything was purchased new including handbuilt wheels (just need to be patient and shop around for the best prices):



https://drive.google.com/open?id=1DOehrbcKnd-6gHtUrMybeyuQ9ddEHAFMwQ

pippi_langsamer-2

froze wrote:

105 use to be Dura Ace of a few years ago

:roll:

keef66

I'd agree that R7000 is better than the 105 5600 groupset I bought over a decade ago, but whether it's up to the standard of the then 7900 DuraAce I doubt. You've still got a lot of simple bushings rather than bearings, and not a sign of carbon or titanium.

But it's a pointless discussion anyway; it's not as if you're choosing between R7000 and 7900 on a new bike is it?

joey54321

I'd personally go second hand. I got a previous generation Scott Foil for £550. Stripped down the wheels and groupset and sold them off for £250 or something, add Ultegra DI2 for £800 and some Zipp 404s for £800. I know have a phenomenal bike for <£2k. The mold was the same and with the 404s the aerodynamics matches the top level machines the pros were riding. This was 3 or 4 years ago so obviously, the latest generation of aero bikes offer a bit more.