building a bike with 2nd hand frame - cheap

danlightbulb · May 2012

I was thinking of having a go at building up a bike from scratch, having seen a few other posts about bike builds on here. However I'm going to have to do it on the cheap. It would be a hobby of sorts I suppose, not going to make whatever I build my main trail bike just yet!

On ebay there are frames aplenty from £1 onwards. Eg. http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Mongoose-Tyax-Elite-Mountainbike-Frame-Medium-/180881461661?pt=UK_sportsleisure_cycling_bikeparts_SR&hash=item2a1d60119d. 3 hrs left i'd probably win that for a tenner or maybe less.

Now, whilst I know enough not to buy a bent frame, I don't know about compatability with other parts. Eg bottom brackets, forks, wheels.

If I was to go for this, could I build a decent bike from it?

Thanks
Dan

diy · May 2012

Building a bike from scratch is not that easy to do cheaply. Generally you will pay less for a whole bike than the components. If you have got some parts already and want to say convert a hard tail to full sus then it can work. But starting with a frame a sourcing used parts will end up costing more than buying a complete bike.

danlightbulb · May 2012

Appreciate what your saying, but if i can get cheap 2nd hand parts (there are loads on ebay), then should be able to build a bike from them for quite cheap. And its only a hobby and got to start somewhere. As I said in my post, the frame is the key component, and would I be able to build a bike from the example frame, would it be compatible with modern components?

stubs · May 2012

Have a word with Supersonic his hobby is building up bikes from piles of cheap bits off ebay. Sometimes they even work

cooldad · May 2012

If you are patient and hunt out the bargains, building up a bike is good fun.

steelie600 · May 2012

^^^^^^ What he said!!

Im really enjoying building mine up!

pholt89 · May 2012

I am in the process of doing my first build. I've loved it but it is a bit frustrating at times. I had all the main bit already (forks, wheels, gears, brakes, bars and stem) So bought a frame and it took a different size seat post and clamp so that was £30 straight away. I didn't have that many tools so have ended up spending a lot (over £100) on them. Main cost was a workstand but definitely worth it with how much easier it made whole thing.
I'm so glad that I've done it as a learning process but it is definitely not cheap. I remember hearing a rule somewhere that when building a bike from scratch work out how much you think it is going to cost you then add £500 to the total and you're somewhere near the real total.

danlightbulb · May 2012

Thank yeah thats what I thought. Just something to do in my spare time.

But guys...lol...any comment on the ebay frame?! Will it be compatible with modern components?

cooldad · May 2012

Depends what you mean by modern. It will work with most common, readily available components.

danlightbulb · May 2012

thanks.

GT_Dave · May 2012

Ive just finished a project and put it on the "Your Mountain Bikes" Thread, great fun searching out the parts and as long as your not in a rush then it doesnt have to cost that much, mine worked out less than £200 for a relly good looking (In my opinion) usable bike ;-)

danlightbulb · May 2012

Ye its something id like to have a go at. Your red bike looks nice mate that sort of thing would be ideal.

Unfortunately i didn't win the frame i bid for, went for £19 in the end, i did try and pinch it at the last minute but it just kept going up, wasn't willing to pay more.

Can't believe the price of some frames on ebay, loads of 2nd hand ones going for between £50 to £100 i dont want to pay that much.

cooldad · May 2012

If you don't mind V brakes on the back I've got a 19" Marin frame you can have for nothing.

danlightbulb · May 2012

Thats really nice of you to offer - thanks - but i'd struggle to get to bracknell to be honest its quite a way for me. You should try selling it mate, a named brand like that you'd probably get something decent for it judging by what sells on ebay.

supersonic · May 2012

I don't build up budget bikes anymore, I don't think it is worth it. By the time you have sourced parts that fit you will have spent as much as a new budget bike that is probably better anyway!

MountainMonster · May 2012

danlightbulb wrote:

Ye its something id like to have a go at. Your red bike looks nice mate that sort of thing would be ideal.

Unfortunately i didn't win the frame i bid for, went for £19 in the end, i did try and pinch it at the last minute but it just kept going up, wasn't willing to pay more.

Can't believe the price of some frames on ebay, loads of 2nd hand ones going for between £50 to £100 i dont want to pay that much.

If you think spending 19 quid on a frame is a bit too much, your in the wrong sport/ hobby. I wouldn't really even consider a frame at that price simply due to something has to be wrong for it to only cost that much.

welshkev · May 2012

i've just bought a completes bike second hand cos i wanted the groupset, wheels and brakes.

so far for a set of superstar wheels, full SLX groupset and shimano brakes it's cost me the grand total of £110 after i sell the frame (i've sold the original wheels, forks and pedals already) i've still got the bars, seatpost, tyres etc to sell if i can be arsed and i've probably only spend about £90 then.

so in that way i've got the stuff a lot cheaper and it's only cost me about £500 to build up a cove stiffee with brand new RS sektors, superstar wheels and a full SLX groupset

cooldad · May 2012

MountainMonster wrote:

danlightbulb wrote:

Ye its something id like to have a go at. Your red bike looks nice mate that sort of thing would be ideal.

Unfortunately i didn't win the frame i bid for, went for £19 in the end, i did try and pinch it at the last minute but it just kept going up, wasn't willing to pay more.

Can't believe the price of some frames on ebay, loads of 2nd hand ones going for between £50 to £100 i dont want to pay that much.

If you think spending 19 quid on a frame is a bit too much, your in the wrong sport/ hobby. I wouldn't really even consider a frame at that price simply due to something has to be wrong for it to only cost that much.

Not true. I've just offered to give a perfectly usable Marin frame away, my son was recently given a really nice Azonic frame, and I've bought entire bikes with nothing wrong with them for less than £20.
You might not get a nice new Yeti for that, but you can get someyhing eminently useable, just not sexy.

Anonymous · May 2012

It's more about paying what it's worth anyway. I could happily afford a £1500 blinging sexy frame but if I was looking at the above as a cheap project then I might think £19 is too much for *that* frame.

Anyway, building stuff is fun, and more worthwhile if you've got bits to reuse or can get them cheap on sale, off ebay, donations from friends, the local tip even!

vala · May 2012

I built my bike up and finished it recently. Time wise it takes longer due to waiting for specific parts to become available. Plus if your concerned about maybe a different colour different parts then that also adds to the time.
Price wise I would say yes it can be cheeper but all depends on what you want at the end of it. As I didn't have to worry about much labour charge I offset this by upping the standard of some of the parts I bought (IMO).

It's good fun though and the reward at the end when you ride it is worth it.

Enjoy!

MountainMonster · May 2012

cooldad wrote:

MountainMonster wrote:

danlightbulb wrote:

Ye its something id like to have a go at. Your red bike looks nice mate that sort of thing would be ideal.

Unfortunately i didn't win the frame i bid for, went for £19 in the end, i did try and pinch it at the last minute but it just kept going up, wasn't willing to pay more.

Can't believe the price of some frames on ebay, loads of 2nd hand ones going for between £50 to £100 i dont want to pay that much.

If you think spending 19 quid on a frame is a bit too much, your in the wrong sport/ hobby. I wouldn't really even consider a frame at that price simply due to something has to be wrong for it to only cost that much.

Not true. I've just offered to give a perfectly usable Marin frame away, my son was recently given a really nice Azonic frame, and I've bought entire bikes with nothing wrong with them for less than £20.
You might not get a nice new Yeti for that, but you can get someyhing eminently useable, just not sexy.

Yeah fair enough I guess, from a functionality standpoint I guess it wouldn't be bad, but as you say, not sexy. Bikes need to be sexy IMO

paul.skibum · May 2012

I built up a FS bike as a project and because I wanted one - had some parts (well I had some wheels!) and bought everythign else new from Merlin and CRC - I got a fully functioning 2001 Santa Cruz heckler for a shade over a grand in total (wheels I had though) RS Recon fork, raceface finishing kit, full deore groupset, helitaped etc - bike was bought freshly resprayed so looked good.

I moved to BC last year and the bike came with me as my main ride (I miss my hardtail and hope it isnt rotting in my mates shed) - just upgraded the rear shock to an air can from its previous coil and it has given her a new lease of life.

Building the bike was a great way to learn maintenance, a fun and frustrating way to spend a weekend (frustrating when I had to hunt around for a bike shop to face and tap out the bb threads at 10am on Sunday! Thanks to Cyclezone in Crowthorne!). Was it as cheap as i wanted, No. Was it worth it, Yes. Would I do it differently if I did it again - probably would spend more and buy better groupset components (brakes mainly - deore brakes are powerful but lack feel)

building a bike with 2nd hand frame - cheap

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