Help me build a new bike

[jrenaut]

Will, agreed. I’m not going single speed at the moment. But I’d like the option. You may be right, though, that it shouldn’t be a big concern for this bike, as I’d probably want it as a second bike.

[DismalScientist]

I would suggest a Nashbar touring bike or Nashbar steel cyclocross bike. Both come with 105 components.
I am impressed with a bike I got from BikesDirect for my wife, but they don’t seem to have much in steel.

[dcv]

this looks like it would fit you:

http://baltimore.craigslist.org/bik/3341899208.html

(not steel though)

Building a bike is great if you have patience, if I were in your situation I’d get a complete bike to ride as soon as possible then hunt for deals to build a second bike. Building will always cost more, but you get exactly what you want and will probably be unique.

[Dirt]

You have 2 choices. Spend a little more and get a Raleigh Roper, or we do a bicycle by committee where each of us buys you 1 part and we put it together into a bike and you have to ride that every day for a year.

That’s the beer talking for most of what I said above… I really do like the Raleigh Roper though.

Love,

Dirt

[jrenaut]

@dcv 37962 wrote:

Building a bike is great if you have patience, if I were in your situation I’d get a complete bike to ride as soon as possible then hunt for deals to build a second bike. Building will always cost more, but you get exactly what you want and will probably be unique.

Agreed. However, because of space considerations, it is unlikely that I will be able to get a second bike and remain married. When we move to a bigger place, probably in a year or two, I can probably get a second bike. I don’t want to wait that long. I would rather Bikeshare for a bit and get what I really want instead of getting something that’s just pretty good and spend another year or two regretting it.

When I bought the bike that just died, I hadn’t bought a bike since high school. I had never ridden a bike with drop bars before I started test-riding. I had no idea what I wanted. I made a good decision at the time, but now that I know more about bikes and what I like, I would have made a very different decision. I love my Giant, but I was constantly thinking about how I’d like something a little different.

[Dirt]

Buying a complete bike is almost always cheaper.

[jrenaut]

@Dirt 37963 wrote:

You have 2 choices. Spend a little more and get a Raleigh Roper, or we do a bicycle by committee where each of us buys you 1 part and we put it together into a bike and you have to ride that every day for a year.

That’s the beer talking for most of what I said above… I really do like the Raleigh Roper though.

Love,

Dirt

Your offer is intriguing, though probably not a good idea. The Roper is a nice looking bike (though not orange).

[jrenaut]

@DismalScientist 37961 wrote:

I would suggest a Nashbar touring bike or Nashbar steel cyclocross bike. Both come with 105 components.
I am impressed with a bike I got from BikesDirect for my wife, but they don’t seem to have much in steel.

That sounds very, very sensible (and perhaps a little bit boring).

[elcee]

I built a steel bike for myself and am building another steel bike for my daughter, and have tried to stay within a $1000-1500 range. I chose to buy new items for all moving parts.

I was lucky to find a new Rocky Mountain Sherpa touring frame in Reynolds 853 for $250 on eBay. If you buy a new frame, you’ll likely spend >$400. I considered the Soma ES at $399, plus another $120 for a steel fork.

Wheels can run the gamut. I bought Handspun Sport wheels for ~$300/pair.

For everything else I scrounged around on eBay. After the frame and wheels, brifters are the next most expensive item. Tiagra is a fantastic bargain, but if you go friction, you can go cheap on derailleurs, etc.

Phoenix Bikes has a great stash of parts. You’ll be able to find a handlebar and seatpost for a few dollars.

It took me a couple of months of careful shopping to accumulate the parts. (But that’s part of the fun, right?)

[Dirt]

@jrenaut 37966 wrote:

Your offer is intriguing, though probably not a good idea. The Roper is a nice looking bike (though not orange).

Man-up, big boy. This one comes in Orange. http://www.raleighusa.com/bikes/steel-road/cyclocross/furley-13/ Also fits your price range.

[jrenaut]

@Dirt 37969 wrote:

Man-up, big boy. This one comes in Orange. http://www.raleighusa.com/bikes/steel-road/cyclocross/furley-13/ Also fits your price range.

That’s pretty sweet, but I do still want to be able to pull the kids in the trailer. I think I need a few gears . . .

[Dirt]

@jrenaut 37970 wrote:

That’s pretty sweet, but I do still want to be able to pull the kids in the trailer. I think I need a few gears . . .

I like it a lot. Totally understand the need for gears. Someone put an internally geared hub on theirs locally. Forget who… Friday Coffee Club human male. It was awesome, but added $1000 to the price tag.

[Bilsko]

@Dirt 37971 wrote:

I like it a lot. Totally understand the need for gears. Someone put an internally geared hub on theirs locally. Forget who… Friday Coffee Club human male. It was awesome, but added $1000 to the price tag.

That would be Adam – Crystal’s boyfriend – and I know it took a bit of work and monie$ to get it right. Still, that Furley is a great looking bike. They may have one in stock at the District Hardware/Bike Shop down on 24th and L St – was in there a few weeks ago talking to the owner about them…cant remember if there was one hanging on the wall or not.

[jrenaut]

@elcee 37968 wrote:

I was lucky to find a new Rocky Mountain Sherpa touring frame in Reynolds 853 for $250 on eBay.

Anything in particular about the Rocky Mountain? Don’t know the brand.

[elcee]

@jrenaut 37973 wrote:

Anything in particular about the Rocky Mountain? Don’t know the brand.

They’re a Canadian company, mostly known for their mountain bikes. http://www.bikes.com/ Up until 2010, they also sold a couple of touring bikes. But no more – that’s why my frame was so cheap.

Another thing about that build: I wanted a double in front, but also wanted something lower than a 34-50, as I envisioned the bike as somewhat of a gravel grinder. I settled on a Shimano 28-40 mountain crank. Paired with an 11-34 rear, I get a range from 22″ to 98″. I’m in the big ring most of the time, but the small ring is great when I’m carrying something or on a steep hill. I went with Shimano, which costs more, but I’m familiar with their products. Going with FSA may save you $80-100, though I’ve also read bad things about their bottom brackets.

Other frames I considered:
Civia Kingfield – accomodates belt drive, interchangeable vertical or horizontal dropouts
Salsa Vaya 2; Salsa also has other framesets
All City Macho Man (yes, really!)
Soma ES

Interestingly, I rode other people’s Surly Cross Checks and LHTs and just didn’t find the frames all that interesting. They both felt “dead” and heavy to me, but obviously, your mileage might vary.

[Author]

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