Help me build a new bike

[jopamora]

Can you really get a new Raleigh or All-City steel bike for a grand?

[elcee]

@jrenaut 37949 wrote:

And no one has weighed in on finding an old frame (or even an old complete bike) and upgrading the components. Is that because no one thinks that’s a good idea, or just because no one who thinks that would be cool has weighed in yet?

I’ll weigh in. I really considered doing just that, i.e. taking a nice old trashed Italian frame and upgrading components. I decided against this for 2 big reasons:

(1) rear hub spacing: many old frames are 126 mm, and yes I know you can cold set them to 130 mm, if it wasn’t for
(2) lack of tire clearance: old skool thinking was that skinnier tires were better, but I really wanted to be able to ride with 700×32 tires.

[KelOnWheels]

Did someone say BIG FRENCH WORDS?

Sounds like we’re shopping for the same bike!

I wish the Roper came in the Furley colors – I saw the black Furley at Revolution and it was hawt. The Roper is a little over my budget but would be worth saving up for. Except it’s brown. :p

I had the Raleigh Sojourn on my list for a bit but crossed it off. It comes with a Brooks saddle and bar tape… and Sora components. For an $1100+ bike I’d rather have Tiagra and I’ll get my own fancypants saddle thankyewverymush. The Port Townsend seems a better deal.

I want to test ride a Cross-Check – I’m not sure about the geometry. (Like I know what I’m talking about…)

I want a Space Horse like crazy, I think they’re gorgeous bikes. Plus they come (or did) in the two best bike colors, orange and light blue

I’m hoping I might get lucky and find a Salsa Casseroll still in stock somewhere…

Jamis Bosanova is high on the list right now. I rather like the 2013 paint scheme.

Redline Metro Classic looks nice but of course no one carries them here.

That BIG FRENCH WORDS bike is growing on me too, I must say

My Big Pondering Question of Pondering right now is discs or no discs? I suppose discs are the sensible choice. (All-City, y u no discs?)

[KelOnWheels]

@jopamora 37979 wrote:

Can you really get a new Raleigh, Jamis, or All-City steel bike for a grand?

Roundabout last year’s models I should think certainly.

[dcv]

@jrenaut 37949 wrote:

And no one has weighed in on finding an old frame (or even an old complete bike) and upgrading the components. Is that because no one thinks that’s a good idea, or just because no one who thinks that would be cool has weighed in yet?

If you find the right frame and have the time, money and desire I’d vote build (I have tools I can loan you and can help). That Handsome XOXO frame you posted is nice (except it has vertical dropouts, horizontal would be best for SS / FG conversion). I wouldn’t expect to see many of those around, I like unique bikes. You should be able to reuse most parts from your wrecked Giant (brifters, maybe seatpost if right diam, saddle, bars if not bent, rear derailleur, cassette, crankset, pedals…) You would have to buy new wheels(?), front clamp-on derailleur, mini-V brakes to work on the CX frame and with your brifters. Looks like you’d need a quill stem too.

Older steel road frames will have horizontal dropouts, but probably not the tire clearance you need for fat studded tires. A late 80’s steel frame would have the best chance for horizontal dropouts, 130mm rear wheel spacing, 700C wheels, standard bottom bracket, headset, seatpost diam… If you go too old it may be difficult to find parts that fit.

I found this 1988 Fuji Tiara frame on CL for $65

I re-used some spare parts I had (crankset, chainring, pedals, bottom bracket, bars, rear brake, saddle) but had to buy a few new parts:

Bought a wheelset from CL and used spacers to get the chainline right:

I’ve been swapping parts as I find deals on CL, Fizik saddle, Look Keo Classic pedals…

[mstone]

Wow, that certainly does scream 1988. I think I had a pair of shorts in that same pattern.

[DismalScientist]

While building a bike from the frame up has its advantages, you can’t get an old frame that where you can use disk brakes.

The “problem” I run into when contemplating a bike is that you can purchase a bike from internet retailers at a price approximating the retail value of the components alone.

However, as you have salvageable components, it makes building a bike from the frame up more appealing.

[jrenaut]

Disc brakes aren’t a deal breaker. I think it’s more important to me that I love the bike. And I’m okay paying a bit of a premium for that feeling.

[Greenbelt]

@jopamora 37979 wrote:

Can you really get a new Raleigh, Jamis, or All-City steel bike for a grand?

http://www.myjamis.com/SSP%20Applications/JamisBikes/MyJamis/consumer/bike.html?year=2013&model=Aurora&cat_grp=road_9

[Steve]

@KelOnWheels 37982 wrote:

I wish the Roper came in the Furley colors – I saw the black Furley at Revolution and it was hawt. The Roper is a little over my budget but would be worth saving up for. Except it’s brown. :p

[ATTACH=CONFIG]2155[/ATTACH]
You should check out the 2012 Roper.

[elcee]

@jrenaut 38015 wrote:

I think it’s more important to me that I love the bike. And I’m okay paying a bit of a premium for that feeling.

That’s the best reason for building it yourself.

The big downside, for me, was that I typically could not ride a frame before making the decision to buy it. You just have to take a chance … and if it doesn’t feel right, then swap components to another frame and resell the original one.

[Dirt]

This is a little out of your price range, but a really nicely equipped bike.

http://civiacycles.com/bikes/kingfield/

I still keep an eye out for a used Bryant (same bike but with disc brakes). When I was ready to buy my Tweed, Civia had a long time when they didn’t have my size in stock. Now I know why. I just waited too long.

[KelOnWheels]

@Steve 38032 wrote:

[ATTACH=CONFIG]2155[/ATTACH]
You should check out the 2012 Roper.

Oo I like that.

[jopamora]

@Greenbelt 38029 wrote:

http://www.myjamis.com/SSP%20Applications/JamisBikes/MyJamis/consumer/bike.html?year=2013&model=Aurora&cat_grp=road_9

City Bikes has the ’11 Aurora Elite for $1019.99 (limited sizes).

[culimerc]

I *love* my Vaya

And my wife wont let me buy a new bike to replace her Jamis even tho its more than 8 years old.

[Author]

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