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Aways had off the peg, but in this case a better specced custom build works out cheaper.
Despite triple checking everything twice, I'm still as nervous as Frank Spencer waiting for Jessica.
I must have cocked up somewhere.
Tell me your mistakes.
Where did it all go horribly wrong?
It'll help the next two weeks pass.
First new bike for 10 years.
Bit excited.
Last one: front mech wouldn't fit as it was a top swing and the flare on the downtube wouldn't let me mount it low enough. Not exactly "horribly wrong" but an added delay waiting for a new mech.
Never really gone horribly wrong, but on more than one occasion I have had to make an embarrasing second trip of the day to the LBS as partway through a build realised I had forgotten something yet again ........the last time was having to go back for ferrules after being in the shop earlier for gear cable inners.
Be careful, I have found doing bike builds addictive...... The last was the seventh in 9 years
Headsets. Just pay someone now! Everything else easy....
Yep get the headset pressed in properly and depending on the frame getting bb threads chased out are the 2 shop jobs. After that it all about reading the specs...
Bike shop for the headset and BB threads. Don't ask me why I'm repeating that....
At least you've got a threaded BB. None of this press fit crap.
I was going to say headset as it's a minefield now.
You have the right adapters to attach your chosen calipers to both your frame and fork? In the correct size for the rotors?
You own a decent cable cutter so you don't have that 'just built' look of massive loops everywhere?
If you have a brand new fork does it actually have oil in it? Serious question.
the right lubes and greases ? headset spacers? seat clamp ? cable end caps? skewers ? rim tape? helitape?
Just 'finshed' building my sons new bike but needed to shorten the brake hoses. Waited a week for some olives and barbs to be delivered then went for it. Easy job, only took a few minutes. Quick test. SHIT! Brake fluid pissing out of the lever. I hadn't tightened the brake hose up properly, bloody idiot.
Now waiting for a bleed kit and some fluid to be delivered and royal mail have seemingly lost the package.
Poor lad can't ride his new bike, due to his dad's ineptitude!!!!! 😳
Ordering the Hope top and lower headset as a mix and match don't come with a top cap. Subsequent ordering of a Hope top cap reveals it doesn't come with the bolt to thread into the star fangled nut 😡
Occurred this. Can understand not including top cap but bit miffed at the lack of bolt, especially when it seems that to get it I have to buy the stupid head doctor 😡
Spare olives (or whatever if not Shimano) for shortening rear brake cable
Same for reverb
Brake rotor adaptors ^^^ always
Spare bits of heli-tape when all cables are cut to length and rubbing frame
Torque wrench....
Largest tea pot.
Northwind to the forum. Paging Northwind.
The top cap and bolt was fixed by the lbs having the gold Thompson cap and spacers to match my gold hope bits 😉 #tart
Take your time and watch tutorial bids on YouTube for anything you're not sure about.
Like everyone else said, lbs is the place for headsets... unless you happen to have a few mates to go in on a press with. Even then there's facing and reaming, which any lbs worth its salt will do as part of the the headset fit. If you buy frame and headset from lbs, they might even do it for free!
I think it used to be easier given the proliferation of standards.
When I did mine I got some parts through a LBS (Plush Hill) and Al checked the spec, provided some useful suggestions on and built it up for me. I reckon I bought half the bits myself and half through him (some with decent deals)
I took cake and watched. Glad I did as it's his day job and he did a better job of it that I would have done in the time.
I was most concerned that I'd order the wrong size/type/number etc of front mech, discs headset etc and even though I double checked it myself having a proper mechanic do it made it a lot easier. He also has all the tools and little bits that make it easier - plus hours of practice.
I strip it all down and do maintenance myself but for original builds I let the professional do it.
Alex, isn't the stock answer just to get Mat to do it?
As for what can go wrong, I'm building up a new frame next week so I'll let you know then!
Trusty - absolutely. I wasn't offering myself up as someone with first hand experience 😉 They are just the things I've forgotten and had to rush around sourcing while Mat builds the bikes 🙂
I'm not building it myself!
I wouldn't know which end of the spanner to hit it with.
I'm stressed out over speccing the bloody thing.
🙂
Deposit paid, those nice gentlemen at Spa are building it.
Ran out of beer once during a build.
Don't want to talk about it. Memory still a bit too fresh 😥
Tell me your mistakes.
Where did it all go horribly wrong?
My first US custom ti road frame, quite a long time ago now. 'Make it fairly stiff' I said, referencing a steel tube spec I liked and a production ti bike that I thought was a noodle. First ride and it was flexing all over the descent. Had another one done at no cost that was the same geo but the tube spec was as I wanted so thumbs up for their attitude to customer service, and it did focus my interest in frame specs, but knowing what I know now and knowing how many ti frames they'd made before that one (lots) I have no idea how they made such a poor choice in tubing. Swore then that the next custom I'd order would be steel and UK-made : )
😐
No 50cm Disc Trucker frames now available till the end of March.
I've been waiting since August.
Not a happy sausage, have already booked time off for a cheeky C2C, that's up the wall.
Inclined to tell them to stuff it now, but I can't find an alternative that fits my needs.
So I wait.
Knowing how QBP work, that March date will be speculative at best.
Northwind to the forum. Paging Northwind.
Ahh.The upside down forks episode. 😀
don't really remember but I'm geting an image in my headAhh.The upside down forks episode.
Right I need a 190mm steerer, measured 190mm twice (from the top of the steerer) cut once, oh dear.
Is that it?
only things that stick in my memory about builds are the 1.5 -> 1.125 reducer cups for a new frame were and absolute bugger to get in straight, finally managed it only to then find the BB thereads were shagged. Removed the parts and sent it back, new one arrived BB in first no worries, headset went in slightly easier, rear dropout all ****ed up, strip ans sent it back told them to fit the headset to the new (problem free) frame.
I have managed to screw up several times servicing stuff but new builds iirc I'm ok with.
Ahh.The upside down forks episode.
Northwind has some RS1s? 🙂
My hope mixed headset came with topcap & bolt
The cock up may not necessarily be yours.
Anything different to their normal spec should be discussed in a way that leaves absolutely no room for misunderstanding.
Generic answers to questions should be checked out - eg 'We've never had any complaints' isn't a sufficient answer to 'what's the mud clearance like?'
Aside from the measure twice cut once rule, the only time I really messed up was damn nearly stripping the thread on the bottom bracket. Oh, and grease. Grease everything.
Spare olives (or whatever if not Shimano) for shortening rear brake cable
Same for reverb
Brake rotor adaptors ^^^ always
Spare bits of heli-tape when all cables are cut to length and rubbing frame
Torque wrench....
Largest [b]hammer[/b].
Fixed that for you Al...
Oh! and remember when you cut the steerer squiffy (but long enough), a spacer above the stem covers all sins.
I ordered the wrong size hub end caps (135 rather than 142) then spent ages trying to figure out why the rear wheel slid from side to side. 🙄
Re. headsets and press fit BBs, I usually whack them in with a bit of wood and a lump hammer. Hasn't failed me yet.
Largest hammer.
That's right. Except you appear to have enumerated that precision tool in the singular 🙂
And the fella up there running out of beer. I can't imagine what that'd be like. Down tools and go and hide under a blanket!
The first thing that will go wrong is you will choose a wheel size and buy it plus a frame to suit..
A week later a new wheel size or hub width will be announced rendering your new bike old hat 😀
I was trimming the steerer on my forks, I though it seemed harder to cut than normal.
Turns out I was sawing through the Hope Head Doctor that was still in the steerer tube! 😀
What's all this "take it to the LBS for a headset fitting"?! What happened to two large washers, two large nuts and a long piece of threaded bar, eh?
Would work for push fit BBs now too 🙂
I did C2C on my normal road bike, don't be put off (or are you planning on doing a multiday unassisted ?)
Don't rush it!
It's finished when it's properly finished, not before.......
(and check every spec 3x before pressing "buy it now". My new 'bang-on-trend' 35mm clamp dia enduro-gnar-bars turned up, and i found that despite what i'd read, the stem the frameset comes with is 31.8mm oops)
Ed, it was [i]supposed[/i] to be a quiet few days away.
Y'know, me and the new bike.
Stolen glances across a beer garden, first flush of new love, all that palaver.
But no.
Denied.
maxtorque - Member
Don't rush it!
You did that on purpose, just to hurt me.
😛
I've been waiting five months so far.
I reckon I could recite each part number of the build.
If you give me five minutes I could probably set them all to a jolly tune.
Where is the learning experience in having someone else build your new bike? Missed opportunity there.
Do you take it to a shop when you break it as well? Must be made of money.
bensales - Member
What's all this "take it to the LBS for a headset fitting"?! What happened to two large washers, two large nuts and a long piece of threaded bar, eh?Would work for push fit BBs now too
Once you use a proper Headset press you will understand, having the right sized bits for the headset and all that make it a very smooth job.
Where is the learning experience in having someone else build your new bike? Missed opportunity there.Do you take it to a shop when you break it as well? Must be made of money.
Some people are happy to let others do it, a good LBS will do an excellent job building a bike and get all the little things right. My last bike was done by the LBS as I was away and the frame/bits arrived. They had time so popped it all together. Did a great job.
Through knowing a lot of people in the trade and hanging round in bike shops there are loads of people who like to pay others to do stuff but are able to fix things themselves.
For me it's simply a calculation as to the time I have available, the tools I don't have and if it's one of those annoying job that somebody who does it everyday just has the knack for.
It's a present from my wife.
I don't want to break it.
🙂
As I say, been waiting since the end of Ausust, don't suppose another six weeks will make a difference.
I'm still bloody annoyed about it though.
Personally, i enjoy speccing and building a new bike as much as i enjoy riding them. I'd recommend being conservative with cutting the steerer down, at least to begin with. I cut mine right down during the build, and it's a little too low really. In hindsight, i should have run it with some spacers for a while.
Also, i like to leave the brake hoses a little longer than most. I saw a chap crash his Five one day; the bars spun around and ripped the hose clean out from one of his Hope brake levers.
Ok, i might be bit different for a skinny road bike, but on a modern MTB, the head area of the frame is sooo massive that you can wack the headset cups in with a nylon hammer! Think about the loads this part of the frame takes when you case that jump or land nose first off a 5 foot drop.......