Buy or build?

billaustin

QUick question on this. I was looking at the Ridley Phaeton R Frame for sale in CycleSuperstore and it is a very nice frame. In relation to a new bike though, would you go and buy a new one or would you go and build one yourself? Just curious to see what people's opinions are....

ednwireland

depends i bought a new bike last year and it was defo cheaper than buying frame parts wheels etc. seperately

but i am building a turbo trainer bike (cos i have a bucket of old bits and a spare frame hanging in the shed

but if you really like the frame and its a good deal and you cant get it built up anywhere for less and you can put together all the bits then go for it

considering its 2k for an ultegra 6700 spec one with fulcrum racing 5 wheels

seamus

For the same reason that Windows is cheaper when you buy a dell computer with it pre-installed, you'll usually get a much better deal buying a whole bike than building it yourself.

Whole bikes though generally come with very stock stuff, so if you're looking to build something that's different or use "niche" components, then building may be the better route.

abcdggs

I built my own bike more as an exercise in learning about bikes than anything else. You will learn an awful lot if you're willing to do the necessary research. To add to that though, i was able to pick up a bit of a bargain on a very nice frame which meant it came in less than buying a built bike, bear in mind though built bikes will cost less than buying parts and building it yourself

blorg

As everyone else says, it is a lot cheaper to buy a bike complete than try to build it yourself. A lot of components on a bike don't really matter and those that do (e.g. wheels/tyres) you can always sell or keep as training wheels to upgrade.

Chips Lovell

My take. If you want a bike, you'll get the best deal buying off the peg. But, some people get to the stage where they are choosy about their components. For example, I'd be fussy about what saddle, bars, tyres, wheels, to name a few my bike had. If you're someone like that, then building is the way to go.

blorg

el tonto wrote: »

My take. If you want a bike, you'll get the best deal buying off the peg. But, some people get to the stage where they are choosy about their components. For example, I'd be fussy about what saddle, bars, tyres, wheels, to name a few my bike had. If you're someone like that, then building is the way to go.

I have changed saddle, bars, tyres, wheels on most of my bikes and I still think buying complete works out cheaper. They are the most important components all right. On the wheels in particular that is a set you can then sell on or use as training wheels.