How cheap realistically, could you build a bike from scratch?

thehamo

So im toying with the idea of building a cyclo cross bike from scratch. Ive been looking at an alu frame which would work out at about 380, including the carbon forks. Now, im working on a tight budget, so im just wondering, how much would the rest of the build cost, considering I wouldnt be going for high end parts really. IF I was to do it, I would be hoping to come in under 650 for the whole project, frame included.

What think ye, plausible? ive been looking at groupsets, and the cheapest I can find new is about £199 thats a shimano sora

DirkVoodoo

So you are almost at your budget with just a frame and a groupset?

Fork, headset, wheels, tyres, tubes, saddle, seatpost, stem, handlebars...it all adds up.

Really, if you want a bike on the cheap, you won't beat an off the peg one. For 680 you could get a very nice Cube from cyclesuperstore.

Building your own bike is a nice idea, but it's hard to do it on the cheap unless you are using a lot of spare parts, donations and second hand purchases. If you simply want to build a bike for the sake of it and not spend any money, buy the cube and take it apart then put it back together. Or go into the store and ask them can you have one still in the box.

edit: nuts, just saw the cyclocross part: if it fits - Specialized tricross

C3PO

Basically you would need to buy a complete groupset, wheels, tyres, bars, saddle, seatpost, stem etc for €270 to stay within your budget! I would think you would be much better off buying a second hand complete bike. The Cyclo X season finishes with the Nationals in a couple of weeks and I'm sure quite a few nice second hand bikes will appear on the market. Most of Cyclo Xers tend to hang out on www.mtbireland.com so it might be worth putting up a post in the Buy and Sell there.

thehamo

yeh true enough. I was kind of thinking, if I built my self, I could get parts bit by bit and not blow a whole load of money in the one go. I'd be more than willing to get second hand parts, but as you say, my budget is near gone with frame and groupset, albeit a brand new one. ]

Cheers for the heads up RPL1, i was on that site before but never saw the buy and sell forum, il throw up a note on that.

Thanks for the advicve.

happytramp

Having just finished a vintage bike built from high end used parts i can testify to the great sense of accomplishment you get when you complete it (far more so than arriving home with a shop bought one) but it is fraught the countless disappointments of lost ebay auctions and many, many hours spent trawling through the myriad of online bike part trading websites. It can be done on a low budget as long as you are in no hurry to complete it. I was at mine for months, nearly none of the parts match but i absolutely LOVE it.

Tonyandthewhale

I second what the happytramp says. You can build up your bike bit by bit but you're going to need a lot of second-hand parts, a lot of time and a lot of luck and it's very difficult to know how much exactly you're going to spend. I've done similar projects a few times now but I already have a road bike, tourer, mtb and commuter and a fair selection of spare parts so I don't have to worry about getting the bus while I wait to finish my build. It's a lot of fun but it's not necessarily a great way to get into the sport.

Also, any build's I've undertaken have been road bike or tourers (mix of road and mtb components). Specifically cyclo-cross equipment might be hard to find second-hand since it's more of a niche market so you might have to buy some stuff new although I suppose most of the major components are the same as on a road bike.

thehamo

well to be honest im not looking to build a pure breed cross bike, im looking to get one more for adventure races where foresty tracks, and country bog roads would be involved etc. Any cross bike ive looked at, the components seem to be similar to that of a road bike, with exception to the wheels and chain set, but im sure a standard chainset for a roadbike would fit the frame regardless....

my other option I suppose is to get a good road bike, and try out a thicker 28mm tyre with a gatorskin or something like that,

sgriffin

Hi hamo,

If your interested i have a cross bike i may be looking to sell
its a focus mares 54cm bought in late September,
it has about 300km on it if even was only used to race 2 rounds of the cross season and about 5 training nights.

http://www.eurocycles.ie/Focus_Mares/3344_p.aspx

would be looking for 650

Shane

thehamo

Hows things shane, Yeh I could be interested alright, how tall are you, im 5'9" do you think the 54 would fit?

thehamo

Could you put a 30 or 32c tyre on a wheel that takes a 23c tyre?

Lumen

thehamo wrote: »

Could you put a 30 or 32c tyre on a wheel that takes a 23c tyre?

Yes.

thehamo

So, I was looking at this frame http://wap.ebay.ie/Pages/ViewItem.aspx?aid=310277829213&sv=Cyclocross%20frame&emvcc=0

And the groupset, wheels, bars and stem and seatpost and saddle for about 180. http://www.gumtree.ie/dublin/71/71112071.html

But then again I like the bike sgriffin is selling. Choices choices

Lumen

It would be a tough decision, were it not for the fact that the spec of sgriffin's bike is about eleventy million times better.

thehamo

Right cool, it's settled then i'l buy instead of build.

sgriffin

Hamo,

I am 5'9 myself your welcome to try it for size, it fit me perfect.

shane

Golfanatic

I've built all my bikes well worth it, haven't bought one of the peg bike ever, all six of them

thehamo

yeh that would be cool if possible shane. I'l send you a PM

CramCycle

If your in Dublin you could try rothar.ie They have all the parts (second hand) and you can rent a space and have a crack at it if you really want to. They also have guys there to give you pointers if needed.