Make bike using eBay parts?

landotter wrote:
On Jul 13, 6:29 pm, wrote:
I'm on a VERY tight budget but wanting a decent bike
bad

I was curious of the advisability of buying the Nashar
cross frame and then buying used parts off eBay to
build the bike up with?

Would I save much money or not you think over just
buying a pre-built bike?

Parts add up. See if you can find a Craigslist bike that's got all you
need, just mounted on the wrong frame.

I built up a "NashBay" bike a couple of years ago, I don't think I could
have bought one, new or used, cheaper. I did spend a while accumulating
parts, in fact what motivated me to build the bike was the realization
that I had enough spare parts to almost make a complete bike, and I
might as well ride the spares. The only used component I brought was the
crank, but it came with new chainrings.

Because of my unusual size, frames that fit are rare. When I needed a
new MTB frame, I bought a complete bike in that size & swapped most of
the components out. It made economic sense because I was able to use all
the new components on other bikes in the family fleet.

Two things I have noticed: used bikes are often overpriced, especially
considering the amount of upgrading you'll do, particularly if they're
more than a few years old; and when building a new bike, it's easy to
overlook how much all the little doo-dads add up to. For anyone
considering a build from parts, I'd suggest making a list of *all* the
parts and adding it up first.

On Mon, 13 Jul 2009 18:29:13 -0500, in rec.bicycles.tech
wrote:

I'm on a VERY tight budget but wanting a decent bike
bad

I was curious of the advisability of buying the Nashar
cross frame and then buying used parts off eBay to
build the bike up with?

Would I save much money or not you think over just
buying a pre-built bike?

In my experience, save up your money and buy an entire bicycle.

Jones

On Jul 13, 7:29*pm, wrote:
I'm on a VERY tight budget but wanting a decent bike
bad

I was curious of the advisability of buying the Nashar
cross frame and then buying used parts off eBay to
build the bike up with?

Would I save much money or not you think over just
buying a pre-built bike?

Hi there.

Is there a re-cycling bicycle outfit near you? There's one in the next
city over from me and they often have decent parts and sometimes
entire bikes for less than $50.

Cheers from Peter

Peter Cole wrote:

I built up a "NashBay" bike a couple of years ago, I don't think I could
have bought one, new or used, cheaper. I did spend a while accumulating
parts, in fact what motivated me to build the bike was the realization
that I had enough spare parts to almost make a complete bike, and I
might as well ride the spares. The only used component I brought was the
crank, but it came with new chainrings.

Because of my unusual size, frames that fit are rare. When I needed a
new MTB frame, I bought a complete bike in that size & swapped most of
the components out. It made economic sense because I was able to use all
the new components on other bikes in the family fleet.

well another guy made a suggestion abt buying a
bikesdirect bike

I guess I could buy one FOR its parts and THEN upgrade
frame later? yes?

Would that save money above or make economic sense
better than eBay parts?

Andre Jute wrote:

It'll cost more than buying a second hand bike locally,

I have not been able to find any used bikes at goo deal
locally tho!!

Andre Jute writes:

On Jul 14, 12:29Â*am, wrote:
I'm on a VERY tight budget but wanting a decent bike
bad

I was curious of the advisability of buying the Nashar
cross frame and then buying used parts off eBay to
build the bike up with?

Would I save much money or not you think over just
buying a pre-built bike?

It'll cost more than buying a second hand bike locally, if only
because the carriage costs will multiply up. Those guys already
advising you to use Craigslist have it right.

There are two alternative that haven't been mentioned:

One is is buying a bike with a good frame -- all these frames are
essentially made in the same few factories in Taiwan and China -- with
cheap parts and then replacing the parts with the best as funds become
available.

The other is buyng the frame you want and buying a complete el cheap
gruppo from a single source and all the rest of your parts from the
same place or at most one supplier. Here, for instance (not
suggesting you shop in Europe but this is a dealer I've bought from so
he's in my bookmarks), is an Alivio group for 79 Euro or 94 with V-
brakes;
http://poisonbikes.de/Fahrradteile_u...uppen/Shimano/
I bet you can do better in the States. Same idea as above: on a good
frame you replace the parts piecemeal.

Andre Jute
Visit Jute on Bicycles at
http://www.audio-talk.co.uk/fiultra/...20CYCLING.html

Interesting links there. And ready to fall foul of advertising
standards. I few of the links there claim "ohne naben" (without hubs)
but depict those very things in the picture.

On Jul 14, 12:13*pm, wrote:
Peter Cole wrote:
I built up a "NashBay" bike a couple of years ago, I don't think I could
have bought one, new or used, cheaper. I did spend a while accumulating
parts, in fact what motivated me to build the bike was the realization
that I had enough spare parts to almost make a complete bike, and I
might as well ride the spares. The only used component I brought was the
crank, but it came with new chainrings.

Because of my unusual size, frames that fit are rare. When I needed a
new MTB frame, I bought a complete bike in that size & swapped most of
the components out. It made economic sense because I was able to use all
the new components on other bikes in the family fleet.

well another guy made a suggestion abt buying a
bikesdirect bike

I guess I could buy one FOR its parts and THEN upgrade
frame later? *yes?

Would that save money above or make economic sense
better than eBay parts?

BikesDirect is really cheap. If you compare group prices from Excel
and Colorado Cyclist to a similarly equipped bike from BikesDirect, it
will be hundreds cheaper at BikesDirect. Free frame, fork, post,
stem, bars, and sill a couple hundred savings at BikesDirect. eBay
may or may not save you money by the time you figure in shipping and
time. Probably not. If you are happy with a basic standard cookie
cutter plain Jane Shimano or SRAM group, then BikesDirect is a cheap
way to get the parts.

A complete used bike may be a great way to get a very nice bike for a
very good price. www.roadbikereview.com has a for sale section for
nice bikes. You just have to be happy with a few years old parts,
maybe not the latest and greatest and lightest and bestest. A used
titanium bike would be a very safe buy.

On Tue, 14 Jul 2009 19:25:36 +0200, Simon Lewis
wrote:

Andre Jute writes:

On Jul 14, 12:29*am, wrote:
I'm on a VERY tight budget but wanting a decent bike
bad

I was curious of the advisability of buying the Nashar
cross frame and then buying used parts off eBay to
build the bike up with?

Would I save much money or not you think over just
buying a pre-built bike?

It'll cost more than buying a second hand bike locally, if only
because the carriage costs will multiply up. Those guys already
advising you to use Craigslist have it right.

There are two alternative that haven't been mentioned:

One is is buying a bike with a good frame -- all these frames are
essentially made in the same few factories in Taiwan and China -- with
cheap parts and then replacing the parts with the best as funds become
available.

The other is buyng the frame you want and buying a complete el cheap
gruppo from a single source and all the rest of your parts from the
same place or at most one supplier. Here, for instance (not
suggesting you shop in Europe but this is a dealer I've bought from so
he's in my bookmarks), is an Alivio group for 79 Euro or 94 with V-
brakes;
http://poisonbikes.de/Fahrradteile_u...uppen/Shimano/
I bet you can do better in the States. Same idea as above: on a good
frame you replace the parts piecemeal.

Andre Jute
Visit Jute on Bicycles at
http://www.audio-talk.co.uk/fiultra/...20CYCLING.html

Interesting links there. And ready to fall foul of advertising
standards. I few of the links there claim "ohne naben" (without hubs)
but depict those very things in the picture.

That's pretty typical. The hubs are still in the manufacturer's stock photo, but
nobody wants to sell hubs anymore. They sell wheels instead.

"
wrote:

BikesDirect is really cheap. If you compare group prices from Excel
and Colorado Cyclist to a similarly equipped bike from BikesDirect, it
will be hundreds cheaper at BikesDirect. Free frame, fork, post,
stem, bars, and sill a couple hundred savings at BikesDirect. eBay
may or may not save you money by the time you figure in shipping and
time. Probably not. If you are happy with a basic standard cookie
cutter plain Jane Shimano or SRAM group, then BikesDirect is a cheap
way to get the parts.

Hmmm..... that may be my strategy then

Just buy a cross bike with components I want from Bikes
Direct...... then upgrade frame when money comes along?

What you think? Go for that route?

Buy the complete bike from bikesdirect and upgrade as desired. There
is nothing wrong with the frames from bikesdirect and the components
are of perfectly servicable quality.


On Jul 14, 7:04*pm, wrote:
"
wrote:

BikesDirect is really cheap. *If you compare group prices from Excel
and Colorado Cyclist to a similarly equipped bike from BikesDirect, it
will be hundreds cheaper at BikesDirect. *Free frame, fork, post,
stem, bars, and sill a couple hundred savings at BikesDirect. *eBay
may or may not save you money by the time you figure in shipping and
time. *Probably not. *If you are happy with a basic standard cookie
cutter plain Jane Shimano or SRAM group, then BikesDirect is a cheap
way to get the parts.

Hmmm..... that may be my strategy then

Just buy a cross bike with components I want from Bikes
Direct...... then upgrade frame when money comes along?

What you think? Go for that route?