Building a brand new bike, what should I buy?

[mhidalgo]

Greetings,

I have a Specialized Hardrock 29 I want to pass to my son, and I would like to build a Chiner for me. With so many options out there, its kind of confusing knowing or figuring what parts should I buy. I am 5'5 so I need a small frame, I like the 057 frame a lot, and it is the frame I want to build my bike. I wonder if someone that already has this learning curve ridden can give advise on what to buy to build a complete bike. I mean what rims should I buy that are a great value, stems, crank, cassette, derailleur, air fork, etc... Does anyone sells a complete package that just need to be assembled?

Thanks,

Mike

[Carbon_Dude]

There are some good deals in the Classified section, check out some of the sale items there, I think someone even has a small frame for sale.

You can ask Peter at XMcarbonspeed.com if he will put together a complete bike for you.  Otherwise the component choices are really up to you.  If you have specific questions on a build we can help but just asking what should you get is entirely a personal decision.  SRAM is good, Shimano is good, etc.

You can check out other people's build thread and see what they have put together as well.

[mhidalgo]

Thanks

[Patrick C.]

There's not anyone selling complete build kits as far as I know, but you can order a complete group set- BB, crank, derailer(s), shifter(s), and brakes from online shops.  Then you'll need to get wheels, seat post, seat, stem, bars, grips, and pedals.  And maybe a couple of other things I'm forgetting right now.

Reading the build threads here will show you lists of all the parts you need, and give you an idea of all the options. The biggest thing is making sure everything fits and is compatible- bottom bracket style (I suggest BSA), seat post diameter, front derailer mount style (unless you are doing 1X), and axle style/size are the big ones.