How do you start a build?

[South Bound]

Suppose it depends on what inspires you. Many projects on here are labours of love based on unaffordable dreams from the past trying to recreate a half-remembered bike. Others are the fun of finding an old bike and putting it back to the use it was originally intended.

Some people have a love of high end bling, and that invariably needs a posh frame, but which comes first?

For me, there is only one frame I would now like and that is a Pace. I would be less fussed about the components (although thumbies would be compulsory).

 

[LeeDevelopment]

With great patience, and then more patience as you slowly source parts for it.

I start with a frame, know what the bike will be being used for and a good mental picture of how I would like the build..... then go for it!

 

[SeeingisBelievingGTMuseum]

Always start with a frame but always find myself acquiring another new/ different frame just when I was about to start to build the first frame. Now have too many and don't know where to start. Was hoping this winter like last would give me ample opportunity to get 6-8 project bikes completed.....but then good ample early snow fell and I have now renewed my quest to cross-country ski as fast at 49 years as I did when I was at my prime in the early 20's. Have had little time in the basement the past month but have been on the skis four days a week. I will be ready and in shape for the road and trail when spring arrives that's for sure. I like most tend to keep cherry parts when I have a chance and I do have many. I could probably piece together a few bikes right now. My first and next project will be a mint GT Psyclone that I just acquired and I'm putting the build list together now. I use the same spec list I used as a bike product manager back in the mid 90's when I was spec'ing bikes for a living. I usually do a list on every bike listing the possibilities before I start. Like many here once it's built I probably swap out two or three parts the first couple weeks it's completed.

 

[Neil G]

Start from anywhere. Last year I built a bike around a brake caliper. I'm just starting a build around a pair of cranks I picked up.

That's the way to do it

 

[ti-fat-man]

I bought a jersey that looked smart, and tried to build a bike around that... :shock:

 

[cce]

another frame landed in my hands today...

 

[mikee]

I bought a jersey that looked smart, and tried to build a bike around that... :shock:

go on then

pics please

 

[Neil G]

I bought a jersey that looked smart, and tried to build a bike around that... :shock:

Good shout lol

 

[mikee]

think from reading this
the fact that you want to build something is the spark
a frame ,a brake caliper, a jumper ( :shock: )


whatever

just build something ,take pics ,post it up here

 

[klasse]

believe it or not, i build the bike around the stem...............

bolt