New bike build newbie...?

[jase25064342]

hi,just wondering if anyone can help me. I just brought a new MTB frame 20 inch alloy. need to build from scratch unfortunately never done this before i was hoping someone could give me some pointers for exapmle,what parts to measure and what sizes ect, and best ways to assemble ect.... any help greatly appreciated

NO TROLLS THANK YOU, IF YA DONT KNOW DONT ANSWER.
forgot to say i will use the bike mostly for road riding the only reason i dont go for a racer is there will be a small amount of trail riding involved but nothin that warrants some monster off road bike.

 

[jon]

What do you want the bike to do?

The bits you need are, essentially, groupset, wheels and finishing kit

Bits to think about measuring: handlebar stem length, crank length (unlikely you will need anything but 170mm), gear ratios (chainwheel teeth and cassette teeth)

Check that the threads on the bottom bracket match the frame

My main tip is get some very good cable cutters - modern brake and gear cables are tough and a clean cut is essential to finishing the bike properly

 

[fixed wheel yellowbelly]

Right,

any 26 inch mountain bike wheels will fit as long as the axle length will fit into your frame. Measure the distance between the rear drop outs. I guess this will be either 130mm or 135mm. Don't forget that a quick release axle will be a bit wider than this dimension as the axle fits into the drop outs. This is the Outside Lock Nut size. For road use the wheels should be as light as poss, but strong enough for the trail. Tyres are personal preference, but road tyre these days are great.

Stem and seat pillar will have to be measured and corresponding sized units bought. Ensure that the handle bars will fit. Mountain bike bars will naturally fit MTB brake levers and gear changers. Seat will be up to your choice.

It will probably best to get at least 8 speed cassette (as anything less is tricky to find and to fit on newer axles) and three speed clanger up front. Suitable derailleurs and changers to fit. V brakes/cantilevers are standard sizes.

The rest is finishing kit to your own specifications.

 

[Peter Griffin]

Tip #1: Don't cut cable housing with a hacksaw

Tip #2: There is no excuse for not greasing every bolt

Tip #3: Your local library or bookstore should have at least two titles of the various bike maintenance manuals currently available.

 

[iamalsotim]

ok here is a list of the parts you will need and the tools to fit them:

headset. it is likely to be a 1 1/8 inch size as it isn't a road frame
front fork (rigid or suspension) make sure steerer will fit the headset (1 1/8)
bottom bracket. there are different sizes for these so you may need either a local bikeshop or trial and error for this. basically its either 68 or 73 mm for the shell, and the other measurement is for the lenth of the bit the cranks fit on. common measurements are 68/113 or 73/113.you will need a bottom bracket tool and an adjustable spanner to fit this. remember, one side screws in in the opposite direction to normal (reverse threaded) so don't force it the wrong way.
crankset or chainset (same thing really). these are the driving cranks. most decent cranks these days need allan (hex) keys to fit so a good investment is a set of allan keys with a large range of sizes from 3 to 10 sizing.
pedals. adjustable spanner needed to put on to the cranks.
front and rear derailleur. these are also called mechs. they are the bits that change the gear. the front is pretty much compatable with any number of chain rings on the cranks but make sure it is compatable. it should say if it isn't. the rear can be a range of gear numbers, so if you want 9 gears on the back, make sure the mech is compatable.
shifters. these are the gear levers so make sure they match the number of gear rings u have.
cassette. this is the rear gear ring assembly. you will nead a cassette tool and an adjustable spanner for it. (and something called a chain whip if you ever need to take it off)
chain. make sure a 9 speed chain goes on a 9 speed setup etc.
gear cables. the shifters usually come with these, but make sure.
brakes. discs or v? v brakes are cheaper. discs are only really worth it if you go hydraulic but that costs a lot. front and rear. make sure the brake levers are for cable or hydraulic.
stem. holds the handlebars onto the fork.
handlebars
grips.
seat post and collar. make sure these are the right size for your frame. (online or ruler)
saddle.
spacers can be used to raise the hight of the handlebars.
wheels. front and rear. (make sure rear is compatable with the cassette size and make.

altho that seems a lot to take in, basically it comes down to, lots of allan key work, the occasional spanner job. greasing every single bolt. making sure everything is tight. a bit of trial and error (especially with the mechs). and really, spending more gets you better as a general rule.

www.chainreactioncycles.com is good as they often have sales and you can get good stuff cheaper. ebay is also good.
shimano deore, deore lx and deore xt are good average priced componants. but hunt around the web and see what you can get