Building vs buying a singlespeed cross bike

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Permalink Reply by J.D. Kimple on January 12, 2011 at 7:03pm

Do you have a stash of parts on hand? If so, give a look at building.
If not, think about buying one already built.

OR, just start listing all the parts you'll need to build your own, and their cost. You'll son see how it will end up costing.

If you do decide to build, look at a bike with track ends or horizontal dropouts if a all possible. Then you wouldn't have to monkey with chain tenstioners. And look at the Surly/Salsa/QPB stuff if that is your route (build) as thier parts are pretty inexpensive and usually pretty stout although not necc. the lightest.

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Permalink Reply by Azarashiinu on January 13, 2011 at 5:39am

Thanks for the information. I really have depleted my inventory of bike parts in the 10 years since I left the industry, so I may try to purchase route for now. I can build my pit bike down the road! I enjoy building my bikes more than buying pre-builds, but there comes a time when time is a problem I guess. Oh, to hit the lottery and be able to open my own shop where having it pay support the family would not be the driving force of owning it...

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Permalink Reply by J.D. Kimple on January 13, 2011 at 8:08am

Amen!

I too enjoy building my bikes but have realized the cost equation was working against me - my Mongoose Croix I think I swapped just about everything out except the originaly wheelset, frame/fork, brifters and seatpost. Of course that was over the course of a year, so...

Most recent I was building a bike from a frame I had and found out that groupset alone was going to be 3/4 the cost of what I could get a whole new bike with the same grouppo on it for. So I bought new.

I have continued to work on the uber-budget 'cross projects for pit bikes/winter hacks. Might end up making it a SS.

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Permalink Reply by DStudley on January 13, 2011 at 7:03pm

I have always built up my cross bikes, but am a packrat of parts and thus usually only need a part or two new to complete a cross bike.  My single speed setupp is a Surly CrossCheck that gets changed to a geared training bike in the non-cross season.  I like the option of horizontal rear dropouts, but it still has a hangar for the derailluer.

If you are just looking to use it for singlespeed racing there are lots of options at every price range that you would find tough to come close building.  On the other hand if you look at a full bike and start mentally adding upgrades...

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