UKC

I realise this is one of those how long is a piece of string questions that if you're feeling grumpy you could tell me to go and Google off , or words to that effect. But... assuming I have frame (27.5) : full XT , including brakes, fox forks , good wheels , all finishing kit . All new bits . What do you reckon ? I ask because a friend of a friends hairdresser ( yes really ) is selling a bike ( genuine purchase not nicked ) that seems very cheap . I have a frame in the shed that could be built into a very nice bike by just stripping all the bits off this one and giving the frame away.
Edit : the bike in question is too small for me .

In reply to mike123:

Buying new bits is always steep so getting them this way may good. Only thing I'd watch is that they fit? Head tube diameter and length to fit the steerer of the forks, bottom bracket, front mech, seat tube, disk mounts, etc. Would need checked.

In reply to mike123:

Anything from £1500 to £2500 depending on how expensive you want to go with forks and wheels really, i just go onto Merlin and add everything to the basket when i need to price stuff like that up.

In reply to mike123: I built a hardtail several years ago.
I trawled the internet for quality but reduced components.
I had a lot of fun building the bike and learnt a lot but it would have been cheaper to buy a ready built one.
Probably something to do with economy of scale.
At least the bike was built to my exact spec.
As previous poster said, if the bits fit go for it.

In reply to mike123:

If you want the most cost effective option, either buy the other bike and strip parts (and fleabay the frame), or just buy something new that suits your spec.

I've looked at the the cost of self build several times, but the cost of individual bits will always be more than you could buy an equivalent bike off the shelf.

The frame is the cheap bit really, especially a hard tail.

In reply to Phil79:


I self built mine and in retrospect should have bought the full bike instead of the frame and swapped off anything I wasn't happy with, or when it broke. To build up a frame I already have I'd do what you are planning on, but make sure it fits!

In reply to mike123:

The main variables are going to be the seat tube, headset and bottom bracket.
Add to which ever of those you need, new cables and hoses, plus faffing with hydraulic fluid etc and any tools that you may need - shouldn't be much as all the bearings are already fitted.

Maybe add a few surpise bits - bent hanger or front mech for example.

As a punt, I'd say around £100 to £150 - could be less though, or more if you need seat post and clamp, headset etc.

One to check would be the length of the head tube on your frame compared to the length of steerer on new forks, especially as they're coming off a smaller bike with presumably a shortr head tube. Could render the whole thing uneconomic.

In reply to mike123:

What niff said is exactly right.

I understand you can get new steerer tubes fitted for £200, from reading about somebody who made a boo-boo by cutting their's too short, but that's starting to eat into the value for money a little bit. Find out if that's still possible, too.