Originally Posted by
cvrle1
Interesting take from another person I read. His thought is that it makes no sense for me to do this, as main reason people do these builds is to control every component they select. They know why make x/model x is better choice than make y/model y, Since I dont have than knowledge, there is no point of building it myself. While I never thought of it that way, it kinda does and does not make sense. I get what he is saying, but in all honesty I dont remember reading in any threads that main reason people built these bikes was because they can control each nut and bolt used. Is he correct in his view?
Thanks again for all the help and info so far.
It sounds to me like your friend is mostly correct, with some caveats. Some people absolutely build their own bike because they want to select every individual component themselves, instead of being locked into what an OEM selects for them. It's very much like building your own PC instead of buying one from Dell or some other computer OEM. However, as others have said, you will pay more for components than an OEM will, so your chance of saving money over buying a complete bike is pretty slim.
I would assume that if you are embarking on this project, you will research and learn what brake system, crankset, wheels, and so on will be best for you. So your friend is not correct to say that there is no reason for you to build a bike. Building up your own bike can be a great learning experience, and that in an of itself is a good reason to try it. Starting with your level of knowledge and building out a complete bike from the frame up is basically the bicycle equivalent to compiling Gentoo. You should do it.