Originally Posted by
wrk101
Bare frame? Where to start? Find a donor bike. Building it up a part at a time is very expensive. Transplant from a donor bike is typically the cheapest option. I upgraded my well worn and tattered 1988 Cimarron with a $65, lightly used, top of the line MTB from another brand.
Without more information, beat me to it. This way would be the most economical.
The previous advice is also useful, but there are many specific attributes of the frame that can guide or provide hurdles to building a bike.