Building a bike! Maybe!

NickInNC said:

As most may know I am a newbie to cycling and I am partial to raod cycling. I do commute to work, but I like to ride fast for sport and necessity.

So i was looking into buying a better road bike since now I ride a crappy Schwinn Varsity yes folks thats right a Varsity. Its all I could afford at the time and has searved me very well. But now I can afford something alot better. But I do not want to spend 1,000 on something I know I'll wreck in traffic. I was thinking of getting a Nashbar frame and building from scratch adding nice stuff one by one. Smart or stupid? And any suggestions?

Depending on the Nashbar frame you are looking at, it may not be that different from the Varsity's frame (I presume this is a Schwinn Varsity from Walmart with an aluminum frame AND the Nashbar frame you are considering is also aluminum).

Others think that the frame is EVERYTHING ... while the frame does matter, it is often not as important as some of the components -- wheels, in particular. Account for the moving parts, first ...

If the Varsity frame is the "right" size for you, then I would look at upgrading the wheels & drivetrain if you are working on a restricted budget.

Almost everything you put on the Varsity can go onto another frame (the seat post is an obvious & probable exception). I am presuming the rear spacing is 130mm, but if it is 126mm some awareness needs to be made when buying the wheels.

I strongly recommend Campagnolo shifters ... you can use the 10-speed Campagnolo shifters with a variety of otherwise-Shimano drivetrains:

• 10-speed Campagnolo Mirage/Veloce shifters + cables/housing
  
• almost any Shimano-compatible wheelset (again, presuming 130mm spacing on the Varsity)
  
• 9-speed Shimano cassette (105 level)
  
• 9-speed Shimano rear derailleur (Ultegra level)
  

You can make those changes for $300US if you get the parts from eBay (+ tools).

That's the tip of the iceberg. If you buy with the intent of possibly using the components on another frame (in the future), then it will not be money "wasted" ... and (presuming that you were going to do the build on the "new" bike yourself), it will give you some hands-on experience installing & tweaking.

Obviously, different handlebars, handlebar tape, stem, crankset & BB are "optional" for the Varsity upgrade.

FWIW. I have to REMIND myself that it is "okay" to put a Chorus BB & crankset on an old steel Schwinn frame that I have because I can always remove them at some point in the future.

So what your saying is that I should keep the frame and focus on better parts?

NickInNC said:

So what your saying is that I should keep the frame and focus on better parts?

Yes, IF THE VARSITY FRAME IS THE RIGHT SIZE FOR YOU ... that is what I am saying.

Of course, others may disagree ... and, heck, THEY may be right!

Regardless, the advantage of the $300 upgrade (particularly with Campagnolo shifters, even though they are "better" in some circumstances) is that your bike probably won't look that much flashier, and so the temptation for theives will probably not be increased.

alfeng said:

Yes, IF THE VARSITY FRAME IS THE RIGHT SIZE FOR YOU ... that is what I am saying.

Of course, others may disagree ... and, heck, THEY may be right!

Regardless, the advantage of the $300 upgrade (particularly with Campagnolo shifters, even though they are "better" in some circumstances) is that your bike probably won't look that much flashier, and so the temptation for theives will probably not be increased.

The frame is right. And I checked out the Campagnolos out looks great! What tires and spokes do you recommend, cause the stock tires well as my local bike guy says are POS's !

NickInNC said:

The frame is right. And I checked out the Campagnolos out looks great! What tires and spokes do you recommend, cause the stock tires well as my local bike guy says are POS's !

There are so many good tires available ... unlike MTB tires, only a few brands are truly entrenched with ROAD riders.

For clinchers, I mostly have Michelins ... more out of habit, I guess ... they seem to wear well.

So-called "training" tires last longer (more rubber, more weight & much less cost).

A lot of people I know prefer Continentals ... fewer people that I know use Vittoria ...

BTW. The pair of Continental 700x23 tires that I have seem to be as large in circumference as the Michelin 700x25 tires I have!

Basically, the tire brands that are popular with MTB riders (e.g., Panaracer, Kenda, etc.) are generally not popular with ROAD riders.

As far as a wheelset goes, I am certain you can find a USED pair of wheels with lesser Shimano hubs like Tiagra (ALL Shimano hubs are good, IMO ... some are just better) + MAVIC CXP21 rims (vs. Open Pro) for under $100 (including shipping) on eBay without any trouble. It won't be a great wheelset, but it will be a very good wheelset that will last you for years.

FWIW. I prefer NON-butted 14 gauge spokes because it builds a laterally stiffer wheel ...

In the past (before I "knew" better), I have laced several wheelsets with double-butted spokes (and, one of the last three rear wheels was a 28h Open Pro rim on a coaster brake hub laced with double-butted 15g spokes!), BUT I am not a disciple to the religion which advocates wheels should laced with double-butted spokes ... I've seen the error of my ways, and lacing the coaster brake wheel with double-butted spokes can be attributed more to already having had the spokes (for years) than to recidivism.

FWIW... For a good compromise between weight, ride quality, and puncture protection, I like Panaracer T-Servs or Pasela Tourguard (which, FYI, run a little narrower than labeled). I've also been trying out Vredestein Fortezza SEs (23 mm), and I like how grippy and smooth the ride is, even at very high pressure. All are foldable (kevlar-bead) tires with pretty good puncture protection in the tread.

Some Spec's on my POS

My rims are from Weinmann and are 700X18c/23c Aluminum alloy

My Tires are Innova 700X25C

Are my tires technically too big for my rims?

NickInNC said:

Some Spec's on my POS

My rims are from Weinmann and are 700X18c/23c Aluminum alloy

My Tires are Innova 700X25C

Are my tires technically too big for my rims?

Okay, I'm not exactly sure where you got the 700x18c/23c numbers ... but, I presume it is from a label on the rim and that it indicates the recommended tire size range for the rims.

If the rims are 622-15 or 622-17 (probably the former, where the second number is the bead-to-bead width of the clincher), then 700x25 tires are fine.

I know someone who used to run 700x30/32 cyclocross tires on MAVIC MA40 [622-15] rims on his CX bike ... that's tougher to do with regular brake calipers because it is hard to "open" them enough to get the tire in and still have enough closure for effective rim contact while it is easy to "open" cantilever brakes a greater amount.

well I think I found a good Michelin tire would someone let me know if it'll work
heres the link

http://www.performancebike.com/shop/profile.cfm?SKU=23362&subcategory_ID=5420

Thanks for helping the newbie

NickInNC said:

well I think I found a good Michelin tire would someone let me know if it'll work
heres the link

performancebike.comprofile.cfmOpen ↗

Yes, that tire should work for you.

alfeng said:

I know someone who used to run 700x30/32 cyclocross tires on MAVIC MA40 [622-15] rims on his CX bike ... that's tougher to do with regular brake calipers because it is hard to "open" them enough to get the tire in and still have enough closure for effective rim contact while it is easy to "open" cantilever brakes a greater amount.

Yeah, cantilever brakes are very convenient that way. Having to deflate your tubes to get a wheel out is a nuisance!

Given you're running 25-mm tires now, I think those 23-mm Michelins should be fine...trading off weight for comfort and puncture resistance, as well as value, according to Michelin's marketing info:

http://two-wheels.michelin.com/2w/front/affich.jsp?codeRubrique=2092004115340&codePage=2092004115340_10092004150105&&lang=EN

Pretty colors, too! (:

If the numbers engraved on the rims are ambiguous, you could also measure your rim's inside width and check this handy chart:

http://www.sheldonbrown.com/tire_sizing.html#width

Bear in mind that tires aren't always as wide as they're labeled...+/- 1 mm or so, probably depending on rim and pressure. Panaracers seem to run a bit narrower than labeled, for instance, at recommended pressure.

NickInNC said:

As most may know I am a newbie to cycling and I am partial to raod cycling. I do commute to work, but I like to ride fast for sport and necceseity(typo).

So i was looking into buying a better road bike since now I ride a crappy Schwinn Varsity yes folks thats right a Varsity. Its all I could afford at the time and has searved me very well. But now I can afford something alot better. But I do not want to spend 1,000 on something I know I'll wreck in traffic. I was thinking of getting a Nashbar frame and building from scratch adding nice stuff one by one. Smart or stupid? And any suggestions?

Mind if I ask how that Varsity has held up, specifically the rear axle? Is there any lateral play to the wheel?(when it's not spinning I mean.) If you remove it from the bike and twirl the left end of the axle in your fingers, does the right end just turn or does it describe a little circle in the air? How many times have you had to true the wheels? I am assuming you bought a new one rather than restoring a garage sale or thrift store bike.

I have a new one. And I must say it is not bad tachnically, it's just to heavy and I am riding alot more seriously and would rather use it for commuting and get a road bike for touring / small semi serious races in the local cycling group.