if you have tools - build yourself
no tools - buy one, accumulate tools slowly, build one to your specs later as you wouldve realised what you really like/need/want.
+1 on building it yourself if you have the time and money.
You learn enough to be able to service the bike yourself, which can save you 60 dollars a pop. And the real beauty to having tools on hand is that should something go wrong with your bike, you’re primed to fix it on the spot, no need to book into a shop etc. etc.
if yr after a complete khs, user FG37IT just listed his 08 on ebay.
as far as i know it’s seen little use, drop him a pm or sumthin.
You can do both - but I guess it ends up being quite expensive! I got a SE lager at the start of the year because I wanted to start commuting to work and needed something quick, but have since swapped pretty much everything bar the frame.
cycleworld Burwood has $500 fuji tracks, probably get a discount on the 09 models too. A mate got one the other week, swears by it
If you want a hassle-free build then it will cost you about $800 anyway. I had thrown some prices together just the other day for my mate to build up a reasonable bike. This is the “low-hassle” build – mostly of new bits buy-it-now from ebay. Here is what I had:
EighthInch Frameset (incl headset, seatpost): $250
Weinmann/Formula Wheelset: $220
Origin8 or Eighthinch Cranks/Chainring: $60
Bottom Bracket: $20
Bars + stem + tape: $40
Cog + lockring: $40
Saddle: $35
Chain: $20
Brake + lever: $60
Pedals + Cages: $40
Total: $785
There are bits of this that might cost more / less depending on what you went for. For example the cog and lockring could be cheaper – but this is something you might want to buy quality. And sure you could do the whole thing cheaper. But factor in a couple of months of searching for bits and pieces. And if you don’t have the tools then factor in another couple of hundred.
I’m gonna put this in another thread – best new build quote thread.
hey guys. thanks for all the answers. but i have been looking around and i have found this place in toorak which gets old frames, paints 'em in what ever colour u want then u can get them to custom build it for more or less $800. it sounds pretty cool. Does anyone no of this place and know if they do a good job? or do u think i should still just get a complete?
why not cut out the middle man (them) and do it yourself?
What you pay them in labor you can invest into tools for yourself
you’ll be paying $800 for a gaspipe conversion with shitty polished parts and a shiny paintjob. $800 would get you a killer 2nd hand track bike… $500 could get you a nice used khs with $300 left over to “customise” or “upgrade” or" curate" the bike. but do what you want, i know which option i’d take.
Yeah its called Pista Bikes and its on Toorak rd. South Yarra
I have bought stuff from there before and they have a good selection of parts.
Such as deep v’s, san marco seats, resprayed road frames, handlebars ect
and you could probably pick out parts and they could put together a fairly nice bike.
sweet. it look like im going to go with this Pista Bikes thing. should be good pickin out all the colours aswell. i’ll sit on it for a month so more replies would be appreciated guys. :mrgreen: