The Frame Game
Buying a frame and fork only
The prices discussed below were roughly accurate as of December 2018 (when I wrote this article). Apply appropriate inflation to the numbers (ie. about 50% higher in 2024).
Over the last few years we've seen more orders for just a frame and fork than we used to. These come from three different types of customers:
Some people already have a modern bike with really great parts, but it turns out they want a different frame for fit or ride quality purposes. There are a lot of budget brands out there with nice components, but the frame/fork leave a bit to be desired.
If you are a current or former bicycle mechanic, then you may want to assemble your new bicycle yourself. You may think this means you'll have to buy all of your parts elsewhere. Just so you're aware, we are happy to sell you the bicycle un-assembled at a slight discount, if you fit this description.
A quick search online may lead anyone to believe that they could save several hundred dollars by ordering their parts from online discounters.
Who is this article for?
This article is written for this third type of customer...the one trying to save money by ordering their parts online. I intend to clear up some misconceptions and possibly save that cyclist a lot of time, grief, and yes...money. We are more than happy to sell someone a frame and fork with no components, some components, or everything they need for a complete build. We just want our customers to have all the information they need to make the right choice for their situation.
The Bike This article works for just about any frame/fork combo, but let's look at our Rodriguez Rainier Pro Force as a comparison. This is one of our most popular models. With the ThermLX tubing upgrade, this bike costs $3,650. Buying just the frame with our Rainier carbon fork will run you $2,400.
Parts Kit You can find a SRAM Force 22 group online for just $800 pretty easily. A group kit includes shifters, front and rear derailleurs, brakes, crankset, bottom bracket, cables and housing, chain, and cassette. Add that to the cost of the frame and fork and it looks like you could be riding a Rainier Pro with SRAM Force 22 for just $3,200. But lets not forget what else you need.
Wheels Every bike needs wheels, tires, tubes, skewers, and rim strips or you can't ride it. To get a inexpensive set of wheels with all this online the cost is about $300 ~ $700. That won't get you our 3-year warranty, but nonetheless, it is a set of wheels. This gets us to $3,500 which is still under $3,650, right? But, we're not done yet.
Assembly Now, of course $3,500 assumes that you own all of the tools and possess the ability to assemble the bicycle yourself, or you’re paying someone else to do it for you. How much would it cost to pay someone else? $250 is the going rate at most shops. Now we're at $3,750....which is now over the $3,650 of the full bike, right? Not done yet....keep reading.
Anything Else? Lets not forget the headset ($50), seatpost ($30), stem ($40), saddle ($50), handlebars ($40) and bar wrap ($17). $227 total. So, now we're at $4,027.00. These prices are about what you would pay for basic but quality components.
So, it looks like we haven’t saved money at all. We busted our budget! We didn’t even factor in shipping charges for the parts. There are still a few other cost issues we need to discuss.
What's your time worth?
Here's some of the issues you'll be dealing with:
(believe me, we've had a lot of folks miss on several or all of these details)
The 39-49 reach brakes that came with the road kit are not compatible with the Rainier. The Rainier is built to fit wider tires and fenders. For that we need a set of 47-57 reach brakes. That's about $55 online, so we'll get them on the way, and later we can try to sell the other brakes to recoup that cost. This is one example of an unanticipated compatibility issue.
Very often people order the wrong bottom bracket these days as there are many, many options. If you order the wrong one, then it's time consuming to get it exchanged.
Again, many options here, and getting the wrong one is easy to do. More time and money to deal with it if you get it wrong.
There are several options here too, and the wrong choice will eat up your precious time to exchange this.
There is no standard, and dozens of size options are available to choose from. This is a crucial measurement, and has to be exactly right. If you get one that's too big, it just won't fit in the frame. If you get one that's a little too small though, it will fit and seemingly work fine, but will (I emphasize will) result in a cracked frame that is not covered under warranty. This is a fairly common issue. I've seen many frames ruined this way.
This one happens too many times to count. Even though a customer did order their components all to the correct specifications, someone in the warehouse shipped one or more items wrong (this happens to us all the time here at our shop). If you cannot visually determine if it is correct upon arrival, then you won't know until you try to install it. Again, more exchanges and delays. Hopefully the return window has not closed.
In the case of a standard race bike, this is usually not a problem. Most of our customers want something a little more custom though, and that can lead to compatibility issues. We often have to mock up a customer’s custom setup to make sure it will all work together with the frame. Be sure that the cranks you order will work for the tire width that you specify. Yes, I did say tire width. This plays a big role these days in crank compatibility.
This is something that we run into once in a while now that 11 speed 12 speed is out. 10sp hubs are not compatible with 11 or 12 speed cassettes, and there are a lot of 10sp wheels out there for sale. Be sure to check on this before you order wheels.
What happens now if you (or your hired assembler) slip and scratch your paint while installing your parts? This does happen on occasion, even here in our shop. The difference is that we fix it free if we slip up, but not so in the other case.
If we assemble the bike with parts bought from us, then we also cover labor to remove, repair and re-install any parts that fail under warranty. This is something that we do as part of our 'full bike' purchase price, but is not covered by the parts manufacturer. If you purchased the parts yourself, then you will be responsible for any warranty parts exchanges and the labor involved. If the wrong parts were installed, they could cause non-warranty repair issues for the frame or fork.
Feel like taking on a second job without pay?
Many people don't consider this question when taking on such an endeavor. Trying to take everything into consideration, and order all of the parts, dealing with errors, and the time to do the actual assembly all add up to a lot of time.
Experience Matters
Good news! Here at R&E Cycles, we do this for a living, and we've been doing it for over
years. All of our collective experience is used to design and choose the parts that work best for each bicycle we build and the customer that will be riding it. So, think about what you do for a living and how long you've been at it. If you were to hire someone to do your job, would you choose an enthusiast with no real industry experience, or would you rather work with a professional with a lifetime of knowledge in their field?
Why not hire a pro?
If you’ve considered all this and still want to order your parts, but don't possess all of the expertise, we can help you. We will look at the parts you want to order, and help you select the appropriate sizes and configurations for a $250 consulting fee. Of course, this would be included for free if you were to decide to purchase your parts from us.
Conclusion
Can you save money if you buy the frame/fork and then hunt down all of the parts yourself? It's important to consider all of the above before deciding that, but for most people, the answer is no. One thing for sure though, you can certainly save time and frustration by ordering the whole bike.
Thanks for reading - Dan
