DIY build or order complete?

[Michael]

Hi all, 

Ordered a Sam as my first Riv but unsure whether or not I should tackle building it up myself or just let Riv have at it. I have never built a bike before but I do have a workshop and am good with tools/mechanically inclined. 

Are there any specific steps that you would absolutely not recommend a beginner attempt? By the time i purchase specialty tools, it may have been wiser to just order it complete? 

Let me know what you guys think, I really don't want to do something stupid!

Thanks,

[Patrick Moore]

Alas, I think that the only way to get personal experience sufficient to learn how you really want to build up a bike is lengthy and expensive trial and error; at least, that's how I learned to know exactly what I want in a frame and in a build.

So my recommendation would be:

1. If you want quick and convenient and relatively cheap with good results: let Rivendell do it.

2. If you are willing to spend money and time to learn what really works and what doesn't, by all means do it yourself.

Apart from that, I have no particular advice except perhaps one thing: don't try to save money and hope that an iffy component might work as well as a proven but more expensive component. For example, if you know that you like Brooks saddles, don't buy a Nashbar saddle hoping that it might just work. Believe me, it's cheaper in the not-so-very long run just to buy what you already know works for you.

Patrick "building bad bikes since December 1970 (Xmas vacation, southern-hemisphere mid-summer, sophomore year)" Moore.

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[Patrick Moore]

Oh, one more very particular rule: If you are completely clueless about something, try to grasp and accept this reality, and get a professional to do the job. With my first bike build I had no idea that certain frames were designed for certain wheel sizes, and I built up a frame that would take no rim brake known to man. I rode it in hilly narrow roads with speeding traffic and downtown with a freewheel and no brakes and only Bismarck's "special providence" kept me alive. ("There's a special providence that watches over fools, drunkards, children, and the United States of America.") (I later came to what sense I had and had a coaster brake installed.)

[aeroperf]

I suggest you let Riv build up your first Rivendell.  You’ll get the full “Riv Ride” that way so you can see what that means, and all the parts will be working together from the get-go.

However, you’ll still need a few tools.  Specifically, a set of metric Allen wrenches, and a pedal wrench, plus a set of metric taps to chase the braze-ons if you decide to add fenders, rack, etc.  Unless you pick up the Sam at Rivendell itself, it will come semi-disassembled in a box and you’ll have to finish assembly, then install a seat, and your own pedals.
Also, I suggest you specify the tires when you order, or be prepared to swap the originals out - it might come with knobbies when you are going to do most of your riding on pavement, for example.  My Sam did.

I would absolutely not recommend a beginner attempt to install a bottom bracket or a headset on the first go.  

If you decide that you’d like to try bike wrenching, get a bike workstand and learn on your SECOND Rivendell.  Also get a good basic book like “Zinn & the art of Road Bike Maintenance” to see how it all goes together.

[Ken Yokanovich]

IMHO, your greatest challenge will be finding and collecting all of the parts necessary to build the bike. I think the key issue being compatibility, when to ignore and when to respect it. Rivendell World Headquarters does an fabulous job when it comes to mechanical wisdom and experience with what works/doesn't. Unless you have experience and a home shop stocked with components and incidentals, I think you will probably wind up spending more building a complete bike yourself. (Even excluding the cost for specialized tools that may be required.)

I strongly encourage you to explore bicycle maintenance on your own, perhaps experiment on an existing used bike. I was VERY young when beginning my bicycle (dis)/assembly and repair. I destroyed a lot of parts in my ignorance and learning experience. Even after YEARS of experience, I learned TONS more later when attending professional training and continued to learn from co-workers and experience with almost every repair while employed as a professional bike mechanic.  No longer working in the industry, I am still always learning.

[Brian Forsee]

I agree with Ken regarding the most difficult part being collecting compatible parts. Maybe if you ask nicely riv will sell you a kit-in-a-box? That way you can spend time learning and practicing the actual assembly and adjustment instead of worrying about if the parts in front of you even can play nice together.

Brian

[P W]

Get them to build it for you. It’ll be exactly what it should be.

But then slowly purchase the (high quality) tools required to maintain and replace components over time. 

That way you’ll get the best of both worlds.

And the best part of completing a bike build is changing stuff in the weeks and months that follow anyway, as you discover quirks, problems, and preferences!

That way you’ll be ready in a few months and a few thousand miles, a few different build iterations, to confidentially build your next bike from scratch.

Also, bolting on and installing all the parts on a frame and fork is easy enough. And I would disagree with an earlier reply, installing headsets and BBs are certainly things a novice with access to the Park Tools YouTube channel can complete to a proficient degree.

It’s the combination of getting all those parts of the bicycle working together harmoniously,

at optimal performance with minimal aesthetic sacrifice, that is the magic and witchcraft of the professional bicycle mechanic.

Which is why I’d have Riv build you this first one.

Every bike I rode there recently was dialed-in to perfection. And I have multiple friends who have said the same about their own experiences riding demo Riv’s around the lot.

P. W.

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On May 28, 2024, at 9:24 AM, Ken Yokanovich <reflector...@gmail.com> wrote:



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[J J]

I would ask Rivendell to build it up for you. In fact, that’s exactly what I did with my recent Hunqapillar restoration.

I have many — but not all — of the tools to do a full build. Put aside that fact that buying all the necessary tools would cost more than Rivendell’s build fee. More important than cost is that I trust Rivendell to do the build right a hell of a lot more than I trust myself (or any local bike shop, but that’s a story for another thread). I’d rather experiment and do trial and error on a different bike.

Rivendell’s build was, as Philip said, dialed in beautifully. I took it out on a long ride for the first time yesterday and it was sublime.

Jim

[Bill Lindsay]

"I do have a workshop and am good with tools". By "workshop" I take it to mean you have a proper work bench next to your bicycle repair stand, with a reasonably well equipped tool board.  This is where you do your current bicycle maintenance.  Is that correct?

Are there any specific steps that you would absolutely not recommend a beginner attempt? Yes.  I specifically would not recommend a beginner try to assemble a brand new bike from the ground up before overhauling an existing bike.  I specifically would not recommend doing either of those maneuvers without a proper repair stand

By the time i purchase specialty tools, it may have been wiser to just order it complete?  There is no question that the cumulative price of all the tools needed to build one bicycle exceed the labor charge for a mechanic to build your bicycle.  If you are going to build another 50 bikes in your lifetime, and enjoy it, then that's a great investment.  If you are never going to build another bicycle, it's probably not a great investment. 

Bill Lindsay

El Cerrito, CA

[John Dewey]

Patrick and others surely remember this one…unless rewritten mostly way out date now. But that’s about where/when we started.

It’s a long road full of triumphs and disasters. Add ‘em, more triumphs for sure. That’s how/why we’re still here 🤪

Jock

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[Gordon Stam]

I recently bought a Clem Smith Jr. frame and built it up from spare parts I had on hand and new stuff I had to buy. By the time I got it rolling and dialed in I think I spent more than if I'd bought the bike complete. It's surprising how it all adds up.

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[Robert Calton]

I'd order the parts and then have your local independent bike shop assemble it, because ordering everything yourself is going to save you a considerable amount of money if you want the exact same parts build that Riv would put on. If you decide you want to spend the same amount of money as a Riv build package, you'll get much better parts. Your LIBS can likely assemble for ~$100 or less rather than Riv's $300 charge. Check out the builds on Blue Lug and have fun shopping. 

I don't want to diss Riv's part pricing, but you can find better prices elsewhere even for the same components. For example, Riv is selling the WI MI5/Atlas wheelset for over $1000, then tack on a shipping fee and tax. I bought the exact same wheelset (with DT Swiss double-butted spokes) for $750 hand-built by ProWheelBuilder (they had a 15% off WI sell last month). No tax in my state, no build fee, free shipping. For Riv's cost for an Acera rear mech, you can get a gently used Deore XT. And so on. 

[Mathias Steiner]

Michael,

I can guess how you feel -- you want the bicycle to be "yours", and you'd prefer to build it from the frame up. That's how I feel about my bikes, and after thirty years of at least occasional wrenching, I'd feel OK building it myself.

But the investment to get me to this point was working with inexpensive bikes that wouldn't break my heart if I messed up, and having at least one other bike to get me around.  The difference between a professional and a competent amateur is mostly speed, no matter the craft. The difference between a competent amateur and a raw beginner can be safety. Not every danger in bikes is obvious -- take the example of a quill stem inserted too low into the butted part of a head tube. Or, rim brake pads installed backwards, which can cause them to pop out.

So if you have another bike, the patience of an angel, and are willing to learn, do it yourself. You'll learn a lot and you'll have a great bike in a matter of weeks.. certainly not days. You won't save much if any money, either. Putting bikes together piece by piece is expensive. Rivendell has package discounts, but it's still a lot. The couple times I built a bike from the frame up, it wasn't cheap, but like most here, I have a deep parts bin. That makes all the difference.

To make this less complicated: Let Riv build it up for you.

An illustration: This competent amateur just went on a ride to try out new-to-me tires I bought off this list. The wheel I put them on was seven speed instead of eight, and I remembered a split second too late to take it easy when shifting to the biggest cog... so the chain went over the cog, caught on the spokes, and stopped the rear wheel dead. This sheared off two drive-side spokes and messed up the wheel. I yanked out the chain, and used the multitool spoke wrench to true the wheel close enough to "round" to ride home. See: I'm competent. It just doesn't keep me from being an idiot sometimes. You don't want an adventure like that with your new frame.

Doing your own work requires a certain humility so you don't put yourself in danger. Second-guess yourself. Measure twice and cut once... it's a useful lesson for doing anything. If you want to learn, put in the time an inexpensive bike.

cheers -mathias

[Bill Lindsay]

"Your LIBS can likely assemble for ~$100 or less rather than Riv's $300 charge"

I'm going to call BS on this.  I sincerely doubt that there is a bike shop on earth, with a mechanic experienced-enough that I'd want them building my bike, who would quote under $100 for a frame-up bike assembly, when I've bought none of the parts from them and didn't buy the frame from them.  It's a 3-4 hour job.  Any mechanic worth their salt is billing $1 a minute for the shop to keep the lights on.  

There are bargains to be had out there, to be sure.  If you luck-out and find wheels on sale, good job.  If you know how to find used parts for cheap, terrific.  The existence of cheap used parts does not make Rivendell a price gouger, though.  It's especially ungenerous to imply that, particularly when Rivendell is unique in their praise and promotion of good-cheap parts (like the Acera rear mech).  That's my opinion.  

Bill Lindsay

El Cerrito, CA

[Robert Calton]

My husband-and-wife run LIBS is building my one and only bike (a Homer) from parts and charging me $100 for it, the price they charge for a full tune-up. They also charge $60/hour for a la carte services, as you point out. I am happy to recommend them to anyone in the Boston metro. They tastefully rehab older steel frames with new[er] parts and sell them for $200-$400; they only sell steel frame bikes and operate out of a used car lot's garage. Their inventory is like 3 new Surlys and maybe an All-State or two. The rest are rehabs and they are absolute professionals about everything they do. Mine isn't the first Riv they've built from parts either. Perhaps the bike shops around you are a bit less affordable or have to charge more to account for higher overhead, etc.  

I'm not saying that Riv is gouging, I'm stating facts that there are more affordable places to buy the exact same parts and more affordable shops to build a bike. That is no way a slight on Riv, it's  just facts. That said, I'm glad they promote and make a great margin on those good-cheap parts and builds because I'm grateful for what that has allowed them to do for bicycling as a whole. I appreciate their bikes and ethos, or else I wouldn't be on this forum. 

[J J]

Yes Bill, I was thinking the same. A $100 build fee is remarkable.

Around DC, most “local bike shops” will charge more for a build than Rivendell does, and the results are still a crap shoot based on too many experiences. They also charge extra for things Rivendell’s builds include, like full frame prep, facing, chasing, tapping as necessary, FrameSaver spray, etc etc etc. 

[Piaw Na]

I've been building my own bikes since 2007. It's not nearly as hard as building a wheel. The only issue I can see is the the Sam Hillborne runs cantilever/v-brakes, which have never worked out for me (I only buy sidepull brake bikes to sidestep that problem). I recently built my wife's bike. During the build due to bad lighting in my garage I assembled the microshift bar-end wrong in such a way that the lever throw was half of what it should have been. I scratched my head and rode it to the bike shop, where the mechanic diagnosed the problem while telling me that it's silly to put MTB derailleurs and a 1x drivetrain on my wife's road bike. But they were about to close up shop. I decided to just ride the bike back home, undo the shifter/derailleur cable assembly and redo it (which took all of 15 minutes) and now the bike's perfect and she's setting PRs on her commute.

The lesson:

• Have good lighting in your workshop. Saves lots of time.
• Don't worry about assembling the bike. Modern bikes are easy and modern parts even easier. (I avoid the square taper BB sfor that reason)
• The only way to get the parts you want on a bike is to buy them yourself and assemble it yourself. I've had reputable shops like R&E cycles refuse to custom build a road bike with a 1x drivetrain. I do it myself and have no complaints about my mechanic refuse to do entirely reasonable things.

On Tuesday, May 28, 2024 at 8:32:14 AM UTC-7 Michael wrote:

[Mathias Steiner]

Piaw said:

>> Don't worry about assembling the bike. Modern bikes are easy and modern parts even easier.

Clearly, you have not added racks and fenders much :)

Especially the latter are usually finicky... been doing this since 1986, can't count how many times.
Sometimes it goes OK, but I got some Honjos to put on right now and lemme tell you...

>> (I avoid the square taper BB for that reason)

That I've had no trouble with, cartridge or traditional.

cheers -mathias

[Piaw Na(藍俊彪)]

On Tue, May 28, 2024 at 5:26 PM Mathias Steiner <mathiass...@gmail.com> wrote:

Piaw said:

>> Don't worry about assembling the bike. Modern bikes are easy and modern parts even easier.

Clearly, you have not added racks and fenders much :)'

I live in California to sidestep the latter problem (btw, Ass Savers Win Wing Gravel is amazing and perfect for the kind of riding I do), and I rely on saddlebags to sidestep the former. When I do have to install a rack I do take it to the local bike shop and make them do it. 

[Bill Lindsay]

If you've got a shop that will charge you for a Tune Up, and then give you a full frame-up assembly, that's a nice deal to find.  $100 is about right for a Tune Up.  Do you think they are really going to get the build done in under 2 hours?  Or do you think you're getting a good discount on their time?  Rivendell's build-service that is more like a "Tune Up" is the $150 job they charge for completes.  Your shop's $100 vs Riv's $150 sounds like more of an Apples to Apples comp...  If your shop knows what they are getting into when they quoted you $100, then I'm guessing something about your particular situation has the shop thinking the build is going to be super quick.  Like maybe your frame set is used and not new, and so there's zero prep and thread chasing involved.  Or maybe the BB and headset are already in there and don't have to be touched.  Or the cockpit is in a single piece already and/or there is no handlebar tape to wrap.  You've already implied they won't be touching the wheels because you bought new handbuilt wheels which are presumably perfecto.  At any rate, I'll stick to calling BS to the assertion that Riv is charging $300 for exactly the same service that normal bike shops would do for $100 or less.  If it's a 3-4 hour build, it should cost 3-4 hours worth of labor.  If it's a 90 minute build, then $100 should cover it.

Bill Lindsay

El Cerrito, CA

[Eric Daume]

Riv framesets come with a headset installed. That's the hardest job for a home mechanic, in my experience. The next hardest job is ordering the correct parts: bottom bracket spindle length and crank and (if you're using one) the front derailer all need to play together correctly. After that, it's mostly bolting stuff together, it would be hard to actually damage your frame doing this.

Setting some things (chain length, cable housing length, brake pad adjustment, derailer limit stops) take a bit of thought and/or youtube research, but especially with a friction drivetrain and rim brakes, none of this is rocket science.

Eric

who last bought a complete bike in... um... er...

in

Plain City, OH

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[Piaw Na(藍俊彪)]

>ike maybe your frame set is used and not new, and so there's zero prep and thread chasing involved.

I didn't have to chase the Roadini's BB threads. Many of Rivendell's frames used to come with BB installed, so there 's likely no work there.

I recently built my wife's Ritchey Road Logic Classic from frame up. No chasing needed when I installed the BB either.

[Patrick Moore]

I have to agree with Piaw here. It's not hard to build a bike, at least if it's a Rivendell-type bike, if you start by buying the correct parts from a knowledgeable shop instead of trying to learn seat-of-pants by yourelf. But I disagree about racks and fenders: racks are rarely a problem, IME, if you use rim brakes and even plastic fenders are not that hard to install. I agree that the first 2 or so pairs of metal fenders will be an education, and I suggested to a friend that if he use VOs or Honjos he buy a practice pair along with the"real" pair; kidding but not by too much; but I managed to install my first pair (Berthouds?) with enough time and they were only a wee bit warped in the rear, but not noticeable unless you looked closely. But even metal fenders aren't that hard if you have decent tools and follow good instructions; Jitensha used to have the best instructions, but this was a decade or more ago.

As for square taper bb bearing assemblies, they're all cartridge now* and all you need is for a reputable shop to tell you which length you need for a given crank. 

* Unless someone wants to buy my NIP Suntour Grease Guard, 125 mm -- was hoping it would work on Matt #1, but nope. But even loose ball bb assemblies aren't hard as long as you have been told what size to buy; in all of this it's the variety of lengths and which to choose for which crank that can be confusing.

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[Patrick Moore]

On Tue, May 28, 2024 at 6:40 PM Eric Daume <eric...@gmail.com> wrote:

Riv framesets come with a headset installed. That's the hardest job for a home mechanic, in my experience.

Not if you use a hammer. Seriously, this is how I installed my first ones, but those were cheap steel and I was lucky. No, don't try it. Now I use a crude press made from thick threaded rod with big fender washers and nuts; works fine and I do this only every 10 years or so.

The next hardest job is ordering the correct parts: bottom bracket spindle length and crank and (if you're using one) the front derailer all need to play together correctly.

+1. Buy your parts at a good shop who can tell you what size you need. FDs: Am I right in thinking that fds from the 5 sp era were more fiddly than modern (I count 7400s as modern) ones? Or am I just more experienced? I used to sweat over fds.

Interesting thread. I started tearing down and building bikes in complete and blissful ignorance on a dirty concrete garage floor with poor light and minimal tools -- monkey wrench for headsets and bb fixed cup, nail and hammer and big nut for chains, largely pliers and vise grip for the rest. If you have good set of general DIY tools you are already light years ahead.

[P W]

I am genuinely still confused why people consider installing a headset difficult?

Do people just mean because they don’t own the tools to do it?

Because otherwise, I don’t get it. If you have a headset vice (and you don’t even need a fancy one,

I have a perfectly serviceable cheapo from eBay that anybody less lazy than I could make themselves from a five-minute shop at a decent hardware store), and both a headset and adjustable wrench, I don’t see how installing one could be harder than, say, setting up even the most straightforward of V-brakes?

Unless you had to remove an old headset first.

In which case…

No, actually, the same logic above applies. 

P. W.

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On May 28, 2024, at 6:32 PM, Patrick Moore <bert...@gmail.com> wrote:



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[rlti...@gmail.com]

I’d likely agree that having Riv build up the bike is the best option. But… my first bike build was my custom Riv back in 2001 I think. I had lots of time between putting down a deposit and actually receiving the frame to figure out the parts spec. Back then Riv had their catalogs that did a good job of detailing what parts worked well with others so most of the parts were bought from them.  The bike went together perfectly and the bike rode well right from the start with only minor adjustments needed.

I did have Riv install the headset and the bottom bracket since that seemed daunting at the time. With those taken care of I don’t think I needed many special tools outside of hex wrenches, a cassette locking tool and a chainring bolt tool. I did not have a bike stand at the time either so the bike was put together while leaning against a wall.

So I think it is perfectly doable to do the 1st build yourself. Maybe have the headset installed by Riv. The BB should go in relatively easily. You can always have a local shop do a safety check on it after the build to make sure nothing major was missed. 

Robert Tilley

San Diego, CA

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On May 28, 2024, at 8:32 AM, Michael <mcant...@gmail.com> wrote:

Hi all, 

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[fiddl...@gmail.com]

Do it! Building your awesome bike from the frame-up is one of the bestest bike things you can do! Just keep at it until you have a bike you’re happy with. Everyone who’s ever built up a bike had to start somewhere…

[Ian A]

Don't forget that Riv generally give a discount on parts cost when buying a complete. On the website they are currently giving $300 off for "Antonio's" build for example. Unless you have a stocked parts bin or are willing to shop around for everything, the Riv build will likely be the most economical as well as being done to a very high standard.

Doing a self-build can be very rewarding and educational. However, it is also easy to make mistakes, like cross-threading a bolt or dropping a tool on to the top tube. I would recommend rebuilding a 1970s sport touring bike from the ground up rather than starting on a very nice and rather costly Rivendell frame.

IanA Kitimat BC

[Mike Rossi]

I vote DIY. Just do LOTS of research. YouTube and the mechanics section of Bike Forums have served me well. I also have around a thousand dollars worth of bike specific tools. You could probably save some money here or there by “making” some of the tools (YouTube can show you how). But, just know that there’s a lot more to assembling a bike than some think. For instance, I recently got my lugged Susie, and used my fairly new derailleur hanger adjustment gauge to check the hanger. It was off both vertically and horizontally. It looked straight to my eye, but wasn’t.  If you choose not to do it yourself, I’d definitely vote Rivendell over local shop. They would know that a 7 speed cassette with a 9 speed crank and a 10 speed chain CAN work beautifully. When I asked my local shop (a Trek dealer) once about chasing and facing a bottom bracket on a Surly Cross Check, they seemed puzzled. So, I spent a few hundred dollars on the tool, watched some videos, and did it myself. Turned out great.

Sent from my iPhone

On May 28, 2024, at 11:32 AM, Michael <mcant...@gmail.com> wrote:

Hi all, 

Ordered a Sam as my first Riv but unsure whether or not I should tackle building it up myself or just let Riv have at it. I have never built a bike before but I do have a workshop and am good with tools/mechanically inclined. 

Are there any specific steps that you would absolutely not recommend a beginner attempt? By the time i purchase specialty tools, it may have been wiser to just order it complete? 

Let me know what you guys think, I really don't want to do something stupid!

Thanks,

--

[Michael]

Thanks for the input everyone! While I agree that building the bike would be much more rewarding and I am confident in my ability to learn, I also I want to make sure this bike reaches its full potential so think I am going to go ahead and let Riv build this one up.  I wasn't aware of their labor cost but from the sounds of it, it will probably be more economical having them do it anyway. Thanks again!!

[Chuck Blessing]

Good choice Michael. I will be doing the same with my new Sam. I built up one bike from a frame prior to this, which convinced me to let someone else do it this time around. 

[David Ross]

I’d build it yourself if you are mechanically inclined. It’s not that hard, especially these days with YouTube videos. Rivs are dead simple and don’t have proprietary parts or hydraulic disk brakes. I built my first bike in college using a book I picked up and I found it easy, but I too was already mechanically inclined from building RC cars and working on motorcycles. I wouldn’t start with wheel building, but the rest of it is a piece of cake. Buy a decent torque wrench and a Bottom bracket and cassette tool, some cable cutters. The rest of the stuff you can make like a chain whip and a headset press. It’s all on YouTube and is simple if you know how to use tools. The good thing about buying all these tools is that you need most of them to properly maintain the bike so it’s a good investment. 

[ultim8frisbee]

So I'm in the same boat, I recently ordered my first Rivendell frame -  a Sam.  Over the winter I upgraded a bunch of parts on my Bianchi Castro Valley by myself, first time doing any work by myself on the bike. The parts I purchased and upgraded I did with the intention of moving them over to the Sam.  I had fun doing the work on the Bianchi, and I learned a lot. I put on a new front derailleur, bottom bracket, 2x crankset (was 1x), pedals, albatross bar, bar end shifters, and brake levers.  I'll be moving over as much as I can from the old bike.  I don't think it'll be too bad, but we will see.  The park tool YouTube site is where it's at!

On Wednesday, May 29, 2024 at 7:06:06 AM UTC-4 mwill...@gmail.com wrote:

[Pam Bikes]

I know you are mechanically inclined.  I am not.  But either way, I would be impatient and would want to ride it immediately so I'd let them build it.  At least the first time.  When I got my complete, I was so happy just to jump on and ride it.  It was 99% perfect.  I hardly changed anything.  

[John Dewey]

For sure, the axiom 'Know Thyself' applies here. 

Regarding the earlier suggestion to 'have at it' should probably be tempered with honest assessment of your skills and inclinations. I think my greatest fear has been, among others like cross-threading, for example, dropping a wrench on fragile tubing somewhere resulting in a nasty dent. 

That's just a bad experience right there...and one not so easily remedied. Scratches not so much trouble as you can touch up, but dents—yikes. Horrible.

JD

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[John Dewey]

+1 on the fender washers and threaded rod. If you're not building bikes every day, this solution works remarkably well.

[Dorothy C]

When I built up the third Riv I bought, a Cheviot, after having bought a webspecial Appa and a Riv built Roadini, I ran into the classic mistake of not knowing what I didn’t know, and rejoined a section of 9 speed chain with the previous pin, instead of using an extra quick link. Shortly after the build, I was changing gear to go through an intersection when the chain snapped, completely shearing my derailleur in half and twisting part of the chain 90 degrees. I wasn’t pedaling very hard. Luckily there was no other traffic and I was able to push the bike clear of the street. I bent the derailleur hanger and scraped a couple of spokes and the drive side fender stay. I do build my own bikes now, but I have a lot more know how than I did in 2019 when I got the Cheviot.

[Polipop]

Hi Michael,

I just finish building my A. Homer Hilsen which is also the first bike I ever build including the wheel set.  I do it without much knowledge, learn everything online especially from Park Tool on YouTube.  Building bike is fun and relaxing, I would say the most difficult thing is to find the right part that compatible with your frame.  So, I would recommend that you build it yourself, its easy and rewarding experience.

Good luck and have fun.

[Turmoil Toybox]

amazing homer build loving the black accents 

another helpful idea I’m always looking out for are checklists for builds. I’m curious to know what people here do for rivendell specific builds - any configuration would be interesting (drop bars, brakes, upright bars, wheels, dynamo, etc) 

[Corwin Zechar]

I have been paying $200 for (three) Riv Builds for more than fifteen years now. I think $200 for a great build is an exceptional value. Could I do it myself? Sure. But Riv doing the build saves me lots of time (and aggravation, when I discover I need some small part, lube, tool, etc.) And I never forget - the people at Riv all need to eat, go to the doctor, put a roof over their heads, etc.

Keeping good organizations in business is very important.

Regards,

Corwin

[Ryan]

Well said, Corwin!  My first 2 Rivendells were ordered with BB and HS installed and my late partner built up the rest of the bikes as he was a good mechanic. In 2016 when I ordered my mixte and his health was declining I ordered all the parts from Rivendell . Mark built the bike and Rich built the wheels. The labor was about 200 USD + 50 for fender installation, and , having watched videos of Mark at work, I think it was money well-spent...and I agree that Rivendell IS worth supporting. In late 2015 when I ordered my bike, I think Riv was having some financial challenges at the time and I was more than happy to support them. Win/win.

I do understand the motivation to build your own bike but I myself certainly don't have the workshop or next-level skills of someone like Bill Lindsay...so it made sense to me to go all-in with Rivendell. Know thyself as others have said.