mstuart007 said:
I have tried to search the Internet for a coherent source on building a road bike but have been unable to find any. I want to build a setup similar to a Cannondale R2000. Can anyone give me any advice or turn me to some good sources (books, www)? I am particularly interested in exactly what I need besides the obvious major components and tools. I am afraid that minor oversights could windup costing me some major heartache. Any advice is warmly welcomed!
Thanks in advance,
Michael
Buy Zinn and the Art of Road Bike Maintenance and a six pack, and read it, cover to cover. Then reskim it the next morning after you've ridden 40 to cure your hangover
Seriously, if you've not built a bike before, it's very doable, but make sure you're familiar with how everything bolts together. Mr. Zinn even suggests the toolsets you need for light repairs all the way to tools you need to open a shop. The Park Tool book is also an Excellent resource.
One other thing is find a good shop, either internet or local. Some things are not worth buying the tools to do yourself, such as pressing in a headset, installing the star fangled nut, facing a bottom bracket, or building a wheelset. Other than that, everything pretty much bolts on. I would buy the frame with the headset and fork already installed and the BB faced. You can have them leave the fork long with several spacers and cut it down yourself later, if need be. Several of the better mail order outfits (GVH, R&A, Excel, Wrench Science) will do that for you, or take it to your LBS.
Before you take the plunge, you might also want to look at some of the outfits above for a complete bike, if you just can't get what you want at your LBS. I was looking for a lugged steel classic earlier this year, and thinking about building it up myself, but ended up getting the complete from Tom at GVH. Tom did me right!!. You pick all of the components out, so you get exactly the bike you want, and his assembly charge was minimal.