Well, even more reason to get a 52 then.
And from what I saw online, installing the head tube actually seems simple enough. I guess it depends on what headset the fork comes with, but I'm sure I can manage it. I only plan on using my LBS if it costs more to do it myself (i.e. buying the necessary tools) like cutting a carbon fiber seat tube or if I just can't figure out how to do it. You mentioned a good point too in that when something goes wrong with any bike in the future, I'll be able to fix it myself 99% of the time instead of having to rely on my LBS or anyone else.
Right now I really only have wrenches and allen bits. Is there anything else you'd recommend I buy and keep for the future that I won't only need for initial installation? I mean this more in the tools department as I already have things like frame lube, chain lube, WD-40 (chain degreaser), and a chain cleaning kit.
I do really want a bike repair stand, but they're pretty expensive. Do you know of any decent stands around $30 or less? I need a torque wrench too, but I don't think there's any avoiding spending $40 on that unless I find a used one.
Well lots of guys make a funky bike stand out of 2 x 4s and screw it to a workbench. I strung my bikes from the ceiling for a few years before springing for a stand. The stand is a lifetime purchase. You'll never have to replace it.
Cheap stands are better than nothing, but they likely don't hold the bike steady, don't allow rotating the stand clamp to get the bike up where you can work on it standing up. The clamps deteriorate and scratch the frame.
Riders install wheels with the frame upside down, but that about all. Can't do much else maintaining a bike upside down. Gotta have it off the ground to spin the crank and adjust the drivetrain, adjust brake pads, etc.
You can install pedals with a 15 mm cone wrench. But. you'll need a pedal wrench to get the pedals off later, or snug them down if they loosen up.
Headset races are press fit into the head tube, top and bottom. That's really tricky to do without a headset press, to get the races in there evenly all the way around. If the races aren't exactly parallel, the bike will steer in one direction when riding. The tool is probably well over $100, and you'll use it once or twice in the lifetime of the bike.
BB shells should be "faced" so the surfaces are parallel on each side of the bb shell, the bb fits snugly, and won't work loose pedaling. The facing tools are also quite expensive and you'll use them once in the initial assembly. Most custom builders install bb and headset and mount the fork, so you don't have to deal with it.
You probably have a chain breaker tool, right?
Assume you determined what size fits? Confirming size via some of the fit programs online, such as Colorado Cyclist or Wrench Science, might be a cautionary step so you don't end up with a bike that will never quite fit right.
Carbon bikes are more sensitive to being over torqued than steel or aluminum, but the torques required aren't all that high. I've been doing it by feel for years and never had a bolt come loose, except on a fender once, and a seat post bolt. The saddle kept slipping down very slowly over time, so I grabbed the automotive torque wrench and torqued the bolt to 10 foot pounds, That did it. But go ahead and buy one if you want the reassurance. Riders say carbon crushes more easily than aluminum or steel, so you have to be careful. With steel and aluminum, just turn the bolt until it stops. That's it.