Bike shops are asking 100+£ for a bike assemble and it might be justified but its too much for my budget and I want to DIY it.
Is that risky to do by watching youtube videos and borrowing tools from friends?
I want to install an english threaded bottom branket with a squared tappered crankset, disc brakes (mechanical), headset (threadless including cutting stem).
You need several tools. Setting up disc brakes poorly will result in forever noise. Setting up a headset is the most critical job in the mix. If you don’t get that just right, you will have a high speed wabble that can get you hurt.
The work is not particularly hard, there is just a right way to do it all. There are lots of little tricks that each mechanic may have. And in a shop, jobs like setting up a headset are easier because the mechanic has spares to simply swap parts if they need a shorter or longer stem bolt, or a spacer that is a few millimeters taller.
I think of all the tasks as super easy, but I’m also an advanced Maker type that has built hotrods, painted cars, and worked in machine shops.
Most bikes come mostly assembled. You’re paying for the peace of mind to have a solid riding experience from the start, and to know it is safe. Good tools go a long way too, and those are expensive relatively speaking.
Half a year ago I built my bike with friend who had side hustle repairing bikes.
He had nearly all tools and know how. I will advise you to find someone who will help you with that. It is not hard but for the first time it is better to have someone to show you.
I did it because I have do it all/ bikepacking bike so I want to know how to not get stuck on the side of the road 500km away from home with heavy bike (with bags). And I know how to repair it/ maintain it to get to work each day.
Now I have racked up about 4000km on it and few mishaps/breakages later I wouldn’t do it any other way because I was able to fix it and get on the road again in few minutes every time.
I’ve completely disassembled and reassembled a bike to have the frame powder-coated, and think it’s pretty easy and no big deal.
But then again, like the other guy who built hot rods etc., I’m an engineer and might be underestimating the difficulty for a normal person.
I suggest looking for a bicycle co-op where you can work on the bike yourself, but tools and volunteer assistance is available if you need it.
I second the idea of looking for a bike co-op. Or even ask at small shops if they would be interested in teaching you. I have known mechanics who would happily stay after hours to help people who wanted to learn. In either place you will have access to the right tools and a wealth of knowledge.
Purely in terms of cost, it will cost you more than 100£ in tools and effort. However if you plan to work on bikes longer term it is worth it.
You will need a crank puller, hex wrenches, bottom bracket tool adjustable wrench (potentially a cheater bar as well), headset cup remover (bear in mind there are different sizes), plus probably some oils, lubricants etc
It isn’t massively hard but will take you time. If you plan to do this kind of thing more than once or twice, I strongly recommend doing so because it’s super fun
You can do it yourself but I very much recommend to get supervision and tools from a person who knows bikes. Otherwise you might get very frustrated if things do not work out and you might even damage the bike if you assemble it wrong or in the worst case you could get hurt. Bike assembly requires certain specialized knowledge and tools, something newcomers usually do not have.
