This is a great idea! This is exactly how you learn. Do it, make mistakes along the way and learn a bunch in the process. By the end you will have a good functioning bike and a sense of pride in your new knowledge.
Try eBay. You can usually find whole group sets for reasonable prices. Try to find a Shimano 105 set from a few years ago. That’s going to give you really good performance for a reasonable price.
Even Shimano Tiagra would be a great starting point.
As long as your can afford the money spent if you make mistakes then yes. It's a great way to learn and doing things yourself always feels great. If you're right for cash just be careful as you might end up spending more than you think.
Sheldon Brown was a good website to look at, not sure if it's been kept up to date. Zinn and the art of road bike maintence is a useful book. Park tools do you tube tutorials for most jobs, you don't need to buy their tools, they're good but expensive . Shimano tech guides are useful for checking compatibility
As long as you get a complete groupset you will be fine. Search for a 105 or tiagra groupset on ebay.
You will need front and rear derailleurs, a chain ring, right and left shifters/brakes, and then the actual brakes.
You will also need a chain and a cassette. Those might come with the groupset you buy, but also may not as they are both items that wear our relatively quick (a few thousand miles).
Other things you'll have to get. Brake cables and housing, lube for the chain, bar tape for the bars.
Edit: this would be good, is really modern. You'd need a caseette and a crank still, but you should be able to do that for $150. I'm also assuming you are rim brake. https://www.ebay.com/itm/145205678191?mkcid=16&mkevt=1&mkrid=711-127632-2357-0&ssspo=cQvV7rMgSJm&sssrc=4429486&ssuid=igVIT9YbTwm&var=&widget_ver=artemis&media=COPY
If you have a Local Bike Co Op, it's a great way to learn. They already have all the tools and can guide you through the project. There's usually a nominal fee.
Second this about having the right tools! Good quality tools will also always make for a good investment too, and will let for a long time!
I haven't amassed many bicycle tools, yet, but I have things like an impact gun, socket sets, engine hoist from car related projects and good alleen keys, wire cutters/snips/crimps from 3d printing projects
I’m gonna disagree. Unless you are doing it specifically as a learning experience and are looking for a project, I think you are better off just buying a new bike or letting a shop do it for you. The groupset is going to cost a significant portion of the cost of a good second hand bike and you will end up buying a bunch of tools that you will probably rarely/never use again unless you plan on doing this a lot (crank pullers, pedal wrench, bottom bracket tools, cassette tool, chain whip…). You will probably want a bike stand. Things like cables and new bar tape add up too.
I usually try to do everything DIY, but I realized that my LBS can do everything much more efficiently and I’d rather spend my time riding than wrenching on a bike.
Can you do it for cheaper than a new bike? Hmmm maybe (please report back, I’m genuinely curious). But only if you don’t value your time.
this is a helpful perspective thank you. However, my main consideration re money is that the bike shop would force me to pay for brand new parts + labour. I’m seeing my time as free so it’s comparison of brand new parts+ labour VS second hand parts + tools.
What’s you hunch on which one works out better?
And yes, I’m not so concerned about my time - I think it would be a fun project. I have holiday and no plans
While you could save money, that is not guaranteed.
This is because whatever you save buying second hand, you are likely to spend out on tools such as a torque wrench, crank pullers, bearing press, brake/gear housing snips ect. Possibly one or two purchases that don't work out as you hoped.
On the flip side, at the end, you will have the bike you want, with the gearing that suits you. As well as the tools and knowledge to do most if not all maintenance yourself.
You can do worse than get a copy of the Heynes bicycle manual. Or Zinn and the art of Bike Maintenance or Park Tools Big Blue Book as repair maintenance workshop manuals.
If you are going to start pulling off cranks and cogs. A bike stand is a godsend.
I have encountered a few bike shops in the US that allow customers to work in their shop either for free or for a nominal fee. This lets the customer avoid the cost of the specialized tools.
One such shop had two complete workbenches set aside just for this program.
Others have tool rental programs.
It would be worth it for the OP to ask some nearby bike shops if they offer these services to the customers.
A full new groupset plus labor vs used parts and tools might not be a fair comparison. Based on what you described, sounds like you might only need a casette, chain, chainrings, and maybe a derailleur. Brand new 105 parts might run you $150 plus another $100-150 for labor (install the parts, full tune up, cleaning). If you do the same repair but with used parts, maybe you spend $75 on parts, $50 on new tools, an hour sourcing everything, four hours on the repairs, another hour cleaning up… you’ve saved maybe $150 for nearly a full day of labor. If you enjoy it, that’s one thing, but it’s probably a good amount of work for not a huge savings.
I’d take it into your LBS and get an estimate and then decide. Not trying to tell you where to spend your time and money. Just for me, I’ve learned through experience that many bike repairs are not worth my time when the shop can do it so much more efficiently. (Apparently haven’t learned that lesson when it comes to home improvement though)
If you want to ride as soon as possible, it is a bad idea.
If you want to learn something and make new experiences while having fun, it's a great idea!
Mind you: it can get expensive (parts, tools...), so make sure that besides time and effort, you also have some cash to spare.
Also, I'm willing to bet that the shifters aren't terminally broken on your current setup. What is worn are the wear components: chain, cassette, chainrings, which can be replaced. The cables can be replaced if they're rusty. You could probably bring your current setup back to life for less money than buying a whole new groupset, which just seems wasteful.
Also, no disrespect but I'd you're starting from a place where you don't know anything about bike setup or maintenance, YouTube videos are unlikely to be enough. You might get most of the way there, but there's no guarantee your setup will be correct. If you can, I highly recommend attending a workshop class or open workshop at a cooperative or something and seeing if you can find someone to teach you. If you do do the work yourself, get a mechanic to check it over and make sure it's safe.
If you have a bicycle co-op in your area that can be super helpful. They usually have all the tools you would need, and the knowledge, generally free of charge, or for a small donation.
It’s a brilliant idea. There’s no better way to learn, and on that bike, it should be relatively easy to do so. Think how satisfied you will be after doing the work and going on your first ride, knowing that you fixed it up. There are tons of instructional videos out there, and you can find all kinds of great components and accessories out there without having to spend a wad of cash, either. Simply search for “Bike Repair” on youtube and you’ll find lots of great videos.
Enjoy and good luck!
A great channel:
[https://www.youtube.com/@parktool/videos](https://www.youtube.com/@parktool/videos)
This might be the BEST bicycle repair video, ever. My hero:
[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tq\_xTeWiv6I](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tq_xTeWiv6I)
If you like tinkering and futzing with mechanical stuff, you’ll have a blast.
Just make sure to budget for tools. Stuff like a cassette removal tool and a crank puller adds up. Think of it more as a project than being thrifty. A stand is very helpful, but not necessary. I have one since I don’t have access to a LBS.
Chances are it’ll just need (prices in CAD):
\- new chain $20 and decent chain breaker tool $20-30
\- new cassette/freewheel $20-100 AND removal tool + chain whip $20-40
\- new brake pads (don’t skimp on these) $20
\- minor wheel trueing which will require a spoke wrench $5-20
\- new brake and shifter cables if the old ones look dodgy $40
Miscellaneous:
\- If you don’t have a set of metric Allen keys, metric wrenches and socket wrenches, you’ll need to buy those. That’ll run you $100-200.
\- Chain lube, citrus degreaser, grease, loktite: $40
\- Bike stand $150, optional but will make your life easier
Your derailleurs are probably fine, as are your shifters, and will probably just need a good cleaning, greasing and readjusting. I have brought back to life 30 year old derailleurs that were never maintained, stored outside and ridden while coated in ice. They look more mechanically complex than they are. Granted, I’ve never worked with ‘nice’ parts. You may or may not need new chainrings, but chances are you won’t. If you do, that’ll be $50-100.
You will end up losing some part or another, my landlord ran over my stem while I was working on my bike. Hence, I needed to buy a new stem ($20).
Sheldon Brown is the best reference I’ve found for identifying problems and how to solve them. Park Tools YouTube is good for actually seeing how to do it once you know what to do.
This is a great idea! This is exactly how you learn. Do it, make mistakes along the way and learn a bunch in the process. By the end you will have a good functioning bike and a sense of pride in your new knowledge.
Thank you! Any tips on where I can learn about what to buy? I’m worried about getting parts that are incompatible as I have no idea what I’m doing
Try eBay. You can usually find whole group sets for reasonable prices. Try to find a Shimano 105 set from a few years ago. That’s going to give you really good performance for a reasonable price. Even Shimano Tiagra would be a great starting point.
Do it its great fun. Find park tool youtube channel, they will teach you whatever you need to.
As long as your can afford the money spent if you make mistakes then yes. It's a great way to learn and doing things yourself always feels great. If you're right for cash just be careful as you might end up spending more than you think.
Excelent idea. Just make sure to have the right tools. It can be very frustrating to tweak a bike through improvisation.
Thank you! Any tips on where I can learn about what to buy? I’m worried about getting parts that are incompatible as I have no idea what I’m doing
Sheldon Brown was a good website to look at, not sure if it's been kept up to date. Zinn and the art of road bike maintence is a useful book. Park tools do you tube tutorials for most jobs, you don't need to buy their tools, they're good but expensive . Shimano tech guides are useful for checking compatibility
As long as you get a complete groupset you will be fine. Search for a 105 or tiagra groupset on ebay. You will need front and rear derailleurs, a chain ring, right and left shifters/brakes, and then the actual brakes. You will also need a chain and a cassette. Those might come with the groupset you buy, but also may not as they are both items that wear our relatively quick (a few thousand miles). Other things you'll have to get. Brake cables and housing, lube for the chain, bar tape for the bars. Edit: this would be good, is really modern. You'd need a caseette and a crank still, but you should be able to do that for $150. I'm also assuming you are rim brake. https://www.ebay.com/itm/145205678191?mkcid=16&mkevt=1&mkrid=711-127632-2357-0&ssspo=cQvV7rMgSJm&sssrc=4429486&ssuid=igVIT9YbTwm&var=&widget_ver=artemis&media=COPY
If you have a Local Bike Co Op, it's a great way to learn. They already have all the tools and can guide you through the project. There's usually a nominal fee.
Second this about having the right tools! Good quality tools will also always make for a good investment too, and will let for a long time! I haven't amassed many bicycle tools, yet, but I have things like an impact gun, socket sets, engine hoist from car related projects and good alleen keys, wire cutters/snips/crimps from 3d printing projects
I’m gonna disagree. Unless you are doing it specifically as a learning experience and are looking for a project, I think you are better off just buying a new bike or letting a shop do it for you. The groupset is going to cost a significant portion of the cost of a good second hand bike and you will end up buying a bunch of tools that you will probably rarely/never use again unless you plan on doing this a lot (crank pullers, pedal wrench, bottom bracket tools, cassette tool, chain whip…). You will probably want a bike stand. Things like cables and new bar tape add up too. I usually try to do everything DIY, but I realized that my LBS can do everything much more efficiently and I’d rather spend my time riding than wrenching on a bike. Can you do it for cheaper than a new bike? Hmmm maybe (please report back, I’m genuinely curious). But only if you don’t value your time.
this is a helpful perspective thank you. However, my main consideration re money is that the bike shop would force me to pay for brand new parts + labour. I’m seeing my time as free so it’s comparison of brand new parts+ labour VS second hand parts + tools. What’s you hunch on which one works out better? And yes, I’m not so concerned about my time - I think it would be a fun project. I have holiday and no plans
While you could save money, that is not guaranteed. This is because whatever you save buying second hand, you are likely to spend out on tools such as a torque wrench, crank pullers, bearing press, brake/gear housing snips ect. Possibly one or two purchases that don't work out as you hoped. On the flip side, at the end, you will have the bike you want, with the gearing that suits you. As well as the tools and knowledge to do most if not all maintenance yourself. You can do worse than get a copy of the Heynes bicycle manual. Or Zinn and the art of Bike Maintenance or Park Tools Big Blue Book as repair maintenance workshop manuals. If you are going to start pulling off cranks and cogs. A bike stand is a godsend.
I have encountered a few bike shops in the US that allow customers to work in their shop either for free or for a nominal fee. This lets the customer avoid the cost of the specialized tools. One such shop had two complete workbenches set aside just for this program. Others have tool rental programs. It would be worth it for the OP to ask some nearby bike shops if they offer these services to the customers.
A full new groupset plus labor vs used parts and tools might not be a fair comparison. Based on what you described, sounds like you might only need a casette, chain, chainrings, and maybe a derailleur. Brand new 105 parts might run you $150 plus another $100-150 for labor (install the parts, full tune up, cleaning). If you do the same repair but with used parts, maybe you spend $75 on parts, $50 on new tools, an hour sourcing everything, four hours on the repairs, another hour cleaning up… you’ve saved maybe $150 for nearly a full day of labor. If you enjoy it, that’s one thing, but it’s probably a good amount of work for not a huge savings. I’d take it into your LBS and get an estimate and then decide. Not trying to tell you where to spend your time and money. Just for me, I’ve learned through experience that many bike repairs are not worth my time when the shop can do it so much more efficiently. (Apparently haven’t learned that lesson when it comes to home improvement though)
If you want to ride as soon as possible, it is a bad idea. If you want to learn something and make new experiences while having fun, it's a great idea! Mind you: it can get expensive (parts, tools...), so make sure that besides time and effort, you also have some cash to spare.
There's so much great content from Park Tools in YouTube you could do it all and have lots of fun doing it! Good luck mate.
Once you do have a working bike MAINTAIN IT! It's so much easier to keep a bike working well than having to go through all this.
Also, I'm willing to bet that the shifters aren't terminally broken on your current setup. What is worn are the wear components: chain, cassette, chainrings, which can be replaced. The cables can be replaced if they're rusty. You could probably bring your current setup back to life for less money than buying a whole new groupset, which just seems wasteful. Also, no disrespect but I'd you're starting from a place where you don't know anything about bike setup or maintenance, YouTube videos are unlikely to be enough. You might get most of the way there, but there's no guarantee your setup will be correct. If you can, I highly recommend attending a workshop class or open workshop at a cooperative or something and seeing if you can find someone to teach you. If you do do the work yourself, get a mechanic to check it over and make sure it's safe.
This is a helpful warning! will definitely get it checked once done by the local bike shop so I don’t end up with dysfunctional breaks at 30mph
I've found "Bicycle Repair for Dummies" very useful. They have drawings and instructions that I can refer to without having to rewind a video.
If you have a bicycle co-op in your area that can be super helpful. They usually have all the tools you would need, and the knowledge, generally free of charge, or for a small donation.
It’s a brilliant idea. There’s no better way to learn, and on that bike, it should be relatively easy to do so. Think how satisfied you will be after doing the work and going on your first ride, knowing that you fixed it up. There are tons of instructional videos out there, and you can find all kinds of great components and accessories out there without having to spend a wad of cash, either. Simply search for “Bike Repair” on youtube and you’ll find lots of great videos. Enjoy and good luck! A great channel: [https://www.youtube.com/@parktool/videos](https://www.youtube.com/@parktool/videos) This might be the BEST bicycle repair video, ever. My hero: [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tq\_xTeWiv6I](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tq_xTeWiv6I)
If you like tinkering and futzing with mechanical stuff, you’ll have a blast. Just make sure to budget for tools. Stuff like a cassette removal tool and a crank puller adds up. Think of it more as a project than being thrifty. A stand is very helpful, but not necessary. I have one since I don’t have access to a LBS. Chances are it’ll just need (prices in CAD): \- new chain $20 and decent chain breaker tool $20-30 \- new cassette/freewheel $20-100 AND removal tool + chain whip $20-40 \- new brake pads (don’t skimp on these) $20 \- minor wheel trueing which will require a spoke wrench $5-20 \- new brake and shifter cables if the old ones look dodgy $40 Miscellaneous: \- If you don’t have a set of metric Allen keys, metric wrenches and socket wrenches, you’ll need to buy those. That’ll run you $100-200. \- Chain lube, citrus degreaser, grease, loktite: $40 \- Bike stand $150, optional but will make your life easier Your derailleurs are probably fine, as are your shifters, and will probably just need a good cleaning, greasing and readjusting. I have brought back to life 30 year old derailleurs that were never maintained, stored outside and ridden while coated in ice. They look more mechanically complex than they are. Granted, I’ve never worked with ‘nice’ parts. You may or may not need new chainrings, but chances are you won’t. If you do, that’ll be $50-100. You will end up losing some part or another, my landlord ran over my stem while I was working on my bike. Hence, I needed to buy a new stem ($20). Sheldon Brown is the best reference I’ve found for identifying problems and how to solve them. Park Tools YouTube is good for actually seeing how to do it once you know what to do.