I enjoyed the video. I was actually most impressed by the floor you were working on. As a carpenter and having installed flooring before. Someone did an amazing job putting down that hardwood.
Also (and you may know this), if you have carbon handlebars be really careful with the dust produced during the shortening process. Others, such as Seth, utilize a spray bottle of water to minimize the amount of airborne dust produced during the sawing process (plus, possibly wear a mask). Carbon dusk is microscopic and problematic if inhaled.
Watching Syd bleeding those breaks like a boss reminded me of a long time ago video when she was learning how to do it. Time flies. Cheers my friends 🍻
hello, just wanted to say thanks for this video. i just purchased a Surly Karate Monkey Frame and will be slowly building it my self. Thanks for the info and presentation
I love building high end bikes, it is so much fun. While working at a local shop and a customer buying $15,000 frame/Components, the owner tells me to focus on that build as long as it takes. I loved it, meticulous and perfection. Once the bike is built, taking it for its first ride is so awesome.
New to bike building but used to ride bmx for a couple years as a kid definitely into it more now for exercise but I love my bike thanks for explaining how to build , I Love it guys !!👌🏽
A few helpful comments, hopefully, ur best of working on a bench for small assemblies, cutting and the like, forks, use the PVC but place a 2 x4 on top and tap down with hammer, wood provides some give, lock the forks, cutting bars can use some water in spay bottle, in a vice with jaw guards, again using a pipe cutter, file with light Emery cloth by hand and a flat surface to tidy up the cut carbon fibre, even a little glue / resin to protect, fork headstock bearings pre-load etc just some basic assembly techniques not specific to bikes etc ta 😊
All I can say what an amazing and helpfull video🤘i already know how to set up a bike but still love seeing different points of view from different bike mechanics. 👍 Way to go! awesome !
Thank You guys. Loved your video and you guys are super working together. I'm building my 1st MTB and you guys have made it easy and I want to thank you. It's cool how you show an inexpensive way to use an alternative to a tool that is costly, especially now with this crisis, we can't spend as much as we like. Great Job
14:47 I use a very different setup. I have saddle tip above the BB so reach is the same as saddle to stem. That means I get a more efficient stroke, and am not so far back on the bike. also I use mid foot position. Now I have a bike that fits me, including this setup style. I have long reach my large frame is has larger reach than most XXL frames from other brands, which is the case for Trek, so I could not stick with trek due to just that reason alone. My bike has 515mm reach I am 181cm. It's a Nicolai/ Geometron G1 Large I am centred in the bike, and don't have to use my upper body to stay balanced, and don't have to rock my whole body, and use very tiring moves to stay in balance. it climbs great and corners great, very stable. there is no way I am going back to more common geometry.
That is very good to build that bike. Wow that was awesome. I wish I want that just like yours that is amazing how to build your own bike and my birthday I turn 50 years old. I go like this that was awesome work
Great Pro Tip on finalizing the dropper post with the wheels on! thanks guys for this video! i'm gonna be building up one soon.. when are you 2 heading back to Sedona! hoping the festival gets rescheduled..
@ Syd and Macky - nice build and walkthrough! gearing up to build/assemble my first FS/Enduro rig. trading between a Kona Process 153 Al/DL and an Ibis Ripmo Al. stoked!
If you spin the wheel in the opposite direction of travel and lightly depress the brakes before pressing hard on them works wonders on centering the calipers. Alternating tightening the bolts like you showed is an important step.
While I have a lot of Park Tool pieces, if you are trying to build or maintain on the cheap then AliExpress (mind you, I am not Chinese with no affiliation) can be a great source for tools and maintenance components on the cheap including bearing / headset press, star fangled nut setters, crown race setters, spoke tension testers, valve core removers, rotor truing tools and valve cores. Way cheaper
Guys! You're great and beautiful people to look up to ❤️💕! Much love from Lima, Ohio! By the way, if you happened to like Snowshoe in WV, I'll be there at the opening weekend on memorial day weekend! Cheers
If you hammer in the steering tube cups, put them in the freezer first, it helps a little bit. I used this method an all kinds of alu frames and nothing ever broke.
I like the way you treat your audience like they have normal IQ. Not too much dumbed down, but the pacing is good enough that an experienced builder doesn't lose interest.
If you travel and rent bikes or if your going to say a demo day measure you saddle height by putting the crank in the six o'clock position and measure from the top of the pedal axle to the saddle, by doing it this way as opposed to the center of the bottom bracket you account for differences in crank length.
Or a piece of threaded rod and nuts with an appropriate socket or even a piece of wood with a hole in it. Far better than hammering, you can observe if you have any misalignment
Thank you for this guide. It is super helpful. I have one question. It seems like today's bikes have super specific suspension for each bike model/brand. How can I get the correctly tuned shock/fork for my build?
Not generally unless you go with used parts. Bike manufactures are able to get cheaper prices on parts because they buy in large quantities, so you generally pay less overall by buying a complete bike.
You two seem fun and interesting, also I may have set my saddle height wrong years ago, but it may also be that my weight is making the pedalling harder, haha
It's called 'seating a bearing', driving and tapping it home usually with a dolly of suitable size, shape and material so as not to damage the bearing / surfaces.
Question. My dad is thinking about collecting some bikes for repair and resell. Is there a "best" kit for him to get started. He's very handy and has repaired cars and done other odd jobs. I think he could be good at this but would like him to get the right start. I was thinking to gift him the tools. If it's one of the links above, I would gladly use it.
Check out our other channel (Syd Fixes Bikes - ruclips.net/user/sydfixesbikes). There is a video on there if recommended beginner tools with links to everything we discuss in the description!
15:42 that won't work I have coil shock. so I don't have anything to measure it with on the rear shock. so doing that would be tricky. There is no way I am going back to air, cus I would have to adjust the pressure annoying much, and even mid ride I would have to do it some times. I am glad I don't have to anymore.
great video much appreciated,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,did they update this bike from the 2019 version?? or is it the same?? also would love to see you do a review on it in different forms like the mullet verse the 29 verse the 27.5, I think this is bike can handle all the wheel sizes, making it a extremely versatile bike for the average weekend warrior.
Depends what you're using it for. We're running 32s on our lightweight XC bikes, but for this more "trail" style bike, the 34 is worth the extra weight to us!
Great video! Is that 20%-25% rear sag for XC notwithstanding the amount of travel out back? Or is that because XC bikes top out mostly at 100mm. My Lux has basically no pedal bob but now I'm wondering what benefits I may be missing running at 20% over running it at 30%? :)
Yeah, that's generally 20-25% for all xc bikes regardless of travel. Like you said, they generally have less travel, so if you do too much sag, they blow through the suspension too quickly.
Hi guys, I recently started taking mountainbiken (XC) a little more serious. I've always ridden with an inertube, hoever I recently started expiriencing a lot of flats and tires randomly losing air. I will buy a new bike (trek x caliber 8) this spring which comes tubeless ready. I would only have to buy sealent and a valve but I'm not sure if it's worth the investment.
It's generally cheaper to buy a full bike than to build it yourself unless you're using used parts. In terms of buying tools and building it yourself vs. paying someone to build it for you, it might be cheaper to pay someone, but if you plan to work on your own bike, you'll need to get many of the tools anyway, so it'll be cheaper in the long run.
im disabled and im trying to sketch out a blue print for a bike coz one of my legs is 3 inches shorter. so my right and left beddal have to be to separate pedal gears coz of my balance but ive no idea where to go to get messurements or get advice on how much it would cost coz there is nothing online that i can find that is helpful.. what do i do?
Honestly not sure how they compare, weight-wise. It's not something we worry about much. Haven't had a chance to ride them yet, but optimistic that they'll live up to the usual Shimano quality!
damn that frame coloring is sweet, i wish more companies would get a little more unique with paint schemes.
I agree
Syd and Macky, Please video all the bike builds. Love watching you both work as a team. You guys are going to kick butt with these rigs. God bless
I enjoyed the video. I was actually most impressed by the floor you were working on. As a carpenter and having installed flooring before. Someone did an amazing job putting down that hardwood.
Also (and you may know this), if you have carbon handlebars be really careful with the dust produced during the shortening process. Others, such as Seth, utilize a spray bottle of water to minimize the amount of airborne dust produced during the sawing process (plus, possibly wear a mask). Carbon dusk is microscopic and problematic if inhaled.
Thanks!
9:17 you should compress your rear shock when you measure this with your chain. Some bikes have more chain growth than others
Looks rad guys! We love what you do. Keep it up, continue being good people, and keep having fun!
Finally a video that does a build from scratch. Thanks.
Gosh bikes are so beautiful. I love watching a good build, I’ve realized
Awesome video you two! This gives me a little more confidence for my upcoming project!
Hello & thanks from Bucharest România 🇹🇩
Watching Syd bleeding those breaks like a boss reminded me of a long time ago video when she was learning how to do it. Time flies. Cheers my friends 🍻
Loved this one!
I know how to do all those things, but it's just relaxing to watch you guys do it :D
It's a beautiful bike! Love the color scheme
Those hubs sound mean! That is one gorgeous bike! Sooooooo excited for race season!
Us too!!
hello, just wanted to say thanks for this video. i just purchased a Surly Karate Monkey Frame and will be slowly building it my self. Thanks for the info and presentation
Can’t wait to build my own bike. Going to slowly accrue parts and work my way to completion. Subscribed 💥
I love building high end bikes, it is so much fun. While working at a local shop and a customer buying $15,000 frame/Components, the owner tells me to focus on that build as long as it takes. I loved it, meticulous and perfection. Once the bike is built, taking it for its first ride is so awesome.
New to bike building but used to ride bmx for a couple years as a kid definitely into it more now for exercise but I love my bike thanks for explaining how to build , I Love it guys !!👌🏽
A few helpful comments, hopefully, ur best of working on a bench for small assemblies, cutting and the like, forks, use the PVC but place a 2 x4 on top and tap down with hammer, wood provides some give, lock the forks, cutting bars can use some water in spay bottle, in a vice with jaw guards, again using a pipe cutter, file with light Emery cloth by hand and a flat surface to tidy up the cut carbon fibre, even a little glue / resin to protect, fork headstock bearings pre-load etc just some basic assembly techniques not specific to bikes etc ta 😊
All I can say what an amazing and helpfull video🤘i already know how to set up a bike but still love seeing different points of view from different bike mechanics. 👍 Way to go! awesome !
13:30 - saving this point so I can stop my front brakes rubbing when I have time
Thank You guys. Loved your video and you guys are super working together. I'm building my 1st MTB and you guys have made it easy and I want to thank you. It's cool how you show an inexpensive way to use an alternative to a tool that is costly, especially now with this crisis, we can't spend as much as we like. Great Job
Removing derailleur tension with the feet while closing the chain with the link. Nice skill 👍
Amazing video , i feel that you guys could break down the greases part where is important to put it but if people pay attention they understand
3:05 you can make a bearing press out of a long bolt, large washers, and nuts on each end.
14:47 I use a very different setup.
I have saddle tip above the BB so reach is the same as saddle to stem. That means I get a more efficient stroke, and am not so far back on the bike.
also I use mid foot position.
Now I have a bike that fits me, including this setup style. I have long reach my large frame is has larger reach than most XXL frames from other brands, which is the case for Trek, so I could not stick with trek due to just that reason alone. My bike has 515mm reach I am 181cm.
It's a Nicolai/ Geometron G1 Large
I am centred in the bike, and don't have to use my upper body to stay balanced, and don't have to rock my whole body, and use very tiring moves to stay in balance.
it climbs great and corners great, very stable.
there is no way I am going back to more common geometry.
This what i was looking for!! New suscriptor
That is very good to build that bike. Wow that was awesome. I wish I want that just like yours that is amazing how to build your own bike and my birthday I turn 50 years old. I go like this that was awesome work
Thankyou for showing how to adjust disc brakes...
All these sponsors are a dream of mine
Great Pro Tip on finalizing the dropper post with the wheels on! thanks guys for this video! i'm gonna be building up one soon.. when are you 2 heading back to Sedona! hoping the festival gets rescheduled..
Makes it look so easy af! Great video!
Awesome!! Thanks so much! This will help a lot when I start on my bike!!!
Love the hole in the sock sid 🤣👍
Excellent content guys! Cool to see how you two tackled this 'project' together.
That floor is amazing, holy guacamoly!
Good job my friends it's too informative and help new MTB riders alot and save there money too....
@ Syd and Macky - nice build and walkthrough! gearing up to build/assemble my first FS/Enduro rig. trading between a Kona Process 153 Al/DL and an Ibis Ripmo Al. stoked!
Awesome! Good luck!
I usually use the same kind of pipe cutter when trimming the bars (aluminum bars). Great bike fit tips...thanks!
I have a RUclips Channel too MTB Freeks but I look up to you guys your definitely living the life
If you spin the wheel in the opposite direction of travel and lightly depress the brakes before pressing hard on them works wonders on centering the calipers. Alternating tightening the bolts like you showed is an important step.
Is it cheaper to build or buy?
Generally cheaper to buy a full bike.
Nice thanks 😊 for this video
I have a race tomorrow (XC)! And It’s one of my favorite courses!
Good luck!
While I have a lot of Park Tool pieces, if you are trying to build or maintain on the cheap then AliExpress (mind you, I am not Chinese with no affiliation) can be a great source for tools and maintenance components on the cheap including bearing / headset press, star fangled nut setters, crown race setters, spoke tension testers, valve core removers, rotor truing tools and valve cores. Way cheaper
Guys! You're great and beautiful people to look up to ❤️💕! Much love from Lima, Ohio! By the way, if you happened to like Snowshoe in WV, I'll be there at the opening weekend on memorial day weekend! Cheers
I knew you two were legit when I saw Syd's big toe hanging out all the time.... C'mon Mack buy that girl some socks! :)
Sweet new ride !
If you hammer in the steering tube cups, put them in the freezer first, it helps a little bit. I used this method an all kinds of alu frames and nothing ever broke.
I like the way you treat your audience like they have normal IQ. Not too much dumbed down, but the pacing is good enough that an experienced builder doesn't lose interest.
That is a beautiful bike!
6:28 Seth: I measure the wrong thing twice and cut that once.
Hey! That's my bike too! A little older but I love it! Thanks!
Great build's Syd & Macky 🤘 looking forward watch the Niner in Action this year 🚴🚴😉🤘🤘
Regarding the headset bearing press, couldn't you just get a length of all-thread and some washers and nuts for a cheap alternative to 2x4s?
Yup, definitely a good option!
If you travel and rent bikes or if your going to say a demo day measure you saddle height by putting the crank in the six o'clock position and measure from the top of the pedal axle to the saddle, by doing it this way as opposed to the center of the bottom bracket you account for differences in crank length.
I love you guys intro I’m your new suber 🥳🥳🎉🎉
Welcome!!
No bearing press quick tip - Use a large bolt with a stack of washers at each end and you can easily press in bearings/cups.
Or a piece of threaded rod and nuts with an appropriate socket or even a piece of wood with a hole in it. Far better than hammering, you can observe if you have any misalignment
How did you align the bars with the forks so well?
is there any tutorial or website for choosing the right bike parts?
Been using the split crown race for the past 10 years and never had to worry about a VPC pipe or hammer.
Is a pump attached? Does it works good?
Thank you for this guide. It is super helpful. I have one question. It seems like today's bikes have super specific suspension for each bike model/brand. How can I get the correctly tuned shock/fork for my build?
Fork doesn't really matter. Shock tunes occasionally do. Worth checking with the bike brand to see if you need a specific tune
Great video! Kind of take the mystery out of a build. Why didn't you use the tube cutter for the handlebars, or can you? Thank you!
You can if the bars are aluminum. These are carbon though and pipe cutters don't work well on carbon!
Tip guys: use an old stem as a cutting guide for the handlebars.
Good tip
very good
Grrrrrrreat!!! Loved this one ☝🏼🚲💨
Does this bike have 3 piece cranks?
Cool tips!
Would bulding a medium end bike be cheaper than say buying a medium end one at the shops?
Not generally unless you go with used parts. Bike manufactures are able to get cheaper prices on parts because they buy in large quantities, so you generally pay less overall by buying a complete bike.
Tip. If you don’t have a bearing press and you don’t want to hammer on new frame you can use a long bolt with 2 big washers
awesome 👍
Niner makes quite nice frames and paint jobs, and that makes me consider a Niner as a future bike...
You two seem fun and interesting, also I may have set my saddle height wrong years ago, but it may also be that my weight is making the pedalling harder, haha
Do manufacturers like Niner and Shimano usually send torque settings for nuts and bolts?
Yup. Niner even marks them on the bolts!
How much did the parts cost without the frame
It's called 'seating a bearing', driving and tapping it home usually with a dolly of suitable size, shape and material so as not to damage the bearing / surfaces.
GOD that is the prettiest bike on the planet I have never owned one but wish my favorite Bike Shop FC Pedaler would carry them
What has been ommited between 7:29 and 7:30 ?? the fork head has been shortened.
Why wouldn't you use the pipe cutter you used to cut your stem with to but the handle bars?
Pipe cutters don't work well on carbon.
Question. My dad is thinking about collecting some bikes for repair and resell. Is there a "best" kit for him to get started. He's very handy and has repaired cars and done other odd jobs. I think he could be good at this but would like him to get the right start. I was thinking to gift him the tools. If it's one of the links above, I would gladly use it.
Check out our other channel (Syd Fixes Bikes - ruclips.net/user/sydfixesbikes). There is a video on there if recommended beginner tools with links to everything we discuss in the description!
15:42 that won't work I have coil shock. so I don't have anything to measure it with on the rear shock. so doing that would be tricky.
There is no way I am going back to air, cus I would have to adjust the pressure annoying much, and even mid ride I would have to do it some times. I am glad I don't have to anymore.
How much does this build cost?
great video, nice build. So this is easily a $10,000 cost, correct?
Syd, can you link to the pants you're wearing in this vid?
They're the PEARL iZUMi Vista pants: bit.ly/2TYq5mz
@@sydandmacky thank you!!
great video much appreciated,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,did they update this bike from the 2019 version?? or is it the same?? also would love to see you do a review on it in different forms like the mullet verse the 29 verse the 27.5, I think this is bike can handle all the wheel sizes, making it a extremely versatile bike for the average weekend warrior.
i have bought $30 bearing presses to 90. The wood and hammer is still the less stressful.
Would you ever recommend a 32 over a 34 mm fork to save weight or is the extra stiffness worth a little extra to pedal around with?
Depends what you're using it for. We're running 32s on our lightweight XC bikes, but for this more "trail" style bike, the 34 is worth the extra weight to us!
SYD and MACKY , thanks, going to be doing Xterra triathlons and 100 mile mtn rides
Alright it's settled, I'll send my new bike to a shop so they can build it for me haha
Great video! Is that 20%-25% rear sag for XC notwithstanding the amount of travel out back? Or is that because XC bikes top out mostly at 100mm. My Lux has basically no pedal bob but now I'm wondering what benefits I may be missing running at 20% over running it at 30%? :)
Yeah, that's generally 20-25% for all xc bikes regardless of travel. Like you said, they generally have less travel, so if you do too much sag, they blow through the suspension too quickly.
@@sydandmacky Thanks so much for the tips!
the rubber O ring is for measuring the SAG, don't write on the stention surface anyway
Hi guys, I recently started taking mountainbiken (XC) a little more serious. I've always ridden with an inertube, hoever I recently started expiriencing a lot of flats and tires randomly losing air. I will buy a new bike (trek x caliber 8) this spring which comes tubeless ready. I would only have to buy sealent and a valve but I'm not sure if it's worth the investment.
Definitely worth the investment! Tubeless is much, much better!
Is the process of building a road bike the same?
The general idea is the same, but there are some differences (especially installing the levers and wrapping the bars)
@@sydandmacky thanks for the reply!
Is it cheaper to build yourself with the cost of the tools?
It's generally cheaper to buy a full bike than to build it yourself unless you're using used parts. In terms of buying tools and building it yourself vs. paying someone to build it for you, it might be cheaper to pay someone, but if you plan to work on your own bike, you'll need to get many of the tools anyway, so it'll be cheaper in the long run.
Few questions: Where can I buy frames? Some brands I like don’t see frames only. What brands sell frames?
Some do, some don't, you just have to check with them to see (usually they list them on their website if they do)
im disabled and im trying to sketch out a blue print for a bike coz one of my legs is 3 inches shorter. so my right and left beddal have to be to separate pedal gears coz of my balance but ive no idea where to go to get messurements or get advice on how much it would cost coz there is nothing online that i can find that is helpful..
what do i do?
Not something we have experience with, but might be worth looking into different length cranks and possibly a platform shoe on one side...
How about doing a bike build off sdy vs macky 🤘
I know you are sponsored by shimano but would you recommend the rims you are using? Are they light?
Honestly not sure how they compare, weight-wise. It's not something we worry about much. Haven't had a chance to ride them yet, but optimistic that they'll live up to the usual Shimano quality!
What is the frame?
"Don't forget to be more awesome" lol that's just too much for me !