[guide] assembling your new bike

[jwnolte]

a lot of people have been asking about building a new bike out of the box. as Christmas approaches, a lot of people will probably be getting new bikes that need assembling. please discuss basic issues with new-in-the-box bikes here.

first, tools you will need.

*5, 6, 8mm allen wrenches for stems, brake levers, seat parts, cranks, and brake bolts, maybe smaller ones for brake knarps and cable hangers. maybe standard size allen wrenches. just make sure you use the RIGHT size.
*15mm open-end wrench for most pedals, maybe 17mm.
*17mm or 19mm socket for axle nuts, extension for pegs. a 4-way lug wrench (http://www.northerntool.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/product_6970_200347646_200347646) might also do the job if you have one in your garage.
*8 and 10mm box wrenches for brake pads, hangers, barrell adjusters, etc.
*phillips screw driver for bar ends
*SHARP, round cable cutters. i use a dremel cut-off wheel for all my cable cutting needs
*pump and tire levers
*spoke wrench- your new spokes are inevitably going to stretch a bit after the first few days of riding, and your wheels will come out-of-true. save yourself some time and money and learn how to true your own wheels with a spoke wrench
*chain tool- you won't need it right away, but a good chain breaker is a good investment. if you break your chain later or you get a smaller sprocket and driver, you will need one of these.
*lubrication- thick grease for metal-on-metal threads, seatposts and brake pivot parts. thin oil (Tri-flow) for brake cables, chains and cassette hub pawls

watch these helpful videos:
How To Assemble a BMX Bike (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uyOUS9FOcoU)
How to Build a BMX bike with Matt Wilhelm part1- fork, stem, and seat (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sqOSRGNO84Y)
How to Build a BMX bike with Matt Wilhelm part 2- cranks and pedals (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NsTctF-jyH8)
How to Build a BMX bike with Matt Wilhelm part 3- chain, wheels, and stem (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6f7uc6SW7bs)
How to Build a BMX bike with Matt Wilhelm part 4- front brakes (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J9ACtxaLwlQ)
How to Install BMX U-Brakes (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=waX3p7oFTmM)

wheels:
How to Build Wheels with G-Sport's George French (http://www.gsportbmx.com/tech/guide_wheelbuilding.php)
George French on "wheel fiddling" (very helpful if you are building wheels!) (http://www.gsportbmx.com/tech/wheelfiddling.php)
How to True Wheels with George French (http://www.gsportbmx.com/tech/wheel_truing.php)
The Rest of George's Tech Columns (http://www.gsportbmx.com/tech/tech.php)

Park Tools maintenance how-to's (http://parktool.com/repair/)

please feel free to add to this.

[basebllstar]

This should help alot of people.

[goldendragon]

Now I know where to look and where to direct the guys who ask how to do this:clap:.

[misterbryan]

this should help alot of people.

123456

[Philnadeau]

when i started biking i was looking for something like this

[jwnolte]

when i started riding, there was no such thing as the Internet. or, at least, it was just a few people with Prodigy servers and dial-up modems.

[SnK]

Or on another point. Don't be a cheap ass, help out your local bike shop and have the bike put up by a qualified bike mechanic and you usually get a 1 month free servicing.

*If a qualified bike mechanic/bike shop does not put up your bike.. and you screw it up royally.. Warranty is not given. Unless theres obvious sign of the manufacturers fault.

- Might want to note some of that jwnolte..

[jwnolte]

true, you should support your local bike shop as much as possible. i just hate seeing people with messed up bikes because they can't afford to take their bike to the shop and they don't know how to do it themselves. fixing your own bike will save you time and money, but if you can afford it, have the pros do it. bear in mind, some bike shop "mechanics" don't know a bar end from their butthole. most bike shop folks seem to be from the mountain bike/road bike world and don't know how to set up a bmx bike right.

i made this thread mostly because i know a lot of riders buy their first complete bike from a mail order shop and a lot of assembly is required. that is one of the advantages of buying a complete bike from a local shop: it is already assembled and the mechanics at the shop will normally do adjustments and tune-ups on your bike for a period of time after you buy the bike. a mail order company won't do that for you, that's part of the reason why they are so cheap. you get what you pay for.

[SnK]

true, you should support your local bike shop as much as possible. i just hate seeing people with messed up bikes because they can't afford to take their bike to the shop and they don't know how to do it themselves. fixing your own bike will save you time and money, but if you can afford it, have the pros do it.

i made this thread mostly because i know a lot of riders buy their first complete bike from a mail order shop and a lot of assembly is required.


Oh i agree! Fixing your own bike is alot better. Saves me a job on a shitty mongoose :P lol. But like i said, just for the shire point, if you don't know how.. go to a bike shop.. and then you get the free month service and warranty. Most of the time people are unaware of this.

[chrome bmx]

This guide should helpm many people, good thinking batman!

[interceptor999]

Sometimes if there hella cool and you buy your parts from them they'll even tune your bike while your there just because there cool like that, I had that happen a few times;) but usually I cant afford the "full service" so I have no other choice other then to do it myself.

Brakes....I could never get my brakes right.....Oh and on the subject of brakes...
My wheels were all black and I could NEVER get my brakes to lock up so heres what I did, I took apart my wheels, and I used a cheap wire wheel on my rim to scuff them up and then after I did that I used Windex to clean them.....1,000,0000 times better now;)