[quickdirt]

One of my friends recently embarked on a cool mountain bike build project with his son. The son had outgrown his old bike, but my friend didn't have any money to spend on a new one. This forced him to get a little creative, but more importantly, they ended up spending quality time together so he could teach his son how to build a bike up with used parts. It got me thinking about what I would do in the same situation. I tend to just pull out the debit card when my sons need something, but am I missing out on on opportunity to spend time with them or teach them something?

Here is the story:
Cheapskate Father/Son MTB Bike Building Project | Quickdirt

Have you built a bike up from scratch with used parts? I'd love to see a pic or hear the story behind it. Was is it something you worked on with someone else?

 

[indianadave]

Well, My daughters 20" Hotrock was built on a budget, but I probably ended up with a couple hundred in it in the end.
She's moving to a 24" now, and I have a Trek MT220 I picked up at Goodwill for something like $15. Have a new fork on the way, thanks to the wonderfull people on this site. Needs some shifters and grips and it'll be ready to ride. Will try and score some cheap used carbon bars and seatpost, and maybe rebuild the wheels with fewer spokes, and quick release hubs, with a cassette rear.
That is a very respectable build.

 

[NYrr496]

My son got a 20" Gary Fisher Precaliber for Christmas when he was 5. I immediately realized kid's mountain bikes were NOT mountain bikes. I went into my parts bin and Ebay and turned it into a nice little bike. It fit him for two years. Another valuable lesson... Find a way to do it cheaper.
At 7, we bought a Craigslist 24" Gary Fisher for 60 bucks. The wheels weren't the cheapest things to build ever, but the bike's been great and didn't cost a fortune.
Now, at 9, it's time for a 26er. Thankfully, it's more mainstream. I scored a Specialized Myka brand new for 200 bucks. Stripped it to the bare frame and flipped the wheels and drivetrain for 120 bucks. Took the 26er Manitou fork off the 24" bike and also the ten speed XT cassette, X7 rear derailleur and shifter, Specialized saddle and Tioga pedals. The rest of the 24" bike will wait for my brother's son to get big enough to ride it and we'll build it back up. I built my son 26" Crests on a Specialized Stout front hub and a Shimano M529 rear. He'll get Deore Cranks from Chainreaction and the SLX brakes off my fatbike. I really want Trail X9's.

 

[quickdirt]

My son got a 20" Gary Fisher...

It sounds like your son gets some pretty pimp rides!

 

[NYrr496]

It sounds like your son gets some pretty pimp rides!

Yeah. I can't expect him to like biking on a heavy, incorrectly geared bike.