[Sol-t-nuts]

i just recieved my kona dawg from ups unassembled.

the forks and brake lines are all assembled to the frane and the rear tire has the gears attached etc..

now the only think i need to do is, assemble the tires, hook up the disc brake lines with pads and the derailur, (sp)

now i've never done an assembly before but i would like to try it, as i want to be able to fix my own bikes if ever need be.

but should i take it to a bike shop and let them put it together or should i go ahead with it and learn from it?

once its assembled i will take it to them to adjust it and tune it or whatever they need to do but its winter here right now and im not going to be riding for quite some time

 

[tscheezy]

Do it yourself. Go to Parktool.com and look through their repair section. They will show you, in easy steps, many bike fix/assembly procedures.

 

[SurvivorofShalamar]

Give putting it together a try. If you get stuck you could always spend the money the shop would charge on good bike repair book to guide you through it. There really isn't much to it, just go slow and be patient and all will work out just fine.

 

[Jwiffle]

http://www.parktool.com/repair/readhowto.asp?id=132
This list will provide you with just about everything you need to know to assemble your bike. Just a note -- you should adjust the hub bearings BEFORE truing the wheel. Park's list has that reversed for some reason. You'll need to take the cassette off the rear wheel to adjust the hub and make sure the jam nut is tight with the cone on that side. You may need to tighten the small screw on the back side of the cassette. And lube the hub before putting the cassette back on. Also, they also put install seatpost way down at the bottom. But you need to do that first so you can hang the bike in the stand. Other than that, it's a pretty good list. Some things you won't need to do--the BB and crankset should already be installed when you get the bike, as should the headset. Just check that the crankarms are on tight. The brake and shift levers will probably already be attached to the handelbars, but you will likely have to adjust their position on the bar for your preference. Derailleurs will come already installed, but will need adjusting. (Front derailleur may or may not be installed in correct position, check by Park's site how it should be installed, and you'll be able to tell if you need to move the front der).

Anyway, hope that helps, feel free to ask any more questions you may have.

 

[RussBackman]

It just a bike...do it yourself. You will have a bonding experience you will never forget. If you have a few extra bucks, now would be a good time for a repair stand and a basic tool kit. IMO, there is nothing like doing your own repairs that gives one a special pride of ownership.

There is nothing you can do to your bike that cannot be undone, repaired.or replaced.

Go for it!!!

 

[Sol-t-nuts]

thanks guys,

i'll check that site tonight and give it a go.

i'll deffenetly check back if i get stuck.

also i'd rather do it myself, nothing against the shops but i need to learn how to fix the thing incase something happened out on a trail or away from a bike shop..


:thumbsup:

 

[ZoSoSwiM]

I agree it's just a bike. You should be able to "figure" most stuff out yourself. Some stuff like fine tuning the shifting and such take a little practice but aren't that hard. The only thing I wouldn't want to do is cut my own bars/steerer or something... Rather have a shop do it so if they screw up it's not on my dime.

 

[Sol-t-nuts]

well its almost complete.

i did scan over the park tool page and it seemed that some of it didnt apply, so instead of spending hours reading that page, i just dove in and took a stab at it


the front tire was pretty basic...

seat do i even need to say..

then came the rear tire, gears, derailer etc..

i got it all attached and snuged in place and went to go do the chain, and noticed that the chain should have gone over the gears and under neath to link up with the derailur, i'll leave it till tommorow its getting late..

i checked both tires to make sure they are true(sp) and seem fine,

im a little worried that the bike may just be a tad big for me.

i got a medium 17inch, and i ordered it thinking my gt was a 17inch,.

i sat on both and the gt feels a bit smaller but im not sure if its a 15 inch or not..

im 5'7 with short legs btw

 

[robdamanii]

I think you'll be ok. The Dawg has a fairly short cockpit.

I'm 5'10" (5'9" this morning after getting very little sleep last night) and my 17" needs a lot of seatpost exposed for me to be comfortable. I AM mostly legs though.