It’s a New Year, and it’s a new bicycle!
Which I have put together myself, that was the main DIY project of last year and that was quite a big deal for me because I had never built a bicycle before.
So I thought of taking pictures, documenting it a bit and putting it online. I relied heavily on the Internet for information, so I guess I see this as giving back some of the information and experience I got off the Internet.
Actually, building a bicycle is really easy. I found it more challenging to choose the correct parts before building the bike and to tune up the bike once it is built.
A little bit of background information on the bike itself: I want to ride more in 2009, and I want to ride longer. In 2008, I took an interest in long distance cycling and ultracycling. I eventually would like to participate in Paris-Brest-Paris, if it is organized in 2011.
So I wanted a bike specifically for long distances. There’s nothing really wrong with using a racing bike for long distances, but a lot of people prefer using bikes that are slightly different, mainly with modifications / features geared towards improving comfort.
Why did I decide to build my bike myself? Mainly because it is not easy to find stock bicycles with the sort of requirements I had, and buying a custom bike from my shop would have cost me a lot more. Also, I thought I would learn a lot about the way a bike works and that would be useful knowledge for maintenance and repair.
I settled for a Salsa Casseroll frame, because steel is real my friends. It is a comfortable material, and all my previous bicycles were made of steel, so that was an easy choice. The Casseroll is sort of a “sport tourer” frame, with quite a relaxed geometry, longer chainstays and eyelets for fenders and a rack at the rear.
Before:
After:
Now for the building part, let’s see it step by step.
First of all, you need a work stand. I’m sure it’s possible to do it without one, but you’ll save yourself a lot of hassle and discomfort if you have a montage stand. Mine is a Park Tool PS-9 I think.
Secure the frame on the stand.
I then started by installing the bottom bracket:
Real easy with the correct tool (hollowtech wrench), just grease the threads generously and screw the drive side of the bottom bracket first. Thread tightly.
Then move to the other side, it should look like this:
And thread the other end of the bottom bracket.
With the same hollowtech wrench, thread tightly and it’s done, bottom bracket installed!
Then I installed the headset, which basically means pressing the headset cups in the head tube.
I put the headset cups in the ice compartment of my fridge for a half hour, the cold is supposed to make then shrink a little which should make them easier to press in the tube.
Grease the cups and the inside of the headtube.
I used a headset press tool to do the job. I’ve read that some people make a DIY press with a system of bolt and washers, but I wouldn’t really trust it. You really want to do this right because the frame could be damaged if the cups are pressed in askew. The press cost me 30 euros, which I though was a worthwhile investment.
It takes about two minutes in total to press the cups in, it should then look like below.
So that’s it, the headset cups are pressed in.
The other part of the headset that needs to be installed is the fork crown race. This is a tricky one to install, I had to take mine to the bike shop to have it installed there. Same thing, you don’t want that to be installed askew or to damage your fork, and I don’t know any cheap tool to do it. I’ve read that there is also a DIY method: putting the crown race in the oven for a while to dilate it, and then use a piece of PVC tube to bang it in. I’ve tried it, it didn’t work for me, I think it depends on the brand of the bike/fork, they probably don’t always go in easily.
Anyway, bike shops will do it.
Cranks installation:
Grease the cranks axle and insert it through the bottom bracket.
Then fix the left crank arm on the axle on the other side. The crankset should also come with a little cap to be put on the left side. Screw it on but don’t overdo it, it just needs to be fingertight.
Tighten the bolts on the left crank arm, making sure the security plate is tucked in. Tighten each bolt alternately, a little bit at a time until they are both very tight.
The Salsa Casseroll frame has some almost horizontal dropouts so it can be set up as a singlespeed/fixed gear, as shown below:
It comes with some screws to keep the rear wheel axle at a certain spot.
This is the correct way to install them, I first had them the other way around but then realized that this was wrong. This way you can adjust the position easily.
Since I was busy with the dropouts, it was also a good time to install the rear derailleur.
Very easy, just thread it really tight with an Allen wrench, and it’s done (on the picture the screws for the rear axle position are screwed in wrong).
Now to the brakes.
This is where to attach the rear brakes.
Thread it in, tighten on the opposite side and it’s done.
Same thing for the front brakes.
On this picture you can also see the fork crown race for the headset, this is the black ring at the base of the steering tube. Below that is the hole to attach the front brakes.
Same thing, insert the axle through the hole and tighten on the opposite side of the hole.
I then inserted the fork in the headtube after having installed the bearing of the headset.
Next up, installing the wheels.
A pair of Mavic Open Pros. Front hub is a SON 28 dynamo and rear hub is Shimano 105, both with DTSwiss Competition spokes. I had the rear wheel made by my bicycle shop. I put some cyclocross tubes and installed some Schwalbe Marathon Racer 700×30C tires.
The cassette needs to be installed on the rear hub.
Remove the axle from the wheel and put the cassette cogs on the drive side of the hub.
You need a special tool to secure the cassette on the hub, most toolbox sets have it. There is no need for a chain whip for installing the cassette, it is only needed to remove it.
Here is the rear wheel on the bike. On a geared setup like mine, this is better to put the axle as close to the exit of the dropout as possible for two reasons: the derailleur will operate better and the chain will not get caught on the screw for the fenders/rack whilst on the higher gears.
Moving on. Either the frame came with a seat clamp, either you need to install one, it should look like below:
With the seat clamp installed, just put the seatpost in (I don’t have a picture for that).
Front derailleur.
Clamp the front derailleur on the seat tube. The derailleur shoe should be about 1mm away from the biggest ring of the crankset.
The controls still need to be installed, I started by assembling the handlebar.
STI levers, handlebar and stem before assembly.
Same after assembly, make sure that the tip of the brake levers is aligned with the drops of the handlebar. It can then be inserted on the steering tube.
Pedals.
The pedals need to be threaded on the crank arms.
Thread the pedals in tightly with the appropriate wrench.
These are Shimano PDM A-530. I chose them because they have a click system on one side, and a platform on the other side, meaning you can also cycle with normal shoes.
Now, back to the control/headset area, the steering tube needs to be cut, this is a rather tricky part.
Insert the bearing of the headset, some spacers (if necessary) and the stem on the steering tube of the fork. Here you can see that I have added a couple of spacer on top of the stem. Why? Because I was not sure that the handlebar height was exactly the way I wanted it, and I wanted to have the option to move the handlebar up a bit.
That’s the thing with those threadless headsets, you can’t adjust handlebar height. I have a quill stem on a threaded headset on my racing bike, which is adjustable. I am not sure I see threadless systems as an improvement over the old system…
So you have to cut the tube at the correct height, this is better to check it three times before doing it, and you don’t want to have it too short of course, because then you would need to buy a new fork! So that’s why I put a couple of spacers above the stem, to have the possibility to put the handlebar higher, and if I didn’t get the height right, it’s better to have it longer than shorter.
I might cut it shorter at a later time.
So to cut the tube: insert all the spacers you need, then trace a line with a pen. You will need to cut about 2 or 3 mm below this line.
I made this line at the top of my spacers. I cut the tube about 3 mm below the line.
Here is the cut steering tube with the star nut pressed in. I actually didn’t cut it myself, I brought it to my bike shop instead because I didn’t have a proper saw nor a saw guide, and this really needs to be done right too.
Then insert the spacers again, put the headset cap on top and thread the bolt in. Finished for this part.
Moving on to cables. I first installed the brake cables.
Insert a ferrule on the brakes cable housing and insert it in the brake lever under the rubber hood (which you can flip to allow access). Then use some electrical tape to hold the cable housing in place on the handlebar.
For the front brakes, just cut the cable housing at the right length and insert it in the brakes. Mine didn’t need a ferrule at the brakes end.
For the rear brakes, cut the housing at the right length for the first frame bosses, insert a ferrule and insert the housing in the boss as shown below.
And the same at the other boss on the top tube near the seat tube.
This is the correct length for the rear brakes, it should have this slightly curvy line.
For all the cables, this is important to cut the housings at a length that allows the handlebar to rotate freely.
The best way to do it is to move the handlebar fully to one side and the other, and hold the cable with your fingers at the cable stop, leaving just enough length to allow the handlebar to move freely from one side to the other, and then cut at that length. It’s better to use a cable cutter for a clean cut, and use a bit of sandpaper to remove rough bits at the cuts.
I have decided to have some cyclocross brakes as well, here’s how to install them.
First, attach the brake levers on the handlebar at a comfortable angle, and not too close to the stem. Remove the brake cable from the cable housing and cut at the right length, where it meets the cyclocross brake lever.
Then insert a ferrule…
… and insert the housing with the ferrule in the brake lever.
Insert the brake cable in the housing again until it comes out like above.
Then insert a ferrule on the other bit of cable housing, pass it through the brake cable until it meets with the brake lever as shown above. Insert the other end of the cable housing in the brake.
It is important to have the housings at the correct length, as these brake levers, unlike the main brakes, do not pull the cable, but rather push the cable housings to operate the brakes.
Here is how it should look like when both brake levers are installed.
Shifting cables.
Insert the cable through the tiny hole in the STI lever.
It comes out like this at the other end. Insert a ferrule on the cable housing (I used waterproof ferrules) and pass the housing through the cable until the ferrule sits tight at the STI lever.
The Salsa Casseroll frame does not have cable stops for shifting cables, it has some bosses for downtube shifters instead.
You need to buy some cable stops if it didn’t come with your frame. They are pictured below.
Install the cable stops on the downtube shifter bosses.
And insert the housing in the cable stops.
When all the cables are in place, it looks like this.
I then fastened all the cables at the brakes and derailleurs:
Front brakes. Fasten with an Allen wrench.
Front Derailleur.
Rear Derailleur. Notice the length of the cable housing. The loop shouldn’t be too long nor too short as it would put some strain on the cable if it is too tight.
I then proceeded to put the chain at the right length, according to the Sheldon Brown method.
A chain tool is required to install the chain.
The bike is almost complete now, though not operational because the derailleurs need to be adjusted.
On all derailleurs, there are two adjusting screws to limit the reach of the derailleur in both directions. Here on the rear derailleur.
And here on the front derailleur. I found it quite challenging to tune it up properly, but I made it eventually.
At this stage, I was only left with the handlebar tape and the fenders.
To install the handlebar tape, roll up the rubber hoods so that they are not in the way, like when installing brake cables.
The tape should come with two extra strips to be put at the back of the brake levers.
Handlebars with tape on.
Now the bike is finished and fully operational.
Complete bike without fenders.
Complete bike with fenders.
Not appearing on the picture of the finished bike:
- Front light Supernova E3
- Bell
- Rack, which I haven’t bought yet.
Complete list of parts:
| Part | Description |
| Frame | Salsa Casseroll 51 cm |
| STI Levers | Shimano 105 ST-5600-L STI 2/3×10speed black |
| Crankset | Shimano Ultegra FC-5603-L Hollowtech II 3×10 |
| Brakes | Shimano BR-R650 Brakes |
| Cassette | Shimano 105 CS-5600 Cassette 10-speed |
| Front Derailleur | Shimano - 105 5603-L 3×10-speed 2009 |
| Rear Derailleur | Shimano 105 Black Rear Derailleur 5600 |
| Chain | Shimano Ultegra CN-6600 Chain 10-speed |
| Handlebar | Salsa Bell Lap Cross Oversize 31.8 Handle Bar |
| Bar Tape | Fizik - Lenkerband aus Microtex-Material |
| Front Wheel | SON 28 + Mavic Open Pro + DT Comp |
| Rear Wheel | Shimano 105 hub + Mavic Open Pro + DT Comp |
| Pedals | Shimano PD-A530 SPD-Pedal |
| Fenders | SKS Bluemels Mud Guard Set |
| Seatpost | Ritchey Pro V2 Seatpost |
| Brake Cables | Shimano 105 Brake Cable Set |
| Shifting Cables Outer Casing | Shimano SP 41 |
| Cable End Sleeves and ferrules | Normal metallic ferrules for brake cables, waterproof ferrules for shifting cables |
| Cable Stops | Shimano for downtube shifter bosses |
| Tires | Schwalbe Marathon Racer x2 |
| Tubes | Continental Cross 28 Tube x2 |
| Headset | Cane Creek S3 Headset Ahead 1 1/8 inch |
| Stem | FSA OS-190 Stem |
| Rim Tape | Schwalbe Super HP Rim Tape x2 |
| Bottle Cages | Elite Ciussi Bottle Cage x2 |
| Chainstay Shield | BBB ClearSkin |
| Spacers | BBB - Spacer Aluset |
| Cyclocross brake levers | Salsa Cyclocross Brake Levers |
| Quick Release | Shimano - 105 5600 |
| Bike Computer Sensor | Sigma |
| Bell | Ekip Ting Ting |
| Light | Supernova E3 |
| Saddle | Brooks Team Professional |
01/01/09
Looks like you did a good job. Beauty!
I have a couple of questions if you have the time…
How much did it cost?
Where did you buy the components/parts?
What specialized tools did you need (including the bike stand? Cost?
What were the tools used by the bike shop that you didn’t have?
Thanks.
Greg
Vancouver, BC
Canada
Thanks for the good words, Greg.
The whole thing came to about 1700 euros, including the SON dynamo and Supernova light. Generally, parts in North America are cheaper than in Europe (except for the lights), so the whole bike would be cheaper in Canada.
I bought all the components online, except for the rear wheel which I got made at my bicycle shop. Online price are about half of what the bicycle shops offer (at least that’s the case here in Munich, Germany). If I had the exact same bike built completely by my LBS, it would have been well over 2500 euros I think… I bought most of the parts from bike-components.de and from bike24.com.
Strictly speaking, I think I really needed just three tools: a hollowtech II bottom bracket wrench, a cassette wrench to secure the cassette on the rear wheel hub and a headset press.
It’s theoretically possible to build the bike without a stand, but I can’t imagine having done without. I also had a cable cutter, which did a neater job than regular “pliers”.
The bike shop has a fork crown installer. I tried to install this fork crown myself, but couldn’t do it. There’s talks of folks doing it with a piece of PVC tube but that didn’t work for me at all. Also they have a proper saw and saw guide to cut the steerer tube of the fork, which I don’t have
Just want to thank you for this post. I’m planning on buying the frame over here in the States to create a long distance bike and also something that can pull a Bob trailer for both touring and for shopping. I’m hoping this frame is the one and I’ve heard good things about the way it rides. I’ll be building the majority of it up myself, and your site has provided some great info! Thanks!!
Nice job, I really like the look of your Casseroll. Enough that it helped onvince me to get my own and build it up over the weekend. While I have many bike tools, I didn’t have everything necessary to get the job done, like a headset press. Many cities have bike collectives or bike co-ops where you can use tools and do your own work for free. This is a good alternative if you are shying away from building your own bike due to the high cost. Additionally, there will be people available to help guide you and avoid expensive mistakes.
Wow this is a very nice build. I actually bought this frame and some older Ultegra components and a downtube shifter. I have all the parts and frame together and thought the work was too daunting. I am really glad I came upon this website. I am not excited about putting my bike together. Thanks for the website and tips!!
Thanks for good information!
I’m also planning building my own bike, but have never done something similar. Your page is very useful.
Could you share the sources that you used for the instructions / information? Some links maybe?
How many diffenrent greases / lubricants did you need for your project?
Did you “rust proof” the inside of your steel frame with J.R. Weigle’s Framesaver, Boshield T-9 or something similar? If you did, where did you buy it from?
Thanks!
For the sources, all I can say is that I spent a lot of time looking around. A very useful website is sheldonbrown.com. I also got some useful info from bike-forums.net. I have a book by Todd Downs on bike maintenance and repair that is also very good. Many other sources from various Google searches.
I used some Pedros Syn Grease, you can buy it either in a small tub or as a tube (on which you can fit a grease gun).
I didn’t rust proof the inside, quite simply because I couldn’t source either of the products you mentioned from Germany. I thought of ordering online, but it doesn’t necessarily make sense with the shipping costs, and I’ve seen a couple of websites saying they weren’t shipping spray cans abroad anyway. I greased the inside of the BBracket and the steering tube instead…
Pleased to report that the bike has now about 4000km and has been performing very well!
Thanks for the reply!
Glad to hear that your bike is working well!
Is your BBB Clear Skin chainstay protector working fine also? Does it stick well? Do you think it’s worth the money?
Those down tube cable stops look nice! Where did you buy those?
Cheers!:)
Thanks for this, I found it very informative and it actually eased a lot of my fears..
How do you like the frame and ride? I thinking of something quite similar (randonneur-type, possibly a Soma/Surly frame or something used and older, not sure yet)..
My problem is that I am 5ft, 4in. Almost barely 5′5″. I’m guessing I’ll need something around 50cm which is tough to find an Italian beauty in that size for a reasonable price.
Your bike looks sweet and I really appreciate the time you spent to document your work. It’s helpful to me!
-phil
Hi Madsnail, Congratulations on a super build and article. I have a Specialized Tricross which I want to strip and use the parts on a new steel frame and have been thinking of doing this same build in the New Year. How’re you finding the Casseroll?
Bravo pour ton travail.
Wow…great post…a pleasure to read!
Wow…great looking bike….a pleasure to look at, I can only imagine the ride.
I have just started looking at the Salsa Casseroll. I like the tire clearance and the caliper brake combo. A true multi purpose commuter, tourer, and comfy race style bike.
Thanks for sharing.
Hi - I guess I am a year late, but I am planning to do the same type of build with a Casserroll frame. I was just wondering how tall you are and what sort of inseam do you have? I am also looking at a 51 cm stock frame and I am 5 ft 8 in with a 33 in (85 cm) inseam, so I wasn’t sure if this size or a 53 would work. The 51 geometry seems to match my road bike top tube length, but seems a little more compact. Any advice?
Hi Dave, I’m 178 cm (which is between 5ft8 and 5ft9 I reckon) but with an inseam of 89 cm. With my height and inseam I can normally go for anything between 55-57cm for racing bikes.
I went for the 51 Casseroll (equivalent 54 other brands) because my previous road bike, a 56 or 57 always felt a bit too big, especially on long rides, and I wanted to try if it would solve some neck/shoulder problems I’ve had.
I’m perfectly happy with the 51 Casseroll, though I’m quite sure the 54 would fit too.
With your inseam and height, I’d go for the 51.
Thanks very much! I’m looking forward to this and hope it turns out nearly as nice as your build.