Build your dream bike with these deals

We take on the classic internet window-shopping challenge in a quest to build a bargain performance MTB.

Liam Mercer

Sep 4 2024

It's an age-old argument: can I build a bike for less money than buying a complete bike? It depends on the components you choose but most retailers will have sales to reduce prices to clear old stock or keep up with the competition. With that in mind, I set myself the ultimate challenge to build an imaginary mountain bike using online deals.

It all starts at the frame

So the frame I've picked to build my virtual bike around is Norco's Optic C. Not as many brands offer frame-only builds so it can be rather slim pickings but, with this Norco frame, it's a classic case of buying last year's kit (this is a new bike buying technique we thoroughly recommend).

Despite being last year's model, its geometry is up-to-date with a 65-degree head tube angle, a 76-degree effective seat tube angle and a 435mm chainstay on a large frame. That's paired with a contemporary 480mm reach. As for suspension travel, it can run a 140mm fork and 125mm at the rear, so it should be a fun little trail bike.

We found a deal over at Leisure Lakes Bikes with a 46 per cent saving, cutting its £2,399 RRP down to £1,299.

Suspension

Every good mountain bike needs one of the best suspension forks and, as our Norco frame comes with a fairly decent shock as standard, we can focus on the fork. Now, this is where things can get a little interesting. Do we stay on brand? Or save a little more cash by looking elsewhere?

Looking for a fork sale is rather tricky as there are more variables to be aware of such as travel, hub standards and wheel sizes. I went with the Fox Factory 36 fork as you can always reduce the 160mm of travel. With a 44 per cent saving from £1,239 down to £689.99, it's well worth considering.

We could even go proper basic and choose something like Fox's 34 Float Rhythm that Merlin Cycles has on sale for £299 with a 59 per cent saving.

An excellent fork can add heaps to a bike's ride quality and I'm a big fan of the Fox 36, so I reckon I'll pick that for this build. But that's with nothing against the DVO.

Drivetrain

Without a good drivetrain, we're not going anywhere and I believe that you cannot go wrong with a budget friendly groupset such as Shimano's Deore 12-speed or SRAM's low-cost offerings. However, you can save a little more by going for SRAM's Eagle NX groupset which will set you back £273.75, excluding the bottom bracket. As for the BB, Shimano and Tredz have you covered with the Deore XT BB-MT800 for £22, down from £34.99.

Brakes

Unlike road and gravel groupsets, MTB variants don't often come with brakes in the package. Like the drivetrains, Shimano's Deore-level kit is pretty darn good for the cash. Tredz, once again, comes with the savings with a single Shimano Deore BR-M6100 two-piston brake costing £59.99, down from £94.99. At that money, it's tough to go wrong.

That doesn't include rotors but Tredz has the XT rotors on sale for £24.99, rather than the £40 recommended retail price.

Without wheels, we're not rolling

Wheels can 'make or break' your bike. There are big savings to be made but buying a wheelset that suits your style could keep you rolling for longer thanks to increased strength. If you want to go faster then a lightweight wheelset is the answer.

The Norco Optic frame we've got is a heavy-going downcountry/trail bike so there's a range we can choose from. Merlin Cycles has Fulcrum's Red Zone 7 Boost MTB wheelset at a 32 per cent saving, from £284.99 down to £195.

We could go extra fancy as there are more serious savings towards the higher end. DT Swiss's XRC 1501 Boost Carbon wheels are also on Merlin Cycles with an RRP of £1,549.99 but with its 32 per cent discount, that'll set you back a hair under £900. For the sake of our bike, we'll go for the Fulcrums.

Tyres

A solid set of tyres is one of those purchases that can creep up on you. Tyres aren't cheap but a great set of tyres is more than necessary for a good time on the bike. As usual, Tredz has plenty on sale with the Maxxis Minion DHR II EXO+ being a go-to rear tyre for loads of bikes. Granted, its EXO+ casing might be a little heavier but it'll add more puncture protection. This tyre can be picked up for £50 after a 33 per cent saving.

Up front, we've got to stay on brand and the Maxxis Assegai is a top-performing tyre in a range of conditions. This tyre in an EXO+ casing and a Maxx Grip rubber can be bought for £52, down from £80.

Handlebar

The sky is the limit when it comes to handlebars with prices starting at very approachable levels, going up to £100 and above. Spending more grants you carbon construction and arguably more compliance whereas alloy offerings trade compliance for savings. DMR's Wingbar MK4 is a great shout at £49 down from £65 with a 25 per cent saving over at Tweeks.

Race Face's Aeffect R 35 Riser bar is a little cheaper at £37.50 from £39.96. As much as I like the DMR bar, let's save a couple of quid and go for the Race Face.

Of course, we also need to talk about grips. Again, they can be super inexpensive or mega pricy but DMR's Brendog DeathGrips are always a great choice. With a saving of 27 per cent at Tredz, they can be picked up for £16.99.

Stem

Stems are the one area where I've struggled to find big savings but there are certainly still savings to be had. As we've got a Race Face bar, I've found the Race Face Aeffect stem over on Leisure Lakes Bikes for £44.96 with a 10 per cent saving.

Seatpost

Scouring the Merlin Cycles website, I've found a RockShox Reverb Stealth dropper on sale for £119.99 with a massive 71 per cent saving. However, it only has 125mm of drop but the bonus with RockShox Reverb droppers is that they come with the lever in the box.

Tredz has a Reverb on sale for £179.99 in 175mm of travel, which is the option I'll put my money on. However, Leisure Lakes has the OneUp V2 Dropper post for £149.99 but doesn't come with a lever as standard and finding great deals on dropper levers isn't incredibly straightforward.

Saddle

The best mountain bike saddles are an incredibly personal purchase but WTB's Volt Comp saddle is usually a winner. Merlin Cycles has it on sale for £14.95 with a 63 per cent saving down from £39.95. There is a hitch, however. It comes in either black and orange, or black and yellow, so colour coding has gone well out of the window.

The cost

All of that comes in at £3,058.78 and, while you can certainly buy a similar full-suspension bike for less money, like the Canyon Spectral 6 that's £2,499 at full price, there's certainly some value to take home from building a bike up from scratch, especially when there are deals involved.

Not only have we got a carbon frame but we've got a top-spec fork, too. Of course, I've made some budget-conscious choices, such as the Deore brakes and SRAM NX shifting but I reckon that I've packed the performance in areas where it matters. I could have specified a cheaper fork, too, which would have reduced the price to £2,667.79.

I'll admit, I've not built a dream bike but it will tame all but the harshest of trails while performing reasonably well, especially for the imaginary money I've spent. Reckon you can do better? Let us know.

Author block

Liam Mercer

Tech Editor here at off.road.cc Liam can also be found photographing bikes as well as revelling in cycling's intricacies. Whether it's gravel, mountain, or e-MTB as long as it's a bike on dirt, he's happy.