SS MTB build (inc. hub installation, disc brake bleeding, suspension fork lowering)

Right, n00b alert...

Nearly finished getting parts for new bike, and was considering attemping to put it together myself instead of paying a bike shop to do it (been quoted anything from £70 to £130 for the build and brake bleed/fork lowering). The wheels are built already, but everything else will need putting together. It is a single speed dirt jumping / street bike.

If I was going to try it myself, what tools would I need? Would it be wise to get a torque wrench? And I am confused by all the different types of grease - will one do the job for all the bits of the bike (BB/headset/seatpost installation etc) or do I need different types?

As I understand it, I should be able to do it all with:

Park BBT-9 bottom bracket/crank tool (£15)
Park Polylube 1000 Grease (£5)
Hope brake bleeding kit (£25)
a set of allen keys
a chain link tool
a pedal wrench
some tyre levers

Anything I've forgotten? The headset is a Hope integrated so I don't need a headset press or anything.

Here are 3 YouTube videos I found which I would use for instruction:

Fork lowering:

YouTube - HOW TO: Lower Rock Shox Suspension Forks | | | NS Suburban

Brake bleeding:

YouTube - Hope Technology - Brake Bleed (Mini Lever)

External bottom bracket fitting:

YouTube - Replacing an External Bearing Bottom Bracket

Thanks a million.

Whereabouts are you Chris?

You might be near a co-op or tool club that will let you use its stuff/show you how to do it.

Pretty sure your not in Birmingham but we have one, and we usually get things last. Only £10 a year membership!

I'm down in SE London, Peckham to be precise. That sounds like a good idea, but I would quite like to try it on my own at home if possible.

DIY, it's a great feeling, plus if you break it you'll know how to fix it. The lay out on tools can be silly but as N3lson says bike co-ops etc are helpful.

Do you know any body with tools/knowledge to help?

I'm afraid not, none of my friends are really into cycling. There is a little bike shop on the corner of my street, but I would feel extremely cheeky asking them to lend me their tools. Maybe just the BB tool if they have one...

Will the kit I've listed above be good for the job, or am I missing something?

If the brakes are new then they may just need hoses shortening carefully, fit and ride.

You're in london and on here, somebody will be able to help.

If you pay for my flight (roughly 300gbp) I'll pop over and bring the tools.

What frame you building up buddy?

There is a little bike shop on the corner of my street, but I would feel extremely cheeky asking them to lend me their tools. Maybe just the BB tool if they have one...

Most shops won't lend tools like that unless you feed the mechanic when the owners not looking etc. It might be a good time say "hello", get them to fit the BB or something and then, as a cutomer they will be a local source of info and the bits you forgot to order.

Brakes are second-hand Hope M4s and the previous owner said they needed bleeding.

Frame is a Black Market Mob. I'll post up the full spec with photos when it's built :)

nice frame. hope m4s are pretty easy to bleed. even for a novice. youll need an 8mm spanner to do it. it is possibe to go it pretty easily without the hope bleed kit. just need some rubber hose and an empty bottle. if youre using a star nut in the fork steerer then youll need to get that hammered into the fork steerer and take care when trimming the steerer tube down it you need to.
if you have any kind of technical aptitude then its pretty easy to build a bike. just take your time and check what youre doing is correct if your unsure.
always happy to help.
i take it you got a stem?

Might be using a Head Doctor, it fits, otherwise yes will have to get a SFN installed.

Not sure about cutting the steerer down, might have to get the bike shop to do that too.

Ha, yes I got the stem, thanks. b'jammin sorted me out there.

Quite excited about the prospect of putting together my first bike (even if I haven't built the wheels and it's a very simple set-up).

check the bleed instructions on the m4's the video is for minis, they may be different.
the old minis you can bleed like a car, most mtb brakes don't respond to that kind of bleed, often you push fluid back up the system using a couple of syringes (like avid and formula)
if you cut a hose carefully you may just need to tie the lever to the bars overnight and keep the master cylinder higher than the caliper then pump the lever.

m4s and minis need the same bleeding process. the only difference is the number of pistons you have to ensure are pushed back into place first.
i love building my own bikes. out of the 15 or so bikes ive had over the past 15 years only one has been an off the peg. ive built all the rest. you get such a sense of ownership that way. in total i must have built a hundred bikes for various people.

Take your brakes to the shop to be bled, & don't even attempt to mess about with your forks. For the sake of £20-30 what the shop will charge, you really are gonna save yourself alot of headache. Hope brakes are the worst to bleed. Cycle Surgery in Camden has a Polish mechanic that is the best for your brakes. What length are your forks? I am currently building a 29er single speed jump bike.

in my experience hope brakes are easy to bleed. you just have to take your time. would probably agree about the forks though.

My hope mono minis are the easiest things in the world to bleed & set up.

why are you lowering the forks?

Take your brakes to the shop to be bled, & don't even attempt to mess about with your forks. For the sake of £20-30 what the shop will charge, you really are gonna save yourself alot of headache. Hope brakes are the worst to bleed. Cycle Surgery in Camden has a Polish mechanic that is the best for your brakes. What length are your forks? I am currently building a 29er single speed jump bike.

Looks pretty simple in the video. The Hope bleed kit costs £25, and then I can use it again instead of having to pay £30 at a shop every time I need it done. Plus I'm in Peckham so not really up for going to Camden just to have the brakes done.

The forks are Rock Shox Argyle 409.

why are you lowering the forks?

The bike is going to be used around London, so I figure I don't need the full 100mm if I'm not taking it mountainbiking. Plus lowering it should make it slightly more maneuverable right? Might try it on 100mm for a bit and then try 80 and see how it feels.

Union Cycle Works at the end of Deptford High Street has an open tool session every Saturday. Drop knowthejo a message.

You'll also need a shock pump if you play with your forks. Seems kinda pointless to lower them, it's barely gonna make a difference to handling and you can decrease the amount of travel using the adjustment on the fork. Hope brakes are easy to bleed and you don't need a bleed kit, just some hose and dot 5.1 brake fluid. Your man in the video doesn't use any special equipment, why should you?

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I had a go at bleeding the Hope M4 brakes today, and the back one seems to be fine, but one of the pistons on the front one seems to keep sticking out and not returning properly inside the caliper. Any ideas what the problem might be?

Are they brand new? There could be some dirt or suming in there that's stopping it, i found baby wipes worked pretty well :P

Second-hand.

You can use a screwdriver to hold back one of the pistons while pumping the lever to push the other one out further. Then you can clean it all around, then do the same for the other. If that doesn't work then you might have to get replacement pistons, or just try bleeding it again.