I will say that in all cases, I have gotten lucky and ended up with a bike that I really loved, whether I build it myself or buy fully assembled.

As long as I have the available time I take pride in building my own machines and getting all of the little personal touches and cable routing 'just so' that you won't necessarily get from an LBS.

Probably my best 'value' bike was my TT bike - It only gets raced half a dozen times a year (less now) so I needed something that wouldn't be obscenely expensive, but fit good. ST classifieds provided me with a Cervelo Dual frame, fork, post, brakes, cranks for a whopping $345 - bought some secondhand vision bars from a friend for $25, got a used Adamo from ST, some cables from the LBS, wheels I already had, etc, etc - had a functioning (and well fit) race machine for under $600 expended.

that depends. I wouldnt say you need to be very knowledgeable, just do your homework or ask someone you trust. I can confidently say I know a great deal more about bikes than 90% of employees you see in most bike shops when it comes to product knowledge, and I can do an equal if better job than most of the mechanics I see around nowadays. there are exceptions- I have a great go-to mechanic who really knows his shit ( he does custom modifications on parts/frames, like making his own version of the berner derailleur cage) , but by and large I'm not impressed with the level of help my LBS gives me.(always find it horribly amusing when an LBS employee tries to sell me rubbish or doesn't know what he's talking about) . Even my go-to guy says I know too much or my own good and make shop employees look bad.

I would say you are more the exception than the rule in my totally scientifically based opinion. I think most people can't do a tune up much less run cables and put a bike together safely. There are probably a higher percentage of people who can do their own work on forums, but some people just make a mess of it.

If you're looking for a top quality race bike, as opposed to a top quality bike, it's probably because you race. If you race USAC, you're probably a member of a USAC club or team, unless you like paying extra race fees as an unattached rider. If you're a member of a USAC club or team, at a minimum, you probably have access to a very good team bike deal through a local shop that sponsors the team in one way or another. So you probably get that bike, as well as take advantage of other deals offered to the team for wheels, helmet, shoes, etc. And you probably use the local shop for service too.

I built up my SS mountain bike from a used ebay frame and part acquired online. Cost me a metric pile but i got a sexy build with all the looks I wanted.

Have since moved and my wife got into triathlon, I got into road riding..blah blah blah. In the last year we have purchased 2 road bikes and 2 cross bikes. I bought my road bike on ebay, 2008 LOOK 555 for $1,250 shipped to my door. Full ultegra with cheaper mavic wheels, I quite like it. My wife bought her AR4 from the LBS she now races for, on their club. It was last years model, she got a decent price on it with a guru fit. We then bought 2 'cross bikes, both NOS, mine was a 2014 Felt F5X with the blingy hi-vis accents. I bought matching cages and had them order in some matching issi pedals from the Q.

Here comes my LBS rant: All told in a year we have spend around $5,000 on bikes and god knows how many thousands on rollers, saddles and other accessories. On my new cross bike there are a few spots where the cable is going to rub on the frame/fork. I had some frame patches at home but ran out before I could get the last spot on the fork. I asked if they had a patch for that spot, I was given 2 choices, one pack for $5 and one for $10. Seriously, give me the $0.05 patch I need. The other one that peeves me is buying tubes for $8 a piece.

I really want to support my LBS any way I can but buying sh*t 20% over what I can get it online drives me nanners. I hate that they have LG neo-pro bibs at $10 over msrp and I say something and they tell me, here's your 10% discount.

/end rant

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Pactimo brand ambassador, ask me about promo codes

i'm trying to get a sense for what you all do.

You'll need to parse and correct your "results" for these facts:

- I think there is a higher percentage of DIY types on the forum

- That leads to more going the ala-carte route because they can!

- There also tends to be a higher concentration here of people who, somehow, anyway they can, do an end-around on shopping local retail and paying retail( MSRP).

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Steve Fleck @stevefleck | Blog

Dude, fix your bars.

As one myself, a good trick to remember is if you make a purchase at one of the big guys like Competitive Cyclist remember to go through your Active Junky membership. They always have like 10%+ cash back which can mean hundreds in savings.