Here is the bottom line. How much this buld actually cost. The tally will be given and then I will get down to giving you my take on the “bang for the buck”. What worked, what didn’t, and what I would change. First, let’s get a run down on all the parts and their cost.

Misfit Psycles Dissent frame: $385.00
Misfit Psycles Dissent fork: $90.00
Cane Creek S3 head set: $30.00
Aluminum spacers: $5.00
Misfit Psycles Fu2Bar: $42.00
KORE Gripster Grips:$30.00
Salsa Cycles Moto Ace Stem: $30.00
Misfit Psycles Cod Cog and Spacers: $38.75
Origin 8 Crank set: $50.00
Used Sugino chain ring: $5.00
Single Speed Chain Ring Bolts: $10.00
SRAM PC-830 chain: $20.00
Shimano UN-52 bottom bracket: $30.00
Quad Dime XC hydraulic brakes (levers, lines, calipers, and rotors):$180.00
WTB Speed Disc/JoyTech wheel set: $150.00
Rim strips: $2.00
Tubes (26 inch presta):$8.00
Skewers: $5.00
WTB Prowler SL 29″er Tires: $90.00
Used Tamer Carbon post: $15.00
Used Velo SE Racing branded saddle: $5.00
Used seat clamp: $2.00

Total Cost For Parts: $1222.75
(Note: No compensation for shipping or for labor/time is made here. This is purely just the parts.)

Bang For The Buck: Well, it is common knowledge that any complete, off the rack bike is going to cost less than building and spec’ing your own rig. I think I did “okay” though, considering I got decent parts where I thought it was important to. That said, you can score an off the peg single speed that is comparable to my build for several hundred less. Of course, if you don’t have to start from scratch, like I did here, you could do much better. Already have some wheels and tires? That would save $240.00 off my budget right there. If you are converting from a 26 inch rig, you could even bring over more parts like brakes, handle bar, stem, and maybe the seat post and saddle and save a whole lot more.

So, if you are starting from scratch, it may not be the best way to go, but if you have a stash of parts to use already, the pendulum may swing in your favor here.

How Did It Perform?: The Misfit Psycles Dissent, as built, is a great riding rig. I really don’t have any complaints on how the bike turned out with a couple minor exceptions. One: On a steep, grinding climb, I had the chain pop over a tooth on the chain ring. It is a chain ring made for a geared drivetrain, and was slightly used, so perhaps that was the suspect part. Hmm…..well, whatever it was for sure, it wasn’t very confidence inspiring! Two: I had the non-driveside crank arm work loose. Whoops! I must have forgotton to check it with a torque wrench. Fortunately I caught it right off and saved the arm from deformation. I re-torqued the arm on and since then there have not been any issues. My fault, as I must have let that slip my mind on the build up. Nothing to do with the parts, but it does point up that if you do your own work, you should double check everything. My bad!

In every other situation, the bike ripped. No issues. The used parts were fine with the exception perhaps of the chan ring. The seat post and saddle worked out great. I was amazed at how light the bike feels. It would even be better with a lighter wheel set, but it definitely was a surprise with this wheel set. Light and snappy feeling for sure. Solid in climbing and turns. The Quad brakes are really nice stoppers. Hydraulic brakes eliminated the need to worry about cable housing compression and contamination of the cable and liner with dirt and moisture. Cool! The Cod Cog worked without a hitch, the head set stayed adjusted, the stem and handle bar combination were fantastic. Really, a great riding rig that feels solid and handles well. I feel confident in riding it about anywhere.

What I Would Change: Probably the first thing to go will be that Sugino ring on the crank. I’m giving it time, but if I hear one more pop, its gone. I probably would like fatter rubber for rougher terrain, especially up front with the rigid fork. That may be in the cards soon. But given that this was a “Budget Build”, you might end up thinking I should buy whatever is cheapest and slap that on there. Maybe…… I think in the end that it is most important on a single speed to have a strong drive train. So if I had to do it over, I would have sprung for a new chain ring, but that’s about it.

The Bottom Line: In my case, the Budget Build was perhaps not a good move. Not from a comparative standpoint to mass produced rigs which retail for several hundreds less. But if you find yourself in a situation where the bicycle must meet certain criteria, and be spec’ed in a partiular way, then it makes more sense. Also, if you have several of the more expensive bits on hand already, it becomes even more attractive. It is in this latter situation that many find themselves in, and that is where this “Budget Build” may make more sense.