u/Undercoveragent163

I've kept two bikes: a powdercoated Shogun Samurai with Tiagra 4700 and 700x28s, and a Giant Innova with 700x38s. I love both, but the Shogun is a little too nice and stripped-back for a commuter/tourer, while the Giant's MTB-style geometry feels slow.

I previously flipped a 2008 Giant with Deore LX 9-speed and fenders that I really liked, so I'm considering a new project using a scavenged mid-2000s wheelset/groupset possibly a 1x9 on a steel frame with fenders and a rack.

What type of frame should I look for? Touring/CX?

Could I get away with another 90s road frame because the frames are a lot more common and I enjoy the acceleration of them.

I'm also undecided between drop and flat bars. This would probably become my go-to bike for 80km+ rides and reliable all-weather riding, including light unpaved roads.

What about 650b on an old road frame?

I'm looking to build a touring bike. But I'm having trouble picking the parts because I'm trying to figure out what I actually need in a touring bike. My use for the bike would look like this in commonality order

1. Commute to school every day rain or shine (but primarily shine)
2. Long rides mixed surface in excess of 100km
3. trips to the grocery store

Also, because I am a teen, it would be a versatile means of transportation as I can use it to haul my friends stuff.

I prefer drop bars because you can alter positions while riding.

What kind of frames should I look at buying used?

Also a big question is, should I go 26 or 700.

Sub $1000 aud

I turned 16 a couple of days ago.

I'm a pretty hard worker, I started working 10 months ago and also have a side hobby/hustle where I fix and flip bikes, I now have have 10,000 dollars on an 87.5% savings habit.

Problem is, because of my frugality as a teen, I find it very hard to go out with friends, because I honestly just prefer not eating/drinking anything due to the cost of everything being so high. Whenever I catch a train into the city with my friends, it's usually like a 50 dollar hangout. They don't really mind because they have a 15% savings habit. But I care too much, so I sometimes will just get a free water from Maccas.

The question I am asking is how do I have fun as a 16 year old with the rest of my friends without spending a ton of money.

I also have a hobby where I buy bike frames and build them up for myself, which costs money but is heavily subsidized by the bike flipping where I just use the cash I get for other bikes

This is what my months look like including the bike flipping

January
Earned 918.13
Spent 179.99
19.60%

February
Earned 796.08
Spent 0
0%

March
Earned 890.27
Spent 110.22
12.38%

April
Earned 1341.11
Spent 86.17
6.43%

May (This was a rough month because I had nearly-no cash flow but I also built up a bike)

Earned 803.48
Spent 277
34.48%

June
Earned 1165.93
Spent 29.67
2.54%

July
Earned 1418.49
Spent 304.93
21.50%

August (So far half way through)
Earned 892.54
Spent 27.19
3.05%

My goal which I set myself for the end of the year is 11000 dollars minimum.

I'm 15 and I've been working a job at McDonalds for 9 months, I also worked a second job at a bike shop just to earn a bit more income for a little while until I quit.

I've always been into bikes, and I know how to pick, flip and make profit from bikes because I understand the market and what bikes are actually good picks to buy.
I've currently bought 2 and sold 2 both with a profit margin of 60-67% within 2 Months

First was a Cannondale that I found for 80 AUD because it had an old and broken seat and rattly pedals, 36 dollars of parts, a really thorough deep service and sold for $340,

Second was a giant who was owned by a grandfather who just never rode it which I bought for 140, polished it, thorough service and sold it for $340 again

and because I'm so young and have basically no spending aside from the odd pen and bike part here and there, I spend 120 dollars a month on average, so the cash that I get from the bike flip, just pays for whatever I want to spend moneywise for the month

Because of all my money ventures, and my diligent 87% saving per month I have 9500 AUD saved from just work in my bank account

All my friends are calling me really scummy for just buying and selling bikes from people, because it's "unethical" but I don't know. I get why it's really unethical, because I sell good (Like mint condition) bikes for the upper limit of what they should be (e.g, a bike that should cost 270 for 350) which pushes the market value up due to other people thinking "oh my bike is similar to that surely I can get 350"

My view is that I'm doing the public a service, because I am SO fussy, like RIDICULOUSLY fussy I won't let a bike go unless it's perfect as can be and I won't buy a bike if it isn't perfect. So sure my bikes cost a bit more, but at least you won't have to immediately get a 170 dollar service done on it.

TLDR: I flip bikes for cash, and charge the upper limit, is it unethical?

As a kid whenever "grown ups" asked me what I wanted to do I always said engineering. And through the first half of my teen years I have designed multiple projects which my teachers say would make me a good engineer.

Bolt action, lever action, twist action metal pens

Rubber band gun lever action

Swiss army keys

3D Printed Fountain pen

Bicycle horn

etc.

13 years old I was really into aircraft, like 1500 hours of MSFS and Vatsim, studying aircraft components and materials

Then around 14 years old I got really into bicycles and built 4 90s bikes frame up as well as servicing what felt like my whole friend groups bikes, I then got hired at a bike shop.

My favourite game growing up was Stormworks. It was all I played before I got a 3d printer, when I stopped playing games and spent every night designing something different.

I'm from Australia

Also, should I consider any other projects to maybe strengthen my skills?

I'm converting my shogun to brifters because, due to limited space constraints. I am downsizing my bike collection and need a do it all pavement bike (think commute, long road rides, etc), and the downtube shifters are fun but not practical for me.

My shogun is already running a 2x8 drivetrain modernized drivetrain mainly because it's cheap to maintain, so obviously the best alternative are Claris. Should I consider another alternative?

I do have a 10 speed chain and cassette, 10 speed cranks only missing a derailleur, and shifters. But I don't know if it's worth it to convert because I'm happy with the 8 speed.

Apparently modern Claris is just as good as Tiagra/105 just heavier and less gears.

I'm not sure if this is just because of my experiences at highschool. I have always been considered "mature for my age" when it comes to hobbies, communication and social ability.

But, like how is that good, if you are mature for your age, why does that make you good, all it's done for me so far is make it nearly impossible to make friends due to more "serious" hobbies like engineering and bike building, getting judged for having a spreadsheet to maintain savings of 90% my income. Or being "mature" which makes it harder to find fun or relationships in my youth. The crave of my peers for constant social media connectivity and doing increasingly crazy things that I just don't want to do (alcohol, partying)

Starting at 12 I have spent my teenage years alone doing my own thing, designing in cad things like pens, rubber band guns, ratchets, electronic horns, also building old road bikes, getting 2 jobs, managing my life for future gains by investing, getting good grades and studying hard for what?? I have no friends who can even kind of relate to me, I just undertake my hobby in a silent zone, like a sphere that I'm in by myself, it's either me, my derailleur or me and fusion360 I'm a very sociable person, I don't get it?

So, https://www.reddit.com/r/cycling/comments/1ua23en/i_just_got_offered_a_job_at_99_bikes_as_a_16_year/

I was offered a job at a 99bikes when I walked in to buy some brake pads for one of my frameup builds, I don't actually go there for anything else, just the stock because they tend to have it and for very cheap.

For context I have already had a job at McDonalds for 8 months up until this point which my enjoyment for was waning.

I was offered a job and I took it. Over the past 2 days I have worked this job as a casual 16 year old, only issue is, I don't know if I am a good fit for it, but I also don't know if that's because I have only worked 2 days.

So you see I am required to build at a bare minimum to keep my job 1.5 bikes per hour, (11-12 bikes a day) and I am currently building 6 bikes a day. My employer is talking about how if I don't get the amount of bikes up in 4 weeks they will have to cut my employment (4 more shifts because I don't have shifts next week).

Now, the problem is that I can't really build bikes any faster on my own, I need some training from the manager, but because as a student I can only really work Saturday and Sundays, that is the peak business hours of the shop so the leader is always busy.

He is encouraging me to do after school shifts where I ride straight from school to the bike shop to do training (2-3 week days and 2 days on the week ends) But I value my education greatly, and I have already given up my weekends working 14 hours, I couldn't work like 18 hours in total.

What do you think I should do?

For context, I've been working at McDonalds for the past 8-9 months and have saved 8000 dollars in my bank account.

In my freetime I love to build bikes, I've build 3 bikes now, and usually it costs me less each time, so the first time in 2025 was like 800 AUD, then 500 AUD at the start of this year, then 250 AUD just recently. I don't spend money anywhere else.

Only issue is, I've also just got a job at a bike shop, where everything is 50-70% off, and it is VERY tempting to pick up some gear and build a bike.

But I shouldn't keep building bikes because, you know I should be saving. I have made a spreadsheet which tracks my financials. So it includes all my paychecks, money spent, money spent % and required amount for the month.

This year I have spent 17% of my income, and I'm trying to get it below 15% and eventually under 10% by the time I'm 17.

How do I achieve this goal by reducing the urge to build another unnecessary bike?

Very common around my area, mostly from old road bikes, my old Araya px45's are fine, but the front makes a lot of noise when braking, even after cleaning the pads and the rims, they are just a bit cooked.

What's the widest tire you have comfortably run on a 700x15c wheelset?

I started as a 15 year old servicing my mates bikes for fun once or twice, then I started wheel truing, and now every time they have a problem, they come to me.

Now, one of them has written off their department store quality bike and wants to buy a bike from facebook marketplace for 150 aud, and wants me to find him a bike that he will pay for. To be fair, finding a running hybrid with an altus or acera groupset for 150 aud is easy enough.

I actually want to help him, its my hobby buying bikes and selling, but only if I earn like a 50 dollar margin, because of the effort and time commitment because I have to go and get it.

I can buy a bike for him, but the chances that it has a hidden problem is very high, even if you do all the checks. I just don't know how to tell them that this stuff costs money and is risky.

I have a rotring trio gravity which sucks for exams because you have to have a death grip and low capacity D1 refills but I love that pen.

What are your favourite exam writers which keep your hand in good shape?

Something metal, and g2 either Parker or pilot. Not fountain pen.

So I walked into 99 bikes to buy some brake pads, I don't actually get anything else from there apart from brake pads and tyres, the guy went to look at my bike and I told him it was for my friends V brakes, I told him that I was fixing his bike and turns out he was a manager and offered me a job building bikes.

The problem is I already have a job at Maccas, but I would love to build bikes, I know I'd probably only get 1 or two shifts a week, but it would be fun.

My mates said it's a hard pass, like 99 bikes sucks, but I dunno, what do you think?

Now that 90s mtb's such as the gt palomar, specialised hardrock etc are hitting insane prices (at least in my area) And that late 2000s hybrids such as the Trek FX series have good quality components for cheap, will we start to see a surge of 2000s hybrids?