Why spend £12K when you can build your dream classic bike for under £500? Here's how...

If you love a project, don't mind spending time scrolling through Ebay listings and are a bit of a tinkerer, why not build yourself a brand new bike out of old parts and save yourself a ton of cash?

Mercian winter bike build
(Image credit: Andrew Daley)

After three decades, thousands of commutes in all weathers and a spell of being kept outside when I was in between sheds, I had to accept it was the end of the road for my fixed winter bike. There were some raw-looking rust patches on the underside of the down tube as well as the tinkling of rust flakes inside the frame, which is a sign the bike isn’t healthy on the inside either.

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