Touring - ? What would you do to convert this into a Touring Bike.......

I am seriously thinking about what would be needed to convert my 1993 Trek 830 Antelope into a Touring Bike. I would be doing day tours or two day tours at the most for now. I know I would definitely want some new bars, I need more resting places for the hands. :thumb: A picture is attached of the subject for transformation.....

Thanks in advance for the help and suggestions.....

John

IDK, i would be inclined to just head out for obvernighters or two-day trips as is. Well, maybe change that saddle out. A simple solution to more hand positions would be some bar ends.

I have a Brooks B-17 that I plan to put on it. Also I was thinking I would like to add some fenders, (any online vendors that you would recommend) and maybe some different tires. (Again, all suggestions are welcome) Even if that means scraping the idea and buying a Long Haul Disc Trucker ;)

For one or two day trips, you can use virtually anything. Thus, you will know what you really need when you need it. Fenders, I am quite content with cheap plastic ones. But, I use fenders on everything except my grocery store bike that I only use in good weather.

If this were my bike, I would consider some of the following:

Change the seat to a Brooks B-17,
Change the pedals to SPD clipless pedals,
Change the bars to Nitto 115 drop bars, with Cane Creek SCR05 and Cane Creek In-Line Brake Levers with Shimano bar con indexed shifters,
Change the rear rack to a steel Tubus Cargo,
Add a front rack, such as a Tubus Tara (if you have lowrider fork mounts),
Change the tires to Conti Sport Contact 26x1.6” or Vittoria Randonneur Pro 26x1.5”,
Check the gearing. I prefer a 20-32-42 crank and 12-36 9spd rear cluster, but I am old and heavy and need all the help I can get at the end of a long day, in the heat, on a long, steep hill.
And remove the kick stand. It won’t hold a fully loaded bike and it just adds weight.

Fenders can be nice. Check out Velo Orange for good aluminum fenders.

Looks like a good platform for conversion! Aside from the changes (bars, fenders, tires, pedals) what's the overall condition of the drive train?
Any skipping? Loose pivots on the DR's? If not, then I would go for the change over with some drop or trekking bars + shifters/ brake levers
(for the drops), some smooth treaded tires (wide for MUP or narrower for hard surface) and good metal pedals (clipless or platform).

Fenders wise the Bike Planet fenders are good durable units.

Post some photos of your conversion in the making!

:thumb:

Thanks ClemY for that very detailed response! That is what I was looking for!

John

Looks like a good platform for conversion! Aside from the changes (bars, fenders, tires, pedals) what's the overall condition of the drive train?
Any skipping? Loose pivots on the DR's? If not, then I would go for the change over with some drop or trekking bars + shifters/ brake levers
(for the drops), some smooth treaded tires (wide for MUP or narrower for hard surface) and good metal pedals (clipless or platform).

Fenders wise the Bike Planet fenders are good durable units.

Post some photos of your conversion in the making!

:thumb:The drive train is in very good condition and there is no skipping.

Thanks!
John

I like Trekking bars, then you can use the straight bar controls as is.

Ergon grips on regular bars, seem better than round grips.



The drive train is in very good condition and there is no skipping.
so chain wear has worn the teeth on the cassette/freehub..
it will get worse , maybe in the middle of nowhere it will fail. they are consumables ..

limit your risk with new chain and cogs when you start a Long tour, bur rehearsal
S24's and you can leave it for now

+1 on Ergon bar ends GR2 or GC2 are my preference but there is also a GC3 with even more grip positions. Some road tires and the seat change you mentioned and you should be all set. I just put a Zefal removable rear fender on my light tourer but haven't had a chance to try it out on significantly wet roads. Add some panniers and/or a trunk bag. Sometimes for very light day touring you can get by with a handlebar bag.

On my mtb, I put a different stem and drop bars on it as Clem mentions above. Not super cheap, especially as I used Kelly Take Offs and downtube shift levers rather than bar ends, but I like the ability to go into friction mode and still have all the shifting bomb proof and right at the fingertips. If you do go drop bars, the costs add up quickly (bars, maybe stem, brake levers, maybe inline brake levers, new shifters, maybe new front derailleur, new cables, tape....). So yeah, swapping bar styles is cool, but go in with your eyes open as to what you're going to spend (I didn't - I like what I got, but spent way too much for an old low-mid level frame).

Just add a pair of rear panniers.

My first longish tour was on one of these(1000+miles). I converted it to a drop bar with bar cons, used some old brake levers with, god forbid, safety levers. Used old parts, so it was all really cheap. Used the original derailers, and a slightly better crank with new rings and rear cogs. No problems there. If you decide to do longer tours I would think about a good wheelset, but the original wheels did fine on my trip.

The way it turned out, it was a crazy trip, had planned lots of canal towpaths on the route as well as the Katy trail, and it was april so lots of rain, flooding and wind. I had put 1.5" serfas tires on it, so had some tread, rode thru lots of mud and goo. was the best bike I could have chosen for the money. Filthy wet roads, I had some planet bike fenders that worked fine.

Someday I will find a larger 830 frame and will jump on it. The one I used was really to small and looked funny with the big stem and seatpost. If I find one I think that I will put some trecking bars on it instead of drops though, so I can use the trigger shifters.

Just add a pair of rear panniers.

& bar ends, mini front rack with bar bags

Most important things - comfortable saddle and comfortable grips (I recommend Ergon grips). Then just be conservative with the amount of gear you take so you don't bring more than can fit in two panniers and on top of that rack, and you're good (hint: if you are taking more than can fit there, you're taking more than you need)

A couple of things haven’t been mentioned yet: wheels and derailleurs. They may both be fine. If you feel you need to upgrade/change them, here are a couple of things I like. I like Deore XT derailleurs. The rear is the most important to me because I shift a lot. Deore are fine, just not finished quite as nicely. For wheels, at my weight, I like 40 spokes. If you are under 200 lbs, 36 spokes should be fine. For rims, I like the Velocity Aeorheat in 26”. It has good depth and stiffness while being pretty light. If they work at my weight, they should work for you. If you need new hubs for the wheels, Shimano hubs are good if you like loose bearings. If you like cartridge bearings, White Industries MI5 hubs are good and don’t cost a fortune. For an unlimited budget, Phil Wood hubs are great.

Something like this...

That bike is an excellent candidate for conversion. Get the mechanical stuff sorted out first. FWIW mine is still running the original Suntour XCM derailleurs, but I did replace the freewheel and chain.

Aaron :)

http://inlinethumb34.webshots.com/47713/2632925310066886751S600x600Q85.jpg

Thanks for all the input and encouragement guys! I really appreciate it!

John

For weekend tours, I wouldn't change much.
Bar ends or maybe some Delta Ergo Bars.
I'd put some less knobby tires on. I like Serfas Drifter 2.0". If you keep them at 60 PSI they roll almost as good as skinny tires.
I like to use the slime filled super duty crazy tough tubes. Sure, they're heavy as hell, but I've never had a flat on the bike I have them on.
New saddle. The Brooks sounds fine.
For the pedals, I like toe clips, since I can wear whatever shoes I want. They are cheap, and I don't have to carry an extra pair of shoes for camping or hiking.
Then I'd throw on some bags. I use Sunlite Traveler 1 bags. Much cheaper than panniers, very durable. I just line them with trash bags to keep my gear dry. I also use old GI-issue buttpacks, and zip tie them to the rack.
So, for maybe $100, you could be ready to hit the road.

Oh yeah, and some clip on fenders. They're light and simple to install, and work fine.

Hey! Looks like mine. I've got a 1992 820. If you have the old 200GS shifters on there they are bomb-proof and I would keep them if you can. I needed a lower gearing for hills then the 48/38/28 X 12-28. 28 is the largest cog the RD will handles so I focused on the chainrings. I put a new MTB 42/32/22 crankset on and it worked fine with the FD and shifter giving me a 22x28 low gear and it climbs very nicely spinning up hills without having to mash or get out of the saddle.

If you put panniers on the back be sure to consider heel clearance as the chainstay length is a little shorter than a dedicated tourer. Tall, narrow panniers like the Arkel XM28 work well as well as a rack that extends well behind the axle. I put a Jandd front platform rack on that has a lower bar to hang panniers. It attaches mid fork with P-clips but I also figured a way to attach it at the fork crown on the little thing that holds the reflector. Very stable arrangement.

I put curved bar ends on mine and wrapped them and the bars with lots of padding. I'm good for all day rides.

Thanks again for the information guys. I have a lot to pannier over (pun intended):roflmao2: keep the suggestions coming and some pics of your rigs would be a great reference and inspiration as well.

Thanks!
John

Hey! Looks like mine. I've got a 1992 820. If you have the old 200GS shifters on there they are bomb-proof and I would keep them if you can. I needed a lower gearing for hills then the 48/38/28 X 12-28. 28 is the largest cog the RD will handles so I focused on the chainrings. I put a new MTB 42/32/22 crankset on and it worked fine with the FD and shifter giving me a 22x28 low gear and it climbs very nicely spinning up hills without having to mash or get out of the saddle.

If you put panniers on the back be sure to consider heel clearance as the chainstay length is a little shorter than a dedicated tourer. Tall, narrow panniers like the Arkel XM28 work well as well as a rack that extends well behind the axle. I put a Jandd front platform rack on that has a lower bar to hang panniers. It attaches mid fork with P-clips but I also figured a way to attach it at the fork crown on the little thing that holds the reflector. Very stable arrangement.

I put curved bar ends on mine and wrapped them and the bars with lots of padding. I'm good for all day rides.Currently it has the Shimano Altus A20 shifters which I would like to swap out with something a little better. The 7 speed side is not wanting to downshift when I need it to. It is intermittent and it usually does not work when I get to a hill :roflmao2:

Would these be a good replacement? http://www.amazon.com/Shimano-EF-51-Triple-7-Speed-Shifter/dp/B004Z8EBJY/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1346342063&sr=8-3&keywords=shimano+shifter+7+speed

Or would you recommend something different?

Thanks!
John

That is a sharp looking bike, Wahoonc!

to the OP, I found a pic of mine without all the bags on it, its not the best, but should at least show that anything is possible! . Keep in mind my conversion was done spending almost no money other than cables and brake pads. All parts were out of my stash, collected over the years fixing up bikes for underpriveleged kids and recovering substance abuse adults.

This picture was taked over 900 miles from home, halfway thru the tour, getting something to eat on a rest day
http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7089/7373321286_2e8c4ec5a9_b.jpg

For what you are planning......get everything working correctly.....make it comfy for you,........be able to fix a flat........fill the panniers and hit the road.......with a grin from ear-to-ear.

If that bike has been well maintained, then there's not a lot of work to prep it for touring. I'd go with the following.

1. Swap out the saddle.
2. Add bar ends to the handlebars or replace the handlebars with drop bars.
3. For most touring, get narrower tires designed for road riding.
4. Have a good bike shop go over the bike carefully to see if there are any potential problem issues.

I have almost the same bike, but mine is a 1995 I think, with a taller frame.

The first time I took it touring it was pretty much dead stock except I put some goofy gel saddle on it that I had on another bike, and I put a Blackburn style rack (a Vetta I purchased probably 1988 or so) on it. I carried two water bottles in cages, a pump, and two panniers with most of my junk in them. The tent and sleeping bag got strapped to the top of the rack.

This worked out fine on a short three-nighter trip to and around Orcas Island. I wasn't riding super long distances mostly, just up some biggish hills (Mt. Constitution, for one, although I stashed most of my gear for that one).

I have since worked to make it more tour friendly, since I don't really do single-track or technical sorts of riding.

I put fenders on it. I live in NW Oregon, so this was only a natural.

The knobbies got worn out and I replaced them with Continental Avenue Semi-Slicks, though if I were to replace those today I'd probably use Schwalbe tires. What I like about the Continental is that they have a Kevlar layer and they are quite puncture resistant. Since putting these on, I don't think I've had more than one puncture flat.

I have upgraded the saddle to a Brooks B135, which is probably more spring than you'll want but I like it. I don't care for gel seats as I find that my "sit bones" sink to far into them and then I arrive at my destination with numbed up male parts, which is unpleasant and probably not a good idea long term.

I had to replace the chain-rings at one point because my lack of attention to cleaning the chain or whatever caused a lot of teeth to be knocked way down on the original ones, so I got a new set that had a slightly lower "granny gear" so I really can pedal up anything now. Other than that, pretty much everything is stock.

I can't remember if toeclips were standard on my bike, but the ones I have on there now are a second set. I wore out the first set.

I put some bar-ends on my flat bars, but I am pretty much set now on trekking bars.

I am also going to put some small panniers or a rack on the front, as touring with all the weight in the back made steering kind of interesting and kind of wrecked the bike's handling.

I have recently added a Bob Yak trailer to my set-up. I know a lot of people don't like trailers, but I am giving it a shot. My set-up will be similar to what the guy at the Three Wheel Journey blog has, with some small panniers on the front and a modest load in the trailer on the back. I have been practicing with the trailer with various loads around town and so far I have been very impressed by the handling/tracking. YMMV.



So, the short answer is, yes, if that bike fits you you can totally tour on that.

Here's what I recently did with my very similar Trek 900. I call it my "Long Haul Trekker". Haven't done any trips on it yet, though.

http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8448/7791511080_cbc969778e_z.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/yospiff/7791511080/)


Drop bars (Origin 8 Gary bars) (New from Ebay)
Suntour bar end shifters (Used from Ebay)
Tektro RL-340 levers (New from Ebay)
Linear pull brakes (taken from a $20 parts bike off Craigslist)
Forte metro tires (New from Performance, plan on eventually changing out for Panaracer Paselas)
Will eventually replace the plastic saddle with a Brooks
Double sided (SPD/platform) pedals

For ideas of what might be fun (if money isn't a concern), check out this thread: http://www.bikeforums.net/showthread.php/828426-Show-Your-Vintage-MTB-Drop-Bar-Conversions?highlight=show+us+your+vintage+mtb

Bar ends and panniers, keep it simple.

This thread is delivering! I have so many ideas flying through my head right now. I am going to do a little bit of shopping and see what I come up with.

Thanks again for all the help!
John

If this were my bike, I would consider some of the following:

Change the seat to a Brooks B-17,
Change the pedals to SPD clipless pedals,
Change the bars to Nitto 115 drop bars, with Cane Creek SCR05 and Cane Creek In-Line Brake Levers with Shimano bar con indexed shifters,
Change the rear rack to a steel Tubus Cargo,
Add a front rack, such as a Tubus Tara (if you have lowrider fork mounts),
Change the tires to Conti Sport Contact 26x1.6” or Vittoria Randonneur Pro 26x1.5”,
Check the gearing. I prefer a 20-32-42 crank and 12-36 9spd rear cluster, but I am old and heavy and need all the help I can get at the end of a long day, in the heat, on a long, steep hill.
And remove the kick stand. It won’t hold a fully loaded bike and it just adds weight.

Fenders can be nice. Check out Velo Orange for good aluminum fenders.

This will give you a pretty good custom bike, but at what cost? Tubus racks alone are $150 each where I live. Better to put your money in the LHT.

This will give you a pretty good custom bike, but at what cost? Tubus racks alone are $150 each where I live. Better to put your money in the LHT.You bring up an extremely good point as there is a LHDT on my local craigslist for $1000.00 with everything already on it. I already had the brooks saddle, I already had the clipless pedals, and after doing some shopping and seeing the cost involved, I have decided to go with bar ends for now, add some fenders, panniers, get some schwalbe marathons, and a handlebar bag and ride, and see how I like it. If it pans out, I may do more to this bike or just take the plunge for the LHDT.

Thanks again for all the input!
John

I have had similar considerations to yours as I have almost the same bike. What I chose to do is to do short tours on my bike mostly with components/accessories that can be switched to future bikes or sold off, or that will serve me well come the day that this bike becomes mostly my neighborhood run-about and fun commuter when I finally buy an actual touring bike if I decide to do that, but for now...

You bring up an extremely good point as there is a LHDT on my local craigslist for $1000.00 with everything already on it. I already had the brooks saddle, I already had the clipless pedals, and after doing some shopping and seeing the cost involved, I have decided to go with bar ends for now, add some fenders, panniers, get some schwalbe marathons, and a handlebar bag and ride, and see how I like it. If it pans out, I may do more to this bike or just take the plunge for the LHDT.

Thanks again for all the input!
John

You will eventually have to make a Make or Buy decision. It may help to price out the options. One option is to modify the current frame you have. See what parts you would need and price them out and get a total. You can compare that to a buy, as from Craigs List or retail. What you get with a buy decision may still require some modification. The price of those anticipated mods should be added it to get a fair representation of the relative costs. Then you decide.

I also have one. The exact year and color. I love mine. I got mine used and it had been changed to a 42-32-22 crank. I changed the cassette to a 14-32 in the rear and it climbs like a goat. I have a lot of hills around here. I would add bar ends, racks, and fenders.

IDK, i would be inclined to just head out for obvernighters or two-day trips as is. Well, maybe change that saddle out. A simple solution to more hand positions would be some bar ends.
Yeah...Maybe a little Nashbar front rack and an extra bottle cage. Good to go.

That's a perfect candidate for a conversion. It's basically the same thing as mine (1998 Specialized Hard Rock). The first tour I ever did with it was with just an extra bottle cage and a rear rack, but over the years I added/swapped out the following:

- Brooks B-17 (http://www.amazon.com/Brooks-Saddles-Standard-Bicycle-Saddle/dp/B000HZA918/ref=sr_1_1?s=sporting-goods&ie=UTF8&qid=1346947154&sr=1-1&keywords=brooks+b-17)
- Schwalbe Marathon Tires (http://www.biketiresdirect.com/product/schwalbe-marathon-plus-26-inch)
- Front/Rear racks (just used rear racks and modified one to fit on the front, similar to the one in this link) (http://www.nashbar.com/bikes/Product_10053_10052_518806_-1___)
- V-brakes (http://www.amazon.com/Shimano-BR-M422-Acera-Bicycle-V-Brake/dp/B001NVFELA/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1346944821&sr=8-1&keywords=v-brakes) (Huge improvement over the old cantilevers, easy swap)
- V-brake levers (http://www.amazon.com/Shimano-BL-M421-Acera-V-Brake-Lever/dp/B002P7BGK4/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1346946848&sr=8-1&keywords=v-brake+levers)
- Trekking bars (http://www.amazon.com/Nashbar-Trekking-Mountain-Bike-Handlebar/dp/B004UMC110/ref=sr_1_2?s=sporting-goods&ie=UTF8&qid=1346944969&sr=1-2&keywords=trekking+handlebars)
- SPD pedals (http://www.amazon.com/Shimano-PD-M324-Clipless-Clip-Pedals/dp/B001AT33CW/ref=sr_1_3?s=sporting-goods&ie=UTF8&qid=1346945026&sr=1-3&keywords=shimano+spd+pedals)
- Planet Bike Fenders (http://www.amazon.com/Planet-Bike-7056-5-Cascadia-Touring/dp/B0041XA1D8/ref=sr_1_4?s=sporting-goods&ie=UTF8&qid=1346945068&sr=1-4&keywords=planet+bike+fenders)
- Planet Bike Superflash rear blinky (http://www.amazon.com/Planet-Bike-Blinky-eXtreme-Bicycle/dp/B000KBEH1W/ref=sr_1_1?s=sporting-goods&ie=UTF8&qid=1346945125&sr=1-1&keywords=planet+bike+superflash)
- Planet Bike 2W Blaze headlight (http://www.amazon.com/Planet-Bike-Blaze-2Watt-Headlight/dp/B0015R1NE4/ref=sr_1_1?s=sporting-goods&ie=UTF8&qid=1346945183&sr=1-1&keywords=planet+bike+2w+blaze)
- Set of front and backroller Ortlieb bags and a handlebar bag

Regarding the shifters you linked to, if you want to consider going to v-brakes, you'd need to know if those brake levers would work with them - they take different levers than cantilever brakes.


http://i188.photobucket.com/albums/z310/simplygib/Wally1.jpg

Thanks!!!!! I have V Brakes.

Thanks to all who have added to this post. I appreciate all the input and information.

Well,

Now I have gone and done it......I shouldn't have gone to look. A bike shop about 25 miles from me had a Surly LHDT so I went to take a peak and a test ride.......It ended up following me home. Thanks again for the tips and advice, after weighing the cost to make my 93 what this bike already is, well, the new one won out. I've got it in my shop, I am going to break out the bike repair rack and put the brooks saddle on it and the rear rack that I already have, upgrades will follow, I need to swap my shimano SPD pedals and go for a ride, a nice long ride. Thanks again for the help.

John

271606271607

I will probably keep the Antelope for a Commuter/Bad Weather Bike.

Whoa, a kickstand on your trucker? I kid, I kid. My bike has a kickstand on it too, I just know the guys at surly all make a big point about how you should keep kickstand as far away from their precious bikes as possible.

They put it on at the BS without me asking for it. It was a part of their free service. So I am taking it that should be removed? ;)

John

They put it on at the BS without me asking for it. It was a part of their free service. So I am taking it that should be removed? ;)

John

Kickstands are a matter of much argument around these parts. I find them to be quite convenient. Many people here think they're useless added weight. The folks at Surly don't want you to put them on because they say you're going to most likely damage your stays by cranking it too hard when installing it, or by not installing it tightly enough so that it eventually moves causing your paint to get all scratched up and your bike to be eventually damaged when it falls over because the moved stand didn't do its job holding it up any more. It's entirely up to you whether you leave it or not. Like I said, I like mine, but many people here get all snobby about them.

Kickstands are a matter of much argument around these parts. I find them to be quite convenient. Many people here think they're useless added weight. The folks at Surly don't want you to put them on because they say you're going to most likely damage your stays by cranking it too hard when installing it, or by not installing it tightly enough so that it eventually moves causing your paint to get all scratched up and your bike to be eventually damaged when it falls over because the moved stand didn't do its job holding it up any more. It's entirely up to you whether you leave it or not. Like I said, I like mine, but many people here get all snobby about them.I went to the Surly web site and read the blurb on them and decided to take it off. Thanks for the heads up!

John

I went to the Surly web site and read the blurb on them and decided to take it off. Thanks for the heads up!

John

Instead of a kickstand, I use a click-stand (http://www.click-stand.com) on my touring bike... weighs almost nothing, fits nicely in a rack-top bag or pannier, looks nice and won't void your warranty. :)

Thanks for that link and info!

John

JRD, congrats that bikes a beauty!

Coop500,

Thanks!

John