Bridgestones

Hey i just bought this mountain bike:

https://www.flickr.com/photos/32307826@N00/5546023862/
-1989 Raleigh Technium Ovation

to use as a single speed commuter during bad weather and the winter.

I want to change the fork to a threadless one and put on a modern stem to accommodate riser bars. My question is will something like this set up work:

https://cgi.ebay.com/RIGID-STRAIGHT-M...1#ht_746wt_905

+

https://cgi.ebay.com/NEW-Ritchey-Comp...9#ht_620wt_905

Or will the frame need a 1'' fork?


Thanks for any help and open to other things im going to have to do for the single speed coversion

melonyogloo

You need a 1" fork, a new threadless headset, and a 1" stem or 1 1/8" stem with 1" sleeve.

Make sure you buy a fork with similar race-to-axle length and rake.

BCRider

It's likely that it has a 1" fork being that age. And besides you don't need to replace the fork and headset. You'd be far better off to either just use what is there or at most to buy a quill stem to use with the regular 25.4mm mountain bike bars. The total would result in a lot less cost. Otherwise you'd need a new threadless fork, a new headset, a stem and the bars. All in all it would cost more than what you bought the bike for.

Frankly I'd try riding it with what it has now. Or perhaps get a slightly shorter quill stem instead of that "tower" that's on it if you want to lower the bars a little. But either way the bike is just not worth the cost of putting on a whole new front end. Especially when you're looking at it being a beater bike.

In any event since there's lots of room for doubt about what size steer tube it has you're best off to wait until you have the bike so you can measure things and try actually riding it as it is now to decide if you want to go lower, higher or just alter the bend of the bars. THEN figure out the least cost way of getting to that goal.

jimc101

Hope your tall, cos that bike huge!!

Good luck if you try to go and source a 1" rigid or suspension fork, as there are very few if any out there, and any 2nd hand ones will have had their steerer cut; would go with BCRider, and leave as is.

LesterOfPuppets

You've already got some of the most "risery" riser bars out there! You can get less risery bars that can be threaded through that stem. You can also get quill stems that have removable face plates if you'd rather not thread your bars through the stem. Fork + Stem + Headset + Bars can get a tad pricey.

What precisely is your goal?

CACycling

Or slap one of these on:
https://www.niagaracycle.com/product_...ucts_id=431968
and then get whatever stem and bars you are looking at.

Bridgestones

Thanks guys,

CACycling - have you used one of those before? how does it work?

Monster Pete

I don't know what real advantage threadless headsets are supposed to have over threaded ones, but there's certainly no compelling reason to change the fork. Just get an appropriate quill stem for the handlebars you want, after riding the bike for a while to determine what, if anything, needs to be changed.

LesterOfPuppets

I'm with Monster Pete. Something tells me someone's about to invest $50-100 on a $60 bike. Might be better to get a bike that's closer to what you want by cruising craigslist then selling off the Raleigh to someone who's looking for that setup.

Bridgestones

Can't be too picky when you're 6'3'' and on a budget i guess. I've been checking CL daily for a few months and most mountain bikes around here are too small or gone by the time i can borrow a friends car to go get it.

That current stem/handle bar set up feels ridiculous, i feel like an old lady cruisin around on my beach bike, and i wanted a threadless stem/fork to fit in riser bars like the ones i posted above as im having trouble locating a threaded stem with a removable face plate (maybe someone on here wants to get rid of one? : )

LesterOfPuppets

Nashbar has some really cheap $10 40 degree ones in black (9,11 and 13cm).
https://www.nashbar.com/bikes/Product...-cpc-_-product

There are silver 10 degree 9cm ones on Amazon for $24.
https://www.amazon.com/Alloy-Quill-22.../dp/B00075CLMS

25.4 mm clamp on the Nashbar. Amazon doesn't say, but probably 25.4.

The 10-degree combined with current bars might be enough to get you where you want to be.

Getting an adjustable stem to determine exactly where you want your bars might be a good idea. Then get fixed stem and new bars if necessary to achieve that position.

Perhaps even simply getting a flat bar would put you where you want to be. Do you have an idea of where you want your bars? Even with saddle? Lower than saddle?

LesterOfPuppets

If I were you I'd skip the stem replacement and just get bars.

These for about level with the saddle
https://www.pricepoint.com/detail/127...-Handlebar.htm

Or these for a slight saddle to bar drop
https://www.pricepoint.com/detail/127...ebar--7075.htm

I got the flats and stripped the paint to better match my bike.

fietsbob

If it is as I suspect a rear freewheel hub, the single speed conversion is pretty cheap and simple on that part..

involves spoke tension adjustment and spacers around the axle re arainged to let the hubshell move to the right. to center it , with that single cog freewheel replacing the multiple one..

that is a definite yes..

But as others say , repack the headset and live with it as is.
get some Mudguards..
NB: QBP has an adjustable angle quill stem with a removable faceplate ..
as seen Here :
https://www.bikeman.com/SM2931.html

dorse

Hard to call that a mtn bike looks more like a hybrid to me.
Bridgestone I would just ride it as it is. Save your money for a real mtn bike

fietsbob

low cost option? Blow the grips off [LBS's compressor is where I go] ,
get a lower stem and then put the bars you have back on .

my 6'3" dad had a bicycle with 'ape-hangers' on it so that setup
looks almost normal...

Monster Pete

I currently have riser bars upside down on my commuter, as it gives a handy second position nearer the middle of the bars. Inverting the bars you have would certainly give an agressive riding position, but it costs nothing to do and you may find you like it.

DannoXYZ 

Where do you want your hands to end up relative to the current grips? Down? Up? Forward? Backwards? All those can be accommodated with the equipment you have:

1. UP is easy as the quill stems typically have a 2-4" adjustment range. You can probably raise that stem another 2" if you want higher bars.

2. FORWARD & BACKWARD adjustment can be done by loosening the stem's clamp around the bars. Then rotate the bars forwards or backwards. You have roughly a +/- 2" range before the angle of the bar-ends gets too weird. Then you'll need to rotate the brake-levers to match.

3. DOWN is hardest in your configuration since the stem only has 0.5" or less to go. In some cases of converted hybrids, I have swapped the handlebars left-to-right to have the riser middle section aim downwards. This gives a 2" to 8" drop combined with vertical adjustments of the stem.


Removable faceplates really aren't that convenient on MTB bars. It only takes 10-15 seconds to remove the grip and brake-lever from one side to slide the bar out. About the same amount of time or even less than what is required to remove four bolts on the faceplate. In the really old days on early MTB with triangular one-piece stem+bar combo, I would saw the bars and stem apart from the quill and re-weld them in the desired position.