Squeeze

If that's the same good-lookin' Bianchi I remember from many pages back in this thread, it looks like the frozen tundra has turned into a tropical jungle! Is that the same bike leaning on the same tree? (yes, I've read this entire thread way too many times)

Speaking of front (or rear) baskets, if anyone in the USA is looking for baskets to attach to bike racks, check out your local Container Store.

https://www.containerstore.com/locations/index.htm (I'm not an employee or stockholder, just an occasional customer)

They have lots of baskets in various sizes, like this one I zip-tied to the Cetma Cargo rack on my wife's bike. I think she wants a dainty little basket instead of this huge one, so I may move it to this rig to my MTB when I do my upcoming drop bar conversion. She occasionally rides to the grocery store and other places for a few things, whereas I'm a fair-weather bike commuter and this basket is big enough to hold a large duffel bag with a week's worth of clothes in it.

(please pardon the lack of drop bars on this bike here in the drop bar thread)

ncrnelson

This isn't mine, but it's a pretty sweet build. Up for sale on the Minneapolis/ st Paul craigslist

Midtown

What are they asking for it?

Clang

[h=2]^
Vintage Cannondale Mtn Touring - $425 (St. Paul, MN)[/h]Vintage Cannondale Mtn Touring



This must be from the same guy that's posted these: nicely done bikes, but they haven't been moving at these prices.

[h=2]Vintage Raleigh Mtn Tourer - $625 (Saint Paul)[/h]Vintage Raleigh Mtn Tourer





[h=2]Vintage Nishiki Mtn Tourer - $600 (St. Paul)[/h]Vintage Nishiki Mtn Tourer

frantik

it's actually dark purple paint the tires are compass 26x1.75 which don't come in blackwall.

simmonsgc

Ah. Well, there you are then. I can't get myself to pop for anything nicer than Paselas for my mb2 project I posted a little bit up the thread. Maybe after I break it down for repaint, the spirit will move me. With the dark purple and pink (if it's pink)...that must be a pretty striking bike in person.

ncrnelson

Thanks for the picture help Clang, I'm posting from my phone most of the time and adding even a single image is a Herculean effort. The Cannondale price isn't bad, but I'd have to see the quality of that paint. I love these conversions, but anything over $300 for vintage mountain bikes is optimistic at best.

09box

+1 I love the conversions and wouldn't mind one but not at some of those prices

wrk101

Conversions are best suited for a D-I-Y project, with an ample parts bin. For the prices above, you can usually snag a nice touring bike.

oddjob2

+ 10

due ruote 

Wow, I wouldn't want to play one of those kids' matching games with you. Good eye. However, it's a different tree and different body of water.

Stun

Thanks to this thread I have spent countless hours on this project over the last couple of years, just changing stuff little-by-little over time...But I think it's about done...Now what will I do with my time?


1991 Trek Antelope 820

Roger M

I'm a few days out on getting the ball rolling, but I'm geared up to try this "road bar on a mountain bike" thing. I've had this Cannondale for a few years(purchased on CL in a very neglected state). I mounted a Burley rack on it, and used it for towing my son o his Piccolo trailer bike. The stem has always bothered me(being 150mm), but it's 1 1/4" and not very common.

Anyhow, My son has outgrown the trailer bike, so i'm going to revamp this bike and give it a new purpose. I ordered a Nitto quill adapter so I can experiment with some threadless stems. I plan to run integrated shift/brake levefs if I can make em work with my 7 speed hub..

Here it is in it's dusty current state:

mountaindave 

Wow, that IS a long stem. To compensate for relaxed geometry? It will be a sweet build.

romperrr 

How do you esteemed members handle cranks when converting? I have an all chrome Schwinn High Sierra I'm looking to convert but I'm unsure about gearing. I bought it as an SS. I'll be picking up a road cassette for it and I have a Deore XT crank I can throw on there but I'm worried the gearing will be too low for riding in the city.

What do ya'll think? Finding cranks, especially triples, can be a drag.

due ruote 

^Here's what I got with a stock 28/38/48 front and a 12-23 8 speed cassette. Way more range than I ever use, and small jumps.

[TABLE]
[TR]
[TD][/TD]
[TH="bgcolor: yellow"]28[/TH]
[TD="width: 12%, align: center"]35.7 %[/TD]
[TH="bgcolor: yellow"]38[/TH]
[TD="width: 12%, align: center"]26.3 %[/TD]
[TH="bgcolor: yellow"]48[/TH]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TH="bgcolor: yellow"]12[/TH]
[TH="bgcolor: white"]60.7[/TH]
[TD][/TD]
[TH="bgcolor: white"]82.3[/TH]
[TD][/TD]
[TH="bgcolor: white"]104.0[/TH]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD="align: center"]8.3 %[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TH="bgcolor: yellow"]13[/TH]
[TH="bgcolor: white"]56.0[/TH]
[TD][/TD]
[TH="bgcolor: white"]76.0[/TH]
[TD][/TD]
[TH="bgcolor: white"]96.0[/TH]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD="align: center"]7.7 %[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TH="bgcolor: yellow"]14[/TH]
[TH="bgcolor: white"]52.0[/TH]
[TD][/TD]
[TH="bgcolor: white"]70.6[/TH]
[TD][/TD]
[TH="bgcolor: white"]89.1[/TH]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD="align: center"]7.1 %[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TH="bgcolor: yellow"]15[/TH]
[TH="bgcolor: white"]48.5[/TH]
[TD][/TD]
[TH="bgcolor: white"]65.9[/TH]
[TD][/TD]
[TH="bgcolor: white"]83.2[/TH]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD="align: center"]13.3 %[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TH="bgcolor: yellow"]17[/TH]
[TH="bgcolor: white"]42.8[/TH]
[TD][/TD]
[TH="bgcolor: white"]58.1[/TH]
[TD][/TD]
[TH="bgcolor: white"]73.4[/TH]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD="align: center"]11.8 %[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TH="bgcolor: yellow"]19[/TH]
[TH="bgcolor: white"]38.3[/TH]
[TD][/TD]
[TH="bgcolor: white"]52.0[/TH]
[TD][/TD]
[TH="bgcolor: white"]65.7[/TH]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD="align: center"]10.5 %[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TH="bgcolor: yellow"]21[/TH]
[TH="bgcolor: white"]34.7[/TH]
[TD][/TD]
[TH="bgcolor: white"]47.0[/TH]
[TD][/TD]
[TH="bgcolor: white"]59.4[/TH]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD="align: center"]9.5 %[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TH="bgcolor: yellow"]23[/TH]
[TH="bgcolor: white"]31.7[/TH]
[TD][/TD]
[TH="bgcolor: white"]43.0[/TH]
[TD][/TD]
[TH="bgcolor: white"]54.3[/TH]
[/TR]
[/TABLE]

mrv 

ride the bike / add fenders / ride in bad weather / add racks / ride further / then ride some more

mountaindave 

@due ruote You may be slightly low at the top end, but I would guess that you won't top out too much unless you are a beast or bomb a lot of hills. I have a fairly low-geared gravel grinder that tops out just below your highest gear and I don't feel under geared on the road. Ride on.

romperrr 

Thanks for the break down due ruote. That's helpful.

due ruote 

I live in the flatlands and no way can push 100+ inches, certainly not on this bike!

mountaindave 

Oh, duh. You were responding to romperrr, not asking the question. My bad. It looks like you could also climb trees with that gearing. I would actually call it perfect for trails and city. I don't think I know anybody that needs more than 100 gear inches outside of racing.

Tim_Iowa

I updated my '88 Schwinn KOM (see post #3095) with:
Wheels: Deore XT T780, dynamo front, Mavic 317 rims
Drivetrain: VO BB, XT M772 RD, 9s 11-36 cassette, 9s Shimano bar-end shifters
Lights: B&M Luxos U headlight, Top Line tail light
Rack: Nitto M12 with Sackville Trunksack small in front, Tubus fly in back (click-on panniers when needed)
Bottle cages: King Iris
Tires: Schwalbe Super Moto in front, ITS MK2 in back (I'm going to try to fit a Super Moto in back, the U-brake may not let me)

This bike rules. It flies on gravel, and has no problem with the exceedingly crappy pavement on my commute. The dynamo light allows me to ride trails at night, and can charge my phone on tour.

Gallery

Stun

Well said. I have about 100 gear inch max on 3 of my 4 bikes and never run out of gears, even going downhill at 35 mph.

Romperrr, personal experience: I have a compact road crank on one bike with a max 50/12 combo and it only gives me basically one more gear than the 42/11 setup on my other bike...

Look at the 50/13 compared to the 42/11--nearly identical (this is speed at 90 rpm). So, basically, you could think of it this way: a "mountain" crankset paired with an 11t cog in back will probably only eliminate 1 gear you would never use anyway (at least compared to a compact road crank with a 12 cog in back).
___42 __50_
11 26.9 32.0
9.1 %
12 24.6 29.3
8.3 %
13 22.7 27.1

I think it has been said on this thread before, but also may sure that if you go to a bigger crankset, that it will clear the chainstay--it is more of an issue if you go to a road double than a triple though, because with the triple, the big ring is a little further outboard...

Stun

Great bike! Looks like it would feel very at home here in MI too! A bike that can go fast on terribly beat up roads!

mrv 

howdy
i've done a similar set up on my specialized TourHopper.

The above pic shows 2in city tires (SERFAS Drifters) - a bit noisy and bumpy on pavement, but fine on dirt.
I've switched to some 1.75in CONTI Tour Plus tires for an upcoming summer tour.

so what do you think - would the Specialized 4130 steel vs. Schwinn's Prestige make a big difference in feel? My TourHopper feels like a tank. Which is what I'm using it for, but your description makes me think I'm missing something.
Could be I've got a virus I'm fighting, so I just feel sluggish.....

Also - no paint on your bike? Looks like you've got unpainted steel. I like it.