corwin1968

Fed-Ex just dropped off a 22" version of this frameset yesterday. I'm going to build it up with parts on hand but if I really enjoy riding it, I might updated it with modern components, most of which I already have on another bike. The berry red looks much better in real life and goes well with black or silver components.

Repack Rider

Someone is hanging out on the wrong websites. There are entire sites devoted to vintage mountain bikes, and there are thousands of enthusiasts.

My 1994 Ritchey P-21 is now my town bike. Very zippy.

simmonsgc

That looks like an 84 Trek 830. That, and the 850 and 890 were really cool bikes, sort of ahead of their time, maybe. I'd love to see your project! Maybe start a thread on it, it's definitely thread-worthy. I think those early ATBs are the bee's knees, man!

corwin1968

Plenty of love here!!

I didn't see Simmonsgc's post just above mine!! It is a 1984 830. I'm a Trek fan, I love vintage MTB's, I've been looking for a project and I like unusual bikes so this was a no-brainer for me! These early Trek ATB's came out in the Klunker geometry era but they didn't have Klunker geometry, which makes them quite unusual.

I'm also a big fan of Rivendell and Grant just redesigned the Atlantis & Hunqapillar with 650B wheels, instead of 26" and 700c, respectively in my sizes. The geometry of those two bikes is amazingly close to these old Treks. This thing even has more BB drop than the original 26" Atlantis and that's very rare for an early MTB.

Right now I just want to get it up and running but it's a candidate for a frame-up resurrection with new paint and components. If I could find a painter to reproduce the original berry red color, I would have some black wheels built and swap over all of my modern MTB components that would work.

crank_addict

For those retro ATB events, a funky cool Ross Mt. Whitney in chrome, Suntour. Nice original example, though seems pricey. I suppose in time they might be like todays soaring BMX collectors market.

cbrstar

I just bought a 1996 Trek 930 Singletrack. I couldn't resist because it was only $20, and it has Rock Shocks.

bikemig 

You got a great deal on a very nice bike.

gomango

Share a link or two please.

Repack Rider

MTBR (Mountain Bike Review) VRC (Vintage Retro Classic)

RetroBike (UK)

Old Mountain Bikes

Fat Cogs -- Fat chance Owner's Group


Many Facebook pages:

Vintage Mountain Bike Collectors

The Vintage Mountain Bike

Retro Mountain Bike Club

The Retro MTBer

Classic 1990s Mountain Bikes

UK MTB Golden Era 80s & 90s appreciation group.

bikinbruce

Hi,
Looks cool for the retro ATB events but I believe the drivetrain components are Shimano Deore (the Deerhead group) not Suntour. Should have kept that group of components, can't keep everything though!

cbrstar

Thanks I really appreciate it!

It's weird, I never liked the early mountain bikes BITD. The forks were too thin to do any of the jumps I liked doing on my BMX, and the gearing was too low for me to enjoy them like my Road Bike to get somewhere.

But then "Rock Shox" came out and I was gobsmacked by how awesome they are. But when they first came out they were more expensive then most MTB's, and I couldn't afford them.

Fast forward 20 years later, and I'm able to buy a top of the line bike with rock shox for pocket change! It's absolutely mind boggling.

prairiepedaler

Hi, I'd begun a corollary type thread to this one as the subject of a drop bar mountain road conversion struck my interest. I like the practical with a high degree of value. There are so many used bikes on the market that I much prefer to find something there first over buying new. In the future, I may splurge and inhale that "new bike smell" but with all the pre-owned bikes out there to choose from I am far from motivated to outlay any significant coin for the fading privelage.

These older mountain bikes are ubiquitous so a conversion, update or mod seems like a natural. They don't have social status or built-in bragging rights but that is not why I ride. For me a bike is transportation first.

gomango

Thank you for adding these links.

Lot's of great viewing ahead I can see.

bikemig 

Yeah I'm going to bump up this thread. I just rebuilt my 1991 Specialized team stumpjumper. It weighs all of 25 pounds. The bike just rides great. Plus I picked up a 1993 Bridgestone MB 1. It weighs right around 25 pounds as well. Both are fine all rounders. I have a 1993 Trek 950 sitting in the build queue. And my 1987 Specialized stumpjumper comp is a my main commuter. Yeah I like old MTBs.

cs1

Good point, most of my bikes, MTB's that is, are friction shifting. I've relegated my vintage rides to mild off road and around town duties. They're perfect as is. But I do have a little project I'm working on, more later.

corrado33

For a while now I've wanted to convert an old MTB into a road bike.

The issue I have with old mountain bikes for anything other than commuters/townies is that mountain bike technology has just increased so much. We've moved from forks with steel springs to plastic elastomers to air pressure to oil dampened whatever the heck we have now. Old rigid mountain bikes aren't FUN to ride on modern mountain bike trails. All they do is beat you up and make you not want to ride. I know... I've TRIED riding vintage mountain bikes on trails around me. My cheap modern bike is orders of magnitude more fun than the vintage stuff.

Where as road bikes, on the other hand, are just the opposite. A high end vintage road bike is just as capable as modern road bikes and even MORE capable than cheap modern road bikes.

Technology has made old mountain bikes obsolete for their intended purpose. The same cannot be said for road bikes.

capman

First I converted an old Spalding blade ATB to a every day road comfort cruiser. Love the bike chromoly steel frame is great solid. Yes its heavy but its solid.

Second converted mid 90s Raleigh M series to street cruiser as well, good for around town riding and rebuilt entire bike. Solid Aluminum frame and the best thing is I don't have to worry about it getting stolen! LOL

bottom line is the frames on these old mountain bikes are built proof and if your looking at upgrading or buying a e bike kit or gas motor there way better than a cheap Walmart or web bike pick up JMO.

Bicyclz

Cool thread! I've got a very nice Giant GSR from early/mid 90s.
7x3 speed originally, but I fitted a Shimano Nexus 7 speed with roller brake, & here it is.
A neat solution for a town bike IMHO.
I can see that the chain is slightly slack here......
(You often see more in photos than with the naked eye?: )


A cool all weather, general purpose machine.

Kdogbikes

kentucky_durbin

Mr. jbchybridrider,

I hope you are well and I thank you for the great photos of your wonderful build. I am looking to begin a build similar in size and form as this one and hope you may be able to help. I would really like to find a 17" frame that has internal cable routes such as yours. at the moment the best option I have found is a Klein Attitude comp but they are very difficult to find in my area. I was hoping you would know the make/model of your frame so that I have another option to search for with internal cable routing.

Thank you,

kentucky_durbin

randyjawa 

Though my preference is vintage road bicycles, I have gotten into a few old mountain bikes and I believe that their time, for vintage interests to blossom is coming soon. And...


Just this morning, this lovely Rocky Mountain came my way. I envision it wearing an eight speed Shimano Brifter transmission and some wide drop bars, Might even drag it to Jamaica, next November, and change my island ride...

BFisher

Interesting frame, there. What's the effective top tube length? Looks like a perfect candidate for your drop bar plans.

Hudson308 

The best way to get him to respond is to ping him this way: @jbchybridrider
He posted those pics over four years ago (see post #99 ), but has posted here on the forum just last week.

Jax Rhapsody

I love vintage mtbs. They might not be best for what they were intended nowadays, but they can still serve purpose as seen, and do some off pavement travel. I'd have a few of them if I could. I only like rigid mtbs, I convert them to what I call street fighters, set up for roads. The only hardtail I ever liked was a Research Dynamics Coyote, it's fork had 2" of travel and you'd need to jump more than a few steps to have any jounce and rebound.

All I have now is my High Sierra that I originally didn't want to modernize too much. I had to replace the rear wheel and regret not keeping the old one for the hub. A cheap replacement. So an upgraded wheelset is in it's future as well as a vintage double. I did replace the thumbshifters that were crap and broken with same Deore units that were on a frame I was gonna build along with the handlebar and stem from my old gone Lotus Pegasus(wish a different bar would fit). I originally wanted narrow fixie risers for it. I thought about replacing the roller cams with(only other option) Ubrakes, but it would just be modernized, not stop any better. I figured with as little modernizing as I had planned; trigger shifters would be out of place, but I did replace the loose diacomp levers with some Origin8 3way adjustable levers I had for the frame(Schwinn Probe) the Lotus stuff came from. After about 8 tries trying to upload pic from my phone with this sometimey ass bullshˇt ass image uploader I gave up before I chucked my phone in to the kitchen. Shˇt is pˇssing me the *** off every god damned time.

wrk101

I never download pictures direct to this site. Instead I use a hosting site (flickr in my case) and just paste it into the text.

If your High Sierra had these cartridge bearing hubs, yes, I would regret tossing them too. I've tossed more than one item that I shouldn't have.


1987 Schwinn High Sierra by wrk101, on Flickr