tk1971

You're deflating my fun-bag. All my other modern mtbs have 2x9 drivetrains.

My last build was a 90's RockHopper (3x7) with friction CX shifters on a Midge drop bar (awesome bike btw, had it out this past weekend and I absolutely bombed down some rocky terrain and took it down a pretty steep drop).

I want to try something new. And yes, I do have a 11-42 cassette. It started out life as a 11-36. The OneUp upgrade replaced the 15 / 17 cogs with 16 / 42. Final Cog config: 11-13-16-19-21-24-28-32-36-42. With a 30t front, it will give me a similar gearing to a 22t x 30t granny.

As for the mid cage, it's got a 35t capacity, so, 42-11 = 31t required. No problem.

Once I get the fork situation sorted out, this will be a fun build. Hopefully it will be more fun to ride.

mobilemail

Yeah, about that fork. It's brand new, it's from Nashbar, it's damaged. There is zero reason you should even question it, replace or refund. Unless you're one of those "I love faceplant at 30mph" kinda guys, in which case you should take your GoPro.

tk1971

I was thinking the same thing. I'll pack it up tonight. Thanks for snapping me back to reality. I guess I've had one too many face plants.

RaleighSport

Getting ready to convert my 84 and 1/2 Miyata Ridge Runner back to 26" wheels from a recent fixie conversion... so add that to the GT Tequesta I love so much.

tk1971

Packed up and shipped back the Nashbar fork. Called them, and they say they will ship a replacement only after receiving/processing the return. Probably mid-January before I expect to see another fork. Darn, I really wanted to ride this thing, so I'm going to improvise.

I cut the Abaxo 29er carbon fork to fit, even though it was slated for another bike (too tall for this frame).



Weighs 22.8 lbs. Head angle is now 69 degrees (originally at 70.5 deg per the catalog).


Updated (Ride Report):

No good news here, the ride going up was miserable. I believe that the tweaked geometry from the long fork made it very difficult to set up the correct KOPS position. I also had to put on a longer stem.

I also ended up having to slide the saddle all the way up because my heels were striking the rear canti brake calipers on every stroke. I may have to go to a set of V's for the back. The front disc was great though.

In general, going up was miserable but going down was fast and furious. Although it is lighter than my 90's Rockhopper with drop bars, it doesn't feel as flickable, but I will hold off making a final opinion of this bike until I get a proper length fork for it.

yodatic

I found a real photo of my steel and ridged Univega MTB . This was taken on the Gulf Breeze side of the nature trail. tom

BrendonSmall

I just joined the forum and this is a great thread.

I'm riding a '97 GT Tequesta and just did a 6 mile singletrack ride on it this morning (since it was 50 out! in December! in Ohio!) -- I rode a lot of GT and Dyno when I was younger and now I wanted to get back into mountain biking instead of just road biking, so I started looking for a decent bike last fall. I found a GT in a used shop but couldn't get there for a few weeks (it was a few hours away) so I called before heading up and they had sold it. Two weeks later the Tequesta showed up on Craigslist in Dayton. I hauled my wife and all three kids nearly 120 miles each direction to pick it up, but it was worth it. I've heard the riding rigid makes you a better rider - you plan lines better because you are feeling it, not the suspension. Any time I'm on the GT and riding on trails, I'm generally grinning from ear to ear.

I've been riding a lot of singletrack on it and really enjoy it. The first picture is from April not long after I got it. The picture of the handlebars is from last night when I finished putting my Christmas gifts on -- new flat bar, proper Shimano shifters (it had one Shimano and one SRAM - one trigger and one shift - when I bought it), and some grips.

LesterOfPuppets

Oooh, yeah, those look like some high profile cantis, like some CX or touring units, or olde skool MTB ones. You can't really run those on small, sloping top tube frames.

tk1971

Found a Fox F80 RLT fork and slapped it on. Here it is with a suspension fork:



Still waiting for the replacement rigid carbon fork from Nashbar.

The bike looks too clean. I need to ride this thing soon...

50voltphantom

11/10. Would ride. That bike looks incredible.

jbchybridrider 

@50voltphantom Thanks mate. I just bought a full decal kit so it going to look better soon.

7up

I also ride 91-92 Nishiki manitoba mtb steel rigid frame now converted to electric.

Paulfs67

Just changed my Prairie Breaker Expert over to drop bar

Before
[IMG][/IMG]

After
[IMG][/IMG]

Gone from 3x7 to 3x10, 105 STI's 105 R/D, she rides beautifully

SpeedyStein

That looks great! Which handlebars did you use? I have an early 90's 4130 Motiv kicking around that I have been thinking about doing this to, but I can't decide on the right handlebars.

Paulfs67

I had an old set of Zoom Aero 6061 bars sitting around, I double wrapped the top section as there pretty narrow, the only thing I really had troubles with was that the STI's don't have the same throw for the FD about 2 mm short to get to the big chain ring, so I pulled out the bottom bracket spindle and found that if I turned it around it pulled the cranks in by 2mm perfect some if shifts great now.

SpeedyStein

Haha, that's a funny trick, good to remember if I ever need to squeeze in the chainline a smidge. I was thinking about going single speed with mine, just to help keep the project budget at less than $100 for now, with the option to add bar-cons later. I have really been eyeing over a set of On one midge, wtb mt drop, or salsa cowbell bars... I like the idea of a short drop and wide flare.

fietsbob

1)Winter .. Studded tires , and 2)the Trekking Bike A Koga WTR are both 26" wheel bikes
1 is steel 2 is 7005 aluminum.

turky lurkey

My wife's 1984 Stumpjumper, freshly overhauled, and polished:



My current project is this recently acquired 1985 Rockhopper, we will have fun pulling the Kids on the bike paths next summer with our dual Vintage Atb's!

fietsbob

Yea those stumpie Frames ^'^ that's what I Based My Winter Bike Build upon. never had it that unblemished ..
Replace broken dropout (it was a Freebie with the broken Dropout)

Drum brake hubs, Snow Cat rims Suomi Nokian tires.. Tange Chromed fork .

jbchybridrider 

@Paulfs67 your before and after camera is as impressive as the bike.

Paulfs67

Ha ha yeah, before camera "nokia phone" after camera Nikon D2Xs, so yeah a bit of quality difference

Shuffleman

I was an avid mtb rider in the 90's. A move, marriage and family led me astray but I kept my bike baby, a 93 GT Karakoram with an RST shock. I took the shock off and put my original rigid fork on a last year. I ride rode bikes and have for years but now that my son wants to ride trails I dusted it off and rode it with him the past two weekends. I must have been way more flexible in the day because it is way too small for me now. I was thinking about keeping it but at 46 I am going to buy a new hard tail this weekend.
I still love the feel of the ride and if it were not for the size I would gladly keep it. My son wants it for his next bike though as he is just getting a 24" now. The Deore LX groupset is still much more smooth than what I have been test riding. These "old" bikes just feel better than the new mtb's. What happened to GT? I know about the mother company but they are so off course. Their bikes from the 90's were incredible. The new bikes look like crap. The paint and logos look like an artist with ten thumbs and no imagination designed them.

Shuffleman

I absolutely love the old GT's and the triple triangle. Makes me miss the old days.

BrendonSmall

I almost bought a second one last week - a GT Agressor - but I backed out just because of the cost and me being cheap right now.

I considered picking up a fork with some decent suspension for the Tequesta, but to be honest I haven't really felt the need at this time.

orpheus505

I'm riding an old 93 Rockhopper sport. I've had front and rear suspension, I wasn't particularly fond of them. I prefer the support that a rigid fork provides.