jim-bob

So, I'm finally ready to step into the nineties. I just picked up a early-mid nineties DBR titanium frame, and need some advice on how to build it up. I'm thinking it wants to be rigid, triple up front, and I might as well put nine speeds in back.. Thing is, the last shifty bike I had had old suntour XC friction shifters, and I'd kinda like to index this time. At the moment, I've got nothing but a frame and an old unused white industries phantom BB.

Any suggestions on what to do with this thing?

Raiyn

Well I'd confirm the rear spacing, and determine the HS diameter.

jim-bob

135mm in back, 1-1/8" up front.

This bottom bracket thing's a bummer, though. Nobody seems to be too into making square taper cranks these days.

Raiyn

There are plenty of Shi*No BB's out there. Also Phil's has been making nice BB's for years. Just not ready to step up to a slined system yet eh?

jim-bob

Eh, I suppose I could. This poor white industries bb has just been kicking around my house for years, though. I feel like I should really use it one of these days.

Poking around a little bit, thinking about going with x.7 triggers and derailleurs, SD-7s, and a cane creek s-2 headset. Everything's up in the air, though.

Maelstrom 

I am pretty sure raceface still makes em too.

C Law

If you want to use square taper BB, Sugino makes the xd600.

I use phil square taper bb's on two bikes I have. the XD600 is on one bike running fixed gear and I have never had a problem with them. I have the White industries Eno Crank on the other.

I would say from my experience looking for parts, If you want to step up to semi-modern times and keep a multi geared mountain bike, you should abandon the square taper bb. It will just give you a much wider range of quality cranksets to choose from.

gregseto

There are myriad square tapered cranks out there on the used market- awesome ones too like RF turbines, Kookas, White Inds., and many many more. But if you do want to modernize, ISIS would be the way of the future as far as crank/BB availability is concerned.

If it were my frame, I would build it as light as possible. Ti just screams for lightness and strongness; 2.5lb '02 SID race, carbon bars here, Thomson stem there. XT front, XTR rear, XT pods, Avid Mag brakes w/ Ti. levers, Chris King everywhere...oh man, I want to build a Ti bike.

phantomcow2

ISIS will give you the greatest range of choice for cranks. Yea theres octalink but besides shimano and ritchey i dont know what other cranksets fit it.

jo5iah

Rohloff Speedhub

My dream bike is a ti hardtail with a Speedhub.

jim-bob

Well, see, that's the problem. My inner weight weenie is fighting with my inner cheap bastard and my inner retro-grouch.

I'll probably use your old white industries front wheel, though.

jo5iah

Then maybe you should build a fixie, and meet both needs.

jim-bob

Got that covered already.

Raiyn

Sounds decent so far. Nothing extravagant, but solid choices

gregseto

Are you the guy that bought that wheelset from me? I was regretting that sale for a while...

jim-bob

Yeah, that was me. After some serious retensioning and truing, those wheels have been great.

cryptid01

Suspension forks came out in the nineties, you should reconsider the rigid thing, imho.

jim-bob

Maybe next time around. Got a kona P2 fork on the way.

Here's the poor frame, waiting for parts :

Bonus pics at https://entirely-adequate.com/titan/

jim-bob

First shipment of parts arrived today. Got derailleurs/shifters, brakes/levers, wheels, headset, cassette, and grips.

Next shipment should have tires for me. The third, crucial shipment should have my cranks and fork, but I won't be seeing that until next wednesday, unfortunately.

Still, tomorrow I'll probably tension and true the wheels, and throw some rim tape on 'em.