JRD

I am seriously thinking about what would be needed to convert my 1993 Trek 830 Antelope into a Touring Bike. I would be doing day tours or two day tours at the most for now. I know I would definitely want some new bars, I need more resting places for the hands. A picture is attached of the subject for transformation.....

Thanks in advance for the help and suggestions.....

John

zoltani

IDK, i would be inclined to just head out for obvernighters or two-day trips as is. Well, maybe change that saddle out. A simple solution to more hand positions would be some bar ends.

JRD

I have a Brooks B-17 that I plan to put on it. Also I was thinking I would like to add some fenders, (any online vendors that you would recommend) and maybe some different tires. (Again, all suggestions are welcome) Even if that means scraping the idea and buying a Long Haul Disc Trucker

Tourist in MSN

For one or two day trips, you can use virtually anything. Thus, you will know what you really need when you need it. Fenders, I am quite content with cheap plastic ones. But, I use fenders on everything except my grocery store bike that I only use in good weather.

ClemY

If this were my bike, I would consider some of the following:

Change the seat to a Brooks B-17,
Change the pedals to SPD clipless pedals,
Change the bars to Nitto 115 drop bars, with Cane Creek SCR05 and Cane Creek In-Line Brake Levers with Shimano bar con indexed shifters,
Change the rear rack to a steel Tubus Cargo,
Add a front rack, such as a Tubus Tara (if you have lowrider fork mounts),
Change the tires to Conti Sport Contact 26x1.6” or Vittoria Randonneur Pro 26x1.5”,
Check the gearing. I prefer a 20-32-42 crank and 12-36 9spd rear cluster, but I am old and heavy and need all the help I can get at the end of a long day, in the heat, on a long, steep hill.
And remove the kick stand. It won’t hold a fully loaded bike and it just adds weight.

Fenders can be nice. Check out Velo Orange for good aluminum fenders.

oldskoolwrench

Looks like a good platform for conversion! Aside from the changes (bars, fenders, tires, pedals) what's the overall condition of the drive train?
Any skipping? Loose pivots on the DR's? If not, then I would go for the change over with some drop or trekking bars + shifters/ brake levers
(for the drops), some smooth treaded tires (wide for MUP or narrower for hard surface) and good metal pedals (clipless or platform).

Fenders wise the Bike Planet fenders are good durable units.

Post some photos of your conversion in the making!

JRD

Thanks ClemY for that very detailed response! That is what I was looking for!

John

JRD

The drive train is in very good condition and there is no skipping.

Thanks!
John

fietsbob

I like Trekking bars, then you can use the straight bar controls as is.

Ergon grips on regular bars, seem better than round grips.


so chain wear has worn the teeth on the cassette/freehub..
it will get worse , maybe in the middle of nowhere it will fail. they are consumables ..

limit your risk with new chain and cogs when you start a Long tour, bur rehearsal
S24's and you can leave it for now

Myosmith

+1 on Ergon bar ends GR2 or GC2 are my preference but there is also a GC3 with even more grip positions. Some road tires and the seat change you mentioned and you should be all set. I just put a Zefal removable rear fender on my light tourer but haven't had a chance to try it out on significantly wet roads. Add some panniers and/or a trunk bag. Sometimes for very light day touring you can get by with a handlebar bag.

himespau 

On my mtb, I put a different stem and drop bars on it as Clem mentions above. Not super cheap, especially as I used Kelly Take Offs and downtube shift levers rather than bar ends, but I like the ability to go into friction mode and still have all the shifting bomb proof and right at the fingertips. If you do go drop bars, the costs add up quickly (bars, maybe stem, brake levers, maybe inline brake levers, new shifters, maybe new front derailleur, new cables, tape....). So yeah, swapping bar styles is cool, but go in with your eyes open as to what you're going to spend (I didn't - I like what I got, but spent way too much for an old low-mid level frame).

Seb71

Just add a pair of rear panniers.

shipwreck

My first longish tour was on one of these(1000+miles). I converted it to a drop bar with bar cons, used some old brake levers with, god forbid, safety levers. Used old parts, so it was all really cheap. Used the original derailers, and a slightly better crank with new rings and rear cogs. No problems there. If you decide to do longer tours I would think about a good wheelset, but the original wheels did fine on my trip.

The way it turned out, it was a crazy trip, had planned lots of canal towpaths on the route as well as the Katy trail, and it was april so lots of rain, flooding and wind. I had put 1.5" serfas tires on it, so had some tread, rode thru lots of mud and goo. was the best bike I could have chosen for the money. Filthy wet roads, I had some planet bike fenders that worked fine.

Someday I will find a larger 830 frame and will jump on it. The one I used was really to small and looked funny with the big stem and seatpost. If I find one I think that I will put some trecking bars on it instead of drops though, so I can use the trigger shifters.

LeeG

& bar ends, mini front rack with bar bags

Jude

Most important things - comfortable saddle and comfortable grips (I recommend Ergon grips). Then just be conservative with the amount of gear you take so you don't bring more than can fit in two panniers and on top of that rack, and you're good (hint: if you are taking more than can fit there, you're taking more than you need)

ClemY

A couple of things haven’t been mentioned yet: wheels and derailleurs. They may both be fine. If you feel you need to upgrade/change them, here are a couple of things I like. I like Deore XT derailleurs. The rear is the most important to me because I shift a lot. Deore are fine, just not finished quite as nicely. For wheels, at my weight, I like 40 spokes. If you are under 200 lbs, 36 spokes should be fine. For rims, I like the Velocity Aeorheat in 26”. It has good depth and stiffness while being pretty light. If they work at my weight, they should work for you. If you need new hubs for the wheels, Shimano hubs are good if you like loose bearings. If you like cartridge bearings, White Industries MI5 hubs are good and don’t cost a fortune. For an unlimited budget, Phil Wood hubs are great.

wahoonc

Something like this...

That bike is an excellent candidate for conversion. Get the mechanical stuff sorted out first. FWIW mine is still running the original Suntour XCM derailleurs, but I did replace the freewheel and chain.

Aaron

JRD

Thanks for all the input and encouragement guys! I really appreciate it!

John

Jamoni

For weekend tours, I wouldn't change much.
Bar ends or maybe some Delta Ergo Bars.
I'd put some less knobby tires on. I like Serfas Drifter 2.0". If you keep them at 60 PSI they roll almost as good as skinny tires.
I like to use the slime filled super duty crazy tough tubes. Sure, they're heavy as hell, but I've never had a flat on the bike I have them on.
New saddle. The Brooks sounds fine.
For the pedals, I like toe clips, since I can wear whatever shoes I want. They are cheap, and I don't have to carry an extra pair of shoes for camping or hiking.
Then I'd throw on some bags. I use Sunlite Traveler 1 bags. Much cheaper than panniers, very durable. I just line them with trash bags to keep my gear dry. I also use old GI-issue buttpacks, and zip tie them to the rack.
So, for maybe $100, you could be ready to hit the road.

Jamoni

Oh yeah, and some clip on fenders. They're light and simple to install, and work fine.

sedges

Hey! Looks like mine. I've got a 1992 820. If you have the old 200GS shifters on there they are bomb-proof and I would keep them if you can. I needed a lower gearing for hills then the 48/38/28 X 12-28. 28 is the largest cog the RD will handles so I focused on the chainrings. I put a new MTB 42/32/22 crankset on and it worked fine with the FD and shifter giving me a 22x28 low gear and it climbs very nicely spinning up hills without having to mash or get out of the saddle.

If you put panniers on the back be sure to consider heel clearance as the chainstay length is a little shorter than a dedicated tourer. Tall, narrow panniers like the Arkel XM28 work well as well as a rack that extends well behind the axle. I put a Jandd front platform rack on that has a lower bar to hang panniers. It attaches mid fork with P-clips but I also figured a way to attach it at the fork crown on the little thing that holds the reflector. Very stable arrangement.

I put curved bar ends on mine and wrapped them and the bars with lots of padding. I'm good for all day rides.

JRD

Thanks again for the information guys. I have a lot to pannier over (pun intended) keep the suggestions coming and some pics of your rigs would be a great reference and inspiration as well.

Thanks!
John

JRD

Currently it has the Shimano Altus A20 shifters which I would like to swap out with something a little better. The 7 speed side is not wanting to downshift when I need it to. It is intermittent and it usually does not work when I get to a hill

Would these be a good replacement? https://www.amazon.com/Shimano-EF-51-...hifter+7+speed

Or would you recommend something different?

Thanks!
John

shipwreck

That is a sharp looking bike, Wahoonc!

to the OP, I found a pic of mine without all the bags on it, its not the best, but should at least show that anything is possible! . Keep in mind my conversion was done spending almost no money other than cables and brake pads. All parts were out of my stash, collected over the years fixing up bikes for underpriveleged kids and recovering substance abuse adults.

This picture was taked over 900 miles from home, halfway thru the tour, getting something to eat on a rest day

Booger1

For what you are planning......get everything working correctly.....make it comfy for you,........be able to fix a flat........fill the panniers and hit the road.......with a grin from ear-to-ear.