corwin1968

Thanks!

Mine is a 1995 model and I think there were several years that had this geometry. The later 90's model Multitracks had chainstays lengthened to 44.5cm and the fork rake increased to 50mm, which gives them a road bike trail measurement (60mm with 55mm tires) versus the Atlantis' MTB trail measurement (68mm with 55mm tires). The 1995 Trek 720 and 700 even had different geometry from the 730 and 750, having much higher bottom brackets, with a lower one being the key to making my 730 feel so good.

Brakes, of course, are a major problem on a conversion like this. I struggled with different ideas on how to overcome it and finally ended up with a 1992 Rockhopper frameset (bought for a different purpose...not for a fork) that had the same length fork as my Trek and had a steerer tube that, even though it was longer, I was able to use it with about a cm of spacers. I stuck a simple V-brake on there and right now, the rear has no brake. Dimension makes 26" forks, both threaded and threadless, that could be used for this purpose as well.

If I decide to buy a LHT frameset, I'll just ride this bike like this for the few months it takes me to raise the funds. I'll probably never leave the subdivision, especially with colder weather getting here. If I decide to buy a Pangea or R&E UTB, I will consider having the cant studs on the rear moved so a 26" brake will work. It will probably take me a year or more to raise the funds for a custom frameset.

The key to making this work is to commit to really fat tires. In the initial stages of my 26" experiment, I wanted to buy the Compass 26" tires (upgraded Paselas) but I wouldn't be comfortable with the BB height of this bike with those tires. BB drop is surprisingly difficult to measure consistently and accurately but the most common direct measurement I've gotten is 60mm and the whole (radius + tire width) - BB height equaled 60mm. Even Rivendell 26" bikes have BB drops much less than that and Grant is known for preferring a lot of drop! The closest bike I've found is the Co-Motion Pangea, with 55mm of drop. They list a BB height of 26.8cm on that bike and I calculated that out to be with a 38mm tire. My BB height with 55mm Big Apples is in the mid-to-upper 27 cm range.

I've been riding this bike for close to a week and I feel like I'm part of the bike when I'm riding it. It's more like sitting in a car. Yesterday, I got back on my 700c bike, with 70mm of BB drop, which is standard for road bikes, and I felt like I was sitting on top of a house! It was a completely different and unpleasant feeling! I've been ambiguous about BB height, leaning toward it not making much difference, but after riding three MTB's with high BB's, my newer bike with a medium-to-lower BB height and this 730 with a low BB, I'm sold on the idea. Grant alludes to the fact that you are lower to the ground but it also changes your position relative to the handlebars and they end up being much higher with the same amount of stem showing. A low BB is now a must-have for me and is the primary reason the Pangea has jumped to the top of my list and I'm a bit ambivalent about the LHT with it's 48mm of drop.