Originally Posted by
djelric
Noob here with a load of questions about an older bike.
Ive been riding a short commute to work that is mostly flat so I haven't done much in the way of upgrades. But now my commute is going to triple and include a massive couple of hill climbs. I'm looking to drop weight if possible. Other than the wheels anyone know if its possible to replace the front fork and handle bars on this beast? Ive had trouble finding tech specs on this model. Any help is greatly appreciated.
Thanks for your time.
It's been a while, but as I recall that was a high end model with all Tange frame. It is worth fixing up IMO, should you choose to.
First thing would be new light street tires. Something ~1.5" and no knobs. Tires are way better now than 1985, and if it has knobbies on it now, half the battle is already won. The lower rolling resistance will in practice make much more difference than a couple pounds here and there.
If you want to spend more, new lighter wheels wouldn't be a horrible idea.
Absolutely forget swapping the fork. Bad idea. You might save a few ounces at a large cost. You
will have a ton of headaches.
You could swap the stem and bars. A standard quill road type stem will fit. You may want to check out some of the 3 speed type bars in aluminum from SOMA, Velo Orange, and others. It's non moving weight and bars aren't that heavy, but I guess it would save a bit.
Oh, and by the way, congrats on your cool bike. I spent months looking for a silly long wheelbase 80s MTB in my size (big) before finally giving up. There's a bit of a cult around them, believe it or not.