I picked up this Miyata Triplecross this weekend for $20, sitting out front a the local Kiwanis thrift sale. As far as I can tell, it is an 1989 vintage. Frame and wheels look to be in good shape, with just a bit of light surface rust that should clean up easily, even if the controls and consumables look a bit worse for wear. Bike is nice and light, even if I think the advertised 23.5# is a bit on the light side. Looks to have a mixed set of Exage Trail and Country components.
I don't really have much of a need for a hybrid bike, but it is a nice frame with room for seemingly up to 38s. What I would like to do with it is to replace the straight bars with drops, toss on a 3x7 brifter set, and make it a pseudo-gravel bike. Some specific questions I have about the process:
1) I am told that road brifters will not work with MTB front derailleurs. This particular derailleur (Shimano FD-M250) pulls from the bottom, would it be considered to work with road or MTB components? I am assuming it would work with road, as I'm thinking this was a bit earlier than most MTB components were made.
2) I don't see the low end Exage stuff having much love, is that because it is bad, or just old and not sexy? All I really care about is serviceability from the two derailleurs, most the rest is getting swapped out.
3) Bike currently has a 6 speed freewheel that needs replaced. From everything I have read, a 7 speed should thread on just fine, right?
4) I am assuming Canti brakes work fine with road brifters, as I see them frequently on touring and CX bikes, but are there any considerations that I need to think through? The Exage arms that came with it are probably getting replaced with a set of Acera-X brakes I have lying around.
5) For a 3x7 setup, any consensus on whether the best way forward would be new Microshift, new Tourney, or some used Shimano found on eBay? MS seems to come in around $50 for a set on eBay, Tourney $75-80, and used all over the place, but not often significantly cheaper than MS.
6) Any love for Biopace? Just figured I'd give it a shot, and if I don't like it take it off and replace it later.
