crossproton2000

I have a 22 year old (I still keep the warranty card) steel frame bike that was sold to me as a MTB - hard tail, hard fork, 26', 18 speed.
I've been avoiding in the past couple of years, but I'd really love to bring some life back into it with a paint job, a couple of upgrades a DROP BARS.
Can somebody have a look at what I've planned and tell me if I'm making an obvious mistake?
1. Change the 6-speed 14-28T freewheel cassette for a 7-speed (i.e. Shimano TZ500 14-28T/14-34T) - this would allow me to go for a 3x8 train while keeping the hub/wheel
2. Change the RD for a 7-speed (i.e. Shimano Tourney RD-TY300) - mine is not serviceable and beyond repair so I need a new one anyway
3. Change cranks (same sad state) for a 3x MTB set (i.e. Tourney FC-TX801 42-32-22T)
4. Go for the only 3x8 drop bar shifter/lever STI combo I can find for a reasonable amount of money - Claris ST-R2000/R2030 set
My two obvious questions here would be what FD to go for (MTB vs Road) and will it all click together?
Thanks in advance!

maddog34

Go all Claris, or better grade.
Avoid Tiagra 4700.. the FD has an odd pull ratio that makes it only compatible with it's own Brifter...
some GRX brifters do work with Tiagra 4700...
Tourney is heavy, low quality, garbage with a cheap paint coating.
and a Tourney FD won't work with a drop bar brifter...
Gravel bikes tend to run a larger Chainring set, btw... a 46-36-24, or similar, would work nicely.

just for fun, Search: "8 Speed Freewheel"... 7 sp. and 8sp. SHIFTERS use a different pull distance per shift...but the Deraillers work on both... that said, an 8-9-10 speed freeHUB rear wheel will have a far better axle-to-bearing Design that will save you from a bent axle.

Bill Kapaun

3x9 is barely more expensive then going 3x8. You do need a 9 speed chain, but you'd probably need a new chain anyway.
9 speed also gives more cassette options re: tooth counts.
It's slightly less "obsolete".
Don't bother with 8 speed.

bboy314

The 8 speed shifters will not index properly on a 7 speed freewheel. I would replace your rear wheel with a cassette wheel and 8 speed cassette. Or 9 speed cassette/shifters. Ideally you’ll want a road triple front derailleur to work with your road STI shifters. I’d also recommend skipping the tourney rear derailleur and going with at least Acera. A 9 speed or lower derailleur will index fine with 8 or 9 speed shifters.

shelbyfv

Have you considered a 1X? You'd probably need a freehub to use a cassette with enough range. Should be able to find a decent 26" wheel cheap or free. I'd skip the drop bar conversion until/unless you find you are actually doing rides long enough to make flat bars problematic.

crossproton2000

Thanks for the responses, I‘ve already read that an 8 speed freewheel was never a good idea, The main reason I wouldn’t go for x9 or more is to avoid replacing the hub/wheel, which would probably lead to yet more compatibility questions.
I'm making a note to look for tourney fd alternatives.

alcjphil

8,9,and 10 speed cassettes all fit on the same width freehub

crossproton2000

Going with a Road FD/Crankset combo is tempting, but I'm not sure if that would play nice with my cartridge BB. I don't have the BB around me right now, but I do remember the end to end width was a little over 120mm, at it was probably chosen to provide enough clearance between the cranks and the frame. Form my experience those road FDs don't swing that far :-(

bboy314

Whatever type of crankset you use, you may have to change your bottom bracket to match.

rosefarts

A 26” wheel with a completely average rear hub is one of the more common things you’ll find in a co-op or bike shop. Usually cheap.

Don’t massively compromise the build to keep your freewheel.

If you happen to be in central Oregon, I’ve got a free one for you. Otherwise, put an ad asking for a wheel on your local Facebook marketplace. You’ll get one.

crossproton2000

thanks for the advice. Between this and a couple of hours of youtube gravel builds I'll probably try to follow it. If you happen to come by Eastern Europe I've got a beer[or alternative beverage of taste] for you ;-)

crossproton2000

Fast Forward a couple of month later, I ended up spending up much more time and resources than planned, but I had great fun :-)
I kept only the frameset and FD, but stripped the frame, removed the paint, then re-painted.
Finally I went for a 2x9 setup - Shimano Acera FC-MT210-2 46-30 and matched them with an Altus RD-M2000 9S/SGS.
The dropbar/stem/threaded to threadless adapter needed to accommodate the MicroNew 2x9 shifters were a nice challenge.
I also had to go for a new set of cantilevers (Force) because of the shifters.
The wheels are Alexrims AL-DA16s with Shimanot STX HB-MC33/FH-38.
I bought new Schwalbe Road Cruiser 26x1.75 tires and tubes for them.
All in all - I'm pretty happy with the result - I've always wanted to go dropbars on this frame and it feels good to ride, even better than my road bike.
The speed range is more than adequate for casual/city/park rides, I still haven't tested it out on a proper trail.
I hope somebody finds the info useful.