zschille

Hello,
I'd like to convert (if possible) an older K2 Mountain Bike into a Road/Comfort bike for my girlfriend. I'll be buying at a minimum a new road Frame/Fork since the Mountain Bike is a size large and far too big for her. I am mechanically adept but have never built a bike previously, let alone converted one.

Can anyone help me out with potential issues that I am likely to encounter? Can I use ANY frame/fork/wheel combination with these components?

Thank you so much! Zach

The specs on my old MTB are as follows:
It is a K2 Zed V from 2000(?)

Brakes:
Tektro B24V brakes
Tektro 379A brake levers

Bottom Bracket:
Shimano BB-LP27

Chain:
KMC IG-31, 1/2"x3/32"

Chainrings:
22/32/44

Crank:
TruVativ Firex 22/32/44

Front Derailer:
Shimano Deore

Handlebars:
K2 XC

Headset:
WTB Momentum Comp ST

Rear Cogs:
8 Speed, 11-30

Rear Derailuer:
Shimano Alivio

Seatpost:
K2 Flexpost Sport

Shift Levers:
Shimano Alivio Rapidfire plus

Front Hub:
Shimano Deore

Rear Hub:
Shimano Alivio

fmw

Very few. It would make more sense to find a properly sized MTB frame and move the parts to that.

zschille

Very few, meaning that there are very few road frames that will work? Or very few meaning I'll have very few problems with the conversion? Thanks for your reply!
-Zach

HillRider

Your V-brakes will not work on road frames except a cyclocross or touring frame.

Your shifters and brake levers will not work with drop bars. They will work with flat bars and your current bars and stem may work if you want flat bars but the reach and length will probably be wrong.

Your headset and bottom bracket are questionable. Your front hub will have to be laced to a 700c rim. Your rear hub will have to be respaced to 130 mm OLD and laced to a 700c rim.

The drive train components you describe (8-speed Alivio) are very low line and 8-speed is obsolete.

By the time this is all accomplished you will have a mediocre but expensive road/comfort bike. Two alternatives are:

1. Get the right size MTB frame and transfer the components to it. Nashbar has a very low cost frame that should work. Almost everything should transfer directly.

2. Buy the correct type of bike either new or used already built up and sell or give away the K-2 as is.

Either of these will save you money and a lot of aggravation.

zschille

Ok, thanks very much for the information. I'll look into the Nashbar (or other) mtb frame option since the goal was simple/cheap conversion. Can I mount road style tires/wheels? The front wheel for the bike is nowhere to be found and I'd like a more road suited setup for her.

thanks, Zach

BostonFixed

No. The brakes won't reach.

Unless you go with discs.

Buy a new/used road bike, or buy a new MTB front wheel and the correct sized nashbar MTB frame for your GF. Then put 26x1.25" slicks on it.

Retro Grouch 

The short answer is that it's easily do-able but it might cost more than you're thinking. Nashbar sells a touring frame and fork that have braze-ons for your brakes and will accept 700c wheels. Besides the wheelset, you'll probably also need a different headset, front derailleur and seat post because the ones that you have now are almost surely the wrong sizes.

Good luck!

fmw

I meant very few of your parts would work on a road frame. I think others provided some details. The question about wheels is pretty simple to deal with. Assuming you will get a MTB frame, you can use your existing wheels and just put 26X1.25 or 26X1.5 road slick tires on them.

dobber

Nicely summed up response with one error.

operator

Probably better off just buying a complete roadbike.

HillRider

....and 8-speed is obsolete...

Yeah, I know there are 8-speed low-line MTB groups and the Sora road group is still available but I expect they are going to be replaced soon. 8-speed road cassettes have pretty much disappeared from the major catalogs. Nashbar and Performance only list one or two 8-speed cassettes and they are 11x32 or some such. Campy 8-speed has been a NOS specialty for years.

I still have two bikes with 8-speed 105 STI components and one with 7-speed so I know about keeping older stuff going. I repeat. 8-speed is obsolete.

juicemouse

The word "obsolete" has a negative connotation associated with it, which I suspect is why dobber had the reaction he did. I wonder why you mentioned it at all, though. Hardly seems relevant to the OPs desire to convert his bike as inexpensively as possible. There's certainly nothing wrong with 8s componentry, and it's still very easy to get good quality replacement parts for. Not everything has to be purchased through the Nashbar/Performance/Supergo conglomerate. I'm sure you know all this.