Could I build up this frame with...
 

mostly/partly road bike parts??

http://portland.craigslist.org/mlt/bik/1359693121.html

I'm thinking skinny(ish) tires, drop bars, bar end shifters, etc. I wanna get the kind of brakes the mount on the post things and kinda stick out to the side... you see them on cross bikes a lot, I think. I basically wanna make it a bombproof commuter/touring bike/rain bike with road bike handlebars and stuff... Is this possible?

Possible. A road crankset might clear the chainstays (one potential issue). The hanger tube is probably 73mm instead of the standard 68mm used on road bikes so try to re-use the BB that's already on it.

Check here to understand the type of brakes you can use on this fork. Your choice is between Traditional Cantilever brakes and V-Brakes. Which one you choose will determine which brake levers you will need.

I'm sure there are other issues, but you'll find those as you go. ;)

Depending on the frame, you may be able to run 700 wheels. I can on a 1989 Giant Iguana, but I had to buy and old school set of adjustable ONZA brakes.

I'd be fine w/ a normal mtb crank n stuff. I think the brakes I was talking about are the traditional cantilever ones. I'm more worried about the handlebars/brake levers/etc.

Everything you mentioned should be fine. Crank clearance might be an issue, but a triple is nice to have anyway. As far as a front derailer, well it's a front derailer, if you're using friction shifting (I assume you are) just about anything that fits the bike and matches the chainrings will work.

The only issue you're going to have is with fit. it's not impossible, but is more difficult to fit a mountain bike with drop bars comfortable. The top tube tends to be longer, making for an uncomfortably stretched ridding position. If I were you (and I was just a few months ago) I'd either buy a nice adjustable stem, or at the very least a quill stem with an 'open' faceplate so make stem switches easier. You will probably have to swap around to see what fits, even moreso than on a road bilke.

Is that a 1 1/8" Threaded headset (1" diameter hole)? You might be hard pressed getting a road stem that size.
If it's 1" (smaller than 1" hole, 7/8" I think), you're in business, though.

Check over in the Touring subforum. I believe there is a lengthy thread on mtb touring conversions.

If you want to use a square taper crank (e.g., Sugino XD), you can get a Shimano UN54 bottom bracket to fit a 73mm shell. Or you can get a Deore crank with external bearings. There are options.

Traditional (centerpull) cantilevers are compatible with short pull brake levers, which is the same as you'll find on standard road brake levers. Choose between current Shimano BL400/600, Tektro 200, etc. Or you can shop for older levers (e.g., Shimano 600) at the usual places.

Bar is your choice, but keep two things in mind; the bar diameter needs to be compatible with your stem, and the reach varies somewhat between different drop bars. A bar with a long reach to the hoods will effectively stretch you out more, which might be fine if the top tube of the frame isn't too long for your upper body, or you want to run your bar higher.

Like fuzz said, fit is the real issue. Your first stem/bar combo might not put you in the ideal position, so spend wisely. And LesterOfPuppets raised a good concern; there are a number of options for quill stems compatible with 1" headsets. Don't know about 1-1/8" options. You might want to find out before diving in, though.

Well I got the frame.

I'm pretty excited, I've never done anything like this before.

It has a few rusty spots but I think they should be ok. I'll post pix/questions/etc in a new thread.

If it is a 1 1/8" threaded, well, for one, you really are in the exact same boat as me. It will make your life a lot harder, as there aren't many stems made.

if this is the case, I suggest the first thing you do is buy a threaded to threadless converter. Profile design makes one that fits your needs.
http://penncycle.com/images/library/...erter_03_m.jpg
just make sure it's for 1 1/8"

Once you have that, select your handlebars, and only then should you buy a stem. But luckily you'll have an almost endless supply of choices, as 1 1/8 threadless is near universal


Or it could just be that you have a normal 1 inch quill, in that case, disregard the above.

Even better, do this simple test for size
http://www.sheldonbrown.com/images/h...threaded-1.jpg
for 1" threaded

http://www.sheldonbrown.com/images/h...readed-118.jpg
for 1 1/8th threaded

Last night....

I tried turning a 2006 specialized hardrock frame in to a road bike/cross bike

I put a road fork in it, and the handle-ing was so poor. But on a straight sprint, it was flying. So it was basically like a tri-bike. Cornering poor, but fast. I disasembled it. Makes me wonder if theres a happy medium in between road fork and big-long-heavy mtb suspension fork.

Well the hole is exactly 1" in diameter (I think). It says 25.4 on the top...

I found a lot of quill stems for 1" and 1 1/8" but I'm not sure which one I'm looking for...?

If the hole is 1", you need a 1 1/8" quill. The 1 1/8" refers to the outside diameter of the steerer. A quill stem for a 1" steerer measures 7/8".

"Last night....

I tried turning a 2006 specialized hardrock frame in to a road bike/cross bike

I put a road fork in it, and the handle-ing was so poor. But on a straight sprint, it was flying. So it was basically like a tri-bike. Cornering poor, but fast. I disasembled it. Makes me wonder if theres a happy medium in between road fork and big-long-heavy mtb suspension fork."


This is because the rake of the forks on your hard rock are 38mm(Taken from 2009 specialized website, I doubt this has changed much in 2 years), and a good majority of road forks are somewhere between 43-45mm. There some manfacturers that use forks with less/more rake but they use head tube angles to compensate and the end result(trail) is still the same.

Here is some good reading on how rake and trail affects handling:

http://davesbikeblog.blogspot.com/20...le-bit-of.html

http://velonews.com/article/7322