AngryEggplant

I am very much a newbie to the world of bikes so please excuse my ignorance!

I have a Sekai GT Deluxe 2700 road bike. I am just a casual rider. I use my bike to get around campus and the like, nothing very intense. It is a 21" frame (from end of the top tube to the center of the crank, I think that's how you measure?) which is a little big for me at 5'2". The current wheels are 27"x1-3/8". Could I possibly change the wheels to a 26"x1-3/8" or something similar to lower the frame to the ground a little more? I know the best option would be to just get a frame that fits me but I just don't have the money to buy new and could never find one on Craigslist/thrift stores/etc. I looked at other posts asking a similar question and it seemed like the most frequently stated problem was the brake pads not being able to reach the wheel, if I understood correctly. What other issues could arise?

Also, my bike faced a horrible accident today in which the handlebars were crushed and the front fork, brakes, brake levers, and wheel were all bent (everything else seems okay, luckily). In other words, the whole front half of it needs to be replaced anyway. With this in mind, does it make it any more feasible? And if it is, what would I need to do to accommodate for the change?

Here is a general picture of my bike (before it got wrecked today ). I don't know if I need to add any more specific pictures or descriptions of parts, etc, so let me know!

RaleighSport

You're making me twitch. I'm a huge fan of Sekai and that bike is twin for my 2700 in tan as well.. at this point you're looking at buying a new set of parts that may end up adding up to what a 3 speed or mountain bike with 26 inch wheels would cost you. I really don't want to say it, but the Sekai might just be a money pit since it's damaged and the wrong size.

AEO

There are a number of problems in switching wheel sizes from what the frame was designed for.

Long story short, it's not worth it.


A new fork for 26" wheels, a 26" front wheel and various parts that you would have to buy would cost more than a used MTB off of craigslist or similar. Unless you can get the parts for free, you're seriously better off with just trying to find a used extra small MTB. This is ignoring the fact that the handling of the bike will be drastically different with a shorter and lower front end than it was originally designed for.

wrk101

+487 Just get an older rigid frame MTB, they are plentiful and cheap, and will cost you a lot less than the modifications, not even close. This is before your bike was wrecked. Better check the main frame for rippling. Given your description of the crash, I would be surprised if there is not some main frame damage, typically seen on the DT and TT near the headtube. First indication is some paint loss on the bottom of the tubes, followed by rippling of the tubes at that spot.

catmandew52

Better of getting something like this ,https://boise.craigslist.org/bik/2894575811.html
and putting some slicks on it.
Probably cheaper too.

fietsbob

Wheel diameter.. 630 minus 559=71, half of that is the radial size drop. 35.5.
plan to Brake into tire ? !.
you drop the frame's BB height to hit pedals against ground easier.
converting to 700c is more realistic, thats 4mm 622 is the center of the brake track..

HillRider

Correct IF the bike were worth restoring. I agree with those who advise it isn't. Even if the frame is not damaged (which seems unlikely) the repair parts would far exceed the cost of a suitable replacement bike. Also, as RaleighSport noted, that bike appears too big for you even when it was intact.

Chris W.

Welcome to BF!!! Very sorry to hear about your bike being crunched. What part of Idaho are you in? I may be able to help you out!

Cheers,
Chris

AngryEggplant

Thank you for your replies, everyone. I knew it would be too good to be possible. I looked for the signs of rippling that wrk101 mentioned but I didn't see anything. I'm going to bring it to a local bicycle recycling center/workshop and have them take a look at it since they can physically assess the damage and I can see about affordable parts (IF it's salvageable). I also have another cheap bike to fix up a little to sell so maybe I can use that to buffer some of the expenses. I REALLY love this bike, I don't want to lose it. I don't want a MTB frame for a few reasons so I guess back it's back to scouring Craigslist for a few months if it's too far gone like it sounds. So depressing.

Chris, I live in Boise. We're in the same area! I'd love if you could help me out.

cny-bikeman

If that seat height is right for you (leg slightly bent at bottom of the stroke) then lowering things "a little bit" is not going to help. Don't even consider fixing an inexpensive bike with that bad a crash when it does not fit.

I would suggest a bike with 24" wheels. If a mountain bike is OK there's one in Boise for $30! https://boise.craigslist.org/bik/2894502815.html, but either road or mountain bike can be found in 24".

p.s. The other one noted above in Craigslist is of course way too big for you.

Myosmith

Keep looking for a smaller frame. You can always swap components from one to the other if the newer bike has lower level components. The problem with smaller wheels isn't just making the brakes work, it can throw of geometry and lowers your bottom bracket. You have fairly long crank by the look of it. Drop them too much and you're going to run into problems with pedal strike on turns. I ride a 21" or so frame and when I hunt bikes I have the opposite problem you are having. I can find 17, 18 and 19 inch frames easily but anything over 19 is much harder to find.

Good luck in your search.

RaleighSport

Please let us know what the shop says, I'm praying your Sekai rejoins the world of working bikes.

cny-bikeman

Forget completely swapping parts, as it's very unlikely you will find a small frame, and even then you still have damaged components to add, plus either time or cost in labor. Your best bet is a mountain bike (or if you are very lucky a hybrid) - either 24" wheels or a 17" frame, which is much easier to find than a small fram road bike.

AngryEggplant

I very much hope that my beautiful Sekai gets on the road again someday. If it is, I sadly won't be the one to rebuild it. Chris W. graciously offered me a 19" Trek 420 frame which I am going to try and rebuild instead as the size is probably as good as I'm going to get without buying new. I will likely try to sell my Sekai frame for a few bucks (assuming it's not bent) to assist in paying for parts. This kind of breaks my heart.

Unfortunately, I'm very stubborn and all too willing to do things the hard way. I also love DIY projects. The mountain bike route is just a no go. I much rather try and rebuild this Trek 420 frame than get a clunky cheap mountain bike. I get the feeling I'm going to be told I'm being a fool but, as I said, I like to do things the hard way.

Wish me luck and hope all my non-broken parts fit on the new frame! I imagine I'll be back to pester the forum with more stupid questions during the process.

RaleighSport

Breaks my heart too . As for your wrenching best of luck to you! Are you going to transplant parts from the sekai to the trek, or are you starting from scratch?

ThermionicScott 

Just out of curiosity, is your saddle low so that you can reach your feet to the ground? (That's the impression I get from your attempt to lower the whole frame.) If so, that's the wrong way to do it, and could be bad for your knees. The saddle height needs to be set so that your legs almost fully extend while pedaling.

Hope this helps.

cny-bikeman

[QUOTE=AngryEggplant;13960715]Unfortunately, I'm very stubborn and all too willing to do things the hard way. I also love DIY projects. The mountain bike route is just a no go. I much rather try and rebuild this Trek 420 frame than get a clunky cheap mountain bike. I get the feeling I'm going to be told I'm being a fool but, as I said, I like to do things the hard way.

QUOTE]

I certainly understand wanting to stay with a road bike - had no way of knowing what your priorities were. As for swapping parts I was referring mainly to the cost factor, as you said you could not afford a new bike. Now that you have found a frame that might work with your new parts it's a little different story.

AngryEggplant

I'm going to use what parts I can from the Sekai and transplant them to the Trek 420. I'm taking the derailleurs, rear wheel, and rear brake caliper for sure (and the cables if they'll work, ha). I have the seat post in the Trek right now but it's a little small so I might leave it with the frame. I am unsure about the bottom bracket (and crankset as a result, I suppose), headset, and stem. I don't know if they fit or not since I don't know the sizes for the Trek. I haven't gotten my hands on the correct tools to get the headset or bottom bracket off to physically see for sure. I really hope the bottom bracket fits at least!

Oh, also some good news about the Sekai! I will be giving Chris W the frame so we know it's in good hands.

Ah, I'm sorry. Other people had mentioned just getting mountain bike earlier in the thread and I had said I was not interested, I thought you were insisting on it. My mistake. I guess my initial question for the thread is a bit irrelevant now because I have a frame that fits me now!