daf1009

Hi Gang...question...

If I were looking for a good, steel framed, hard tail MTB...what models might I look for to get the best deal? A friend of mine is looking for one for his wife. He originally wanted a Cyclocross type...but I told him he could probably get a good deal on hard tail MTB...and accessorize it as a CC type bike.

Thanks, of course, for all help!

Cyclist0108

Jamis Dragonslayer is an option I have had my eye on:

Jamis Dragon Series - Steel Hardtail Trail Bikes

Having said that, I have done most of my "mountain biking" recently on a steel cyclocross-type bike, so I wouldn't dismiss that idea.

gomango

I would order up a Black Mountain Cycles Monstercross frameset and be done with it.

Fairly inexpensive, rides great, tons of braze-ons and takes really wide tires.

Home - Black Mountain Cycles

I could likely live with just that bike and my Yeti SB5.

I've converted tons of older mtbs and nothing comes close. ymmv and imho of course.

gomango

Those look sweet.

Not familiar with the Dragonslayer line, but they look like great bikes for bikepacking.

Don't think I'd want to shoulder one for a cross race, but I suppose we could say that about a lot of bikes.

KonAaron Snake 

I'm assuming you mean older stuff?

Don't restrict yourself to a brand! Look for the features/tubing you want, be patient and strike. I got a great deal on my Rocky Mountain because it's a bit less known. Obviously the Trek 930/950/970 bikes...I had a great diamond back like this that I bought ages ago from Nikkorod. Stumpjumpers.

NickFavicchio 

Stumpies are great but people want money for them. The Rockhopper Comp had the same frame - may be able to scare one up cheap.

I'm a sucker for tubing stickers . If your fussy about your steel, look for Prestige stickers.

Imo, butted 4130, regardless of who made it, is usually a good bet if you're not too fussy. Straight gauge MTN bikes can be heavy.

KonAaron Snake 

Maybe I've just been lucky, but I've managed to turn up a few 90s era stump jumpers on the cheap. Round' these parts they often go low dollar.

I haven't built it up yet, but I found a Monster Chance for short money a few weeks ago...BRIGHT PINK. I'm going to turn it into some sort of 1x townie.

Basically we're saying the same thing...ignore the model, look at the tubing. If you see Tange Prestige, strike. That was some seriously nice steel.

bikemig 

Generallt, vintage MTBs do not command a high price with some exceptions. I see vintage Trek 950s and 930s selling on a regular basis locally for between $100-$200. I picked up a very, very clean 1993 Trek 950 last year for $125. Stumpjumpers can be had around that price as well but tend not to pop up as often.

Tange prestige frames should command a premium over that. I have two vintage tange prestige MTBs--a 1991 Team Stumpjumper and a 1993 Bridgestone MB 1-- and they are phenomenal bikes. You are talking about a noticeable weight difference, by and large, when getting a vintage tange prestige TMB.

corrado33

I think the raleigh 4130 is essentially a steel version of their tokul. In fact, it's called the "Tokul 4130." Given the price and specs, it most closely mirrors the Tokul 3 in specifications.

If she's just looking for a "flat gravel trail" bike, then any old MTB will work as long as she's comfortable on it.

bargainguy

I love old steel MTBs, worked on a boatload of 'em. They can be adapted to a wide variety of uses: urban bombers, singletrack, weight loss bikes, you name it.

But I wonder if the OP's friend's wife realizes that they are generally much heavier as originally equipped than a cross bike, and the geometry can be quite different as well. If the wife has a small build, sometimes even more difficult to fit properly, as they didn't always make a full range of sizes back then.

I wonder if it would be better to adapt an older steel hybrid rather than an MTB for her. You get many of the same benefits: canti studs and a triple crank, for ex., but without the heft associated with steel MTBs. And judging by my own experience, an older steel hybrid need not be costly; you just have to wait for the right one to show up at the right price.

Squeeze

If that's true, is it safe to guess that '90s HardRocks and '90s RockHoppers (not Comp) had the same frames?

Or did Specialized have three different frames for MTBs in during this era?

Thanks.

T-Mar

I'd be looking at one of the Bianchi cross terrain models, such as a Volpe, as they were designed for 700C wheels.

bradtx

I agree. Another good find would be a Redline CX bike from the '90s.

Brad

bikemig 

Bikes are made to hit a price point. Typically--but not always--manufacturers used higher end steel on their "better" bikes and better parts. Hard to say about the frame without a catalog but for sure the parts were better. I have a 90s hardrock I just sold and a 90s rockhopper. The parts were just better on the rockhopper and from the tubing sticker I assumed that the frame was a bit nicer but not 100% certain of that.

canklecat

Univegas too. Not well recognized in some areas so they often sell cheaper.

And there are a couple of long threads on converting mountain bikes for folks who prefer drop bars or something other than flat bars. I put slight riser bars on my Univega for comfort and it suits me for casual gravel rides. But it's adaptable to drop bars with the right stem and brake levers, or flipped albatross or north roads bars with the original stem and levers to keep the cost low.

ThermionicScott 

My brother gave me the 1988 Diamondback Ascent for free, and I think he'd gotten at a college auction for $20.

Hard to beat that kind of a deal.