That is really quit nice! I'd like to build one up like that for those days when we get 3' of snow here.

Deore components tarted as a touring group and predate the STX which is not bad kit at all but was a short lived group set... it is a little heavier (more steel in it) but is also fairly bombproof which is something you cannot say about XTR.

My Moulden XC is custom built on 853 Reynolds and is filet brazed and with a rack and fenders only weighs 24 pounds with nothing fancier than some light LX / Mavic wheels and a carbon crank... nekkid weight is about 22 pounds and it would not be hard to drop a few pounds off the bike.

That’s it! I’ve caught the bug. I will now have my eye out for a frame to build-up my very own blood-n-guts, blue collar, steel stomper bike. Thanks a lot people! As if I didn’t have enough undone business on my plate. Something my Mother used to say about me having eyes too big for my stomach comes to mind.

Nice thing about a well set up and road friendly mtb is that you can blow through and over most anything at very high speeds... I also don't hop curbs on my classic road bikes.

That's what I hear people say about 29er's. Is there any advantage to having larger wheels with fatty tires?

yep.. i love bombing around downtown on my MTB with road slicks.. though i did give myself a flat jumping curbs the other day lol

btw Rothenfield not sure how tall you are but theres a 17.5" Univega Alpina in downtown SJ.. i was gonna look at it but it's too small for me and not much flip potential in mtbs :\

https://sfbay.craigslist.org/sby/bik/2325700357.html

Oooh! That would punch the ticket at that price. But, I must be like you, that's a little small.

rothenfield1, Technically yes, a 29er will deliver a better ride than a 26er because of the larger circumfrence if using the same relative tire. Unless you're going to ride technical singletrack I don't think it makes much difference.

Brad

The significant difference is $, 26" rims and tires are all over the place for cheap! You'll be paying a premium for 29"

I picked up a GT Karakoram off of Craigslist recently for $20. It needs tubes/tires and cables. It's in decent shape with a bit of surface rust here and there (not on the frame). I put street tires on it and am waiting for an order from Niagara Cycle for the cables. I plan on using it as a general purpose utility bike and would like to add fenders etc. at some point. I like the triple triangle frame and wacky speckled paint job.

Finally found one. Picked up a Specialized Rockhopper. It has Shimano Exage 400LX, no working brakes, no tubes, Huffy rims, duct tape seat, rust...
Tore it down to the last bearing and slowing putting it together.
Looking at some parts to put on it... did anyone try those "lock-on" grips before?

Vintage mountain bikes are cheap and fun.

The first real vintage mountain bike I found was this 1995 Diamnondback Vertex WCF. I found it at a pawn shop in the fall when all the bikes were on sale. The guy helping me was trying to convince me to buy some nice Cannondale, but I couldn't pass up this bike with carbon fiber in the frame and almost half the price of the Cannondale. This is one bike I have never seriously considered selling. I am looking forward to riding it alot more this summer.