Wintermute: Those bars were actually my second choice the first being WTB dirt drops but I couldn't find any of those and when I finally did they were very expensive. Those Ichigear bars were under $30.

1987 Stumpjumper

^Very nice Stumpjumper!

Agreed, it's a beauty, love the moustache bars. Would love to see a nice light weight stem on there though. Like a salsa or ritchey or something.

That Stumpjumper is sweet. Lovin' the chainstay u-brakes!

+1 That's in really nice shape. Cool color scheme too - a bit understated for the '80s but still lively enough to put a grin on your face I'll bet. What bars are those?

I'm looking for recommendations for a 26in street tire with at least 1.75min width. any advice?
preferably not too heavy

I am assuming you are from the northside of Chicago? If so, hello! Same here! Jeff Park/Gladstone park area.

As for a tire, I picked up the Continental Double Fighter II tires and love them. No flats, about 600 miles so far, and they eat up the lovely road surfaces of Chicago without an issue. Great smooth tread with some more aggressive tread on the sides if you end up on a non-asphalt surface. I will definitely be purchasing another set when these wear out. I have a 26" x 1.95" tire on my conversion. I am able to maintain the same speeds I saw on my old road bike, my top speeds (sprints) haven't change much except for the gearing on the bike, and they are relatively quiet.

However, currently not riding due to a broken hand, but I plan on riding in the snow which from what I read these are a decent all season tire. Especially since Chicago plows the streets.

Panaracer Pasela or if you have the extra coin, Compass

I cant find the paselas in all black. not sure if they exist. I have the tan walls on another bike and like them. but paid under 20 somehow. would like to find something at that price.

nashbar/performance have good ones for even less, but 1.5in is the max. chitown mike's idea of a smooth middle aggressive sides tire is a good suggestion I hadn't considered. most I'm seeing are either heavy or pricey too.

That is really is nicely done. Bars are a great touch too.

Thanks for sharing. Only trouble is that bike makes me want to start another one.

Bike addiction 101...

1. Don't start!

2. Give up... you're hooked and you'll never stop building as there will always be more inspiration!!!

Teaser...

looks like a nice steel giant you got there. ^

Don't overlook the Panaracer T-Serv, all black. Same carcass as the Compass and less expensive. Runs about $40.00 each. Mine ride great.

Without getting into brand recommendations, can any of you share your experiences with different radius issues stemming from the huge frame clearance on older MTBs? Like, is it better to use a fender designed for 700c wheelsets in some instances? I'm finding that may I have to do that with some of them if I want to maintain even clearance between the tire and fender all the way around. Is it mostly hit or miss, or have any of you figured out a frame clearance "cutoff" distance that determines which is better?

I would use a spacer of some kind to bring the fender closer to the tire no matter what size you use. This bike is wearing Planet Bike 700c fenders with 26 x 1.25 tires. I spaced the front edge of the rear fender (don't remember what I used; either cork or an alloy spacer), then used the stays to pull the radius in to achieve a decent fender line. I have no idea whether other brands or materials would adapt their radius, but with these it was a snap.

Ok, that's heading in the right direction. Since you brought it up, what's a good rule of thumb for general tire clearance, assuming I could change the radius however much I needed to? I mean, assuming I won't be 'froadin through sticky river mud, what is a good distance to maintain from the tread block? I put a set of 700 fenders onto my Alpina Pro with WTB Slick 1.5s just as a mock up, and the clearance was even, but it was a good 1-3/8" away from the tread. Would that much clearance cause issues with drag at higher speeds/in high winds? Or is that effect negligible? Or should I spend the next year and $1k trying out different combinations and post my findings in a separate thread?

I use the correct fender size for the wheel size on all my bikes so far. The only issue I have had is a small amount of lift at the front edge of the front fender on one MTB. I make my own spacers as needed and I like to run my clearance as tight as possible (usually no light visible around the tire). I should note that these are all on-road use for wet weather, no mud. I am starting my first winter of commuting and I expect to increase my clearances some to accommodate snow and slush.

[MENTION=35900]one[/MENTION] haff wulf: Can you stand yet another question about your bike? I think one thing that makes it look so "clean" is you have your shifter cables under the handlebar tape instead of sticking out from near the bottom as so many do.

How is your shifting with all that extra cable length?

I ask because I'm interested in bar-end shifters when I do my eventual drop bar conversion but I don't like the idea of having cables exit from the drops where my hands will sometimes be, yet I assume that having the cables run the length of the bar might make shifting a little sloppy, especially in index mode.

Thanks.

[Squeeze]

I know the above question was directed at one half wuff, but thought I'd provide my experiences with such routing. I also prefer the clean and less cables look of wrapping the bar end housings. I did it to my Schwinn Crosscut gravel grinder and Trek 1000 road bike. Both used Ultegra 8-speed shifters. I did not have any loss of shifting precision. Note, I do prefer to cross the cables under the down tube whenever possible to reduce the bends exiting the bars.
Just use a well made derailleur cable like the SRAM 1.1mm die-drawn and PTFE-coated tandem model for the long run to the rear. I used a 1.2mm Jagwire tandem cable before discovering the SRAM offering. But my shifting is functioning fine.

I agree, I don't like to see light between the tire and fender. Also it seems to me the fender will do its job better if it's closer to the tire, all else being equal. Usually the fenderline comes down to some compromise of 1. aesthetics; 2. stay bridge clearance (not so much on mtbs); 3. clearance for wheel removal (not as critical with vertical dropouts). If #2 isn't an issue then I would space the front of the fender so it looks good and allows for wheel removal, then maintain that fenderline by whatever means you can devise.

An mtb with vertical dropouts should be one of the easiest bikes to fit with fenders. On one with horizontal dropouts, depending on the tire size, I might be inclined to space the fender so that the tire has to be deflated for removal. To do otherwise would, to my eye at least, create too much space when the wheel is mounted.

Thanks for your input, WNG. Much appreciated.

Not my bike, but saw this interesting drop-bar conversion on Portland Craigslist:

https://portland.craigslist.org/mlt/bik/4200539824.html
26" Wheel Touring / Commuter with Surly Fork and Chris King - $380 (Ne Portland)
This is a Gary Fisher steel mtb frame converted to a touring/commuter bike. It has dura ace bar end shifters, salsa stem and handle bars, cane creek levers and brakes, chris king headset, brand new chain, cassette, and chainrings, XT read derailer, sugino cranks. I just did a full tune up and put new cables and housing on. Should fit someone 5'7" to 5'10 or so.

No. 1; that's what I'm planning on doing as well.