Bluelight

Most people get blown away when I tell them that the bike is a vintage Sasquatch. The following question is usually "Isn't that a mountain bike??!" And all I say is 'yeup!' . Some have actually thought that it's a Rivendell of sorts, I take that as a great compliment.

noglider 

cobrabyte, that's admirable work. What kind of light is that?

cobrabyte

Thank You! The light is a cheap SunLite brand I picked up at the LBS for around $10, it came with the AAA batteries so a decent value. I'm going to use rechargable batteries once these run out. I do plan on a dynamo hub light for my Kogswell build, and may upgrade this light too as the shorter days have me using it much more often. It provides a decent beam and is quite noticable to car drivers which is its main duty.

noglider 

I love my dynamo light system. I use a Sanyo hub.

pstake 

Hi, everyone ... love this thread. My winter bike is a drop-bar conversion as of last week. Last year, I rode it with its original bars. It's a 1988 Schwinn Impact with studded tires.

Anyway, I have a question. I'm planning to build a Gravel Grinder / distance touring bike from a 1993 Jamis Dakota frame and fork that I picked up for a good price. The frame size is 21.5" (seat tube c-t). The effective top tube measures 23.5 inch.

As a mountain bike, this would be too big. I am 5'8"

I'm wondering if it's going to be too big even to use as a gravel bike with drops. The frame is in great shape and made of Tange MTB double butted, and I had read somewhere that it's best to get a larger size if you are planning to convert a 26" MTB into a touring rig.

Just wondering if I ought to explore trading this frame for a smaller size or if it will work with some stem adjustments.

Any shorter guys on the thread who can chime in?

Cheers,
Phil

frantik

the 21.5" frame might be a hair big for you.. i'm 5'11" and my 22" frame is at the very limit of how big i'd like a mtb frame, even for city/touring riding

frantik

this article from 1983 about mtbs as "city bikes" popped up in the Univega thread... i think some of you guys might enjoy it https://books.google.com/books?id=mOI...nivega&f=false

pstake 

Here's a picture of my 1988 Schwinn Impact winter bike. This will be the first year I've used it with drops. Forgive the half-wrapped handlebars. I'm planning to recycle some bar tape when I get new tape for my girlfriend's race bike.

RFC

It all depends on your body dimensions. I am 5'8", but half legs. It works fine on height and I still have a good deal of seat post. The reach, however, can be a challenge. This can be remedied by a no setback seat post and/or shorter stem. Also, with gravel/touring tires, the height should drop about 1." If you have a more normal build, as long as you can stand over it, you should be OK.

This Procaliber is about the same size as your bike. The reach is a little long for me, however, I wanted to keep the Fisher stem. I could easily shorted the reach with a shorter stem.

[EDIT] Actually, it appears that the Procaliber is a size up from your bike. I think you'll be fine.

pstake 

Thanks, RFC ... I'm a little long legged for my height but still only about 30.5 inseam. I think I'm going to go for a size or two smaller.

Nnice Ride!

frantik

that is def a nice bike and i'm really surprised someone 5'8" could ride it, especially with that much seat post!

RFC

Enhanced legs. 34" cycling inseam.

Yo Spiff

I'm 5'7" with short legs and I ride one a little shorter than what you are showing. If you don't have stumpy legs like me, that frame might fit decently. I have plenty of top tube clearance, but I had to do 3 handlebar swaps until I got the reach to the brakes close enough for my preference. Here's mine, as a point of reference:

Commuter scooter by Yo Spiff, on Flickr

lieven

1998 Mongoose Switchback dx. Needs a shorter stem.

RFC

Very nice photo. I like blue and brown contrast. Both complementary and clash.

due ruote 

Thanks for the compliment. I agree about the stem - this one is a cheap Nashbar/Kalloy and doesn't measure up aesthetically to the quill (I think it was SR) that I had on before. The problem is, the Midge bars wouldn't even begin to go into a standard quill; not even close. A removable face plate is essential. I also needed the rise to get the position right. Now that I have figured out the length and rise with this economy version, I can keep my eyes open for something prettier, whatever that may be. I had a Profile Boa on it briefly and I wasn't crazy about the looks of that one either.

pstake 

Thanks that is helpful and good to know. Can I ask what your top tube and seat tube measure?

Yo Spiff

I'll have to do measurements when I get home this evening. I think the seat tube is around 18".

pstake 

Appreciate it, Spliff.

If it's 18" c-t on the seat tube, that's about 3.5" shorter than the seat tube on my Jamis. Top tube is more important to me.

Good news, though. I measured my winter bike frame, the Schwinn ... which I always knew was too big ... and it's about the same size as the Jamis. Maybe even a tad bigger. And I ride it comfortable although, flat-footed, that top tube gets a little more intimate that one might like ... haha ...

Coreyk

Has anyone here used Schwalbe Fat Franks on their MTB-to-drop-bar conversions? I am wondering if I want to go that route on my own.

CoreyK

frantik

^ Kenda K838 area nice/cheaper alternative to the fat franks.. plan on running them on my univega alpina (until i upgrade to something lighter and more supple

IthaDan 

Talk to me about stems. I see all you have moonshot angled stems to get the tops up high enough with the short headtubes of MTB frames. I just picked this up today, think it will hack it? Would compact drops help? I have a pair of serviceable, but not very pretty tricolor brifters in the partsbin. For that matter, brifters on a MTB? It'd have to be double, but that's not a big deal. Even if I'm channelling YETI-era Tomac, I'm 100% ok with that.

Think this is enough rise to get drops on there? Compact drops maybe?

frantik

^ on that i'd be more concerned about the reach which is pretty long already.. depending on what bars you use, the cruising position will be pushed father out because you will be riding in the drops or on the hoods more than the cross bar

a bar with a compact drop or any bar not much extension before the drop would be better for that stem.

Shutter

Hi... This idea is VERY cool... Question... can I buy any old mountain bike like this and install a new set of cantilever brakes on it? I.e. are the mounts on the 80's bikes the same spacing setup as the mounts on newer cross bikes that new cantilever brakes are designed for?

thanks!

pstake 

Yup.