hey i can relate ;)

I agree with you completely.. though the type of people you describe would probably be fine on a flat bar bike too. Unfortunately the work, time and money involved in finding the right combo of frame/stem/bar/front brake cable stop (if running cantis) is a big obstacle for the average person. I think that's kind of why these kind of bikes remain a kind of "mechanics special" type bike.. in a funny way it's paying homage to the klunkers of old, re-purposing frames and combining components from different disciplines to make something new.

+1 to wrk101's great comment to the value of these builds... excellent bang for the buck!

+1 to frantik's reply regarding paying homage to the klunkers of old and "mechanics special" builds

Both are very well thought out and and I thoroughly agree with both of you! Plus, I'm a little jealous right now... my buddy just picked up a Cimarron frame for $25.00! He commented when he saw me sanding mine the other day that a nice high-end older mountain bike would make a great commuter, so he ran out and found one for a killer price! I told him all about this thread and all the cool innovative builds, he checked it out last night and said this thread inspired him to jump to action!

I've said it before and will say it again, this is a great thread and, yes, one for bike geeks.

This is very much like one that I want to do. I'll keep an eye out for any and all posts (thanks).

That's part of what I like about mine. It's something unique. Doohickie has a similar bike, but his is converted from a 700c hybrid. I thought it was a touring frame until he told me otherwise. With the 26" wheels, people look at mine and recognize it is different in some way, but not usually sure what. Most people, even cyclists, don't realize it was a MTB in a past life. It's getting ridden more than my road bike lately.

Thanks ftimw! I'm glad my build caught your interest... hopefully I don't throw you for a loop... I'm again changing directions with the cockpit set up on my Cimarron. I'd much rather try everything in the mock up stages of the build as opposed to doing a tear down later. I'm sticking with the SOMA Sparrow bars, I love 'em, me and the Sparrows have a history together... I built up a single speed cyclocross bike and ran the Sparrow bars on that bike with great results! Being the Sparrow bars are a must for this build and I'm not pleased with the XT thumb shifters and "Batwing" levers, I'm switching up and going with Shimano STI levers. The snag is the Sparrow bars are not compatible with 23.8mm road levers because the Sparrow clamp area is the mountain bike standard size of 22.2mm. Some research this morning yielding many suggestions for beer/soda cans or electrical tape as a shim but that simply isn't acceptable. That's a lot of aluminum can wrappings to make up the 1.6mm needed for a secure clamp for the STI levers. So, I made my own shims from 6061 aluminum I had in the parts bin, it took some work but the results are certainly worth the effort!

Pictured below:
1. My custom Area 51 CX bike with SOMA Sparrow bars
2. The shim I made from 6061 aluminum tubing
3. The shim fitted within the Shimano STI clamp (notice the 24.2 expandable size in the last photo)
4. The securely attached STI "Brifter" lever on the SOMA Sparrow bar

http://bikeforums.net/attachment.php...hmentid=290997http://bikeforums.net/attachment.php...hmentid=290998http://bikeforums.net/attachment.php...hmentid=290999http://bikeforums.net/attachment.php...hmentid=291000

^^^ I used aluminum cans when I was 10. Not acceptable anymore. :) I have looked at all manner of weird handlebars: woodchipper, sparrow, mustache, and still don't have a firm decision made. I'm don't HAVE to have one though as I'm still removing paint, old crank and stuck seat post. But yours just looked like what I have in mind. Thanks for an update! BTW, I'm thinking about plain ole fashioned levers and ??? shifters. Those batwings looked cool to me though.

Wow, what a coincidence! I picked up another early '82 Stumpjumper that has a stuck seatpost and the TA cranks are also stuck because the old guy (the original owner) stripped the crank threads on both sides... sucks!!!

Good luck!!!

The XT and regular Deore forgings probably are the same. The hardware on the XT, 730, is AL and that's why it's so much lighter. XT isn't that much different from regular Deore, in days of yore that is. Most of the weight savings was from replacing the steel with AL hardware.

Easily one of the nicest drop bar conversions on this thread.





bill[/QUOTE]

I've got an 82 myself. Unfortunately it's way too big for me. Unless I can find a smaller frame I'll probably save the group for another build. The 82 frame has braze on's that are different from all the other lugged Stumpjumpers.

Its funny, with all the bikes I own, I could take only one with me on a trip the last two weeks. So I naturally take the Cimmaron.

http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8504/8...49373191_b.jpg


http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8354/8...17a86140_b.jpg


Too bad it was so freakin cold (19 degrees at Zion).

^ that first pic is amazing!

ah i see a tiny difference now, on the pad mounting hardware

deore mt62
http://www.retrobike.co.uk/forum/fil...t62_01_129.jpg

deore XT m730
http://i838.photobucket.com/albums/z...roparts004.jpg

i compared some newer exage mt-4hundred something cantis.. they were the same geometry but totally different looking

Happy New Year!

Great shots wrk101, it's always nice to see your bike! Smart choice on the Cimarron, (if mine were as nice as yours) I'd love to throw a leg over for a two week trip through that beautiful country! You should post these pics in the Everyday Shots forum too, those guys love pics of nice bikes out and about. How did everything hold up? Any surprises along the way? I really dig seeing pics of my bikes in other places, sort of proof that the bikes (and myself) have been places. It's always nice to get away from familiar territory but after some time away it's also nice to get home. Thanks for sharing... you've again lit the fire under me to finish up the sanding and my Cimarron painted (fitting the Sparrow bars with the STI levers yesterday helped too:thumb:)!

Best wishes to all for 2013!!!

-D-

I went to Zion some years back. I don't think I've ever seen a place that compares. Except maybe for Sundance, and of course the Grand Canyon. Yeah, I've pretty much been everywhere, hehe.


I am trying to decide which of my three mtb's will get converted. Well the Haro is probably out since it has a suspension fork(older so no lockout). So, the choice is between my 88 Cannondale M1000(6 speed) and my 88 Schwinn High Sierra(7 speed) I have bar ends for the High Sierra, so unless I switch everything out between both bikes, it will probably mean the High Sierra gets the nod. Whichever one gets converted is the keeper, and I REALLY love both bikes. It's going to be a tough decision. The Cannondale "would" seem cooler and more exotic, and I have decals for it, so it can be powdercoated without losing too much originality. Both bikes have XT from different years.. I am thinking a drop bar 26 inch Cannondale with new paint and decals, and with the more modern 7 speed XT(the group is nearly immaculate), would be the obvious choice.

The 88 High Sierra isn't the smoked chrome. It would be a no brainer otherwise. Essentially I would put the High Sierra group on the repainted Cannondale, along with drop bars, and 7 speed indexed barends. Should be a sweet rider, and look amazing at the same time.,,,,BD

The M1000...

http://i114.photobucket.com/albums/n...r/DSCN4505.jpg

The High Sierra.

http://farm7.staticflickr.com/6038/6...48721268_b.jpg

I've got one in progress. I'm considering the suspension fork shown, just until I can dig up a nice silver fork. I'm thinking an aluminum fork stripped and lightly polished would be nice...

http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8501/8...5cfdc501_o.jpg
Silver Bullet by Lester.L., on Flickr

Actually, I just dug up some nice nutted calipers so sproing fork is out.

Sorry for the delay in responding. Been hanging out with new Grandson.
They are AT-50's as someone already figured out. Already sold that one & moved on to the lighter Cimarron which
I may now need to part with because of getting the bike count up to about 9 and just no room and can't do justice to riding that many although I did manage to get in 5050 miles in in 2012 mostly on 3 to 4 different bikes with 3000 plus of those on my 84 Schwinn Voyageur & about 1300 on my 77 Ron Cooper.

Note: I asked Cannondale Tech people about powder coating and they replied, "do NOT powder coat Cannondale frames because the aluminum is affected by the baking. Drop them an email to confirm, my frame is an early eighties.

Hmmm, 450* or less can do that much damage? Does it make it brittle, or just super stiff? I have a pint of GM Torch red basecoat, but I was going to reserve that for repainting the club fuji one day. Hmmm.. FWIW I have seen a powdered Raleigh Technium, and as far as I know it is still going strong. It was in perfect condition, but they had to make it hot pink.,,,,BD

I have always been tempted to strip and polish it. The decals are white though? They would disappear, at least in pictues.

I was looking at getting a set of forged aluminum wheels (car) powder coated and an experienced wheel refinishing company discouraged it in a similar fashion. They said baking doesn't effect all aluminum but felt it wasn't safe for the wheels in question.

For me the no brainer would be the High Sierra... dirt drop bars and roller cams brakes... uber eye candy all the way!!!

I love the look of roller cam brakes! I recently finished a klunker build on a 1982 5th anniversary Diamond Back California Klunker. I was able to utilize a plate adapter and run roller cams, I'm really pleased with the outcome. The bike catches many kind words from the old '70's BMX crowd, all the guys in their 40's and older that remember those early days.
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I was thinking weight wise. I guess I am still stuck thinking about the regular Sierra I built a while back. Once it was all built up with a rack, fenders, etc, it was hovering around 33 pounds. The C'dales tips the scales around 27 and some change, which is still pretty impressive on mid range mtb's these days. That Sierra was a TANK! even with "modern" lightweight components and wheels.,,,,BD

http://i114.photobucket.com/albums/n...r/DSCN4483.jpg

Well, the weight, and the fact that roller cams have NO fender clearance.,,,,BD

Hey, that sounds like you have to go with the Cannondale, feel free to send the High Sierra my way! I already have a 1988 High Sierra in yellow, so yours will round out the color options... I'll force myself to enjoy the fillet brazed head tube, roller cams, and the weight. Go ahead and cut that boat anchor loose, my address is...