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Show Your Vintage MTB Drop Bar Conversions

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Show Your Vintage MTB Drop Bar Conversions

Old 07-30-13, 08:31 AM
  #2226  
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She's rideable! Shaved 7 minutes off my loop this morning. Check out the fly shifter levers... lol
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Old 07-30-13, 08:33 AM
  #2227  
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Originally Posted by RunningBulldog
She's rideable! Shaved 7 minutes off my loop this morning. Check out the fly shifter levers... lol
o.O Is that a modern threadless setup with stem shifters jury rigged on? If so how? Great job btw.
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Old 07-30-13, 09:12 AM
  #2228  
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Originally Posted by RaleighSport
o.O Is that a modern threadless setup with stem shifters jury rigged on? If so how? Great job btw.
Thanks!

The stem sifters are mounted on a ring thing that would originally been clamped down by the stem nut... I just found a washer of the right size and used that with the bolt that runs through the star nut inside the threadless steering tube. I'd like a nicer looking washer, and an allen bolt instead of the 10mm one I got at Menard's, but it works for now...
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Old 07-30-13, 10:25 AM
  #2229  
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Originally Posted by RunningBulldog
Thanks!

The stem sifters are mounted on a ring thing that would originally been clamped down by the stem nut... I just found a washer of the right size and used that with the bolt that runs through the star nut inside the threadless steering tube. I'd like a nicer looking washer, and an allen bolt instead of the 10mm one I got at Menard's, but it works for now...
Very clever!
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Old 07-31-13, 01:41 PM
  #2230  
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Just finished this yesterday. Got the frame/fork, headset, crankset and RD free from work. The rest I bought or had from my Ti dropbar bike I converted back to a rigid mtb. I have $100 into it. This beast feels pretty heavy to say the least compared to the Ti bike. It'll be my new camp bike once I add a rack as I have panniers waiting for it. Once the smoke leaves I can give it some miles. But right now it's quite unhealthy to be doing anything active outside with five large wildland fires in less then 50 miles away. And yes the bars are really that chubby...they're double wrapped as this is going to be a totally comfy rider. Gotta love the freebies of working at a bike shop.


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Old 07-31-13, 03:54 PM
  #2231  
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^Man, those tires are beefy too!
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Old 07-31-13, 06:15 PM
  #2232  
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They're only 26x1.75" Tour Rides that have a pretty weak tread pattern on them. This is my poor man's Vaya. lol.
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Old 08-05-13, 08:26 AM
  #2233  
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Not exactly vintage but it is a drop bar conversion. My Fetish Cycles commuter buildup. So comfortable and a spirited performer with the 9 speed mountain cassette and 26 x 1.5 slicks.



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Old 08-05-13, 09:22 AM
  #2234  
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I put the finishing touches on my John Parker & John Tomac budget tribute bike, the bike handles like a champ on and off the trail, and it's super comfortable for being almost entirely a parts bin bike. I documented each stage of the build, if you're interested here is the thread https://www.bikeforums.net/showthread...to-J-P-amp-J-T

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Old 08-05-13, 10:32 AM
  #2235  
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Neo_pop_71: Loving that paint job. Great job on the bike!
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Old 08-05-13, 12:04 PM
  #2236  
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Originally Posted by neo_pop_71
I put the finishing touches on my John Parker & John Tomac budget tribute bike, the bike handles like a champ on and off the trail, and it's super comfortable for being almost entirely a parts bin bike. I documented each stage of the build, if you're interested here is the thread https://www.bikeforums.net/showthread...to-J-P-amp-J-T

real nice job
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Old 08-05-13, 04:25 PM
  #2237  
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Welp I finally made one.. but it's more of a double or triple conversion depending how you look at it.
Almost done:


Done:
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Old 08-05-13, 06:03 PM
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That Fetish Cycles bike looks like a real interesting ride. With those massive stays, your padded seat looks pretty essential. Can you go large/large with that setup, or do you need a little more chain? The red in the frame goes well with the wheels.
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Old 08-05-13, 10:03 PM
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Originally Posted by neo_pop_71
I put the finishing touches on my John Parker & John Tomac budget tribute bike, the bike handles like a champ on and off the trail, and it's super comfortable for being almost entirely a parts bin bike. I documented each stage of the build, if you're interested here is the thread https://www.bikeforums.net/showthread...to-J-P-amp-J-T

real nice job
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Old 08-05-13, 10:22 PM
  #2240  
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Originally Posted by droy45
Not exactly vintage but it is a drop bar conversion. My Fetish Cycles commuter buildup. So comfortable and a spirited performer with the 9 speed mountain cassette and 26 x 1.5 slicks.



Looks great but I think your chain is a little short...
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Old 08-05-13, 11:00 PM
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I was going to say the same thing. The RD is working pretty hard just on the inner chainring. I did notice also you don't have a front derailleur so I'm also assuming you don't ever use the outer ring hence the sizing of your chain.
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Old 08-06-13, 07:09 AM
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Originally Posted by Henry III
I was going to say the same thing. The RD is working pretty hard just on the inner chainring. I did notice also you don't have a front derailleur so I'm also assuming you don't ever use the outer ring hence the sizing of your chain.
Exactly. I do not use the big ring.
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Old 08-06-13, 07:27 AM
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Sixty-Fiver: How should I do the chain? Its a nine speed mountain cassette with a very long arm mountain RD. I got a nine speed chain and only removed 1 link to make it fit like it stated in the instructions. I do not use the big ring on the crankset. I initially just wanted a single sprocket crank with a 38 or 39 but had this Nashbar crankset on hand and decided to use it. Its a 53/39 and works great. I don't think you can use a mountain cassette and mountain RD with a road bike crankset without using 2 chains to make one. PLease advise. thanks.
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Old 08-06-13, 11:16 AM
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Originally Posted by droy45
Sixty-Fiver: How should I do the chain? Its a nine speed mountain cassette with a very long arm mountain RD. I got a nine speed chain and only removed 1 link to make it fit like it stated in the instructions. I do not use the big ring on the crankset. I initially just wanted a single sprocket crank with a 38 or 39 but had this Nashbar crankset on hand and decided to use it. Its a 53/39 and works great. I don't think you can use a mountain cassette and mountain RD with a road bike crankset without using 2 chains to make one. PLease advise. thanks.
Not every long cage rear d can handle the wrap you need for a 53 and a cassette that looks like it has a 34 tooth... your bike also has a longer rear chainstay which increases the chain length needed.

How many links were on the 9 speed chain you used ?

I use a SRAM X7 with a 53 tooth and a 34 tooth rear and it does not cause it any issues... chain was KMC 8 speed with 116 links.
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Old 08-06-13, 11:28 AM
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Originally Posted by Sixty Fiver
Not every long cage rear d can handle the wrap you need for a 53 and a cassette that looks like it has a 34 tooth... your bike also has a longer rear chainstay which increases the chain length needed.

How many links were on the 9 speed chain you used ?

I use a SRAM X7 with a 53 tooth and a 34 tooth rear and it does not cause it any issues... chain was KMC 8 speed with 116 links.
It was 116 links if I'm not mistaken. It is a SRAM 9spd standard replacement chain. The cassette is a 34-11. I've been using it this way for a couple years now. Should I use the full length as it comes out of the package on my next replacement?
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Old 08-06-13, 11:34 AM
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Originally Posted by droy45
It was 116 links if I'm not mistaken. It is a SRAM 9spd standard replacement chain. The cassette is a 34-11. I've been using it this way for a couple years now. Should I use the full length as it comes out of the package on my next replacement?
If you know how to measure a chain you will know if you have enough links and don't think this will be a problem as chains come with enough links to handle longer stayed touring bikes that also have wider ranges.

You need to make sure the rear d has enough capacity to handle a 53/34... which model are you running ?
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Old 08-06-13, 11:47 AM
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Originally Posted by Sixty Fiver
If you know how to measure a chain you will know if you have enough links and don't think this will be a problem as chains come with enough links to handle longer stayed touring bikes that also have wider ranges.

You need to make sure the rear d has enough capacity to handle a 53/34... which model are you running ?
I will never use the 53. It always stays on the 39 and no front derailer. It is a microshift long cage from Nashbar. How do you check rear d capacity? The way I measured the chain is to wrap it around the 2 largest sprockets and add one link.
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Old 08-06-13, 12:28 PM
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Originally Posted by droy45
How do you check rear d capacity? The way I measured the chain is to wrap it around the 2 largest sprockets and add one link.
Usually, they say wrap it around the largest sprocket and largest chainring and add 1, not two largest sprockets. Don't know how this affects things because you don't use the large ring, but your method doesn't take into account variability in chainstay length.
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Old 08-07-13, 05:54 AM
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Originally Posted by himespau
Usually, they say wrap it around the largest sprocket and largest chainring and add 1, not two largest sprockets. Don't know how this affects things because you don't use the large ring, but your method doesn't take into account variability in chainstay length.
Thats what I mean, I wrap it around the largest sprocket on the cassette and the largest sprocket on the crankset or (chainring) that will be utilized, then add one link. Not sure what a "variability of chainstay" would be as the chainstay is a fixed measurement that will never change and once you wrap your chain using this method it should work as long as the chainstay is not modified.
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Old 08-07-13, 06:50 AM
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The thing is, when you measure it with Big/Big, you give yourself some slack for the derailleur because you're almost never going to be in that gearing. By measuring small/big, you're not going to have enough slack in your chain for your derailleur to function optimally in the lowest of your gearings if you only add one link (although it looks like you're in the biggest cog on your cassette in the picture, so maybe it's fine for you). I don't know that you need to measure 53/34 since you're not going to use the big ring, but there should be some sort of happy medium.

When you said you wrapped it around your two biggest sprockets, it sounded to me like you had wrapped it around the two biggest cogs on your cassette, and my point was that any cassette only based measurements would be bike specific because other bikes would have chainstays of different lengths.

By the way, your derailleur capacity is 45T

Nashbar Mountain Rear Derailleur


[TABLE="width: 100%"]
[TR="bgcolor: #F2F1F0"]
[TD]WEIGHT:[/TD]
[TD]229g.[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR="bgcolor: #F2F1F0"]
[TD]MATERIAL:[/TD]
[TD]Alloy[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR="bgcolor: #F2F1F0"]
[TD]COMPATIBILITY:[/TD]
[TD]Shimano 9 speed[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR="bgcolor: #F2F1F0"]
[TD]MAX. COG:[/TD]
[TD]34T[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR="bgcolor: #F2F1F0"]
[TD]MIN. COG:[/TD]
[TD]11T[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR="bgcolor: #F2F1F0"]
[TD]CAPACITY:[/TD]
[TD]45T[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR="bgcolor: #F2F1F0"]
[TD]MAX. FRONT DIFFERENCE:[/TD]
[TD]22T[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR="bgcolor: #F2F1F0"]
[TD]SPRING TYPE:[/TD]
[TD]High normal (traditional)[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR="bgcolor: #F2F1F0"]
[TD]Rating:[/TD]
[TD]3[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR="bgcolor: #F2F1F0"]
[/TR]
[/TABLE]
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Last edited by himespau; 08-07-13 at 06:57 AM.
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