Show Your Vintage MTB Drop Bar Conversions
03-15-14, 09:14 PM
#2801
Thrifty Bill
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Great project Frank. I'd be hunting up a carbon fork for that one.
03-15-14, 10:00 PM
#2802
Rhythm is rhythm
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man! just got around to converting my Gary Fisher Mt. Tam to drop bar. Went on a ride - it was fantastic. I never want to ride a road bike again!
Click on the photo for build kit. I know this thread is a judge free zone when it comes to headset spacers, but I think I would like to clean it up a bit - if you have any ideas I'd like to hear them.
Click on the photo for build kit. I know this thread is a judge free zone when it comes to headset spacers, but I think I would like to clean it up a bit - if you have any ideas I'd like to hear them.
03-16-14, 03:27 AM
#2803
Chainstay Brake Mafia
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The frameset actually came with a carbon fork but the fork was too long since it was intended to replace a suspension fork with 100mm of travel. I found that green fork on CL and it's branded as a Trek System 3 butted cro-mo fork and was made by Tange. It actually weighs about 100 grams LESS than the carbon fork! IIRC the steel fork weighs about 790g which is pretty darn light.
03-16-14, 04:18 PM
#2804
Senior Member
For my drop bar mtb I just bought a cheap threadless stem with a very steep rise to it. Still a little weird looking, but it works just fine and there are less individual pieces in the whole setup. Great looking bike!
03-16-14, 08:09 PM
#2805
Zircon Encrusted Tweezers
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I really love these bikes, everything from the true dirt-drop vintage MB race bikes to our budget built do everything bikes like turky lurkey's DB and Number 4000's GT on this page. Now with a month or so of fit and road testing behind me, I am still blown away by how the bike completely fills the needs as my everyday bike,
and my main rider in this rural town where the best roads for riding turn to dirt.
I spent the last few years trying to get the right ride set up to hit these up and down dirt and gravel roads. My touring bike was great going up but too harsh and hard to control on the descents even with dual pivot brakes. The flat bar MTB set up was ok too, but with only one riding position it was hard to enjoy the longer rides.
Now I'm in heaven, the wide drops and hoods give plenty of riding positions, control when you need it and some flex for comfort and confidence in the descents. With the compromise 26 x 1.75 tires to handle the dust and gravel without giving up too much on the street and the great rigid frame MTB comfort to take up the cobbled, rocky or washboard patches, every ride is a blast.
Thanks to all the inspiration on this thread, I am a true convert.
and my main rider in this rural town where the best roads for riding turn to dirt.
I spent the last few years trying to get the right ride set up to hit these up and down dirt and gravel roads. My touring bike was great going up but too harsh and hard to control on the descents even with dual pivot brakes. The flat bar MTB set up was ok too, but with only one riding position it was hard to enjoy the longer rides.
Now I'm in heaven, the wide drops and hoods give plenty of riding positions, control when you need it and some flex for comfort and confidence in the descents. With the compromise 26 x 1.75 tires to handle the dust and gravel without giving up too much on the street and the great rigid frame MTB comfort to take up the cobbled, rocky or washboard patches, every ride is a blast.
Thanks to all the inspiration on this thread, I am a true convert.
03-16-14, 10:43 PM
#2806
Spin Forest! Spin!
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man! just got around to converting my Gary Fisher Mt. Tam to drop bar. Went on a ride - it was fantastic. I never want to ride a road bike again!
Click on the photo for build kit. I know this thread is a judge free zone when it comes to headset spacers, but I think I would like to clean it up a bit - if you have any ideas I'd like to hear them.
Click on the photo for build kit. I know this thread is a judge free zone when it comes to headset spacers, but I think I would like to clean it up a bit - if you have any ideas I'd like to hear them.
But you can replace the 10mm rings with 20mm ones and reduce the number on there.
I bought a bag of black 20mm aluminum spacers for $4.95 from Niagara Cycleworks a while back for a project at work.
Or have someone turn you a made to measure single spacer, with the middle narrower, like a Coke bottle. I always thought that would look more elegant than a stack of spacers and seams.
03-16-14, 11:24 PM
#2807
Bicycle Repair Man !!!
03-16-14, 11:31 PM
#2808
Bicycle Repair Man !!!
One of our volunteers at the co-op has a Rocky Mountain from the mid eighties (a really early model) that he has converted to drop bars... will have to shoot it when I see him this week as it is such a fine looking ride.
I am getting spring fever here... roads are going to be good for a few more days (and then more snow / rain is coming) so I will have to bust the Moulden out of storage tomorrow.
Obligatory pic...
.JPG)
I am getting spring fever here... roads are going to be good for a few more days (and then more snow / rain is coming) so I will have to bust the Moulden out of storage tomorrow.
Obligatory pic...
03-16-14, 11:37 PM
#2809
Bicycle Repair Man !!!
One of our volunteers at the co-op has a Rocky Mountain from the mid eighties (a really early model) that he has converted to drop bars... will have to shoot it when I see him this week as it is such a fine looking ride.
I am getting spring fever here... roads are going to be good for a few more days (and then more snow / rain is coming) so I will have to bust the Moulden out of storage tomorrow.
Obligatory pic...
I am getting spring fever here... roads are going to be good for a few more days (and then more snow / rain is coming) so I will have to bust the Moulden out of storage tomorrow.
Obligatory pic...
Last edited by Sixty Fiver; 03-16-14 at 11:49 PM.
03-16-14, 11:53 PM
#2810
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Hello everyone, I'm a longtime viewer but first time poster. I recently finished this conversion. bought this 1990 (I think) rockhopper at an abandoned bike sale for $10 and built it up as cheaply as possible. I splurged on a nitto stem, but other than that everything is used or sale bin stuff.
Just yesterday I partook in the 56 mile ride of the Land Run 100 gravel race in Stillwater, Oklahoma, and the bike worked unbelievably well. climbed and descended like a champ, sped through the rougher stuff CX bikes had to slow down in, and just overall exceeded my every expectation.
Last edited by pizzamania; 03-17-14 at 12:13 AM.
03-17-14, 04:15 AM
#2811
Spin Forest! Spin!
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Very nice, @pizzamania and it's race-proven.
03-17-14, 04:52 AM
#2812
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Posted this before but now it's finally out of the basement and has some miles and on it. Rides, tracks, shifts great and is quite comfortable. It was a mint $25 craigslist bike that was mostly destroyed in an accident last year. I love that bike and was determined to rebuild and ride it again.
Budget build but makes me happy to ride.
Budget build but makes me happy to ride.
03-17-14, 06:52 AM
#2813
Thrifty Bill
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Inspiring! I have a really, really, rough Rocky Mountain from that era. Its in my "maybe I'll get it painted" queue. This could be the year!!
03-17-14, 10:06 AM
#2814
High Plains Luddite
03-17-14, 10:34 AM
#2815
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I built it up with SORA 8 speed stuff. Left shifter is a SORA triple moving a matching SORA FD.
I had some rub up front and did buy raceface cranks to give me some chain line adjustment. If I recall it has 6mm of spacers that I can move around and that really helped to line things up. If it is a ratio thing, the Shimano shifter was under $20 new shipped from ebay. If you are not married to the Claris, it would be easiest to swap it out.
Let me know if you have any questions or want to see different pictures of anything. It was a fun build and despite weighing 28lbs, it has been a great go anywhere and foul weather bike. I love how stiff the frame is!
I had some rub up front and did buy raceface cranks to give me some chain line adjustment. If I recall it has 6mm of spacers that I can move around and that really helped to line things up. If it is a ratio thing, the Shimano shifter was under $20 new shipped from ebay. If you are not married to the Claris, it would be easiest to swap it out.
Let me know if you have any questions or want to see different pictures of anything. It was a fun build and despite weighing 28lbs, it has been a great go anywhere and foul weather bike. I love how stiff the frame is!
03-17-14, 11:06 AM
#2816
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I built it up with SORA 8 speed stuff. Left shifter is a SORA triple moving a matching SORA FD.
I had some rub up front and did buy raceface cranks to give me some chain line adjustment. If I recall it has 6mm of spacers that I can move around and that really helped to line things up. If it is a ratio thing, the Shimano shifter was under $20 new shipped from ebay. If you are not married to the Claris, it would be easiest to swap it out.
Let me know if you have any questions or want to see different pictures of anything. It was a fun build and despite weighing 28lbs, it has been a great go anywhere and foul weather bike. I love how stiff the frame is!
I had some rub up front and did buy raceface cranks to give me some chain line adjustment. If I recall it has 6mm of spacers that I can move around and that really helped to line things up. If it is a ratio thing, the Shimano shifter was under $20 new shipped from ebay. If you are not married to the Claris, it would be easiest to swap it out.
Let me know if you have any questions or want to see different pictures of anything. It was a fun build and despite weighing 28lbs, it has been a great go anywhere and foul weather bike. I love how stiff the frame is!
03-17-14, 03:08 PM
#2817
Chainstay Brake Mafia
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Started a build thread for my DBR Axis TT... check it out: https://www.bikeforums.net/classic-vi...-titanium.html
03-17-14, 03:53 PM
#2818
Bicycle Repair Man !!!
For the weight weenies... vintage Dynamic Composites saddle with alloy rails.
The current WTB saddle on my Moulden is 303 grams.
Those Raceface cranks, functional prototype without production decals (the black ones are the sex).
The current WTB saddle on my Moulden is 303 grams.
Those Raceface cranks, functional prototype without production decals (the black ones are the sex).
Last edited by Sixty Fiver; 03-17-14 at 04:00 PM.
03-17-14, 04:44 PM
#2820
Bicycle Repair Man !!!
Modern CF saddles run about 100-110 grams with carbon rails... this saddle is probably 20 years old.
The carbon weave is the same as what gets used in F1 cars (my friend also builds these).
Now... the big question is will my butt like it ?
If not, I am sure we could make another one.
The carbon weave is the same as what gets used in F1 cars (my friend also builds these).
Now... the big question is will my butt like it ?
If not, I am sure we could make another one.
03-17-14, 04:52 PM
#2822
Cisalpinist
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Modern CF saddles run about 100-110 grams with carbon rails... this saddle is probably 20 years old.
The carbon weave is the same as what gets used in F1 cars (my friend also builds these).
Now... the big question is will my butt like it ?
If not, I am sure we could make another one.
The carbon weave is the same as what gets used in F1 cars (my friend also builds these).
Now... the big question is will my butt like it ?
If not, I am sure we could make another one.
03-17-14, 06:05 PM
#2823
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Your Rothrock Cyrcle event looks awesome. I grew up riding the same ridges about 100 miles ENE in Centre and Union Counties, but that was before we knew about Mt. Bikes. We just put 1-1/4" tires on our road bikes.
03-17-14, 06:30 PM
#2824
Senior Member
Been looking for a high quality dirt drop riser stem 1 1/8 threadless for my Willits. Project is a bit new for me and all my riser stems seem to be 1" quill. Anyone have a lead, please send them my way. Of course A Willits riser stem is desired, but at this point I am open to suggestions.
03-17-14, 06:35 PM
#2825
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Been looking for a high quality dirt drop riser stem 1 1/8 threadless for my Willits. Project is a bit new for me and all my riser stems seem to be 1" quill. Anyone have a lead, please send them my way. Of course A Willits riser stem is desired, but at this point I am open to suggestions.
System EX High Rise Upright Handlebar Stem 1 1/8 Ahead | eBay
Light and good quality, looks "ok" too