robow

Has anyone built a "comfortable" road bike on a slightly larger mountain bike frame. Since I no longer ride for speed anymore, I'm thinking about building a bike for mostly road use but I don't like the totally upright stance of a hybrid. I feel more comfortable on a slightly larger MTB frame with an extended top tube. I thought about putting some 26" wheels but with smaller slicks. What do you think, am I nuts or should I just keep pounding it out on my road bike? Thanks for any suggestions you might have.

stapfam

I have built a lightweight MTB frame made of triple butted "Fuji"Steel into a 19lbs road bike. Wasn't intentional but at 19lbs, all I had to do was change wheels to Conti. Grand prix slicks on a lightweight wheel set and I had a superb road riding bike. Or at least I thought so until I bought a Road bike- and only just recently at that. MTBs will always be a compromise if used on the road- but I did not realise it.

If thinking about Road riding but a bit more upright than a Race bike- Then look at a Specialised Sirrus. This is a Race bike bike with Straight bars and If some people call it a hybrid- it is a very good one.

CrossChain

Depending on how much $$ you want to spend, consider the Atlantis by Rivendell at:
https://www.rivendellbicycles.com/html/bikes_atlantisframes.html

Extremely versatile, not a stock hybrid, variety of wheels/tires....set it up to suit you. More road worthy than a converted MTB, more distance worthy than a hybrid, at home on fire roads and easy dirt as well as any paved or semi-paved road. Drop bars or flat. Atlantis owners seem highly devoted to this unique bike. Pretty celeste green, too. Check out some of Riv's other models as well. You might also try the more economical Surley bikes. Good alternatives for people looking at something besides the Spec/Trek/Giant genre.

Big Paulie

I went through the moutain bike to road conversion, it was OK. Then a Lemond, then a Cannondale. They were good. Then I got a Rivendell...I did a total of 38 centuries in 2005, and I didn't start until May. I can't say enough for the Rivendell philosphy. They absolutely nail the balance between stability and sensitivity.

MisterJ

I built my commuter bike using a GT mountain bike frame, with mountain bike components and a rigid fork.

Go for it.

CrossChain

Paulie...post some pics of your Rambouillet...I'll return some of my Romulus.

Big Paulie

I would love to, but no pictures, and no means to scan and post them even if I did. I do, however have a perfectly good 8 Track tape deck...

pastorbobnlnh 

You too!?! Pink Floyd in quadrophonic is amazing!

Did I just say what I think I said?

DnvrFox

Many of us can scan. Take a picture of your bike (and your 8 track) and I (likely among others) will be pleased to scan them for you.

Also, there are lots of used digitals on Craigslist that should do you just fine. This is similar to but better than my first digital camera. My HP 1 mega pixel has worked great for years, takes wonderful pics.

https://losangeles.craigslist.org/wst/ele/184861075.html

Review

sauerwald

Think about a touring bike - longer wheelbase will make for a smoother ride, usually have a more upright position. I had a custom bike built last year for which the instructions to the frame builder were to make something that would be comfortable to ride centuries on, and what I got looks like a road bike, but with slightly longer chainstays, and the seat tube is angled back a bit more, placing my hips further behind the pedals, Handlebars are up higher than the seat for a more upright position than a real road bike. Last year I took the bike on a 450 mile ride over 4 1/2 days, and it felt great! Going to do a similar ride in a couple of weeks.

CrossChain

Pics??

sauerwald

https://sourwalled.com/html/mooney.html

I need to get a better pic to show the overall geometry, but a bit of lug porn never hurt anybody....

dagna

+1

The most common comment I get when someone rides my Klein touring bike is 'this is SO comfortable!'. Yet, put it next to my road bike and the differences seem miniscule. I often chose it over the road bike when the plan for the day is a long leisurely ride, even though it's set up for cyclocross with knobby tires.

Good luck whatever you decide,
Dagna

centexwoody 

a Rivendell Atlantis? or the Rambouillet?

I've looked at the Atlantis but can't afford $ 2700 for the complete bike nor $ 1400 for the frame...but it is a beautiful bike

centexwoody 

oops - just saw that yours is a Rambouillet

Speaking as a Clydesdale (6' 5" & 215 lbs) did you find the frame sizing as advertised/suggested by Rivendell to be accurate? Are you riding a 'larger' Rivendell frame than you had in your Lemond or Cannondales?

centexwoody 

Since I only own one bike & went from off-road to country roads, I've slowly converted my 23" Giant MTB to more comfortable road riding. Stem extension to get bars even with seat, changed out seat (on 4th one) & seat post to raise the seat to more efficient riding extension, have put road slicks on it but will put Specialized 26 x 1.0 road tires on it this week. The steel frame is hefty, though, and it tops out at 35 lbs - sturdy but not easy to load around and definitely requires strength to carry it up flights of stairs, etc. The new tires may get the weight down to 30 lbs.

My main gripe with the MTB conversion is the gearing. I ride almost exclusively in the large ring and in gears 3/4/5/6. Still not enough to be very efficient on the road. 2 weeks ago I rode 56 miles and spent most of the time in high gear 6 cranking out the miles. There are also limits to what kinds of rear racks or panniers or anything else I can put on it.

My next bike will be a Surly CrossCheck frame built with my own components specified - the MTB has served well for road riding for a year but it is at its limit. Next will probably be to convert MTB to a single-speed and let it be the 'beater bike' hanging in my garage.

CrossChain

Centex.....I ride a Riv Romulus, a sort of younger brother of the Rambouillet (same geometry). For years I'd ridden a 54 cm. [ctr to ctr] (still do) quite happily and comfortably. I also now ride a 57cm. [ctr to top] Romulus quite comfortably and happily. While not a Clydesdale (5'8" 165lbs), the seemingly bigger size, given the frame geometry, fits me almost the same. Top tube length, partly because of the slacker head tube, is very close for both bikes.

BluesDawg

This year I made a pretty nice road bike from an old Giant Rincon. When I have more time I'll look for the thread. Here are before and after shots.

Richard Cranium

Well, you probably just like to talk about riding more than you actually ride. So you're off to a great start.
However, it seems to me that putting a 700x28, or even a 700x32 road tire on the front wheel of any good touring bike, and perhaps raising the stem to it's limit provides a comfortable, yet efficient bicycle, for people who actually want to ride a bicycle.

Perhaps you would be better served by continuing to "post and pound away".

CrossChain

Yo! Dick........I sense so much self-loathing in so many of your posts I am prompted to ask if there is anything any of us can do to help you with your bitterness? Perhaps if you rode more you might experience an endorphin flush. Good Luck.

CrossChain

Final Response to Dnvr.... Way Cool!

Any chance of posting an MP3 of this solo ?? The guys/gals would love it!!

robow

"However, it seems to me that putting a 700x28, or even a 700x32 road tire on the front wheel of any good touring bike, and perhaps raising the stem to it's limit provides a comfortable, yet efficient bicycle,"

You know that's all you had to say and it's a fine thoughtful coment, why add the rest and be such an A** H***. Please don't respond to any thread of mine in the future.

DnvrFox

Well, I posted the previous one, and did not get what you might call an "overwhelming" response!

Our XY Zingers will be recorded as will I. Likely I could email the recording to you one way or another.

centexwoody 

Dawg: very cool conversion. My two boys have Giant Rincons (they're aluminum so WAY lighter than my steel Boulder) & converting them might be a great project for us to try. Their interest in the off-road seems to be diminishing. The Rincon has a different cassette than the Boulder so easier to change out for road gearing: did you do this? I note the barend shifters & new drop bars as well - very nice. My Boulder cassette can't be changed out easily because it is a freewheel & these are more challenging to find in a road cassette these days (or so I understand from my LBS). Haven't done my research to figure out exactly what the differences are & what they mean. Evidently some changes since my '02 Boulder was manufactured...

I'll look for your conversion thread as well: seems like I remember seeing those pics back a month or so ago in your original thread.

centexwoody 

Cross: the Rivendells seem to get extremely high marks from everyone who rides them. BigPaulie's praise is quite notable. Unfortunately my 3 teenagers and support commitments mean that my new bike budget tops out where the Rivendell frames begin, costwise. Perhaps I'll put the Surly together & be able to dream about my 'next level' being a Rivendell.

thanks for the comments about sizing: when I was fitted a month ago, the guy said my instep or pubic bone height or whatever that critical dimensionn is called is 97 cm so the presence of Rivendells in the 65 - 68 cm range are quite appealing.