Go Back  Bike Forums > Bike Forums > Hybrid Bicycles
Reload this Page >

$341 well spent ...

Notices
Hybrid Bicycles Where else would you go to discuss these fun, versatile bikes?

$341 well spent ...

Old 01-10-19, 07:26 PM
  #1  
Senior Member
Thread Starter
 
BrocLuno's Avatar
 
Join Date: Nov 2018
Location: Kalifornia Kollective
Posts: 350

Bikes: K2 (Marzocchi/Fox), Trek 6000 (red) MARS Elite up front, Specialized Hardrock Sport -> eBike (R7 Elite up front), lastly TREK 820 loaner. Recently sold Peugeot du Monde Record and 1956 Schwinn (owned since new).

Mentioned: 5 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 75 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 2 Times in 2 Posts
Talking $341 well spent ...

So my wife has been living on my Mom's old steel frame Motive Eureka, since mom passed a few years back. Passing things down through the women's side of the family makes them family treasures, so it's not going anywhere. Prolly spent at least 2x the original price of the bike keeping it going ... But, that's OK. I don't mind feeding the LBS as service work $ mostly stays in the community. New bike purchase $, not so much ...

It was/is not the easiest rider due to her wanting it set up like a cruiser with tall bars and and fully upright seating, etc. We trail ride mostly and she has been struggling with steeper sections and such. I got a new (used) FS MTB that I repurposed as a trial rider, and it tips the scales at 30# with a comfort saddle and rear rack. Not hard to get in/out of the ruck, etc. Certainly lighter than the old Motive.

So I have an idea on how to get her to change her preferred riding position. I'll assemble another bike with a more standard riding posture and make it light (w/o spending crazy Ti $$) and see if she likes it better ... Leave the existing bike as it is so she can go back if it is not what she is interested in ... And she has the two to compare and figure out which she likes in what venues ...

So I got a decent aluminum framed step-through "Novara Metro" in the same frame size she has been riding (18") with 26" wheels, etc. for $65 off CL. Frame is straight, but all the appointments are not good. It's a San Fran commuter bike, so a lot of the fittings are tired. The wheels are mismatched and the braking surfaces are toast, the snifters are dry and stuck, the rear derailleur is bent - you get the idea. Looks like this when I pick it up:



Weighs a tad over 31# and does not roll right. The rear wheel snaps to the side now and then ... So I start acquiring pieces that I think will help. Older nice condition Marzocchi Bomber Doppio Air fork, Deore rear derailleur Rockwerks matte stem, Sunlight Bars, new SRAM twist shifters, grips, etc. New used brown seat. Tires/wheels from stock on hand as I have some Mavic Crossland wheels coming. I stuck my spare set of CrossLink's on it just to get around because I could not get the existing ones to roll right. Both sets of Mavic's are about the same weight.

So all the parts dribble in from eBay world. The new (used) derailleur showed up a few days ago (last part needed), so off it goes to the Bike Shop. They know what I'm trying to do. They get the alternative ride thing ... So picked it up this evening. Everyone was happy with the result. Still waiting on a rear rack (en route) and the keeper wheels. But when I picked it up, we were debating on the weight. Got it home and took the bathroom scale out and stood it up on it - 24#. Woo Hoo. She's looking it over and picks it up and says "I can load this by myself"

OK, that's a good sign

It's dark and getting ready to rain, so no pic yet. I'll post one when the rack is on. But, we are making great progress and she is liking what she sees. So the bottom line is I think we have a very good Hybrid for somewhere around $600 or so. The guys at the shop were saying they though it might be 24# and they also mentioned that it was lighter than anything on the floor in the same vein

I think we may have a winner. A completely sorted, almost new women's step-through aluminum framed hybrid with 1-1/8" steer and a 3x8 drive train. Not bad ;-)

Stand by ... It's goinna rain for six days starting soon, but then we'll give it a try. She said first sunny day

I'll get an update Pic when wer're out and about. The $341 was all the work the bike shop did to get it all sorted with the replacement parts. And the new bell

Last edited by BrocLuno; 01-10-19 at 07:35 PM.
BrocLuno is offline  
Old 01-10-19, 08:25 PM
  #2  
Full Member
 
Join Date: Jul 2018
Posts: 330
Mentioned: 1 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 186 Post(s)
Liked 129 Times in 88 Posts
She's happy , you're happy ...... Heck it makes me happy. I am on fence about what you did, piecing a bike back together. I'm thinking of doin the same..
308jerry is offline  
Old 01-11-19, 11:46 AM
  #3  
Senior Member
Thread Starter
 
BrocLuno's Avatar
 
Join Date: Nov 2018
Location: Kalifornia Kollective
Posts: 350

Bikes: K2 (Marzocchi/Fox), Trek 6000 (red) MARS Elite up front, Specialized Hardrock Sport -> eBike (R7 Elite up front), lastly TREK 820 loaner. Recently sold Peugeot du Monde Record and 1956 Schwinn (owned since new).

Mentioned: 5 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 75 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 2 Times in 2 Posts
Originally Posted by 308jerry
She's happy , you're happy ...... Heck it makes me happy. I am on fence about what you did, piecing a bike back together. I'm thinking of doin the same..
It takes some planning. In my case a lot of looking for a suitable step-through frame in aluminum with an 1-1/8 inch threadless steer tube. Not that common in "womens" bikes.

For yours, it can be whatever is key for you
BrocLuno is offline  
Old 01-11-19, 02:07 PM
  #4  
Senior Member
 
hokiefyd's Avatar
 
Join Date: Feb 2017
Location: Northern Shenandoah Valley
Posts: 4,124

Bikes: More bikes than riders

Mentioned: 36 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 1438 Post(s)
Liked 749 Times in 559 Posts
Originally Posted by BrocLuno
It takes some planning. In my case a lot of looking for a suitable step-through frame in aluminum with an 1-1/8 inch threadless steer tube. Not that common in "womens" bikes.
My wife's bike is a mid-2000s Trek 7100 step-through. It's aluminum and has a 1-1/8" headtube. It comes with a threaded fork and quill stem, which is pretty uncommon for the 1-1/8" size, but can easily be changed over to a straight tube fork with threadless headset if desired. Not exactly turn-key if you convert, but the bones are there.
hokiefyd is offline  
Old 01-11-19, 09:38 PM
  #5  
Full Member
 
Join Date: Jul 2018
Posts: 330
Mentioned: 1 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 186 Post(s)
Liked 129 Times in 88 Posts
Originally Posted by BrocLuno
It takes some planning. In my case a lot of looking for a suitable step-through frame in aluminum with an 1-1/8 inch threadless steer tube. Not that common in "womens" bikes.

For yours, it can be whatever is key for you
I've got two problems with putting a bike together. Number one being, I don't know what I want to put together and number two. I don't want to wait to find all the parts. I would want them all now ... See my dilemma here? Lol.
308jerry is offline  
Old 01-11-19, 10:50 PM
  #6  
Senior Member
Thread Starter
 
BrocLuno's Avatar
 
Join Date: Nov 2018
Location: Kalifornia Kollective
Posts: 350

Bikes: K2 (Marzocchi/Fox), Trek 6000 (red) MARS Elite up front, Specialized Hardrock Sport -> eBike (R7 Elite up front), lastly TREK 820 loaner. Recently sold Peugeot du Monde Record and 1956 Schwinn (owned since new).

Mentioned: 5 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 75 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 2 Times in 2 Posts
I understand. I had a little more relaxed approach. The bike could work as bought with just thorough repairs. It would have gotten my wife to have something to compare against her existing ride. So the pressure was mostly off.

And, this ain't my first rodeo ... I have been tweaking bikes for a while. More-so lately as I attempt to make task specific bikes like MTB -> Trail Cruiser, assembling an eBike from a kit, etc. But I have been tweaking stuff for years.

That meant I could come at it as repair only, or figure out a list of upgrades. And I already know from repeated experiences that loosing a low-rent spring fork in lieu of a quality air fork will net me at least a 2 lb drop in overall weight and make the front end much more lively, that was a no brainer.

Took about a week to find a good candidate fork on eBay. They come up all the time as real MTB'ers move from 100mm to 120 or 150 with remote lock-out control. It really is the golden age to get a good 100mm air fork with manual lock-out (if desired) for less than $200

My best one so far was a Manitou R-Seven Elite with an included head set (bearings & races) and lock-out for $150 with hardly any signs of use. That fork weighs 1605 grams. There are Cro-Mo rigid forks that weigh only 200 grams less.

I almost can't stop myself from dreaming up another project
BrocLuno is offline  
Old 01-12-19, 11:05 PM
  #7  
Senior Member
Thread Starter
 
BrocLuno's Avatar
 
Join Date: Nov 2018
Location: Kalifornia Kollective
Posts: 350

Bikes: K2 (Marzocchi/Fox), Trek 6000 (red) MARS Elite up front, Specialized Hardrock Sport -> eBike (R7 Elite up front), lastly TREK 820 loaner. Recently sold Peugeot du Monde Record and 1956 Schwinn (owned since new).

Mentioned: 5 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 75 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 2 Times in 2 Posts
Pic as it was on first ride:


On the first ride !!
BrocLuno is offline  
Old 01-13-19, 08:10 AM
  #8  
Full Member
 
Join Date: Jul 2018
Posts: 330
Mentioned: 1 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 186 Post(s)
Liked 129 Times in 88 Posts
Looks nice. Was she happy with the way it rode?
308jerry is offline  
Old 01-13-19, 10:50 AM
  #9  
Senior Member
Thread Starter
 
BrocLuno's Avatar
 
Join Date: Nov 2018
Location: Kalifornia Kollective
Posts: 350

Bikes: K2 (Marzocchi/Fox), Trek 6000 (red) MARS Elite up front, Specialized Hardrock Sport -> eBike (R7 Elite up front), lastly TREK 820 loaner. Recently sold Peugeot du Monde Record and 1956 Schwinn (owned since new).

Mentioned: 5 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 75 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 2 Times in 2 Posts
Oh yeah. She was skeptical at first. Had to make some adjustments. But, as time went on, she became happier and happier. By the time we got home, she was "let's go again tomorrow" and "I really like it" ...

She commented on having forks that really work. She was like "it's so smooth" - OK. I'll take that
BrocLuno is offline  
Old 01-15-19, 02:34 PM
  #10  
Senior Member
 
rumrunn6's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jul 2008
Location: 25 miles northwest of Boston
Posts: 29,528

Bikes: Bottecchia Sprint, GT Timberline 29r, Marin Muirwoods 29er, Trek FX Alpha 7.0

Mentioned: 112 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 5219 Post(s)
Liked 3,564 Times in 2,331 Posts
nice job! happy Wife = happy life! & it's so nice to be able to share riding together. mine & I ride together very little, so whatever we do together is extra special
rumrunn6 is offline  
Old 01-15-19, 06:18 PM
  #11  
Senior Member
Thread Starter
 
BrocLuno's Avatar
 
Join Date: Nov 2018
Location: Kalifornia Kollective
Posts: 350

Bikes: K2 (Marzocchi/Fox), Trek 6000 (red) MARS Elite up front, Specialized Hardrock Sport -> eBike (R7 Elite up front), lastly TREK 820 loaner. Recently sold Peugeot du Monde Record and 1956 Schwinn (owned since new).

Mentioned: 5 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 75 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 2 Times in 2 Posts
Originally Posted by hokiefyd
My wife's bike is a mid-2000s Trek 7100 step-through. It's aluminum and has a 1-1/8" headtube. It comes with a threaded fork and quill stem, which is pretty uncommon for the 1-1/8" size, but can easily be changed over to a straight tube fork with threadless headset if desired. Not exactly turn-key if you convert, but the bones are there.
Sounds like it'll upgrade nicely

And, yeah she's happy. Thinking about next outing. Rack arrived in the mail today. But the eBike project is all over the shop floor, and it's raining (for days to come) ...
BrocLuno is offline  
Old 01-19-19, 01:01 PM
  #12  
Senior Member
Thread Starter
 
BrocLuno's Avatar
 
Join Date: Nov 2018
Location: Kalifornia Kollective
Posts: 350

Bikes: K2 (Marzocchi/Fox), Trek 6000 (red) MARS Elite up front, Specialized Hardrock Sport -> eBike (R7 Elite up front), lastly TREK 820 loaner. Recently sold Peugeot du Monde Record and 1956 Schwinn (owned since new).

Mentioned: 5 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 75 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 2 Times in 2 Posts
OK, so here it is in its almost finished state. Just missing the bottle cage (needs clamps adapter, no mounts on the frame... ):





Came out pretty well. 24.5 lbs all up with the replacement Mavic Crosslands (used), Kink Drifter rear tire, and the Planet Bike Eco rack
BrocLuno is offline  
Related Topics
Thread
Thread Starter
Forum
Replies
Last Post
NotARealCyclist
Mountain Biking
7
05-04-16 12:57 PM
Guest1239874
Commuting
15
04-22-13 09:21 AM
bobotech
General Cycling Discussion
10
12-13-12 12:03 PM
ibrokeitagain
Clydesdales/Athenas (200+ lb / 91+ kg)
10
10-23-11 04:54 AM
Panthers007
Hybrid Bicycles
71
01-14-10 06:06 AM

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off
Trackbacks are Off
Pingbacks are Off
Refbacks are Off


Thread Tools
Search this Thread

Contact Us - Archive - Advertising - Cookie Policy - Privacy Statement - Terms of Service -

Copyright © 2024 MH Sub I, LLC dba Internet Brands. All rights reserved. Use of this site indicates your consent to the Terms of Use.