spenner

I'm going to convert a mountain bike into something I'll use primarily for commuting as well as some touring and light to moderate off road riding. I'm looking for advice that some of you who ride conversions can hopefully give.

First, what to start with. This is my main concern. The bike co-op in my area has a bunch of older steel bikes that would all be good candidates. With so many options it's hard to decide what to go with. I'm considering using a Stumpjumper or an 800-900 series Trek. There are also Raleighs and Giants available. Is there a particular model that is best suited for this kind of project?

Second, sizing. I don't know what I should be looking for as far as stand over height. Will a frame that fits for a mountain bike be adequate or should I look for something taller to get more of a road fit? If I go with a taller frame, will it be too long?

Finally, tires. I'm thinking of going with a 26 x 1.75 or 1.5 tire with hybrid tread so I'm not too slow on the road, but not useless everywhere else. Any suggestions?

Thanks in advance.

bwgride

1. Most any mountain bike without shocks (front or rear) can work. I've converted a Jamis Diablo from 1993 to a tourer (it was a mid-priced bike at the time), and also a Mongoose Switchback from mid-1990s (a cheaper bike). Both worked very well.

I recommend a bike with eyelets on rear and front dropouts, and find some with eyelets that look solid. For example, a mid-1990s Trek 930 has rear eyelets that I consider too weak for loaded touring - they seem attached to the rear dropout only to serve the purpose of mounting fenders. Also, bikes made from Tange MTB tubing will be strong (that tubing had thicker walls than most).

If you can find a frame with 1.125 (1" 1/8) head tube sizing, that would allow for upgrading the fork to threadless should a problem develop with the threaded fork.

Additionally, I would seek vertical dropouts rather than horizontal dropouts. Vertical dropouts are easier to work when installing wheels and setting alignment.

I also recommend a rear rack that will place panniers further back, such as Tubus Logo or Jandd Expedition, to help prevent heel strike on bags.

2. MTB are sized small for off-road riding compared with sizing for road bikes. I would get a larger frame than what is typical for MTB bikes when buying for touring.

3. Schwalbe Marathon Plus, Supreme, or XR comes in 26X1.75 or 2.0 or 1.60 (depending on model). Those are very good touring tires.

jharte

Spenner, the answer from bwqride is as true as it gets. Sound like words from experience. This is the route I went in 1989 and haven't looked back. Follow the advise above and you will do great.

slowjoe66

I do a lot of long rides on my MTB and do touring on a different bike that I have. I agree on all points but one I would add is that the only real problem you are likely to have is heel strike with panniers. It can be solved with a little diligence (like the rack mentioned above). I finally solved it the easiest way (but the most expensive) by opting for a trailer when I tour, then I don't have to have all of the misc. stuff weighing down my bike when I'm not touring. MTB's of the older steel variety are wonderful. Enjoy.

spenner

Awesome. Thanks for your help guys.

n4zou

Look for a hybrid. They're about a close to touring bike geometry as you can get without purchasing a dedicated touring bike frame and most have eyelets for racks and fenders. They also use 700c wheels so tire choices are much better. I use an older Specialized CrossRoads hybrid as my touring bike. It's done very well for the last two years I've had and been using it as a touring and commuting bike. I've rolled over 5,000 miles on it just this year and only changed out a set of tires I wore out.

supersport

I use a converted Trek 800. It works great. I commute 15-20 miles every day and rode 97 miles on it last Saturday. I posted pics in a thread about 2 weeks ago. I love the bike.

Go for it.

sweetnsourbkr

I'd totally go for the steel Treks. Have fun!

brandenjs

I used my 91 Trek 820 on a 250 mile fundraising ride in June and it worked out great. I changed to a smooth tread street tire and was very comfortable the whole way. I had to work a little harder on the hills but I trained on it so it was'nt too bad. I think it would be better to switch the 26" tires to a 700 series just to help cut down the rolling resistance a little. I'm not sure how much you would have to change for that but it may be worth it. The gearing on the 820 was great for the steep hills.

Al Downie

I'm sure it's been said already but...

A word of caution regarding 700c wheels - if you decide to become a bit more adventurous and your tours take you to remote places (like the whole of Asia!), 26" wheels and parts are much easier to come by.

The steel StumpJumpers are fantastic bikes, but they're not very well-endowed with braze-ons for racks/mudguards etc. I bought one in 1987 and used P-clips to fit all the bits I needed to go touring around the west coast of Scotland, and 20yrs later I'm still using the bike for commuting every day! It's been stripped down now (partly by choice, partly by rust) to a single-speed, single-brake duffer, BUT... those racks & mudguards, fitted with P-clips all those years ago, are still in place and rock solid. I love it to bits.

skookum

I converted an early (1983?) Stumpjumper to a touring bike in the 80s and toured many kilometres on it.

The main modification I made was to change the stem and install drop bars and bar end shifters. It had the necessary braze-ons for racks and fenders, I kept the gearing and the wheels, just put on 1.75 tires. The old mountain bikes had very long chainstays and made excellent expedition touring bikes. I think it would be much harder to use a more modern mountain bike.

I still ride the stumper as a winter commuter, the only original equipment is the frame, the front wheel, the brake levers, and the racks and fenders.

A truly classic bike.

spenner

Thanks again guys, but it looks like I'm still on the fence about what kind of frame to get. Are the Treks as steadfast as a Stumpjumper? What about braze on quality? Is there a particular model in the 800-900 series I should keep an eye out for? I'm still debating between these two manufacturers and I can't make up my mind.

bwgride

Older Specialized hardrock frames are solid, and some of the Trek lower-end 800 series frames are also good as touring bikes. But some of the Trek bikes have rear eyelets that are attached weakly and appear made only to hold fenders, not loaded touring racks.

Also, there are many other makes (Bianchi, Bridgestone, Jamis, Diamondback, Fuji, Univega, and many more -- they all made fine frames) and models to consider. As noted above, I would seek the following:

1. Full chromoly frame
2. Solid rack eyelets on each front and rear dropouts
3. No suspension
4. (For myself, I'd prefer vertical rear dropouts -- easier to remove, install, and align rear wheel than with horizontal dropouts).

Look on ebay.com for some buys. Many will provide close-up pictures. For example, I noticed on ebay.com now two Univega Alpina models that look solid (except for horizontal dropouts). One has double eyelets on both front and rear dropouts, and also has mid-tube fork low-rider rack mounts.

mycoatl

With the Treks, I'd pick (in order) 930, 920, 910. The 900 series was a little lighter, and higher end than the 800 series. Any of the 800s will be fine, too, though.

supersport

My Trek 800 is definitely a heavy beast. The tubing sticker doesn't say butted so I assume it's all straight-gauge (Tange CroMo is all it says). Still, I don't think it's outrageously heavy, just very solidly built. I wouldn't hesitate to hang panniers on it and go anywhere in the world.

Fortunately, I never had to make a choice about the frame. This bike was a gift from some nice folks who moved out of our apartment building about 18 months ago. I lucked into it! Although, most of the components had to be replaced and I still need to rebuild the rear wheel.

pearlcityrider

I just finished converting my 1993?? Stumpjumper FS (steel Chrome moly) Mountain bike. I did this because the shock (FS - really a Mag 21) was shot and I simply am not doing any hardcore mountain biking.

Here is what I did

- Bought a Surly 1x1 fork on ebay for about $35
- replaced the stock - straight handlebar with a trekking bar
- Added a Delta rear rack
- Replaced the 2.0 tires with 1.5 Bontrager Hardcase (highly recommend)
- Added a wired speedometer

I actually had the local bike shop do most of the modifications, as the fork had to cut. I also had them add gel padding to the handlebars and wrap the bars with gel tape. They also tuned up the bike. The total cost of including parts ran about $275. This sounds like a lot, but this bike was gathering dust. I have ridden this the last few days and have to say it is awesome. I really like the Deore LX componentry (original) and how the bike handles. Please note that I also own a Trek 520, an excellent pure touring bike.

Definitely go with 1.5 slicks if you are doing loaded touring. The tires above take high PSI and are virtually indestructable. They are reasonably quick too. I really believe you will like the steel frame. How would I compare this to the trek? The trek is made for road touring and I love it. However, if you are not sure of where you are going, I often take my SJ for several reasons. It is geared much better for hills and I have a more upright position, my neck isn't straining, and finally, you can go offroad, on gravel, etc. which might be a challenge. You should be able to pick up a steel frame with good componentry. I would wait until the right one comes up. Mine basically sat in the basement for years. I also think you might like the rapid shifters on the Stumpjumper