Vintage MTB To Upright Bar / Urban Bike Conversions
 

Hey List members,

I have thoroughly enjoyed, been thankful for, learned from and participated in the Vintage MTB Drop Bar Conversions thread.

Since that thread is for Drop Bar conversions and I didn't consider it appropriate to share bikes with other than drop bars I decided to try a thread with conversions of these
vintage no suspension mt bikes into upright bars / urban bikes / city bikes, road tire bikes.

( I think I did share an upright bar conversion at least once on that great thread.)

Perhaps another name would describe these conversions even better but a vintage mt bike that has been converted to other use with upright bars and road tires is the gist of it.

Even the name city bike, urban bike, urban cruiser does not quite encompass the idea probably
as these bikes can be ridden wherever, country or urban areas.
Some would be even appropriate for 'gravel grinding' , a term I have been hearing a lot.

At any rate they are versatile bikes that can be used for a myriad of conversions and uses.

Since they can be obtained fairly inexpensively and converted for not a lot of money
they have really caught my attention.

Feel free to share what you have done in this manner of vintage mt bike / mtb conversions
even if it is as simple as changing over from knobby tires to street / road tires.

Also what stems, bars, tires, racks, parts, etc that have worked well for your purposes.

I have several I will share as soon as I locate pictures I have of the bikes.

Pictures a must as most of us get frustrated with a descriptions without pics.

This thread may turn out to be of little interest but we will give it a try.

Thanks everyone.

Here's my 1990 Rockhopper I use for my errand running bike when I need to carry groceries, etc.

That's a Sunlite North Road bar (alloy version) and 26 x 2.35 Michelin Pilot Sport tires (now discontinued) on it.

I will add that the Dallas / Ft Worth area does not have scenery such as this.
I took the Rhop, as I call it, with me this past summer to Colorado on vacation. I was mighty glad for that 26T? granny ring
when climbing up to 9300 ft.

I frequently do this kind of conversion when someone needs an inexpensive but capable city, trail, or campus bike. I look for an mtb with a good rear derailleur, functioning brakes, wheels that won't have to be rebuilt, and hopefully a useful flat bar - to keep costs down. This bike I did is pretty typical. Go with tough street tires, replace shifters with one trigger shifter, remove front derailleur for simplicity if you don't need a climbing bike, add a chain guard if possible, put a hi-rise stem on to move the bars up.

Collect some hi-rise stems - they are very cheap. New trigger shifters are inexpensive and there are hundreds of 7-speed compatible derailleur bikes out there. Sram triggers for 9-10 are also cheap if that is what you end up with. Grab handfuls of MTB brake levers at the next swap as they are likely to be trashed on your donor bike. I really like to upgrade the crank if I can to a hollowtech or gxp because I don't have to hassle with bottom brackets and the owner won't have crank issues. 110 bcd is really flexible on a city/trail bike, works fine with a mtb front derailleur. And there are now plentiful 104 bcd hollowtech cranks out there if you need a 24 tooth ring.

http://mataya.org/images/mb1.jpg

Before I cracked the frame/bent the fork, this was my baby. 1988 Ridge Runner Team, bought the frame NOS on ebay.

https://i.imgur.com/HTrBPZq.jpg

Found a replacement 1988 Valley Runner, but after riding it for some time it feels like I need to take it in to have the frame realigned. It just doesn't track as it should. Perhaps that'll be my winter project, taking off all of its components and reinstalling them after the alignment :rolleyes:

https://i.imgur.com/jbOu9ls.jpg




As for components, I do love the extra-wide bullmoose bars for commuting. Also, I believe the bars I have are a little different than most bullmoose due to how much rise they have. Absolutely love my Suntour xc pro hubs laced to Syncros Big Box rims, they spin forever. Plus, all I have to do is grab a grease gun when I want to repack the bearings!

Here's my 1985 Schwinn Mirada

Wald 4" riser bars
80mm Nitto Technomic stem
Velo Orange Model 3 saddle
Cheap wheelset from Craigslist, cassette rear hub with 8 speed cassete, original shifter can only sweep across 6 :rolleyes:
CST Cyclops 2.4" tires

Built to ride with my fiancee. Honestly, it will be getting its original bars back soon, and maybe a new derailleur. I really hate how narrow these handlebars are, even though I tried to find the widest bars like this I could! Ironically, I'm posting in this thread, even though what I really want is to be posting this bike in the drop bar conversion thread :rolleyes: Not sure how this would work out fit-wise with drop bars, though.

It looks cool, at least!

https://i.imgur.com/N9JWu6U.jpg

Sorry, not my thing at all. :)

I like regular Ritchey (or equivalent) flat mountain bike bars with perpendicular extensions at the ends, to provide a wrist-neutral, somewhat aerodynamic riding position a bit like riding drops with a high stem and a short top tube and/or stem reach.

We did have this thread: https://www.bikeforums.net/classic-v...tall-bars.html

Didn't go very far, and still got messed up by the image hosting disaster. Can't hurt to start any of these types of threads again. I should post pretty much all my bikes, all 26" with various tall bar solutions.

I've done drops and Trekking bars on my 87 Schwinn High Sierra.

Maybe there's something else I could do. I love the High Sierra, it's so outrageously cool- I've had it since 2 days before I got out of the Army.

I need to set up some hosting thing somewhere...

I, like so many, used to use Photobucket.

Now I use https://postimages.org/

It seems to work just as well and it's free.

Here is a 1990 Trek 850 I rode for a couple of years.

Here's an 87 Schwinn Cimarron ,23" frame, I picked up that proved to be a bit tall so I sold it to a friend and we converted it as shown in this pic.

Another one!

This is my latest project just finished up about a week ago to 10 days ago.

I got it pretty cheap as it had some rust spots in the paint.

I decided to strip it down and run it for a time as a raw finish frame,
probably until I get frustrated fighting the rust that will inevitably start up.

It sports some mid 80's mtb bar and Tioga Power Bloc tires.
for now but will get one of the Sunlite North Road alloy bars soon.
I really dig the raw finish look.

Note the crank, a triple Dura Ace made possible by using a tripilizer ring.

[QUOTE Here's my 1985 Schwinn Mirada [/QUOTE]


I really like how your Mirada turned out abshipp
That's a great color.

I have done several as well with no front derailer.

Really like that raw finish frame. Is that an old Rockhopper?

That's a cool Bianchi.

A friend and I have done a few of these for others that needed a decent around town type bike
fairly inexpensively.

At my large LBS the starting prices on hybrid or city type bikes are around $450.

One of these can be done for quite a bit less and I like the look of these re-purposed vintage mtb's a lot more.

Of course you can also spend more if your get carried away by too many new parts.

I figure I spent $80 to $120 or so on several of my cockpits but the upright position works for me these days
and if you find a worthy frame cheap enough you still wind up with a great bike at relatively modest price.

Also the tires can be more investment if you go with a better tire.
I have Compass Rat Trap Pass for one bike
but find better tires add to the enjoyment of riding.

I have been pleased with the Tioga Power Blocks so for and they are not too terribly expensive.

I forgot to mention the frame model.

It's a 1991 Schwinn High Plains with a lugged steel double butted tube set according to the Schwinn catalog page.

It had a black paint with white streaks and a tough white primer.

It was a pain to get all the paint off but worth it to save the dough by doing it myself.

I usually weigh the frames and forks after I disassemble them and this frame and fork came
in at about the same as my blue 1990 Rockhopper in the 7.5 lb range for both frame and fork.

I would need to double check where I wrote it down but that's pretty close.
https://cimg1.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...6f951af871.jpg
https://cimg3.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...5a5199922e.jpg
https://cimg4.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...8ac1e635ef.jpg
https://cimg7.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...55cc6704c3.jpg
https://cimg8.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...38c78f72f8.jpg
https://cimg1.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...51919dfd4b.jpg

Thanks for that link wesmamyke.

I wondered if a similar thread had been done b4 and had not seen the one you linked.

Yeah, I guess we can see if this one gets much traction.

Nordo, I like your Hardrock.

They are such solid bikes.

I expect I put at least 3000 miles on a 1987 I think it was, perhaps 88 Hardrock Comp.
I tried a rattle can paint job on it that started coming off after a couple of years.

The frame is hanging in the garage possibly awaiting a future build.

A friend built up a cool red Hardrock frame last year I think it was.
I will see if he wants to post a pic of it.

I recall he used Maxxis DTH tires with the dark tan sidewalls.
It really looks sharp.

I also have a set of the Maxxis DTH 26x2.15 in the black that I like a lot.

wesmamyke, I took a look at that thread.

Wow!!!


djkashuba 's Stumpjumper Sport XT is as fine a conversion that I have yet to see.

If you see this djkashuba, way to go, very impressive!
I expect when you go for a ride and sit and take a look at it , it must add to the enjoyment.

Both wonderful Miyatas Piff.
I sure hope you weren't hurt when the first one got broken.

Those Suntour XC Pro hubs sound remarkable.
Litttle details like that add a lot for me.

A friend is considering some new Bullmoose bars that Rivendell offers.

Ride safe.

Here's one a friend and I did for someone else.
Turned out nice I think.
It's a red Schwinn High Plains. Can't recall exact year but early 90's.
Seems like they only did the lugged version for 2, maybe 3 years b4 they went with oversized tubing for High Plains models.

I would ride it for sure and be dang proud of it.

After finishing it we went for a ride, with me riding my blue Trek 850.
(Note, 850 has not front derailer in this particular configuration)
Nice thing about doing your own wrenching is changing up stuff whenever.

Gosh, where did the time go?
I have to stop looking at bikes and get some stuff done today.

But, these type of bikes sure put a smile on my face, especially when riding them! :love:

Thanks cooperryder. Yeah, I think the old Hardrocks are good bikes. My wife and I both purchased new ones in the early '90s, but foolishly sold them a few years ago. I found this one nearby earlier this year. It was all original, even the tires.

Where do you guys locate those early lugged framed mountain bikes? I've never even seen one around here. I'd love to find one.

Specialized Hard Rock
 

I picked up this frame and fork for $30 and built up this beauty.

http://i32.photobucket.com/albums/d4...psft5jp9tc.jpg

[IMG]http://i32.photobucket.com/albums/d4...psaz01khap.jpg[/IMG]

http://i32.photobucket.com/albums/d4...psveiglxen.jpg

This is a bike I converted over to these strange bars but I really liked riding this thing. Not sure what I did with the bike but I guess I sold it to someone but I honestly can't remember what happened to it. I guess that's what happens when you flip bikes like I have over the years you just lose track. Also this was actually a hybrid 700c bike but WTH.

http://i32.photobucket.com/albums/d4...psmixixonh.jpg

88 Specialized Hardrock
 

My wife wanted Sparrows on this one. More photos here: https://photos.app.goo.gl/fclFoAEkEsDeNoem2

As found
Attachment 588386

After
Attachment 588387

84 ish Norco Bigfoot with a short Girvin Flexstem. Very comfortable. (chain lengthened after pic :))
https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/m5...w1817-h1022-no