Originally Posted by Nomad2

I apologize for starting another thread on disc brake frame conversions but I was just hoping for some comment on the feasibility of two frames for conversion. My wife and I have steel bikes we used for Audax riding, general road riding and touring. We have recently spent more time mountain biking and both find the braking on our road bikes frustrating and are looking to upgrade them anyway. We got some feedback from a local frame builder but was interested in any comments others might have on the forum.

My bike is a Fuji World 2004. It has a Reynolds 853 main triangle. I was told the problematic part for a conversion is the rear dropout. To remove the wheel you pull it forward. I was told they could be cut off and replaced by welding in new ones (possibly through-axle). The current fork is carbon/alloy and would need to be replaced. There are a few options around for 1 1/8” steerer in carbon. The nearest to what I have (just from looking at it) is a Ritchey adventure fork but I imagine small differences in the geometry of the fork can make a bit of difference to the ride?

My wife’s bike was a Bioracer shipped out from Europe back in 1998. I don’t have specifics on this one. It’s made from Columbus steel, with a steel fork, had a horrid paint job which delaminated after a few years and had to be re-coated. That said, my wife did PBP on it and plenty of cycle touring. The frame builder I spoke to pointed out his issue with this frame was the front end which has the old style steerer and stem. The fork would need to be replaced and he was not willing to make up a new one as in his opinion discs should not be fitted to a fork with a steerer less of than 1 1/8”. Any thoughts on this? He also said it would not be worth replacing the head tube.

Thanks in advance for any feedback you might have.