Go Back  Bike Forums > Bike Forums > Classic & Vintage
Reload this Page >

Show Your Vintage MTB Drop Bar Conversions

Notices
Classic & Vintage This forum is to discuss the many aspects of classic and vintage bicycles, including musclebikes, lightweights, middleweights, hi-wheelers, bone-shakers, safety bikes and much more.

Show Your Vintage MTB Drop Bar Conversions

Old 11-22-20, 12:41 PM
  #6926  
squarenoise 
Full Member
 
squarenoise's Avatar
 
Join Date: Feb 2010
Location: Tucson, AZ
Posts: 301

Bikes: Raleigh Competition GS, Freschi Supreme, Miyata 1000, Trek 520, Marin Pine Mountain, Specialized RockCombo, Soma Smoothie, Surly Cross-Check

Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 98 Post(s)
Liked 266 Times in 104 Posts
Here’s my 1989 Marin Pine Mountain drop bar conversion. Bought as complete bike that I believe was 100% original with full Shimano Deore XT components. It was in fairly rough/neglected shape so I did a full teardown and rebuild. Had to replace the headset and seat post (large crack), but everything else turned out great.

Conversion Parts Include:
- Velo Orange Quill Stem w/ Removable Faceplate (90mm)
- Dimension Flat Top Shallow Bar (44cm)
- Tektro RL340 Brake Levers
- Suntour 7 Speed Barcons
- Specialized Touring Pedals

I’ve read other posts were people had no problems running Suntour Barcons with Shimano cassettes, but I just couldn’t get it dialed in enough to work consistently. SO I swapped the last three (low gear) 7 speed spacers with 8 speed spacers and it works perfectly now!


1989 Marin Pine Mountain
squarenoise is offline  
Old 11-22-20, 01:33 PM
  #6927  
vp1337
Junior Member
 
vp1337's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jun 2016
Location: Rotterdam
Posts: 135
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 47 Post(s)
Liked 112 Times in 33 Posts
Originally Posted by squarenoise
Here’s my 1989 Marin Pine Mountain drop bar conversion. Bought as complete bike that I believe was 100% original with full Shimano Deore XT components. It was in fairly rough/neglected shape so I did a full teardown and rebuild. Had to replace the headset and seat post (large crack), but everything else turned out great.

Conversion Parts Include:
- Velo Orange Quill Stem w/ Removable Faceplate (90mm)
- Dimension Flat Top Shallow Bar (44cm)
- Tektro RL340 Brake Levers
- Suntour 7 Speed Barcons
- Specialized Touring Pedals

I’ve read other posts were people had no problems running Suntour Barcons with Shimano cassettes, but I just couldn’t get it dialed in enough to work consistently. SO I swapped the last three (low gear) 7 speed spacers with 8 speed spacers and it works perfectly now!


1989 Marin Pine Mountain
This is fantastic!
vp1337 is offline  
Old 11-22-20, 04:20 PM
  #6928  
J.Higgins 
2-Wheeled Fool
 
J.Higgins's Avatar
 
Join Date: Sep 2016
Location: New Hampshire
Posts: 2,486

Bikes: Surly Ogre, Brompton

Mentioned: 18 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 1385 Post(s)
Liked 677 Times in 457 Posts
Originally Posted by squarenoise
I’ve read other posts were people had no problems running Suntour Barcons with Shimano cassettes, but I just couldn’t get it dialed in enough to work consistently. SO I swapped the last three (low gear) 7 speed spacers with 8 speed spacers and it works perfectly
Brilliant! I never would have thought to do this.
J.Higgins is offline  
Old 11-22-20, 06:45 PM
  #6929  
squarenoise 
Full Member
 
squarenoise's Avatar
 
Join Date: Feb 2010
Location: Tucson, AZ
Posts: 301

Bikes: Raleigh Competition GS, Freschi Supreme, Miyata 1000, Trek 520, Marin Pine Mountain, Specialized RockCombo, Soma Smoothie, Surly Cross-Check

Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 98 Post(s)
Liked 266 Times in 104 Posts
Thanks vp1337 and J.Higgins

For anyone who's interested in the science of how accurate indexing works between 7 speed Suntour Barcons and Shimano Cassettes...

Shimano HG 7 speed cogs are 1.85mm thick with 3.15mm spacers to equal 5.0mm center to center spacing. 8 speed spacers are 3.0mm.

Suntour Accushift 7 speed cogs are 2.0mm thick with 2.8mm spacers for the last three (low gear) for 4.8mm center to center spacing.

Sooooo Shimano 7 speed cog (1.85) plus 8 speed spacer (3.0) equals 4.85 center to center spacing and close enough for everything to work without fuss.

And to reiterate, you only need to use 8 speed spacers on the last 3 (low gears) of the Shimano cassette, since Suntour indexing has split spacing of 3 x 3.0 mm(H) and 3 x 2.8 mm(L).

Last edited by squarenoise; 11-22-20 at 06:51 PM.
squarenoise is offline  
Likes For squarenoise:
Old 11-29-20, 10:17 AM
  #6930  
Dudley789
Junior Member
 
Join Date: Nov 2020
Posts: 6
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 5 Post(s)
Liked 1 Time in 1 Post
I was thinking of using a vintage road bike as a rail to trail runner next summer but this thread has me questioning everything. 😁
Dudley789 is offline  
Likes For Dudley789:
Old 11-29-20, 11:09 AM
  #6931  
Pompiere
Senior Member
 
Pompiere's Avatar
 
Join Date: Nov 2005
Location: NW Ohio
Posts: 3,425

Bikes: 1984 Miyata 310, 1986 Schwinn Sierra, 2011 Jamis Quest, 1980 Peugeot TH8 Tandem, 1992 Performance Parabola, 1987 Ross Mt. Hood, 1988 Schwinn LeTour, 1988 Trek 400T, 1981 Fuji S12-S LTD, 197? FW Evans

Mentioned: 24 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 521 Post(s)
Liked 943 Times in 495 Posts
Originally Posted by Dudley789
I was thinking of using a vintage road bike as a rail to trail runner next summer but this thread has me questioning everything. 😁
Por que no los dos? You could build one of each and see which one works better for your area. The rails-to-trails are all paved around me, so I usually ride my road bike, but I know they are not like that everywhere.
Pompiere is offline  
Old 11-29-20, 03:24 PM
  #6932  
Dudley789
Junior Member
 
Join Date: Nov 2020
Posts: 6
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 5 Post(s)
Liked 1 Time in 1 Post
I like your thinking. They are dangerous thoughts though...it leads to having more bicycles. I do have a Kuwahara (Apollo) Shasta that I could try to put drop bars on...🤔

Edited to add that the trails I would be riding have a pea gravel top.
Dudley789 is offline  
Old 11-29-20, 07:03 PM
  #6933  
Taxi Rob
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Feb 2008
Location: Bland Diego, CA
Posts: 186
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 15 Post(s)
Liked 2 Times in 2 Posts
Originally Posted by squarenoise
And to reiterate, you only need to use 8 speed spacers on the last 3 (low gears) of the Shimano cassette, since Suntour indexing has split spacing of 3 x 3.0 mm(H) and 3 x 2.8 mm(L).
And don't assume the same thing for Ultra 7 freewheels, which are evenly spaced. Now, about those Campy cassettes...
Taxi Rob is offline  
Old 11-29-20, 07:46 PM
  #6934  
noobinsf 
Senior Member
 
noobinsf's Avatar
 
Join Date: Sep 2005
Location: Oakland, CA
Posts: 3,291

Bikes: '82 Univega Competizione, '72 Motobecane Grand Record, '83 Mercian KOM Touring, '85 Univega Alpina Uno, '76 Eisentraut Limited

Mentioned: 57 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 1088 Post(s)
Liked 1,204 Times in 700 Posts
Originally Posted by lneves



Curious — did this bike originally have v-brakes, or did you have to swap out from cantilever brakes to make the 650b conversion work? How is clearance for fenders?
noobinsf is offline  
Old 11-30-20, 07:25 AM
  #6935  
sloppy12
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Oct 2020
Posts: 478
Mentioned: 2 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 166 Post(s)
Liked 252 Times in 147 Posts
Not sure how vintage this is. I am not even sure what it is I was told diamond back?

anyway stripped paint quick polish and putting back together for a winter commuter. need a seatpost and rest of parts will be coming off my rock hopper.


sloppy12 is offline  
Old 11-30-20, 08:25 AM
  #6936  
2cam16
Senior Member
 
2cam16's Avatar
 
Join Date: Oct 2016
Location: San Mateo,Ca.
Posts: 4,348

Bikes: TRIMMED DOWN THE HERD

Mentioned: 46 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 1088 Post(s)
Liked 926 Times in 593 Posts
Unfortunately that's nowhere near vintage.
2cam16 is offline  
Old 11-30-20, 10:39 AM
  #6937  
Wilbur76
Full Member
 
Join Date: Mar 2020
Location: California
Posts: 213

Bikes: 2020 Lynskey GR300, 1987 Diamondback Ascent, 1991 Skykomish Marble Point, 1994 Specialized Stumpjumper FSR, 1996 Specialized Stumpjumper M2 FS, 1992 GT Karakoram

Mentioned: 2 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 69 Post(s)
Liked 226 Times in 84 Posts
Hoping to convert this newly acquired 1994 Specialized Rockhopper FSR. Fairly mechanically sound except for some light rusting. Challenge is to address a seized seatpost and converting steerer starnut to threadless stem adapter since the cockpit is super slammed. Looking out for silver or chrome riser gravel drop bars if someone here has a source I’d appreciate it.

Wilbur76 is offline  
Likes For Wilbur76:
Old 12-03-20, 10:55 PM
  #6938  
Doohickie
You gonna eat that?
 
Doohickie's Avatar
 
Join Date: Sep 2008
Location: Fort Worth, Texas Church of Hopeful Uncertainty
Posts: 14,723

Bikes: 1966 Raleigh DL-1 Tourist, 1973 Schwinn Varsity, 1983 Raleigh Marathon, 1994 Nishiki Sport XRS

Mentioned: 6 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 164 Post(s)
Liked 67 Times in 44 Posts
Originally Posted by Doohickie
Before:

Original configuration as the bike came to me in 2008, still with the store price tags from 1994 (on the handlebars)


Early commuting setup


Current setup


The handlebar setup


The mods
Drop bar mods
. Quill Stem Adapter (bought new at LBS)
. Handlebar Stem (closeout at LBS)
. Drop Bars & Tektro Brake Levers (bought together at a swap meet)
. Suntour Barcon Shifters (bought at a swap meet)
Lighting mods
. Wheelset with Schmidt SON 28 dynohub in front wheel (bought used)
. Busch & Müller Lumotec IQ Fly Senso Plus headlight with standlight
. Busch & Müller Toplight Line Plus taillight with standlight
Comfort:
. Brooks B17 Saddle
. Cinelli cork handlebar tape (shellacked)
Seems unreal that I did this conversion over 8 years ago. Pretty much the same, just different bar tape and fenders.

__________________
I stop for people / whose right of way I honor / but not for no one.


Originally Posted by bragi "However, it's never a good idea to overgeneralize."
Doohickie is offline  
Likes For Doohickie:
Old 12-04-20, 02:41 PM
  #6939  
Korina
Happy banana slug
 
Korina's Avatar
 
Join Date: Sep 2015
Location: Arcata, California, U.S., North America, Earth, Saggitarius Arm, Milky Way
Posts: 3,752

Bikes: 1984 Araya MB 261, 1992 Specialized Rockhopper Sport, 1993 Hard Rock Ultra, 1994 Trek Multitrack 750, 1995 Trek Singletrack 930

Mentioned: 31 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 1524 Post(s)
Liked 1,513 Times in 906 Posts
Originally Posted by Dudley789
I like your thinking. They are dangerous thoughts though...it leads to having more bicycles. I do have a Kuwahara (Apollo) Shasta that I could try to put drop bars on...🤔

Edited to add that the trails I would be riding have a pea gravel top.
The nice thing about mountain bikes is they have room for big squishy tires that can eat pea gravel for breakfast.
Korina is offline  
Old 12-06-20, 10:37 PM
  #6940  
Doohickie
You gonna eat that?
 
Doohickie's Avatar
 
Join Date: Sep 2008
Location: Fort Worth, Texas Church of Hopeful Uncertainty
Posts: 14,723

Bikes: 1966 Raleigh DL-1 Tourist, 1973 Schwinn Varsity, 1983 Raleigh Marathon, 1994 Nishiki Sport XRS

Mentioned: 6 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 164 Post(s)
Liked 67 Times in 44 Posts
45 miles today on my conversion. 35mm tires give it a smooth ride.
__________________
I stop for people / whose right of way I honor / but not for no one.


Originally Posted by bragi "However, it's never a good idea to overgeneralize."
Doohickie is offline  
Likes For Doohickie:
Old 12-14-20, 10:41 AM
  #6941  
montclairbobbyb 
Recovering Bikeaholic
 
Join Date: Oct 2008
Location: Lambertville
Posts: 171

Bikes: 84 Specialized Expedtion, 85 StumpJumper, 85 Schwinn Cimarron, 2019 VO Polyvalent, 2007 Niner MCR, 2008 Niner SIR

Mentioned: 1 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 41 Post(s)
Liked 128 Times in 47 Posts
'85 Specialized "RoadHopper"

What? They DIDN'T make a RoadHopper? Well they should have, as this beast proves. Converted this 85 RockHopper

for my hipster nephew as a commuter/all-rounder. Says he gets lots of compliments.
montclairbobbyb is offline  
Likes For montclairbobbyb:
Old 12-14-20, 10:45 AM
  #6942  
AeroGut
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Jun 2019
Posts: 679
Mentioned: 7 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 254 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 182 Times in 141 Posts
Originally Posted by montclairbobbyb
What? They DIDN'T make a RoadHopper? Well they should have, as this beast proves. Converted this 85 RockHopper

for my hipster nephew as a commuter/all-rounder. Says he gets lots of compliments.
That's pretty much the bike they sold under the name "RockCombo": I like "Roadhopper" better.
AeroGut is offline  
Old 12-14-20, 10:51 AM
  #6943  
sloppy12
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Oct 2020
Posts: 478
Mentioned: 2 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 166 Post(s)
Liked 252 Times in 147 Posts
Originally Posted by AeroGut
That's pretty much the bike they sold under the name "RockCombo": I like "Roadhopper" better.
they made a hybrid version to didnt they? cant recall the name
sloppy12 is offline  
Old 12-14-20, 10:59 AM
  #6944  
Hudson308 
Mr. Anachronism
 
Hudson308's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jan 2013
Location: Somewhere west of Tobie's
Posts: 2,093

Bikes: fillet-brazed Chicago Schwinns, and some other stuff

Mentioned: 29 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 526 Post(s)
Liked 256 Times in 165 Posts
Originally Posted by AeroGut
That's pretty much the bike they sold under the name "RockCombo"
Interesting! Never heard of that model!
__________________
"My only true wisdom is in knowing I have none" -Socrates
Hudson308 is offline  
Old 12-14-20, 11:12 AM
  #6945  
montclairbobbyb 
Recovering Bikeaholic
 
Join Date: Oct 2008
Location: Lambertville
Posts: 171

Bikes: 84 Specialized Expedtion, 85 StumpJumper, 85 Schwinn Cimarron, 2019 VO Polyvalent, 2007 Niner MCR, 2008 Niner SIR

Mentioned: 1 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 41 Post(s)
Liked 128 Times in 47 Posts
Originally Posted by AeroGut
That's pretty much the bike they sold under the name "RockCombo": I like "Roadhopper" better.
Meant to comment how much I LOVE your Combo!!
montclairbobbyb is offline  
Old 12-14-20, 11:55 AM
  #6946  
AeroGut
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Jun 2019
Posts: 679
Mentioned: 7 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 254 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 182 Times in 141 Posts
Originally Posted by sloppy12
they made a hybrid version to didnt they? cant recall the name
I don't think there was a different hybrid in the "Rock" family. When MTB's took off, Specialized (and, notably, Bridgestone) thought that the intermediate bike people would want was basically an MTB with a wide drop bar. Thus the RockCombo and Bridgestone XO series. But the popular hybrid turned out to be opposite - a road-ish bike with 700c wheels and flat handlebars. So between 1989 and 1990 Specialized killed the RockCombo and came out with the CrossRoads family.

Originally Posted by montclairbobbyb
Meant to comment how much I LOVE your Combo!!
Sadly not mine. Just a pic stolen off the internet.
AeroGut is offline  
Old 12-14-20, 12:20 PM
  #6947  
montclairbobbyb 
Recovering Bikeaholic
 
Join Date: Oct 2008
Location: Lambertville
Posts: 171

Bikes: 84 Specialized Expedtion, 85 StumpJumper, 85 Schwinn Cimarron, 2019 VO Polyvalent, 2007 Niner MCR, 2008 Niner SIR

Mentioned: 1 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 41 Post(s)
Liked 128 Times in 47 Posts
Speaking of XO...

I picked up this NOS Handsome XOXO frame, which was designed as a virtual knockoff of the 1993 (canti) version of the Bridgestone XO-1.

Admittedly I found the whole "knock-off" thing kinda hokey, and was expecting a lackluster ho-hum ride... So I built it up and took an obligatory ride, convinced I would immediately conclude that I would sell it. Well... I was pleasantly surprised (and impressed) by this bike. Rides like a fast, nimble mointain bike that somehow feels perfectly at home on pavement and dirt roads. Handsome did a really nice job!!👍
montclairbobbyb is offline  
Likes For montclairbobbyb:
Old 12-14-20, 12:44 PM
  #6948  
sloppy12
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Oct 2020
Posts: 478
Mentioned: 2 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 166 Post(s)
Liked 252 Times in 147 Posts
Originally Posted by AeroGut
I don't think there was a different hybrid in the "Rock" family. When MTB's took off, Specialized (and, notably, Bridgestone) thought that the intermediate bike people would want was basically an MTB with a wide drop bar. Thus the RockCombo and Bridgestone XO series. But the popular hybrid turned out to be opposite - a road-ish bike with 700c wheels and flat handlebars. So between 1989 and 1990 Specialized killed the RockCombo and came out with the CrossRoads family.



Sadly not mine. Just a pic stolen off the internet.
the street stomper.
sloppy12 is offline  
Old 12-14-20, 12:55 PM
  #6949  
himespau 
Senior Member
 
himespau's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jun 2008
Location: Louisville, KY
Posts: 13,551
Mentioned: 33 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 4194 Post(s)
Liked 2,911 Times in 1,780 Posts
Originally Posted by AeroGut
I don't think there was a different hybrid in the "Rock" family. When MTB's took off, Specialized (and, notably, Bridgestone) thought that the intermediate bike people would want was basically an MTB with a wide drop bar. Thus the RockCombo and Bridgestone XO series. But the popular hybrid turned out to be opposite - a road-ish bike with 700c wheels and flat handlebars. So between 1989 and 1990 Specialized killed the RockCombo and came out with the CrossRoads family.
I have a very good condition Specialized Sequoia frameset from 92/93 when they took a Rockhopper (?) frame and moved the cantilever bosses up to fit a 700c frame. They also added a boss under the seat cluster for a lever to control a union dynamo light. I'm pretty sure it came with flat bars and was marketed as an urban commuter bike. One of these days I'm going to put some drop bars on it and see how it rides. I was going to build it up for my wife, but then I got a Cannondale ST400 frame that would fit 35s with fenders while this supposedly would only fit 32s (or maybe I got that backwards, not sure), so I built that for her instead.
himespau is offline  
Old 12-14-20, 02:45 PM
  #6950  
AeroGut
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Jun 2019
Posts: 679
Mentioned: 7 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 254 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 182 Times in 141 Posts
Originally Posted by sloppy12
the street stomper.
Ah, I totally forgot about the StreetStomper.
AeroGut is offline  

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.