masterofsilence

Hey,

I need some opinions on whether I should get drop bars on my XO-3, and also about getting my wheels trued.


Looks a bit wobbly at 37mph? I don't like going any faster because it feels slightly unstable; I'm guessing getting them trued and tuned will fix this?
Also, how would drop bars do on this bike? It definitely has road geometry, but it's intended to be a a sporty commuter. I've been wanting to make it more like a road bike, but I can't find any road-ish 26" wheelsets and tires, and I don't know about getting drop bars. I'm not sure if it's possible with the current fork on this to get 700c's. Advice/Opinions on all of this?

mtbikerinpa

Looks more like tension than truing(which are related). I had a similar case with my roadized mtb recently. It made a little pop noise occasionally but would deviate under hard turns. Had the shop true it, then I added another 1/4 turn because I like em snug and it all went away.

Another aspect to consider at that speed is balance. If it persists after truing and tension checks, see if there is a rotational balance issue. Strategic placement of a wheel reflector can compensate for that.

gerv 

If you try to move the tire laterally, by firmly shaking it, do you notice any play? If so you need to adjust the hub.

It's impossible to tell if the wheel is out of true by looking at this video. Get a match stick or a twist tie and hold it against the brake. Move it close to your rim, but not touching. Spin the wheel slowly. Try both sides. If it's out of true, you'll see it now.

frantik

the brake won't line up to fit a 700c in the fork. you can buy skinny 26" tires online.. you don't need to get a super skinny wheelset to match unless you want really skinny tires

you can convert to a drop bar but if you don't have the parts on hand, it can be expensive

nfmisso

Look at the 100psi 26 x 1.25 Kenda offers; and I have seen 26 x 1.35 Hutchinson at the local Wal-mart. They are both very road-ish tires.

masterofsilence

Should I buy these? They're on craigslist.

https://www.togoparts.com/items/view_...&did=0&cid=255

This is the ad:

https://fayar.craigslist.org/bik/3295740525.html

I'm thinking that $30 isn't bad. I might be able to get it down to $20, in which case wouldn't it be a great deal? Are these any good?

nfmisso

$20- is not a bad deal; you'll need a stem for the 31.8mm diameter; brake levers, shifters (or brifters), cables, tape or foam - figure another $100 to $200 if you are careful.

frantik

you will need new brakes and shifters to fit on that bar (or any drop bar)

also, what is the clamp size of your current bar/stem? that bar is 31.8 but most old school mtbs came with 25.4 clamps

masterofsilence

Currently my clamp size is 25.4mm. I have ritchey forcelite 170g 6061 aluminum handlebars. Will I notice the extra 40g that these drop bars have?

EDIT: I have also found this... it would fit great with my bike, since I have sakae pedals.
https://www.ebay.com/itm/Road-Handleb...item2324a14900

Ciufalon

Sakae CT bars are great, but those look kind of narrow. I would inquire about the size. I think the largest I have seen them in is 41 cm and I have seen them just as often in 39 cm.

As for the wheel, Gerv is right. Looking at the outside of the tire doesn't tell you much. Put a zip tie on the seat stay up near the brake and cut it a couple inches long so you can rotate it and bring the cut end close to the rim. Then you can slowly turn the wheel and see if and where it moves to or away from the zip tie end.

frantik

i agree with the above poster.. the bars look pretty narrow. it's a decent deal and would make the conversion easier, though you might want a different bar

as for noticing 40g difference.. you might notice it.. i cant say really

masterofsilence

https://www.ebay.com/itm/Sakae-Custom...item51a34ba7a5

What about these? They look big enough, but I don't know about the brake levers...

frantik

they could work too. i never thought to look for stem/handlebar/brake combos before.. they look way cheaper than buying everything separately

masterofsilence

Yeah, that's what I've just discovered! I'm happy too, because for everything I was previously looking at $250+. Now I see that there are many vintage, quality combos on ebay for under $50. Only extras that I would have to buy are bar tape, bar-end shifters (preferably friction), and cables (maybe?). I'm kind of excited, I might be able to get all of this done rather quickly. About the wheels, there really doesn't seem to be any play. But, I am able to touch the rim to the brake pad by pushing it, rather hard. I don't know if that's bad or not, but I guess it just needs tensioning. My LBS will probably do it for cheap, I don't want to screw it up. In the future I might repaint the frame and get new decals. I dunno....

mparker326

That X03 is becoming very collectible. If you are going to make these changes hold on to the original parts. Please do not paint it as that will hurt the value.

For the cost of the changes, you could get another nice used bike that meets your needs and you could keep the X03 stock.

masterofsilence

The handlebars aren't original, they are worth at most $25. The crankset wasn't original, an it still isn't after I snapped the last one. Seat isn't original; old one was falling apart. Paint is heavily chipped/scratched/ugly and if I repainted it to a close color, nobody would tell that i did if i put the same (but new) decals and stickers back on. From what I can tell, it's really just the xo-1 that's really collectable. It goes for ~$1500 on ebay. Mine I bought used for a little less than $500. Many parts weren't original anyway, and i don't care since i don't plan on selling it.

Ciufalon

Both the Sakae CT and Custom Road Champion bars are among my favorites. However, if an Ebay ad doesn't quote the size of the bars, I generally think it is because they are narrower than most would want. Maybe something like 39 cm. At least ask the seller for the c-c measurement before bidding so you know what you are getting. This set looks nice for a wider bar at 44 cm.

masterofsilence

These are 42cm. Is that good?

frantik

it really depends on your body size and preference. I have a road bike with narrow bars and i would like wider ones. 46cm is the narrowest i would want an mtb bar

masterofsilence

Well, I'm going to try and buy it. The seller seems good.

On a side note here, I made another video of my bike!

masterofsilence

I got the drop bars.... except I don't have any bar end shifters and I can't seem to get my thumb shifters to fit. In a slight turn of events, the previous owner of the bike gave me the original moustache bar. Should I use this instead of drop bars? Is it good for cyclocross, touring, and trail riding? I have already bought some cross levers and now I want to know if I should use them if I choose the moustache bars.

mparker326

I would try the mustache bars.