Show Your Vintage MTB Drop Bar Conversions
12-12-12, 09:53 PM
#426
Senior Member
And yes, that's 700 wheels on a mountain bike. It worked in theory, but the bottom bracket height made it feel lopsided and top heavy. Too spooky to ride very long. Oh well, can't say I didn't try, lol.,,,,BD
__________________
So many bikes, so little dime.
So many bikes, so little dime.
12-12-12, 09:55 PM
#427
Chainstay Brake Mafia
Join Date: Mar 2011
Location: California
Posts: 6,007
Mentioned: 5 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 16 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 11 Times
in
10 Posts
my 1989 diamondback apex has a pretty long top tube as well, and also came with a crazy long stem. I really didn't like it, until i put a trekking bar on it. now it's great and has a very wide range or reach.. from short reach to super long. this is especially appreciated since the bike is a single speed
12-12-12, 10:00 PM
#428
rain dog
Join Date: Oct 2009
Location: Northern PA
Posts: 772
Mentioned: 4 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 16 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 8 Times
in
6 Posts
Secret weapon against long top tubes: 40mm forward extension, tall (like technomic height) stem.
https://sunlitecycling.com/product_detail.php?short_code=TCO+Piston+2-Bolt+Clamp&cl1=STEMS
12-12-12, 10:11 PM
#429
Senior Member
Join Date: Sep 2011
Location: Santa Fe, NM
Posts: 184
Bikes: Trek tandem, Specialized road bike, Specialized cyclocross, Schwinn Varsity, Schwinn Jaguar, Schwinn Frankenbike Commuter,Fixie of unknown origin
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 0 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 0 Times
in
0 Posts
Thanks
12-12-12, 10:16 PM
#430
Senior Member
Join Date: Sep 2011
Location: Santa Fe, NM
Posts: 184
Bikes: Trek tandem, Specialized road bike, Specialized cyclocross, Schwinn Varsity, Schwinn Jaguar, Schwinn Frankenbike Commuter,Fixie of unknown origin
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 0 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 0 Times
in
0 Posts
thing is with MTBs, many of them have a higher bottom bracket, so the standover height for a given seat tube length will tend to be higher on a mtb vs a road bike. I can ride a 58cm road bike, but my tallest mtb has 55cm seat tube, and even less stand over.
As others have said, focus more on the top tube length.
If you're planning on doing a conversion for a bike that won't see a lot of offroad, then you can probably go with a size up from your normal mtb size. But if you plan on doing off roading too, you might want to go with something with more stand over clearance
As others have said, focus more on the top tube length.
If you're planning on doing a conversion for a bike that won't see a lot of offroad, then you can probably go with a size up from your normal mtb size. But if you plan on doing off roading too, you might want to go with something with more stand over clearance
12-12-12, 10:21 PM
#431
Senior Member
Join Date: Sep 2011
Location: Santa Fe, NM
Posts: 184
Bikes: Trek tandem, Specialized road bike, Specialized cyclocross, Schwinn Varsity, Schwinn Jaguar, Schwinn Frankenbike Commuter,Fixie of unknown origin
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 0 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 0 Times
in
0 Posts
And thanks to you, too. I love this forum! I can always come here for good, quick answers to my questions.
I think I'll just scrounge around for an old hard tail and tinker with it. If the drop bar conversion doesn't work out, so what?
Sprayman
12-12-12, 11:03 PM
#432
Senior Member
Great bikes, guys, and I love this thread.
I just rebuilt my 88 Fisher Procaliber from an SS back into a geared bike with a triple.
Gearing on these conversions is a bit of a trick, especially when working with the original 6-speed Uniglide hub. I wanted more flatlandish gears, so I mixed a couple of Uniglide cassettes and went from a 12-26 to a 13-15-16-17-19-22 with a 46-34-24 Deore XT crankset. This allows me to ride the entire cassette in the big and middle rings and gives me gear inches as follows:
46 34 24
13 91.1 67.3 47.5
15 79.0 58.4 41.2
16 74.0 54.7 38.6
17 69.7 51.5 36.4
19 62.3 46.1 32.5
22 53.8 39.8 28.1
I just rebuilt my 88 Fisher Procaliber from an SS back into a geared bike with a triple.
Gearing on these conversions is a bit of a trick, especially when working with the original 6-speed Uniglide hub. I wanted more flatlandish gears, so I mixed a couple of Uniglide cassettes and went from a 12-26 to a 13-15-16-17-19-22 with a 46-34-24 Deore XT crankset. This allows me to ride the entire cassette in the big and middle rings and gives me gear inches as follows:
46 34 24
13 91.1 67.3 47.5
15 79.0 58.4 41.2
16 74.0 54.7 38.6
17 69.7 51.5 36.4
19 62.3 46.1 32.5
22 53.8 39.8 28.1
12-13-12, 01:42 AM
#433
Senior Member
Join Date: Sep 2007
Location: Scottsdale, AZ
Posts: 4,466
Bikes: many
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 18 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 16 Times
in
13 Posts
RFC it look like you could just get a shorter stem (i know that one matches perfectly) and then not need your saddle so far forward... or is it more about where your legs sit over the pedals?
I'm still dialing in the fit of my drop bar mtb.. i took it on a 12 mile test ride and by the end i really felt like my saddle was too far back. The seat tube on my univega is a little more slack than on my 1986 Diamondback... my DB fits me pretty much perfectly so I compare all of my new bikes to it. Since it's a lil more slack I suppose it makes sense that I would need the saddle slightly more forward
Fit is pretty complicated... I don't know if I managed to somehow get a perfect fit by accident on my DB or if I just got used to it and now that's what I prefer
I'm still dialing in the fit of my drop bar mtb.. i took it on a 12 mile test ride and by the end i really felt like my saddle was too far back. The seat tube on my univega is a little more slack than on my 1986 Diamondback... my DB fits me pretty much perfectly so I compare all of my new bikes to it. Since it's a lil more slack I suppose it makes sense that I would need the saddle slightly more forward
Fit is pretty complicated... I don't know if I managed to somehow get a perfect fit by accident on my DB or if I just got used to it and now that's what I prefer
12-13-12, 12:20 PM
#434
Hogosha Sekai
Join Date: Jun 2011
Location: STS
Posts: 6,669
Bikes: Leader 725, Centurion Turbo, Scwhinn Peloton, Schwinn Premis, GT Tequesta, Bridgestone CB-2,72' Centurion Lemans, 72 Raleigh Competition
Mentioned: 19 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 70 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 21 Times
in
15 Posts
Really? I'm still loving my conversion... and with the BB height no pedal strike ever!
12-13-12, 12:48 PM
#435
Thrifty Bill
Thread Starter
Join Date: Jan 2008
Location: Mountains of Western NC
Posts: 23,526
Bikes: 86 Katakura Silk, 87 Prologue X2, 88 Cimarron LE, 1975 Sekai 4000 Professional, 73 Paramount, plus more
Mentioned: 96 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 1236 Post(s)
Liked 964 Times
in
628 Posts
Think rigid frame, not hard tail. Hard tail means front suspension fork, which IMHO would make it less useful as a drop bar bike. The good news is that rigid frames in general are the cheapest.
12-13-12, 01:10 PM
#436
Senior Member
Join Date: Sep 2007
Location: Scottsdale, AZ
Posts: 4,466
Bikes: many
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 18 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 16 Times
in
13 Posts
As always, good advice. I do want to add that, this year at the Dirty Kanza 200, there were a number of riders using suspension forks. Also, I have seen some great deals on hardtail steel Stumpjumpers with suspension forks. Hmm, this is a niche I haven't filled, and they are so few these days.
12-13-12, 09:53 PM
#437
Senior Member
Join Date: Sep 2011
Location: Santa Fe, NM
Posts: 184
Bikes: Trek tandem, Specialized road bike, Specialized cyclocross, Schwinn Varsity, Schwinn Jaguar, Schwinn Frankenbike Commuter,Fixie of unknown origin
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 0 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 0 Times
in
0 Posts
12-13-12, 11:59 PM
#439
Senior Member
,,,,BD
__________________
So many bikes, so little dime.
So many bikes, so little dime.
12-14-12, 12:49 PM
#442
Hogosha Sekai
Join Date: Jun 2011
Location: STS
Posts: 6,669
Bikes: Leader 725, Centurion Turbo, Scwhinn Peloton, Schwinn Premis, GT Tequesta, Bridgestone CB-2,72' Centurion Lemans, 72 Raleigh Competition
Mentioned: 19 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 70 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 21 Times
in
15 Posts
Apparently we have very different styles.. not too huge of gaps here.
(pics from before a proper fitting)
(pics from before a proper fitting)
12-14-12, 02:34 PM
#443
Thrifty Bill
Thread Starter
Join Date: Jan 2008
Location: Mountains of Western NC
Posts: 23,526
Bikes: 86 Katakura Silk, 87 Prologue X2, 88 Cimarron LE, 1975 Sekai 4000 Professional, 73 Paramount, plus more
Mentioned: 96 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 1236 Post(s)
Liked 964 Times
in
628 Posts
Finally got around to the conversion on the 1988 Schwinn Cimmaron. I kept the fat tires, in tribute to some of the other great ones on this thread.
12-14-12, 02:47 PM
#445
Senior Member
that green schwinn is a winner.
blackbullet, are you allowed to check people in those races? seems like you'd have a nice advantage were that the case.
blackbullet, are you allowed to check people in those races? seems like you'd have a nice advantage were that the case.
12-14-12, 05:12 PM
#448
Thrifty Bill
Thread Starter
Join Date: Jan 2008
Location: Mountains of Western NC
Posts: 23,526
Bikes: 86 Katakura Silk, 87 Prologue X2, 88 Cimarron LE, 1975 Sekai 4000 Professional, 73 Paramount, plus more
Mentioned: 96 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 1236 Post(s)
Liked 964 Times
in
628 Posts
I just finished it at 4PM. Gave it the typical test ride around the block, then off in the car to SC. The tires are Kendas, 26 x 1.95, unsure of the model. They came with the bike. If I was going to buy tires, I probably would have gone with my standard 1.25s.
Bike as acquired at a garage sale earlier this fall.
What really set it apart was the quad ring crankset (homemade). Front RD had all the limit screws removed.
Somewhat surprising to me is how much of the original stuff I kept: the Deore triple (dumped the extra ring), RD, stem, seat post, wheels, cassette, brake calipers. FD was trashed, so pulled one out of the bin, added the drops, Suntour barcons, bartape, chain, cables, housings, saddle and vintage Deore pedals from the bin. Lots of frame touch up and some rust rehab.
Bike as acquired at a garage sale earlier this fall.
What really set it apart was the quad ring crankset (homemade). Front RD had all the limit screws removed.
Somewhat surprising to me is how much of the original stuff I kept: the Deore triple (dumped the extra ring), RD, stem, seat post, wheels, cassette, brake calipers. FD was trashed, so pulled one out of the bin, added the drops, Suntour barcons, bartape, chain, cables, housings, saddle and vintage Deore pedals from the bin. Lots of frame touch up and some rust rehab.
Last edited by wrk101; 12-14-12 at 05:18 PM.
12-14-12, 05:41 PM
#450
Chainstay Brake Mafia
Join Date: Mar 2011
Location: California
Posts: 6,007
Mentioned: 5 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 16 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 11 Times
in
10 Posts
they look a lot like Kenda K838 ... i have them on two of my bikes. nice smooth, cushy ride, but kinda heavy and i feel they could be more supple. for the price point through they are great. EXCELLENT puncture protection; I've only gotten one flat on these babys, EVER
BTW bill those chainrings look pretty nice for Deore level.. my 88 Univega came with the same deore derailleurs but the chainrings were a step down.. those look like Dura Ace/600/XT level rings
edit: DAT QUAD CRANK
BTW bill those chainrings look pretty nice for Deore level.. my 88 Univega came with the same deore derailleurs but the chainrings were a step down.. those look like Dura Ace/600/XT level rings
edit: DAT QUAD CRANK
Last edited by frantik; 12-14-12 at 05:45 PM.