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Show Your Vintage MTB Drop Bar Conversions

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Show Your Vintage MTB Drop Bar Conversions

Old 04-17-15, 01:34 AM
  #3951  
frantik
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Originally Posted by kehomer
I'm curious about how many other readers of this thread use the T-Servs besides Paramount1973 and myself.
I run TServs on my daily rider. I have Compass tires as well. The Compass tires are faster but the Tservs are not "slow" at all. The Tservs have flat protection so they are slightly more suited for daily riding where dependability is a little more important than speed. I also would rather put the heavy wear on the cheaper tire and save the Compass for faster bikes that don't get ridden quite as often.

i recommend both compass and tserv tires
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Old 04-17-15, 04:32 PM
  #3952  
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A Tale of another 3 vintage mtb's.







Somebody stop me!
Please.


I have been at it again the last 6 to 8 weeks with 3 vintage mtb rebuilds.
Well, actually four 26'er builds if you count a 4th that is not supposed to be a 26"er but that's a whole other story not for
the 'faint of heart/'traditional build mindset'.

As you can see in the pics only 2 of these 3 have drop bars.

I begin with a tale of 2 Treks circa 1990.
I had to include the 1990 Trek 850 as that bike is a blast to ride
with those high Soma Sparrow bars on it. I have done two 40 milers on it and it did very well.
It is set up with a 1 x 8 drive train , 40T chain ring and the cassette is a 12 x 30 I think.
When I get to juggling more than a couple of bikes I tend to forget what's on which.
I really like the Maxxis DTH 26x2.15 tires on it which were the lightest I found in this width.
Would be interested in knowing of others.

The black one is a 1990 Trek 7000 aluminum frame with it's original 3 x 7 triple drive train.
It is sporting some 26 x 2.35 Michelin Pilot Sports (weigh 800 g's) that I have used on other builds in the past
which measure 61mm and just barely clear the chainstays.

To this point my Peugeot Orient Express has the widest chainstays and can run 2.35 tires with room to spare.
It's also one of the heaviest frames I have had.

The other blue one with drop bars is a 1991 Specialized Rockhopper running for now a 1 x 7 gearing set up
also with a 40t single chainring.

I stripped both the 850 and Rockhopper to bare frames before building up and on the 7000 just changed the cockpit for now.

I weigh the frames/forks when they are stripped down and so for 10 to 12 mtb's have passed through since
I started with all this craziness after reading the beginning of this thread.
(my first is on here, a couple of years back)( a dark blue Univega Rover Sport or something).
I had so much fun with that one I just kept going.

This blue Rockhopper is my lightest frame/fork to this point, even lighter than my Cimarron frame at 7.30 vs 7.65 pounds.
The 850 frame/ fork is 8.0 even.
The Rockhopper seems to have decent double butted tubing due to it's weight and according to it's tubing decal
but I can't say I am impressed with the neatness of the welder/builder. However inside the bottom bracket it looks perfect.
Go figure.

Once I start building them up they get fairly heavy fast like 28 to 30 lbs but that Trek 850 is setting at
25.75 lbs right now, not terrible in my view and it's my fav to ride right now which of course is subject to change.

For me it's not a terribly expensive endeavor as I look for pretty good deals on the bike and
then the cockpits are most critical factor to me and I usually invest about $150 average in the cockpits,
sometimes a tad more if they are sporting bar ends and cross/inline levers.
If the bars are not up high enough I just can't get comfortable riding the bike(s)
so that's the first thing I get dialed in to my liking.

So for around $250 to $400 depending on parts, I have a bike(s) I love to ride.
Now that I have a number of complete cockpit parts on hand I can just swap around or mix and match as needed.

It helps to have built up a bit of a parts stash which reminds me what does one do with all those old mtb bars and too short stems?

These fatter street tires on mtb's just do it for me at this point.
The cheapest new bike I saw in my LBS was about $450 and I prefer these made over rigid mtb's over any I saw there.

I am looking forward to trying a set of Compass Bikes forthcoming fat 26" tires on one of these machines which should most definitely be lighter than the Maxxis.

Ok, now to go ride one...which to choose???
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Old 04-17-15, 07:26 PM
  #3953  
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Great post. Thanks for the details. Makes a much more useful story than just a picture.

eom

Originally Posted by cooperryder

Somebody stop me!
Please.


I have been at it again the last 6 to 8 weeks with 3 vintage mtb rebuilds.
Well, actually four 26'er builds if you count a 4th that is not supposed to be a 26"er but that's a whole other story not for
the 'faint of heart/'traditional build mindset'.

As you can see in the pics only 2 of these 3 have drop bars.

I begin with a tale of 2 Treks circa 1990.
I had to include the 1990 Trek 850 as that bike is a blast to ride
with those high Soma Sparrow bars on it. I have done two 40 milers on it and it did very well.
It is set up with a 1 x 8 drive train , 40T chain ring and the cassette is a 12 x 30 I think.
When I get to juggling more than a couple of bikes I tend to forget what's on which.
I really like the Maxxis DTH 26x2.15 tires on it which were the lightest I found in this width.
Would be interested in knowing of others.

The black one is a 1990 Trek 7000 aluminum frame with it's original 3 x 7 triple drive train.
It is sporting some 26 x 2.35 Michelin Pilot Sports (weigh 800 g's) that I have used on other builds in the past
which measure 61mm and just barely clear the chainstays.

To this point my Peugeot Orient Express has the widest chainstays and can run 2.35 tires with room to spare.
It's also one of the heaviest frames I have had.

The other blue one with drop bars is a 1991 Specialized Rockhopper running for now a 1 x 7 gearing set up
also with a 40t single chainring.

I stripped both the 850 and Rockhopper to bare frames before building up and on the 7000 just changed the cockpit for now.

I weigh the frames/forks when they are stripped down and so for 10 to 12 mtb's have passed through since
I started with all this craziness after reading the beginning of this thread.
(my first is on here, a couple of years back)( a dark blue Univega Rover Sport or something).
I had so much fun with that one I just kept going.

This blue Rockhopper is my lightest frame/fork to this point, even lighter than my Cimarron frame at 7.30 vs 7.65 pounds.
The 850 frame/ fork is 8.0 even.
The Rockhopper seems to have decent double butted tubing due to it's weight and according to it's tubing decal
but I can't say I am impressed with the neatness of the welder/builder. However inside the bottom bracket it looks perfect.
Go figure.

Once I start building them up they get fairly heavy fast like 28 to 30 lbs but that Trek 850 is setting at
25.75 lbs right now, not terrible in my view and it's my fav to ride right now which of course is subject to change.

For me it's not a terribly expensive endeavor as I look for pretty good deals on the bike and
then the cockpits are most critical factor to me and I usually invest about $150 average in the cockpits,
sometimes a tad more if they are sporting bar ends and cross/inline levers.
If the bars are not up high enough I just can't get comfortable riding the bike(s)
so that's the first thing I get dialed in to my liking.

So for around $250 to $400 depending on parts, I have a bike(s) I love to ride.
Now that I have a number of complete cockpit parts on hand I can just swap around or mix and match as needed.

It helps to have built up a bit of a parts stash which reminds me what does one do with all those old mtb bars and too short stems?

These fatter street tires on mtb's just do it for me at this point.
The cheapest new bike I saw in my LBS was about $450 and I prefer these made over rigid mtb's over any I saw there.

I am looking forward to trying a set of Compass Bikes forthcoming fat 26" tires on one of these machines which should most definitely be lighter than the Maxxis.

Ok, now to go ride one...which to choose???
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Old 04-20-15, 08:15 PM
  #3954  
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Originally Posted by mountaindave
Not one, but two Cimarrons?! Jealous.
Hey mountaindave,

If you think "Thrifty Bill's" (wrk101) two Cimarrons are impressive (as they are, especially the weight weenie!) you should check out Brian's (bconneraz) Cimarron collection or should I say The Cimarron King's collection... if I'm not mistaken he has one of every catalog year plus the rare and illusive "LE" model. That's right, a complete collection... 1985, 1986, 1987, 1988, 1988 LE, and 1989... every single one is in amazing condition!

He started a Cimarron thread, plenty of eye candy to be seen! Here is a link:

https://www.bikeforums.net/classic-vi...-cimarron.html

Here is my 1988 LE custom build, this bike is my baby... it's a dream to ride!

Attached Images
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File Type: jpg
CimarronFilletBraze.jpg (91.4 KB, 808 views)
File Type: jpg
88_Cimarron_side.jpg (102.6 KB, 838 views)
File Type: jpg
88_Cimarron_front.jpg (99.2 KB, 821 views)
File Type: jpg
88_Cimarron_Logo.jpg (95.7 KB, 808 views)
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Old 04-20-15, 09:51 PM
  #3955  
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Wow. That's a lot of Cimarron. I'm thinking "King Cimarron" (kind of like King Crimson?).
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Old 04-22-15, 08:40 AM
  #3956  
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I like it!

Finally got this into a roller. Commuted on it for the first time today. Love it-- rides great, fits great! 1988 Bridgestone MB/2 frame, unknown lugged fork off eBay. The plan is to make sure it's all good, then break it down and sandblast/paint.



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Old 04-22-15, 01:36 PM
  #3957  
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Originally Posted by cooperryder






These fatter street tires on mtb's just do it for me at this point.
Love it!
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Old 04-25-15, 03:30 PM
  #3958  
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Originally Posted by neo_pop_71

Here is my 1988 LE custom build, this bike is my baby... it's a dream to ride!
The craftsmanship on those "production" Cimarrons always impresses me. That's beautiful braze work.
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Old 04-26-15, 05:58 PM
  #3959  
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Just converted a 1992 Schwinn Crosscut for my wife to try out. OK, its a hybrid, not a mtb, but still.... Picked the frameset up from a DKO's scrap pile for free, but hit the parts bin pretty hard.

Used a set of the Tourney trigger shifters. They are made for flat bars, but with a steel band they have, plus a longer screw, no problem mounting them on drops. She has the same trigger shifters on her other bike, so I wanted to mimic the controls.

27.2 pounds as it sits, I could shave quite a bit with better wheels.

[IMG]1992 Schwinn Crosscut 16 inch by Bills Vintage Steel Bikes and Parts, on Flickr[/IMG]

As picked up Friday night:

[IMG]1992 Schwinn Crosscut by Bills Vintage Steel Bikes and Parts, on Flickr[/IMG]
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Last edited by wrk101; 04-26-15 at 06:51 PM.
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Old 04-26-15, 06:30 PM
  #3960  
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Not a MTB? Still pretty sweet conversion, @wrk101!
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Old 05-06-15, 01:44 AM
  #3961  
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Took my 1989 Jamis Dakar out today.. Lugged Tange Prestige with Deore XT



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Old 05-06-15, 02:46 AM
  #3962  
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@frantik - Wow! That's a good looking bike! What handlebars are those? Your brake calipers look like they might be Shimano BR-M732? Nice set up. What can you tell about the bike and how it handles?
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Old 05-06-15, 03:25 AM
  #3963  
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Originally Posted by Velocivixen
@frantik - Wow! That's a good looking bike! What handlebars are those? Your brake calipers look like they might be Shimano BR-M732? Nice set up. What can you tell about the bike and how it handles?
thanks Velocivixen The handlebars are Origin 8 Gary II bars, and the cantilever brakes are actually Deore (no XT) MT-62, which are almost identical to BR-M732 except one part is steel on the MT-62 and aluminum on the M732. I have some XT ones I have been meaning to install, but there's no big reason except to make it completely XT

The bike handles well.. the front end feels "quick" but the wheelbase of the bike is pretty long, so it's not quite a road bike, even though it's set up like one. It really feels at home on hardpack dirt trails
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Old 05-06-15, 10:35 AM
  #3964  
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@frantik - do those bars take your thumb shifters easily or did you have to ream out the shifter clamp? I've got Midge bars that I'm not sure what to do with. Hmmmm. Thanks.
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Old 05-06-15, 01:28 PM
  #3965  
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Originally Posted by Velocivixen
@frantik - do those bars take your thumb shifters easily or did you have to ream out the shifter clamp? I've got Midge bars that I'm not sure what to do with. Hmmmm. Thanks.
i used a Deore (MT-62) shifter clamp which is steel, so you can bend it to clamp on the drop bar
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Old 05-06-15, 06:46 PM
  #3966  
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Originally Posted by Velocivixen
@frantik - do those bars take your thumb shifters easily or did you have to ream out the shifter clamp? I've got Midge bars that I'm not sure what to do with. Hmmmm. Thanks.
If you don't mind friction only, the Sunrace thumbshifters are inexpensive, work well, and also have steel bands that can conform to Midge bars. I used them on my Alpina:

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Old 05-06-15, 08:18 PM
  #3967  
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@frantik How wide are those gary II bars?
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Old 05-07-15, 06:59 AM
  #3968  
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Originally Posted by scale
@frantik How wide are those gary II bars?
i believe they are 53cm at the ends. relatively narrow for a dirt drop bar
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Old 05-07-15, 08:31 AM
  #3969  
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Man that Dakar is a sharp looking ride!
I've got the same frame set here that I wish was that size.
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Old 05-07-15, 09:59 AM
  #3970  
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Originally Posted by dphilips
I used them on my Alpina:

That is a sweet looking Uni dphilips! What rack/basket combo do you have on it? What stem are you using?
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Old 05-07-15, 11:45 AM
  #3971  
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Thanks! The stem is a Kalloy AL-222 - inexpensive, looks good, lots of rise. The rack is a Sunlite front rack with a Wald medium basket bolted to it. This makes it easily removable if it's not needed.

Last summer I replaced the Midges with moustache bars I had gotten in a trade just to make the bike a bit different from my others. Here's a shot from the test ride (hence unwrapped bars):

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Old 05-12-15, 10:41 AM
  #3972  
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Originally Posted by frantik
Took my 1989 Jamis Dakar out today.. Lugged Tange Prestige with Deore XT


Are those 1.75 tires? I'm a diehard fan of gumwalls, skinwalls, whatever...but with the black paint, black levers, black cages, and black saddle...I'd be tempted to try a set of blackwalls on this bike when the time came. Really cool bike/components.

On another note, this thread has really slowed over the past couple months, which I hate because it's my favorite thread! Are the cool kids not doing conversions anymore?
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Old 05-12-15, 10:45 AM
  #3973  
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Originally Posted by dphilips

Last summer I replaced the Midges with moustache bars I had gotten in a trade just to make the bike a bit different from my others. Here's a shot from the test ride (hence unwrapped bars):

So, since it's been almost a year, did you stick with the moustaches or change back to drops? I wanted to love moustache bars on my build, but just couldn't get comfortable. Probably me. That's a classic looking build. Are the fenders stupid heavy? Because I really like the look with the added flaps. I'm working on a commuter build that I'll soon tear down and paint, so I'm at the "fender decision" place we all hit sooner or later. Lots of good info about that in this thread.
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Old 05-12-15, 11:31 AM
  #3974  
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For short rides the moustache bars were good but I'm not in love with them for longer rides. I'm in the process of rebuilding my 26" bike with a larger frame and will not be using drops but swept back city bars with bar ends positioned at the bends - it ends up looking something like a Jones Cut H-bar.

The Wald middleweight fenders are lighter than you'd think but plastic ones are lighter still. The new build will use silver PlanetBike Cascadia ATB fenders.

I will probably also end up buying a set of the Compass 26x1.75 tires seen on frantik's Jamis.
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Old 05-12-15, 01:51 PM
  #3975  
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