tammons

I am just finishing a road bike build, and would like a MTB. I now have most of the tools, so I thought I would look for an older steel frame MTB and upgrade, or buy a frame.

I am looking for a hard tail with front shocks, disc brakes, that can take 29 wheels, or something like that.

Any suggestions?

mstateglfr 

Older steel frame MTBs werent 29" or disc. You need to go relatively recent(last 10 years or so) to get both of those things.

As for suggestions- what do you want to spend? For modern steel, that can handle 29 and disc, there is Soma, Ritchey, Surly, All City, and more. Not much reason to suggest something that is 3x your budget.

Happy Feet

That's true. Older steel mtb frames will most likely be 26" and canti brakes. There were some excellent frames made in the 1990's that can be found very cheap on CL or thrift shops. I have rebuilt three recently, a 92 Marin Pine Mountain, a 92 KHS Montage Comp and an 84 Diamondback Ridge Runner. Most older mtb's were rigid but you can always retrofit a suspension fork on them though. Many others out there but disc, suspension and 29r will most likely be 2000's aluminum or more expense steel.

tammons

I dont want to spend a ton of $, but would prefer to start with a good frame.
It doesnt have to be the best, but the foundation should be solid.
How about a 700c frame. Isn't 700c close to 29?
Although it needs to be wide enough for MTB tire clearance.

Guess I could start off with rim brakes. Maybe replace rigid forks with suspension forks with a caliper mount.

How about an adapter at the rear for a caliper?
Or a weld on. I can weld.

Happy Feet

A couple of points.

While 700c and 29" are nominally the same size the applications are usually different. 29r wheelsets are mtb oriented and have wider hubs, so an older 700 frame will probably not be wide enough for them. Old 700c frames were not built for mtbing so they will also be not as robust and will not have the correct geometry to add a suspension fork.

The modern version of what you are looking for is either an adventure or all roads gravel type bike. Wider 700c frames that accept big tires and some will even be corrected to accept suspension forks. But that is new, not old.

A compromise may be an older 700c frame converted to 650b wheels, which will give some fatter tires but still not a mtb geometry. Road bikers, when they wanted fatter tires before gravel became big, often went that route.

Try googling monstercross bicycles as a variation on the theme, but you won't find old ones for cheap anywhere. They are somewhat coveted.

As to retrofitting disc to rim brake frames. It can be done, but welding (braising) bikes is a little tricky and you have to weight the cost of conversion with just up front buying the modern frame that does what you want.

Hope some of that helps. You're sort of looking for a unicorn I'm afraid but if you can flex your goals something might work out.

It also depends a bit on what you are really looking for.

If you want the fun of rebuilding a nice looking bike from a junker you would get a lot of joy, without a big cost, out of redoing an old rigid 26" mtb. The bikes are cheap, the parts are cheap, and some were very well made frames but... no matter how well you rebuild an older mtb, it will always pale in comparison to the performance capabilities of modern mtb's. They are just built with better geometry, parts and suspension these days.

If mtbing is the main goal, and you want a decent but cheap 29r mtb, you would be better off looking at a modern one that can be had for about $1000. here's a link to a list that just got put up: https://www.bikeforums.net/mountain-...er-1000-a.html


Some 26" rebuilds

tammons

Thanks

jgwilliams

If you want a steel MTB frame that takes 29ers I believe PlanetX do some.

Ironfish653

Other than the steel frame, do you have anything really specific in mind for this build, other than "a disk-brake 29er hardtail"
WRT the steel frame, mainstream MTBs went aluminum in the early 90's. So what you're going to find for steel is either going to be super-cheap department store bikes, 80's style 'ATBs' or boutique stuff like Surly or All-City.

MTBs also have gone through much more radical evolution than 'road' bikes, so a 90's 'NORBA' era bike, even a high-end one, can't be brought up to fully 'modern' specs. You kinda have to work within the era the bike is from.

Do you already have a pile of parts to use on this build? or is there a specific component / setup you're trying to use? Otherwise, piece-building this bike has the potential to be a rabbit-hole of compatibility issues and out-of-production parts.
Best bet for 'on the cheap' is either used, or something like BikesDirect; They've got some of their 29'ers marked down to $299 right now. It's really hard to piece-build a (new) bike for that little money.

tammons

After looking around a bit, I think I might just buy a new bike.

Thanks