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Show Your Vintage MTB Drop Bar Conversions

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Show Your Vintage MTB Drop Bar Conversions

Old 11-06-18, 07:50 AM
  #6276  
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Originally Posted by simmonsgc
Ahem.... 1988 MB2 Album

That is super nice. About the only thing I could see changing is I might go with a fixed bolt rather than q/r for the seatpost so it’s harder to swipe your fancy saddle. But if you don’t lock it up that’s a non-issue.
What did you use under the bar tape?
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Old 11-06-18, 09:02 AM
  #6277  
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Originally Posted by due ruote
A lot. Ideally, set them up so the drop is the default position. They may feel wide at first but I find them extremely comfortable. Ymmv of course.
Are yours the 25.4 version? They are getting hard to find, so that would be an excellent snag.
It is indeed a 25.4. Kinda wish is was a 26.0 so I could just swap it in for the existing bars. I’m not excited about shimming, since I’d lose the sweet mouse logo.

I guess it’s back to the co-op bins looking for a matching stem.
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Old 11-06-18, 11:40 AM
  #6278  
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Originally Posted by Nu2Miele
simmonsqc

What a beautiful build. Exactly (or close enough) to what I would do EXCEPT sandblasding. Sandblasting can work harden the frame material resulting in micro cracks and fissures. A chemical strip (caustic dip or chemical paint remover) is easier on the frame, but not the enviroment. Crushed walnut shells , peas, beans, etc can be used as a substitute when trying not to work harden a frame set.

Did you find out what the crown style fork was from?


rRgardless a beautiful build.
Thanks. Well, "sand blasting" is a generic term, sorta like Kleenex, I guess... maybe "media blasting" is more accurate. If I recall correctly (I blasted the frame myself), we had silica carbide in the hopper at the time, but it was at the end of a long cycle, so it was pretty "rounded." It was the regular stuff and not the "P-shaped" sharp media. Anyway, the old housepaint that was on this frame fairly fell off...don't think I have any worries about frame integrity. I never found out where the fork came from. It was given to me by a friend, and the geo seemed to work great. Gift horse and all that.
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Old 11-06-18, 11:44 AM
  #6279  
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Originally Posted by due ruote

That is super nice. About the only thing I could see changing is I might go with a fixed bolt rather than q/r for the seatpost so it’s harder to swipe your fancy saddle. But if you don’t lock it up that’s a non-issue.
What did you use under the bar tape?

Many thanks! I'm very lucky in that I get to park my bike next to my desk at the office. But, you make a good point that I should keep in mind if I ever travel with this bike on the car rack. This is the only bike I own that has a quick release there, so I should be careful if I ever travel or lock it up in other places. Thanks for that reminder!

Also, I didn't put anything under the bar tape as I recall. Does it look overly thick to you? Those are fairly narrow bars, so I was able to wrap it without too much stretch and with a lot of overlap, and the cables are under there. Maybe that's it....

Last edited by simmonsgc; 11-06-18 at 06:02 PM. Reason: ignored your question...
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Old 11-07-18, 06:07 AM
  #6280  
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Originally Posted by abshipp
I keep telling myself that I don't like 26" wheels, but a vintage elevated-stay MTB is way up on my list of bucket-list bikes.

Really super nice build!



Yeah, my dad really likes those elevated chain stay scotts...
One of those first carbon MTBs still going strong despite heavy use. But the steel one rides much nicer. Don't like the geometry of the "new" one.

EDIT: By the way.What 26 rims/wheels do you guys use? I found it quite difficult to find new 26 rim brake wheels that don't suck.Had to buy some rhyno lite from the US (living in europe) to build them up myself.

Last edited by emro; 11-07-18 at 06:11 AM.
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Old 11-07-18, 06:44 AM
  #6281  
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Originally Posted by emro
By the way.What 26 rims/wheels do you guys use? I found it quite difficult to find new 26 rim brake wheels that don't suck.Had to buy some rhyno lite from the US (living in europe) to build them up myself.
I found a set at rosebikes.com with XT hubs and mavic rims a few years ago that are pretty decent. Rose doesn't carry that set anymore, but they do have some others with 26" rim brakes. Nothing wrong with rhyno lites obviously.
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Old 11-09-18, 03:47 PM
  #6282  
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Some really cool stuff in this thread. This would be fun as hell to do. I spent about 20 minutes plowing through the 80s-early 90s steel options at about 18" on Ebay, here's what I came up with:

High end fetish property:
https://www.ebay.com/itm/Vintage-199...item214760894e - Grant Peterson cult bike with early Magura hydro cantis (!)
https://www.ebay.com/itm/High-Qualit...item41f2918871 - Chris Chance coolness

Medium range for the wise consumer:
https://www.ebay.com/itm/VINTAGE-RAR...EAAOSwB4NWxePr - love the 80s Peugeot paint, check out that chrome fork and rear triangle, high end everything on this one. Might be my favorite, it looks spotless as well.
https://www.ebay.com/itm/Vintage-Fil...4AAOSw8-lbz9BE - looks like it's been in a time capsule. Full Suntour deer head and roller cam awesomeness.
https://www.ebay.com/itm/VINTAGE-BIA...0AAOSwPyZanUqR - celeste lugged beauty (even the bar!) with Deore for cheap.

Beater but cool:
https://www.ebay.com/itm/VINTAGE-GAR...0AAOSwlzVb45tn - really cool raised seatstay look and reasonable spec at this price
https://www.ebay.com/itm/Ross-Mt-Hoo...UAAOSw-FpbMqEZ - the entire frame is chromed, love the minimalist decals, cool (Nitto?) bar, nothing crappy on it. Spend a couple hundred more on this and it would be very sweet

Last edited by Hiro11; 11-09-18 at 04:01 PM.
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Old 11-09-18, 06:49 PM
  #6283  
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Originally Posted by Hiro11
Some really cool stuff in this thread. This would be fun as hell to do. I spent about 20 minutes plowing through the 80s-early 90s steel options at about 18" on Ebay, here's what I came up with:

High end fetish property:
https://www.ebay.com/itm/Vintage-199...item214760894e - Grant Peterson cult bike with early Magura hydro cantis (!)
https://www.ebay.com/itm/High-Qualit...item41f2918871 - Chris Chance coolness

Medium range for the wise consumer:
https://www.ebay.com/itm/VINTAGE-RAR...EAAOSwB4NWxePr - love the 80s Peugeot paint, check out that chrome fork and rear triangle, high end everything on this one. Might be my favorite, it looks spotless as well.
https://www.ebay.com/itm/Vintage-Fil...4AAOSw8-lbz9BE - looks like it's been in a time capsule. Full Suntour deer head and roller cam awesomeness.
https://www.ebay.com/itm/VINTAGE-BIA...0AAOSwPyZanUqR - celeste lugged beauty (even the bar!) with Deore for cheap.

Beater but cool:
https://www.ebay.com/itm/VINTAGE-GAR...0AAOSwlzVb45tn - really cool raised seatstay look and reasonable spec at this price
https://www.ebay.com/itm/Ross-Mt-Hoo...UAAOSw-FpbMqEZ - the entire frame is chromed, love the minimalist decals, cool (Nitto?) bar, nothing crappy on it. Spend a couple hundred more on this and it would be very sweet
Loved this post. I would love weekly updates haha
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Old 11-09-18, 07:25 PM
  #6284  
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That Fisher Montare brings back memories. I had one of those. It was pretty heavy but I loved the looks of the elevated chainstays.
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Old 11-11-18, 06:41 PM
  #6285  
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What are those fenders? My daughter has that same bike and said she wanted fenders so she could ride through puddles

Originally Posted by due ruote
Got some new fenders for my Stumpjumper, aka Pinky. The anti-gray bike.

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Old 11-11-18, 07:48 PM
  #6286  
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Originally Posted by Chris Chicago
What are those fenders? My daughter has that same bike and said she wanted fenders so she could ride through puddles
Planet Bike Hardcore. I couldn’t find 26” yellow anywhere other than direct order from PB. In black you can find them anywhere.
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Old 11-22-18, 06:31 PM
  #6287  
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Lousy co-op white wall knobbies finally gave up the ghost. Replaced with creamy dreamy schwalbe fat franks.

Also needed the indexed 9 speed bar ends on another bike so stuck Suntour bar cons and a 7 speed hub on there.
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Old 11-22-18, 07:40 PM
  #6288  
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For that "special" look, you really can't beat Fat Franks! (1984 Ross Mt Whitney)



IMG_1777 by wrk101, on Flickr

Last edited by wrk101; 11-22-18 at 08:00 PM.
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Old 11-23-18, 11:39 AM
  #6289  
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Great job! Similar concept, but much cleaner build than my own Mirada!

My Microshift brifters just wore out, so I'm contemplating if I should replace them or bet bar-ends like yours.

Are those Wald chromed fenders?

Originally Posted by fliplap

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Old 11-23-18, 12:27 PM
  #6290  
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1985 Shogun Prairie Breaker II update

Thought I'd post an updated picture of my conversion (Flickr album).



I swapped out the rims to some Wolber / Super Champion Canyons (~28mm inner width) that came along with a bike I snagged for its crankset for another project. Those measured out about 4mm wider than the RhynoLite rims that were on there, and showed little wear. I've been looking for extra-wide rims to match the Compass Rat Trap Pass tires; I think this should do.

I also added a cheapo front rack (Sunlite) to match the back. I don't think I'd want to put much weight on it, but it could serve as a nice base for a handlebar bag. Is that supposed to be level, or tilted back to match the head tube angle? I kinda split the difference there.

Commute in this morning revealed an oscillation/rub on the rear wheel during braking, so I guess there's still a bit more work to do.
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Old 11-24-18, 09:07 PM
  #6291  
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Joined the club







Like others, I have spent days/weeks lost in this thread (and also Craigslist). I just couldn’t find anything I wanted. Then in the span of 3 days, I bought a $5 Diamondback Sorrento, an $80 Trek 850, and a Cinelli for $300. All bikes pretty much had all their original components. The Cinelli came with all Sachs, and the DB even had the original matching Avenir water bottle. The frame on the DB is like new. The Trek is gonna need a strip and re-paint. I will keep these two frames for future projects to build and sell off.
I borrowed parts from the Trek and DB and am using parts from my own leftovers to rebuild the Cinelli into a version I like. I am not into square taper cranks, bar end shifters, quill stems, etc. Sorry. ��
There are only 2 other posts on the internet about the Cinelli Tiramisu. The one that actually has some info on it, the guy says they were only made in 1991 and are Columbus steel. The build for the Cinelli will be as follows:
Mavic X517 rims with ceramic braking surface and XTR hubs. From the Trek.
XT 11-36 cassette.
DT Swiss RWS skewers
Bontrager Connection Trail 2.0 tires. From the Diamondback.
Sram Rival levers and rear derailleur.
TRP Revox carbon cantilever brakes.
Sram Red crankset with 38t chainring.
Fizik Cyrano carbon bars.
Shimano Saint pedals.
Selle Italia Flight saddle.
Thomson stem.
Gonna go with white-ish bar tape.
Most likely black cable housing.

Last edited by JayChadney; 12-10-18 at 08:55 PM. Reason: Typo
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Old 11-25-18, 01:45 PM
  #6292  
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WOW that Cinelli is amazing. I would have settled for either of those other two as well. Good finds
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Old 11-25-18, 06:47 PM
  #6293  
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Originally Posted by fliplap


Lousy co-op white wall knobbies finally gave up the ghost. Replaced with creamy dreamy schwalbe fat franks.

Also needed the indexed 9 speed bar ends on another bike so stuck Suntour bar cons and a 7 speed hub on there.
Nice bike, I was at Bike Saviours today, found a titanium stem in the $5 bin.
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Old 11-26-18, 08:23 AM
  #6294  
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Originally Posted by yangmusa
Great job! Similar concept, but much cleaner build than my own Mirada!

My Microshift brifters just wore out, so I'm contemplating if I should replace them or bet bar-ends like yours.

Are those Wald chromed fenders?
Yep. Wald fenders with leftover SKS hardware. Had to indent the fenders to clear the seat stays and fork blades. The combination wouldn't be worth the price, but the fenders are from the co-op and I had the hardware lying around.

Originally Posted by willoughby1
Nice bike, I was at Bike Saviours today, found a titanium stem in the $5 bin.
Bike Saviors is the best. The only thing better than the bikes and the parts is the people.
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Old 11-29-18, 10:00 PM
  #6295  
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All built


Made some last minute changes for the build.
Went with SRAM Red levers instead of Rival.
Sram XO rear derailleur instead of Rival.
Avid Shorty Ultimate brakes inssead of TRP Revox.
Also changed to a SRAM Red crankset over the Bontrager. Something was wrong with the BB for that crankset.
The 90mm stem is too long. I am thinking 70mm with 6* rise. How do stems shorter than 70mm work out for folks? A 50 or 60mm might just make for a perfect fit.
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Old 11-30-18, 05:32 AM
  #6296  
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Originally Posted by JayChadney
The 90mm stem is too long. I am thinking 70mm with 6* rise. How do stems shorter than 70mm work out for folks? A 50 or 60mm might just make for a perfect fit.
Bike turned out great. It's such a sweet frame it's nice to see that you didn't cut any corners. Couple of ideas on the stem. You could go with a nitto dirt drop to get the bars up and back which would be more comfortable. You might need to get different bars to make that work. I can't tell from the picture. They made a black one for specialized that come up on ebay from time-to-time. There's one there now, but it's ridiculously priced NOS. Alternatively, VO and Crust have LD stems that would work and look pretty cool IMO. There may be others, but those are the two I know about. You should check out this threadless conversion headset if you go with threadless stem.
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Old 11-30-18, 07:48 AM
  #6297  
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Great job all of the above. Love, love, love this thread.
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Old 11-30-18, 10:27 AM
  #6298  
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Threadless conversion I put on the Ross Mt Whitney posted on the prior page. The Ross has a BMX sized stem, which made finding a replacement more challenging.


IMG_1783 by wrk101, on Flickr



Meanwhile, the steep and short stem I had on this 1984 Trek 850 came out of the bin. I always check for quill dirt drop stems at co-ops.



1984 Trek 850 by wrk101, on Flickr
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Old 11-30-18, 10:46 AM
  #6299  
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Originally Posted by JayChadney
Made some last minute changes for the build.
Went with SRAM Red levers instead of Rival.
Sram XO rear derailleur instead of Rival.
Avid Shorty Ultimate brakes inssead of TRP Revox.
Also changed to a SRAM Red crankset over the Bontrager. Something was wrong with the BB for that crankset.
The 90mm stem is too long. I am thinking 70mm with 6* rise. How do stems shorter than 70mm work out for folks? A 50 or 60mm might just make for a perfect fit.
This looks super rad!
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Old 12-02-18, 07:23 PM
  #6300  
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Thank you!
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