sloppy12

My rock hopper..

bOsscO

Pedal colour matching the frame colour is my jam. Doing this with my Mongoose build.

bOsscO

Ok I think I'm finally at a point where I can post some finished (for now) photos and details about this bike. I've posted a few photos and info here (and a few other C&V threads) of this bike throughout the resto-mod process but it's done enough (again for now) and I've taken it out on a few rides as the weather here's been cool and clear recently.

1993 Mongoose IBOC Comp frame that came with almost no original parts other than seatpost, headset, and maybe the Parallax wheels. The seatpost and wheels got cleaned up and reinstalled.


Some of the other parts that were on it when I bought it (and have since cleaned up and reinstalled) aren't original and had been replaced at some point. This includes the seat, seatpost clamp, both derailleurs, bottom bracket, 8-sp cassette, cranks & chainrings, and both front and rear combo shifters/brake levers.

Other parts I replaced (as they were either worn out or didn't fit my idea for this build) are:
Headset - swapped out the threaded for a Cane Creek 40 threadless
Fork - basic rigid steel fork that's suspension corrected
Tires - digging these Maxxis DTH 2.15"
Pedals - purple flats from OneUp that almost match the purple in the new decals
Brakes - simple Shimano V-brakes
Front rack - essential for this build
Stem - boring black Bontrager stem, doesn't match the chrome handlebars
Handlebars - cheapest chrome cruiser bars I could find
Grips - set of OURY grips I had left over from my freeride days

sloppy12

Thats a good looking bike.

bOsscO

Thanks, it was a lot of work but obviously I had a lot of extra time to work on it with COVID-19 this year. Front basket is coming, just don't know when.

Smokinapankake

1989 Panasonic MC4500 that was originally sporting some dismal Suntour XCM components; I’ve swapped as much as I could with Deore XT 7 speed - way better, but I think in the near future I’ll put on some 9 speed stuff with linear pull brakes and some sweet micro shift thumbies I’ve got hanging around. The bar is a Kalloy UNO AL-030. I like these bars so much I have them on 4 other bikes!


Quill adapter is by Genetic, I think. Found it on EBay; it has a lovely finish and shape as well.
Some good lookin bikes in this thread!

Mountain bikes with upright bars, horizontal top tubes, and slicks look so.... right!

margoC

I have an old mongoose hilltopper that I'm transforming for my spouse. I'll post a pic later at some point.

I want to get the fit right before I get fancy and make it pretty. We had already put some downhill bars on it, a different stem, and a new seat.

I just order some generic "sparrow" bars. Hopefully I can use the same thumb shifters, spouse isn't as big of a shifter as I am. I'll want some new grips.

I may want to paint the frame as some point. I'm kind of lazy though and if it fits and works that might be good enough.

Padgett

1985 Fat Chance, 7spd index in friction mode bar ends, ESI chunky grips, Newbaums bar tape, Magura Brake levers. Outer chainrings from a road triple (middle chainring is from a MTB set). Front rack and Wald 137 missing from these pics! This is the way.

thorstein

What are those bars? Do you like them? I'm thinking if something similar on my '84 Stumpjumper.

Padgett

Nitto Bosco. 55cm chromoly version. Do it. Fantastic bars. Especially for these older MTBs!

tashi

This IS the way man! Reminds me of a few commuters I've had over the years - ****kicked ex race bikes perfect for hauling both stuff and ass around town.

margoC

Put some different handlebars and stem, now it's my neighborhood cruiser. Still need to get some grips, I just taped the old ones back on for testing.

J.Higgins 

Look at that BEAUTIFUL weather! **yearns**

Greg C.

A 1990 Trek 970 I found on Craigslist. Changed the bars and shifters, kept the brakes, installed new tires, wheel bearings, cables, rear cassette, saddle and rack. Removed the integral shifters to keep the brake handles. It's getting more ride time now than my hybrid.

nlerner

I think my winter commuter is ready to roll though once the snow hits, it'll get a studded tire in front.

OTS 

My winter commuter as well.

Triplecrank92

I've had friends tempt me to follow them off-road but I never had any desire to subject my road bikes to those conditions. Ran across this SJ which was all original, even the dry-rotted tires at the local co-op from a pile of police donated bikes. I basically just swapped the cockpit with drop bars and bar ends. I had to search online for the stem and adapter to get the bar higher while all the other parts were from the parts bin or salvaged from the co-op. I've been working on it for the last couple of weeks with the intention of doing a shake down ride this morning. Unfortunately, the morning weather did not cooperate and I'm waiting until later.

Greg C.

Have you considered an upright bar?

bark_eater 

I've got kind of a general question about suitible frames for an upright conversion
I have a Bridgestone CB-1 set up with mountain moustache bars that I realy like. Someday I might adjust the fit of the cockpit, but my hands don't complain much untill I'm into 30+ miles. This is a low end 22" Bridgestone, but has a shorter top tube and lower bottom bracket than comparable mountain bike frames.

Tucked away in the bike attic I have a 90's Schwinn Paramount PDG 20. It's not a high end bike but it's not junk. I believe it's a 20" frame and from memory the top tube is at least 24". I think this was called NORBA geometry, but the historical significance is beyond me. I've only ridden it around the block and with the long and low stem I felt stretched out like super man. Dose this sound like a cantidate for a set of Albatross bars? Compairing this bike to a drop bar road bike, it looks like I would need to use a tall and super short stem, certainly pushing the fit envelope. Thanks, woody

sloppy12

if its got you stretched out swept back bars cant hurt. check out nitto boscoe bars they have rise.

Iron Horse

1979 Sidewinder found in trash. Originally a 5 speed. As found had no hardware or a front wheel. Saved the rear wheel and 38 - 14 5 speed freewheel, just in-case I find a matching front wheel. Laced a Nexus 3 speed to a set of aluminum rims, and put some Electra street tread wheels on it. Took off the beauty ring from the crank, and with a few odds and ends put it together. Rides like a dream. I rode it all summer. Loaded it with a set of cheap panniers, and took it to the North end of the Flint Hills. Ottawa Ks to Baldwin City and back. Did just fine. I would consider adding front brakes if I were to do this more than annually, but for what I have around here, the coaster brake is just fine.

Iron Horse

Bike as it sets today. Sorry for the second post, phone would not let me select pictures.

bark_eater 

Just did a little mechanical check on this beauty. Rolled out dents, tweaked forks, lots of black rust primer and the parts off a dozen donners. Studded tires and lots of lights are going back on soon.

BicycleSafari

Last summer I hopped the border to pick up this bike from a Canadian gentleman. It was only $30usd, and apart from some dirt and scuffs was in really decent shape. It had a full shimano deerhead group, and I wanted it so I’d have a set of backup components for my old Ross Mt.Whitney. It also came with a set of ukai speedlines, but I have other plans for those.
I think the previous owner may not have figured out how friction shifting works, because the whole drivetrain was munched in a way I’d never seen before, the chainrings and freewheel cogs were all sharp, and even the jockey wheels on the rear derailleur were worn down to little points. It seemed like the bike had been ridden poorly (or with a chainsaw chain) until the drivetrain gave out, and then it sat in the garage for 35 years.
There is a sticker on the non drive side chainstay that reads “Mountain series designed by Norco”. I’m curious as to what the relationship between Norco and Nishiki was in this instance. It’s made of double butted No.2 Cro-moly, and handles quite nicely. The bottom bracket is level with the dropouts which, as I understand it, is a practice that is somewhat frowned upon in the frame building community. I’d guess Norco was going for extra pedal clearance, since it’s a mountain bike after all. it makes for a really unique ride. It sits a little higher and the handling has a wholly different kind of attitude about it. Since it’s not my only bike I really enjoy the change up.
The clearance allowed me to fit on a pair of Maxxis DTH 2.3’s which I was really stoked about. I had purchased them for a previous project only to find out they would not fit, so I’m happy to see them work here.
This bike has become my fair weather commuter for my ride to work because the tires are a little too big to allow for fenders.
My go to set up for racks has become Nitto’s NR-20 (or 21) for the rear, and M-12 for the front. They’re light but still hold plenty of weight, and they keep my bikes feeling lively and thrashable when I take my bags off to really play hard. They are not meant for 26” setup so they do require just a little bending to reach the canti mounts. I’ve heard of people breaking these racks doing this, but I have yet to do any damage to any of mine.
The Carradice rear bag has a great capacity, and fits really nicely on all my bikes with this rear rack setup. My only gripes are that the buckles are made of really thin metal and feel like they could bend easily. I prefer my bags to be a little overbuilt. And my second gripe about the bag is that the strap that loops around the seatpost to help steady the bag is made of cheap webbing and a plastic buckle. It holds most the time but I have had it work itself loose on two occasions. In the future I will be sticking to Frost River’s saddle bags.
The front bag is an Ostrich F-106. In the photos it is holding a full size canvas jacket, scarf, gloves, hat, u-lock, tool roll, patch kit, and still could fit a few more odds and ends. The canvas is great quality, the removable map sleeve is convenient, the buckles are unique and functional, and overall this bag has given me great service. While it is styled after a traditional randonnee bag, it does not have the open loop, between the two rear pockets, that is designed to slip over the tombstone backing of a front randonnee rack. I don’t know why they excluded this, but the handlebar straps paired with the bottom strap keep it plenty sturdy. I do loop the front straps underneath the front of my rack to create a 3rd point of contact. I can hop curbs and take jumps, and cruise through a pump track with this bag full and it doesn’t go anywhere. It usually holds my lunchbox, and on my way home from work the glass inside my thermos broke after thrashing around on the pump track a little too hard. The bag held up fine though. It doesn’t quite have the elegance of other randonnee bags out there, and unfortunately the shoulder strap clips are plastic, as is the clip for the bottom strap, but I just have a thing against plastic in general, and I can’t say that either of those things have taken away from the bag’s performance.
I’ve been sticking to Brooks b-67’s for a while now, but I had this old b-17 hanging around and I decided to give it a shot. It took a second to get use to it again, and admittedly it could probably use a lace up, butt my rear has really taken to it and I don’t even notice it as a seat anymore.
Blue Lug did a special run of Oury grips in this gum color. Along with the color they also made the grips a little longer, and got rid of the flange that Oury typically has. I’ve really been diggin them.

BicycleSafari

Your colors are great on this thing!