Show us your vintage mountain bikes!
#8426
Top Seeded Amateur
While I am also a fan of ditching front derailluers and chain rings, one detail seemingly overlooked here is location. If I lived in Denver, Colorado a super low gear would be much more important to me than it is in Ann Arbor, Michigan. Ditto a higher gear... the elevation changes go both ways after all.
Horses for courses and all that.
Horses for courses and all that.
My current build is a 34T with 9/48 that will net me 25.1mph and 4.7mph respectively (with a cadence of 90).
Pretty common 3x setup I've seen is 44/32/22T with 11/32 which nets 26.6mph and 4.6mph.
That's pretty darn close and I submit that anyone that doesn't find enough gear in the 1x above won't find it in the 3x below it either necessitating a different setup.
For an awful lot of riders like myself that don't need to change the gearing on that 3x, the 1x IS the better solution for reasons enumerated earlier.
For you 3x aficionados, nobody is calling your baby ugly. Run whatcha brung and enjoy!
#8427
Senior Member
Join Date: May 2022
Location: USA - Southwest PA
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darn - this frame has top tube mounting - but just realized the FD cable is routed on the left side and the cable would possibly contact and interfere with the seat tube ... hmmm
#8428
Mad bike riding scientist
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Location: Denver, CO
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Thanks but I’ll keep my high gear and my low gear and the range in between. I use all of them with surprising regularity.
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Stuart Black
Plan Epsilon Around Lake Michigan in the era of Covid
Old School…When It Wasn’t Ancient bikepacking
Gold Fever Three days of dirt in Colorado
Pokin' around the Poconos A cold ride around Lake Erie
Dinosaurs in Colorado A mountain bike guide to the Purgatory Canyon dinosaur trackway
Solo Without Pie. The search for pie in the Midwest.
Picking the Scablands. Washington and Oregon, 2005. Pie and spiders on the Columbia River!
Stuart Black
Plan Epsilon Around Lake Michigan in the era of Covid
Old School…When It Wasn’t Ancient bikepacking
Gold Fever Three days of dirt in Colorado
Pokin' around the Poconos A cold ride around Lake Erie
Dinosaurs in Colorado A mountain bike guide to the Purgatory Canyon dinosaur trackway
Solo Without Pie. The search for pie in the Midwest.
Picking the Scablands. Washington and Oregon, 2005. Pie and spiders on the Columbia River!
#8429
Top Seeded Amateur
You are assuming that the routes I ride can be ridden on a road bike. They might be able to be ridden on a road bike but certainly not at 25mph on that kind of bike. I do a lot of bikepacking on road and trails of variable surfaces. One of my recent ones dropped from almost 12,000 feet to 9000 feet over 10 miles on a very rocky road. Speeds on the dirt part pushed up to 25 mph and speeds on the paved part hit 35mph. That’s on knobbies. I hit 25mph pretty soon after hitting the top of the pass and would rather not coast for 10 miles. Legs get really stiff when coasting that long. A road bike would have been way out of its element and would have be a handful at 1/2 to 1/4 of that speed.
Thanks but I’ll keep my high gear and my low gear and the range in between. I use all of them with surprising regularity.
Thanks but I’ll keep my high gear and my low gear and the range in between. I use all of them with surprising regularity.
No need for thanks, I never once tried to convince you to change.
Always so serious? I make one tongue in cheek post about 'no FD' and we get your whole edge case.
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#8430
Mad bike riding scientist
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At 90rpm for a 9-48 with a 34 tooth chainring, I get 27.7mph and 5.2mph, respectively. To get 4.7 mph on the low end, you’d have to go to a 31 tooth chainwheel but the high end is reduced to 25mph. The range is 533%
Pretty common 3x setup I've seen is 44/32/22T with 11/32 which nets 26.6mph and 4.6mph.
However, it is not difficult to push that gearing further. I have a 20 tooth inner ring which requires a little bit of filling to get to but it’s not that much. It’s also relatively easy to use an 11-36 cassette with that 40/32/20 crank. That extend the speeds from 27.5 to 3.8 mph with a range of 720%. I’m currently experimenting with a 44/32/20 and an 11-40 cassette which increase the range to 800%.
That's pretty darn close and I submit that anyone that doesn't find enough gear in the 1x above won't find it in the 3x below it either necessitating a different setup.
For you 3x aficionados, nobody is calling your baby ugly. Run whatcha brung and enjoy!
__________________
Stuart Black
Plan Epsilon Around Lake Michigan in the era of Covid
Old School…When It Wasn’t Ancient bikepacking
Gold Fever Three days of dirt in Colorado
Pokin' around the Poconos A cold ride around Lake Erie
Dinosaurs in Colorado A mountain bike guide to the Purgatory Canyon dinosaur trackway
Solo Without Pie. The search for pie in the Midwest.
Picking the Scablands. Washington and Oregon, 2005. Pie and spiders on the Columbia River!
Stuart Black
Plan Epsilon Around Lake Michigan in the era of Covid
Old School…When It Wasn’t Ancient bikepacking
Gold Fever Three days of dirt in Colorado
Pokin' around the Poconos A cold ride around Lake Erie
Dinosaurs in Colorado A mountain bike guide to the Purgatory Canyon dinosaur trackway
Solo Without Pie. The search for pie in the Midwest.
Picking the Scablands. Washington and Oregon, 2005. Pie and spiders on the Columbia River!
#8431
Top Seeded Amateur
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#8432
Senior Member
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Funny thing is, its sure not cheaper if you want it to work well under demanding conditions. The cost can be eye watering.
Nothing wrong with it if its for you or you have jumped into the fray and must assimilate.
#8433
Senior Member
I was working in a shop when 8 speed came out, and subsequently 9 speed. The debate at the counter (this was pre widespread internets) was always "why do we need more?" I think a sloping top tube, compact drive, NORBA geometry (71/73) mtb, with a short travel suspension fork, made out of steel, is the best looking bike ever made. That compact crank is a big part of the appeal for me.
FWIW, I'm running a 20/32/44 crank with an 11-36t 9 speed cassette on one of my bikes with no problems at all, and way more range than I'll ever need. Most are 20/32/42 with an 11-32 or 34t. And they all shift flawlessly.
All of this to say that whatever works for you is fine by me. Your bike, and I got no agenda for you. I like me some 3x9!
FWIW, I'm running a 20/32/44 crank with an 11-36t 9 speed cassette on one of my bikes with no problems at all, and way more range than I'll ever need. Most are 20/32/42 with an 11-32 or 34t. And they all shift flawlessly.
All of this to say that whatever works for you is fine by me. Your bike, and I got no agenda for you. I like me some 3x9!
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#8434
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Here's my latest project, a rat-bagged '92 RM Stratos that was mostly original, except for some modern cranks. The paint is failing badly on this one, but I decided to touch it up ghetto-style and leave it. I also swapped out the seized RS Quadra fork for this rebuilt Manitou4.
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#8437
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Location: Great White North
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#8438
Old Boy
Join Date: Jan 2016
Location: Minnesota
Posts: 2,127
Bikes: Mostly 1st-generation, top-of-the-line, non-unicrown MTBs/ATBs: All 1984 models: Dawes Ranger, Peugeot Canyon Express, Ross Mt. Whitney (chrome), Schwinn High Sierra, and a 1983 Trek 850.
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The bottoms of the baskets were reinforced with strips of pine to look like miniature pickup truck beds.
The drivetrain was a 1x9, IRRC.
It was an interesting bike to look at, some may have called it pretty, but when loaded down it was quite awkward to ride. CG was just too high.
I ended up trading it for my Dawes Ranger, which ended up being a very good deal for me, as I still think that bike is my favorite ATB-based ride.
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__________________
Roulez pour la joie, jamais pour la douleur.
USMC 1981-1991 Semper Fi!
Roulez pour la joie, jamais pour la douleur.
USMC 1981-1991 Semper Fi!
#8439
Senior Member
Join Date: May 2020
Location: Great White North
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Bikes: 2013 Cannondale Caad 8, 2010 Opus Fidelio, 1985 Peugeot UO14, 1999 Peugeot Dune, Sakai Select, L'Avantage, 1971 Gitane Apache Standard, 1999 Specialized Hard Rock
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DQ Rider, thanks for sharing, a gorgeous bike as well. I will say from all the images I look at, the higher end bikes from the 90's make the best conversions, Klein, Marin, Yo Eddy, Surly, Kona and the Rock Hoppers or Stump Jumpers. Now you both went with an updated handlebar and wondering what you think of those for comfort over the standard mtn bike riser bar?
Any pic's of the Dawes Ranger?
Any pic's of the Dawes Ranger?
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#8440
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Join Date: Mar 2007
Location: SF Bay Area, East bay
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Just thinking back to the old days of pre suspension/disc brakes. High speed downhills was more of a hold on for dear life experience. The ruts were a one way trip and you were always looking for a run out at the bottom of the hill. You didn't need lower gears because the thinner tires would never grab. I understand the retro mods showing in here but appreciate some good examples of vintage rigids that lived through the hard landings. Great thread.
#8441
Old Boy
Join Date: Jan 2016
Location: Minnesota
Posts: 2,127
Bikes: Mostly 1st-generation, top-of-the-line, non-unicrown MTBs/ATBs: All 1984 models: Dawes Ranger, Peugeot Canyon Express, Ross Mt. Whitney (chrome), Schwinn High Sierra, and a 1983 Trek 850.
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First and Last Banzai Run
Just thinking back to the old days of pre suspension/disc brakes. High speed downhills was more of a hold on for dear life experience. The ruts were a one way trip and you were always looking for a run out at the bottom of the hill. You didn't need lower gears because the thinner tires would never grab. I understand the retro mods showing in here but appreciate some good examples of vintage rigids that lived through the hard landings. Great thread.
One time at Big Bear, I was dared by a Team Devildog teammate to ride one section of trail without taking the optional switchback cutout. He had tried it, but chickened out, and he knew that I used to try anything once. When they sweetened the deal with a hundred bucks, they had their sucker.
Here is what I learned (Hold on for dear life, indeed!): The only way to properly balance the bike was with my chest on the saddle, with my arms straight out ahead of me, hands holding the bars loosely to allow them to move around a bit. This hung my butt out over the rear wheel, which was constantly bouncing off rocks and fallen tree limbs, allowing the rear knobby tire to make a meal of my lycra-clad derriere. By the time I reached the bottom of the trail, I looked like I had been sodomized by an amorous grizzly-bear! My shorts were in tatters, and I had several bleeding scrapes we dubbed "knobby bites".
That was the one and only time I did what was later to be called a "Banzai Run" down the mountain. I don't have my Lotus Pegasus anymore, I sold it on when I got out of the Corps. But I've been looking for one ever since I got back into bicycles around 2015. That nifty little shoulder tube braised between the top-tube and seat-tube really came in handy over deadfalls.
Thanks for sparking that old memory/nightmare!
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__________________
Roulez pour la joie, jamais pour la douleur.
USMC 1981-1991 Semper Fi!
Roulez pour la joie, jamais pour la douleur.
USMC 1981-1991 Semper Fi!
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#8442
Old Boy
Join Date: Jan 2016
Location: Minnesota
Posts: 2,127
Bikes: Mostly 1st-generation, top-of-the-line, non-unicrown MTBs/ATBs: All 1984 models: Dawes Ranger, Peugeot Canyon Express, Ross Mt. Whitney (chrome), Schwinn High Sierra, and a 1983 Trek 850.
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DQ Rider, thanks for sharing, a gorgeous bike as well. I will say from all the images I look at, the higher end bikes from the 90's make the best conversions, Klein, Marin, Yo Eddy, Surly, Kona and the Rock Hoppers or Stump Jumpers. Now you both went with an updated handlebar and wondering what you think of those for comfort over the standard mtn bike riser bar?
Any pic's of the Dawes Ranger?
Any pic's of the Dawes Ranger?
The pullback handlebar is used because these bikes make such great all-rounders! Think of them as the modern paper-boy's bike, even though paper-boys are now largely extinct. The upright handlebar allows you to sit straight-up and enjoy the feeling of that slack frame and fat tires soaking up the bumps. There is a whole thread dedicated to these conversions here: Vintage MTB To Upright Bar / Urban Bike Conversions - Bike Forums
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__________________
Roulez pour la joie, jamais pour la douleur.
USMC 1981-1991 Semper Fi!
Roulez pour la joie, jamais pour la douleur.
USMC 1981-1991 Semper Fi!
Last edited by DQRider; 12-16-22 at 02:28 PM.
#8443
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Just finished turning my MB-3 into a commuter/hauler:
I actually plan on outfitting it with an electric-assist front wheel, then knobby tire rear and studded front for particularly wintery commutes here in the Boston area.
I actually plan on outfitting it with an electric-assist front wheel, then knobby tire rear and studded front for particularly wintery commutes here in the Boston area.
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#8445
Junior Member
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#8446
Junior Member
Join Date: Nov 2018
Location: Burnaby, British Columbia
Posts: 167
Bikes: 1984 & 1990 Marinoni Specials - 1990 Bianchi Sika - 1993 Cannondale M800 - 1996 GT Zaskar - 1993 Kona Kilauea - 1987 Ritchey Ascent - 1996 Rocky Mountain Vertex - 2008 Kona Dogma - 1976 Schwinn Suburban - 1994 Kuwahara Makai
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Rockhoppers are a very nice canvas when you want to innovate. Back in 2016, I built one into what I thought of as an "Organic Cargo Bike" for my runs to the Farmer's Market.
The bottoms of the baskets were reinforced with strips of pine to look like miniature pickup truck beds.
The drivetrain was a 1x9, IRRC.
It was an interesting bike to look at, some may have called it pretty, but when loaded down it was quite awkward to ride. CG was just too high.
I ended up trading it for my Dawes Ranger, which ended up being a very good deal for me, as I still think that bike is my favorite ATB-based ride.
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The bottoms of the baskets were reinforced with strips of pine to look like miniature pickup truck beds.
The drivetrain was a 1x9, IRRC.
It was an interesting bike to look at, some may have called it pretty, but when loaded down it was quite awkward to ride. CG was just too high.
I ended up trading it for my Dawes Ranger, which ended up being a very good deal for me, as I still think that bike is my favorite ATB-based ride.
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#8447
Full Member
Well if Rockhoppers are your thing... I got your Rockhopper right here.
This is a 1991 Specialized Rockhopper Sport I bought off Facebook Marketplace from the original owner last year.
He'd just put new Armadillo tires on it but wasn't riding it... maybe it's because of the tires. They make my Schwalbes look like racing slicks.
It is now wearing Schwalbe Marathon Winter studded snows, battery lights, fenders, Mirrycle, and a Brooks that should probably be reserved for less mundane duty. It also has the rack I saved from my old commuter, a Cannondale Hybrid that did no age well in the Michigan salt environment.
I've got a cheap Shimano dynohub and a used 3spd Nexus hub waiting in the wings -- took me over a year to find a mountain bike with horizontal dropouts so I could run it with an IGH. Coaster brake as a bonus; got the hub from the co-op.
Rims, spokes and headlights are in the mail from Rosebikes.com in Germany. That saved a ton of money, and shipping is cheap. If it all gets here before winter break is over, I should be all set for the season, and I'll make an effort to save the Suntour X-1 group from this bike. It would be a shame to ruin it with salt brine.
I'll post on the 'wrenching' thread and hope that shame will drive me to actually get it done before January.
[@nlerner -- I hope that wasn't too many paragraph breaks for you.]
This is a 1991 Specialized Rockhopper Sport I bought off Facebook Marketplace from the original owner last year.
He'd just put new Armadillo tires on it but wasn't riding it... maybe it's because of the tires. They make my Schwalbes look like racing slicks.
It is now wearing Schwalbe Marathon Winter studded snows, battery lights, fenders, Mirrycle, and a Brooks that should probably be reserved for less mundane duty. It also has the rack I saved from my old commuter, a Cannondale Hybrid that did no age well in the Michigan salt environment.
I've got a cheap Shimano dynohub and a used 3spd Nexus hub waiting in the wings -- took me over a year to find a mountain bike with horizontal dropouts so I could run it with an IGH. Coaster brake as a bonus; got the hub from the co-op.
Rims, spokes and headlights are in the mail from Rosebikes.com in Germany. That saved a ton of money, and shipping is cheap. If it all gets here before winter break is over, I should be all set for the season, and I'll make an effort to save the Suntour X-1 group from this bike. It would be a shame to ruin it with salt brine.
I'll post on the 'wrenching' thread and hope that shame will drive me to actually get it done before January.
[@nlerner -- I hope that wasn't too many paragraph breaks for you.]
Last edited by steine13; 12-20-22 at 06:20 AM.
#8448
Happy banana slug
Join Date: Sep 2015
Location: Arcata, California, U.S., North America, Earth, Saggitarius Arm, Milky Way
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Bikes: 1984 Araya MB 261, 1992 Specialized Rockhopper Sport, 1993 Hard Rock Ultra, 1994 Trek Multitrack 750, 1995 Trek Singletrack 930
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#8449
Senior Member
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#8450
Happy banana slug
Join Date: Sep 2015
Location: Arcata, California, U.S., North America, Earth, Saggitarius Arm, Milky Way
Posts: 3,696
Bikes: 1984 Araya MB 261, 1992 Specialized Rockhopper Sport, 1993 Hard Rock Ultra, 1994 Trek Multitrack 750, 1995 Trek Singletrack 930
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BTW, November's election had some controversy for Arcata; we're now officially going to fly the earth flag above the U.S. flag, and councilmember Brett Watson, who has gone completely mental, was soundly defeated. It's a pity, because he started out as a good man, with great ideas, and he really loves Arcata. The new city council is all women; should be fun. In the larger picture, the Humboldt County BoS is going to be majority progressive for the first time ever. I'm really looking forward to January.