swissycle

I have a 1989 Giant Sierra that I will be rebuilding this spring. I ride it about 70% on packed gravel field and forest trails and the rest on tarmac.

The cr-mo frame will be stripped and repainted. It looks decent in photos, but the paintwork is chipped beyond beausage, and my touchups haven’t led to much improvement.

At the same time, seatstay brake posts will be added. And I will be replacing the drivetrain; I’m leaning toward singlespeed (~59 inch gear ratio). If needed, I’ll add a chain tensioner, as the drop-outs, while horizontal, are short. Although if a chain tensioner is needed, I’m not far from a derailleur, so another option would be a 1x7 drivetrain.

A number of other components are under consideration:
- Wheels: currently, the bike has its original Araya MP-22 rims, but the rear wheel has a bit of a hop that can’t be fixed (only noticeable at downhill pavement speed). The question: is a set of 1988 Araya RM-20 Super Hard Anodized wheels I have access to a good replacement?

- Brakes: As mentioned, I’m getting rid of the chainstay-mounted U-brake in favor of a seatstay-mounted rear brake. The question: canti or V brake? If V brake, I would also replace the front canti, currently a Shimano M4501. The original plastic Exage brake levers will also be replaced.

- Bars: The current flat bar isn’t really doing it for me. The question: any good flat bars with some sweep (that fit a quill stem) I should be looking at…or dirt drops?

Your ideas or tips are welcome—thanks in advance!

Here’s the bike in its current form:

georges1

Good replacement rims are Mavic 217 and 517 if you look for something durable and solid but complete 217 or 517 mavic rims with good quality hubs aren't cheap. What about a riser bar from Ritchey or Easton ?? Maybe it is worth a shot to upgrade with Shimano XT 780T or Shimano SLX transmission

jdawginsc 

I’m a fan of SLX. Nice cheap components that work really well, friction or indexed.

Bianchigirll 

I'd suggest looking for Brake Booster for the rear, to help reduce stay flex. At somepoint stays were beefed up a bit to help reduce this, but since this has the under chainstay U brake it likely doesn't have them.

I'd go with V brakes, provided they'll fit on the front post.

mrv 

Drop bars make me "feel" speedy, but in reality.... probably not.
I've found the looong top tubes on old MTBs make drop bars feel like a longer reach. So for my RockHopper trail bike, I've worked my way to NITTO bullmoo$$e bars. Most of what I've seen for cheap & used have a 21.1mm quill.
Seems like other people can find cheap 22.2 quill used bars, but I think the original '80s bars have a lot less sweep than the new RivBike bullmoo$$e bars from NITTO. But if you get a set from RivBike, they certainly are spendy....
I do like them quite a bit, and I'm not going to get rid of this trail bike any time soon. If you think this might be a way you want to go, I can provide better pics.

On my touring bike (an '89 Panasonic ATB) I opted for V-O Milan bars. they feel very "moto-cycle-y". It would be nice to have a hand position like riding on drop-bar brake hoods. I do miss that with swept back bars..... no, i'm not tacking on bar ends to duplicate it. Looks weird.

Brakes - My RockHopper has linear pull. They work great. Some version of Shimano XT, I think. My Panasonic have the original Dia Comps, canti on the front and a U-brake at the bottom bracket (like your GIANT). They are fine for touring and dirt roads. If you're repainting, and spending for a keeper bike, I would think about Paul Motolites. I think those are the ones that will open up going to 650b, like if you want to spend even more and do long paved rides with skinnier tires.

Wheels - My RockHopper has Velocity Cliff Hangers. The rims have been great. The hubs (maybe NOVATEC?) have been OK. I've replaced the cartridge bearings front and rear at least once. I replaced the cassette body to address some ticking noise that was driving me crazy, but never stranded me. . . . I mean, I foolishly attempted a 140 mile day to get home a day early, and the thing is ticking away every pedal stroke. . . oh man. I cracked up....

cheers.

swissycle

Thanks for all the helpful info!

The Bullmoose bars look cool, but I plan on keeping the original quill stem. I’ve been looking at the V-O Milan bars—how are the they for climbing out of the saddle?

Regarding brakes, Motolites look fabulous, but they would bump the budget into a new bracket. (On the other hand, "buy once, cry once.”)

georges1

Slx is good value for money