Vintage steel candidates for 'all-road'?
#26
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Slimestone is starting to grow on me even though I was not able to finish the clunker challenge on time.
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#27
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Yup! Old hybrids are the best kept secret in all around bikes. I have a Univega Via Carisma that I will be building up as a flat bar in-town errand and commuting bike. It also has lowrider mounts on the fork so it will be pressed into S24O and touring duty as-needed. The problem for me as a "short back" is the longer top tube that is inherent in flat bar geometries makes drop bar conversions a little funky but I've done it before on an '87 26" Fisher Hookooeekoo mountain bike and it actually worked really well for the couple of years I commuted on it.
Vintage mountain bikes are a great option if you are loading the bike up. The frames are so beefy that you can load them down with no whippiness or complaint from the frame at all. There are some light race MTB out there that would be good if you are looking for a more lightweight option but those tend to be rarer and more expensive since collectors are starting to pick those up.
Vintage mountain bikes are a great option if you are loading the bike up. The frames are so beefy that you can load them down with no whippiness or complaint from the frame at all. There are some light race MTB out there that would be good if you are looking for a more lightweight option but those tend to be rarer and more expensive since collectors are starting to pick those up.
I have an 80's Diamondback too, and those old MTB's are a very different feeling. That one is set up as a Rivendell-style cruiser. Those are definitely better for heavy loads or slow rambles, but I think hybrids make better road-ish gravel builds.
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#28
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BTW, that 620 is slick!
My T900 in it's current state-
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Those vintage Raleighs are pretty sweet... and something like one of those would be at home with my small collection of 'rescued' Raleigh 3-speeds. I kinda think the classic 'English' 3-speed might be the pinnacle of human-powered transportation, but..... definitely not 'enough' for the hills I live in!
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#30
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my '82 trek 614 had a front end trail of 50mm or so. (head tube at 73* and offset at 55mm) the steering was real light and responsive, but felt rather insecure on fast steep descents. having a handlebar bag on really helped with that. but, 50mm....that's kinda between low and mid trail. genuine low trail bikes are designed to feel light and responsive specifically with a heavy'ish load. without a load, a bit too twitchy for a lot of folks. i have read from some builders between 55 and 60 is the sweet spot for response and stability. rivendell bikes are mid sixties for that stability i think you're wondering of
#31
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I *think* the trail on the T900 (based on the specs in the '97 catalog) is 63.5mm. I don't feel like it's insecure on descents- it actually feels pretty good there, though I'm not a spin-it-out speed-demon. It's kinda more like it'll wander, or is too 'responsive' at low/moderate speeds if I'm not paying attention, even more so when I'm tired... I do think the notch in the headset is part of it. But it was interesting noting the difference with the handlebar bag loaded up with ripe peaches.... Maybe I just need to start carrying more snacks.
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#32
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Agreed- my recollection of the 90 ST600 is that it simply rode great, loaded and unloaded. I haven't really loaded up the T900- and in truth I probably won't- I think my days of fully-loaded touring are over and it'll be CC-touring and some long-distance/endurance/adventure kinda stuff. But interestingly I did load up the rando bag with ripe peaches to deliver to some friends and it seemed to make the bike more stable. Definitely rocking it while climbing out of the saddle felt less 'wobbly'. If my researching is right (yeah, I could just actually measure....!) it's pretty much a mid-trail front end. I wonder if lower-trail forks would make the handling feel a little more stable- though really, getting the straight-ahead notch dealt with is step one. I've got new bars on the way, so figure I'll tackle that when I put them on.
BTW, that 620 is slick!
My T900 in it's current state-
BTW, that 620 is slick!
My T900 in it's current state-
#33
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Well, yeah, it does check a lot of the boxes, but c'mon, I need something to research/obsess/dream about! 700x38c Rene Herse Barlow Pass tires. VERY tight fit between the chain stays (even though 38c was apparently what came stock on the bike when new..), but by far the single most impactful upgrade, comfort & enjoyment-wise, I made to the bike. And absolute nightmare to get seated, but I love the ride.
#34
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I *think* the trail on the T900 (based on the specs in the '97 catalog) is 63.5mm. I don't feel like it's insecure on descents- it actually feels pretty good there, though I'm not a spin-it-out speed-demon. It's kinda more like it'll wander, or is too 'responsive' at low/moderate speeds if I'm not paying attention, even more so when I'm tired... I do think the notch in the headset is part of it.
Kidding. As it happens, I bought a 1993 Cannondale H300 hybrid last year, and I'm embarrassed how long it took me to realize that the slightly peculiar handling I initially guessed was due to fork rake or some other geometry issue was entirely attributable to a notch in the headset. Fix it, and your concerns about the bike's handling will vanish. Whoever designed the bike for Cannondale (does anyone know who that was?) knew how to design bikes right.
#35
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You think the notch in the headset is part of the peculiarities of it's handling?
Kidding. As it happens, I bought a 1993 Cannondale H300 hybrid last year, and I'm embarrassed how long it took me to realize that the slightly peculiar handling I initially guessed was due to fork rake or some other geometry issue was entirely attributable to a notch in the headset. Fix it, and your concerns about the bike's handling will vanish. Whoever designed the bike for Cannondale (does anyone know who that was?) knew how to design bikes right.
Kidding. As it happens, I bought a 1993 Cannondale H300 hybrid last year, and I'm embarrassed how long it took me to realize that the slightly peculiar handling I initially guessed was due to fork rake or some other geometry issue was entirely attributable to a notch in the headset. Fix it, and your concerns about the bike's handling will vanish. Whoever designed the bike for Cannondale (does anyone know who that was?) knew how to design bikes right.
#36
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I *think* the trail on the T900 (based on the specs in the '97 catalog) is 63.5mm. I don't feel like it's insecure on descents- it actually feels pretty good there, though I'm not a spin-it-out speed-demon. It's kinda more like it'll wander, or is too 'responsive' at low/moderate speeds if I'm not paying attention, even more so when I'm tired... I do think the notch in the headset is part of it. But it was interesting noting the difference with the handlebar bag loaded up with ripe peaches.... Maybe I just need to start carrying more snacks.
#37
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When I bought an ST600 in '91 I had a Univega..... Superstrada, I think it was? Super-nice, Dura Ace, etc. And some version of a Stumpjumper with city slicks on it. I rode a lot, but had never really done any touring, and was looking for a bike to take to Europe. I test rode a whole bunch of bikes, but for whatever reason never really considered a Cannondale. I was in a bike shop somewhere outside Boston to try out a fancy, really expensive, boutique-but-not-custom steel-framed touring bike- I can't remember what it was now. Nothing I test rode had felt right, and this fancy one didn't either. The guy at the shop said, hey, this is one of last year's C'dale's touring models, we just marked it down to make space for new ones, give it a try... I did, and immediately thought, yup, this is it! It just felt 'right'. And was considerably less $$ than the fancy boutique bikes I'd been looking at. Man, I loved that bike... until it got stolen in Toulouse less than a year later (the kicker is I was utterly incapacitated with food poisoning and I'm 99% sure I heard it being stolen....). Anyway, that bike is why I got a Cannondale last spring when I decided it was time to get back into cycling.
#38
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Even the late '90s tig-wleded MultiTracks are fine candidates for this. I have a '97 750 that will fit up to about 42-44mm actual width tires, it's got cantilever posts for 622mm ("700c") wheels, it's got plenty of rack and fender mounts (including mid-point mounts on the fork) and has a full chrome-moly frame and fork, meaning it's pretty dang comfortable to ride. The '97 750 also came with a roller clutch rear hub which rolls completely silently. It's a pretty neat (though heavy) piece of kit.
It doesn't look exactly like this today, but here's how it looked this past winter for wet weather riding. This is a 21" frame with 38mm Paselas (that inflate to about 35mm on the original 16mm intermal width Matrix Vapor rims).
It doesn't look exactly like this today, but here's how it looked this past winter for wet weather riding. This is a 21" frame with 38mm Paselas (that inflate to about 35mm on the original 16mm intermal width Matrix Vapor rims).
#39
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#40
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If you like touring bikes and lugged forks, an 80's era Schwinn Voyageur might do it for you. I have 700x38's and fenders on mine and it is a nice ride. I should note that that they came with 27" and I had to have a machinist lengthen the slot in the rear brakes so I could fit 700c wheels but it seems to vary a bit between bikes.
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#42
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All that being said..I'd definitely obsess, research, and build another bike. 'Tis the season...and there are few things more fun than obsessing, researching, and building another bike.
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#43
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If you like touring bikes and lugged forks, an 80's era Schwinn Voyageur might do it for you. I have 700x38's and fenders on mine and it is a nice ride. I should note that that they came with 27" and I had to have a machinist lengthen the slot in the rear brakes so I could fit 700c wheels but it seems to vary a bit between bikes.
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A fairly different direction to go is a 650B conversion of a lightweight steel road bike. This Lemond Buenos Aires is running 650B x 38mm wheels; I'm about to take it on a mixed-terrain ride this morning actually.
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I own both steel mountain bikes (a Trek 970 and 930, and a Rockhopper) and also a Trek 750 Multitrack. Between the MTBs and the "hybrid" 750, the MTBs are far more flexible and can be set up to handle a wider variety of conditions, including some pretty beefy tires. You can't fit tires big enough to handle some dirt/gravel roads on many hybrids.
#46
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Ah, that's an interesting idea, too. Would have a different geometry/feel from the C'dale tourer I already have... Did you have to replace or modify the brakes when you went to 650B on the Lemond? Would fenders squeeze in there too?
#47
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I had a 650b converted trek sport tourer for 8 years til the frame broke. Now I have a 92 diamond back with suspension corrected fork and dirt drops. Also have a Schwinn Sports Tourer that fits 700x40 but its a fixed gear for now. Any of these I think work and have been used on a variety of roads, trails and camping trips, depends what you're after. Pics on request.
#48
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A lot of bikes from the late 70's and early 80's are good candidates for conversion to 650B.. Many can be had for a song. A lot of Treks, Miyatas and Univegas have room for 650Bx38mm tires and fenders. Some Fujis and Bridgestones have room for 42mm wide tires and fenders.. I have a Zebrakenko I originally purchased in 1978 and it is a great bike with 42mm tires.. I can go on trails, paths, crappy roads etc., and the tires are just as fast on smooth pavement.
There is a long running thread on this forum about 650B conversions
There is a long running thread on this forum about 650B conversions
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Here are a few I built up:
Trek Multitrack, Specialized Crossroads, and 81 Trek 61x. I sold all of them, and the buyers liked them a lot. The Trek 61x seat tube wrap is incorrect for this model but I needed a replacement and liked this better than the older style.
Trek Multitrack, Specialized Crossroads, and 81 Trek 61x. I sold all of them, and the buyers liked them a lot. The Trek 61x seat tube wrap is incorrect for this model but I needed a replacement and liked this better than the older style.
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