bdooner

'88 Bianchi Osprey

Bemopti123

Always pleased to see from Bianchi MTBs that used to be more mainstream in the US and I just don't know what happened to them since the mid 90s.

thumpism 

Welcome!

ThermionicScott 

Just did my annual conversion to studded tires and lower gearing (59"). Also trying out some Soma Portola "gravel bars" to see if they will be better in snow than the deep VO Rando bars I've been using for years, complete with a dummy lever on the right for more hand positions:

jlaw

Cool MTB conversion! I like the half-taped Portola bars with the vintage levers. Always fun to see the 80's bike paint colors in the current era of everything-black.

Did you rebuild the front wheel using the original rims in order to fit the generator hub?

Which gen. hub and how do you like it?

Which studded tires?

ThermionicScott 

Thanks, @jlaw! The front wheel was actually a fresh build with a Weinmann AS7X rim, Sanyo/Panasonic hub, and butted Sapim spokes. I wanted a relatively wide rim to make a bigger tire footprint, and also to convert to dyno lights, but without spending a lot. The tires are Suomi W160 Mount & Grounds. As long as the snow isn't too deep, it all works out.

Frkl

What a great thread. I somehow missed this when I was working on my first drop bar mountain bike. I have almost completed its replacement after the first met an undignified end (garage door, roof rack). I don't have enough posts yet to put up pictures but am working on it.

The thing I love about mountain bikes into the 1990s is how mutable the designs were. Road bike design had been "settled" for decades, but everyone was trying something new in the late 80s and 90s with mountain bikes. I personally am one for the "dead ends" and "forgotten" ideas, so drop bar mountain bikes are perfect.

oldtimeyirv

Saved this bike from a slow death in a shed. Not too . Any original parts left (1-1/4" stem, FD and brakes). Super fun to ride, looking forward to getting on some trails soon!

Not seen many Miyata MTBs. Maybe they went out of fashion in the 90s? I was told it was bc the owner refused to manufacture in China/lower the price point.

vp1337

Quite possibly my favourite bike in this thread, and generally in this forum. Fantastic build!

wrk101

I love the Miyata Elevation MTB series. Been trying to snag one for years. Always a day late.

Typical Miyata steel frame goodness!

Somewhat interesting back then, the higher model Miyata MTBs were either CF or aluminum framed. Oh the inhumanity when you have the best steel frames out there!!! Kind of lost their soul at that point.

ThermionicScott 

Why, thank you! I'm pretty pleased with it -- for a bike that my brother gave me after buying it at a college auction for $20, it has become my go-to, with over 14,000 miles on it now.

Frkl

Here is my drop bar Shogun (Germany) mountain bike, sadly no longer with us after I cracked the frame.



I am not certain, but I think the German brand Shogun was different from the Shogun brand available in the US. (Although the logos are awfully similar, so maybe the German parts distributor who sold the brand was assoicited with Marui Ltd, too...)

The frame was NOS from the first half of the 1990s (not sure exactly when, but it has a 1 ¼ headset and an oversized aluminum frame without a removable derailleur hanger, so that narrows it a bit). The bike was a great climber, and very versatile.





A friend asked me to build him one, and I did in raw aluminium with a Pepperoni style aluminum fork.

yangmusa

I had a Miyata Elevation 70005000, must have bought it around 1991-21992?. The main triangle had aluminum tubes bonded into steel lugs, very light and stiff. The rear triangle and fork were CroMo. I kept it for about 10 years and rode it a lot! Mix of singletrack, commuting and even a few tours. Ended up giving it to a friend when I moved, and he still uses it for round town.

EDIT: did some searches and confirmed it was a 1992 Elevation 5000 (not 7000 as I first misremembered).

LBCwanabe 

This is my 80’s Ascent so far

cyclist2000

there is the problem solvers “travel agent “

arex

I used these on a Univega touring bike that I put V-brakes on. They work great, and are only $30. They're not very photogenic, but they're very comfortable under your fingers.

Frkl

I also have the Tektro RL520 levers attached to V brakes and they feel great. I actually think they look better than the standard pull Tektro road levers, less bulbous.

They come in silver and black and are inexpensive.

If you want to use STI levers, though I, I am not sure what options beyond the travel agent you have. With the RL520 you would need a bar end shifter or other sort of separate shifter.

The brake housing comes out of the lever at a bad angle, though, and creates a bend in the housing that can create too much friction in the system, especially for the rear lever. The return can be slow, especially if you can't use the upper spring tension holes on the brake posts, for one reason or another. I had to file the plastic back a bit to get a better angle, but it works great now.

Also, while not technically necessary (I went without for a long time out of pure laziness), you will make you life easier by building in a barrel adjuster somewhere. V Brakes are built with the assumption that you will have a barrel adjuster on the brake lever, and road levers assume you will have it on the caliper. Opposites attract.

Byebyebayern

Hey guys,

why is nearly anybody using the conti speed kings on their "mtb to road bike conversion"? I see So many billy bonkers and maxxis dth. Ok, they look fantastic but the performance of speed kings should be so much better?

Best wishes.

Frkl

Performance on what surface, measured how?

I think the key thing is that most folks building a drop bar mountain bike aren't trying to convert it to a road bike as you present it. The question of why people do it has occasionally come up in this thread but the answers are really varied, especially because there is the Cunningham style setup where the drops is the main position, developed around xc racing, and there are people who set it up for hood riding, so more modern road position, and there are those who set up for multiple hand position/long haul comfort for touring.

There is a lot of fad and trend in tires too, and it seems like DTH and BB width is directly proportional to likes on Instagram... So that's probably the real reason!

fabiofarelli

My son's, I'm a bit jealous.

BoozyMcliverRot

tcarson

Giving me ideas. Just got for free and old Nishiki MTB and maybe I'll convert it.

Willem208

My favourite thread by far! Lots of great bikes that inspire me to give it a try as well.
I am in the process of buying a vintage GT Karakoram which I plan to use for commuting as well as touring in the future. I think it is a 1994/5 model, in a nice blue colour with mostly original components, like the Deore LX components and Mavic rims and a fully rigid frame. It is in great condition for a great price.
What does everyone think of these old GTs, and will it work for what I plan to? I have seen some prettty sweet builds here already, like post no. 6100, 6155 and 6240. I'd love to hear your thoughts!
I should be able to upload photos soon (new to Bike Forums)! : )

Korina

Pix?

Korina

There is a fairly massive thread for them; the GT triple triangle frame thread. Go forth and feast. And welcome to the rabbit hole!