memoman
Active Member
- Location
- Tiverton, Devon
My friend who wants to do LEJOG with me next year. Is asking me if he can convert his MTB into a tourer for a small fee, under £80.
Thanks
Thanks
converting a MTB
- Thread starter memoman
- Start date
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- Location
- The TerrorVortex
mcshroom
Bionic Subsonic
- Location
- Egremont, Cumbria
memoman
Active Member
- Location
- Tiverton, Devon
Do you need to get new, thinner wheels. Or can you just have thinner tyres on the same wheels?
peelywally
Active Member
you can get butterfly bars for under £20 on ebay just search Humpert bars or touring bars ,
theres a set of dawes ones on now at a £5
a comfortable saddle would be on list , a gel cover or something like this selle trk man £35.
ideally -
http://cgi.ebay.co.u...em=150642564413
http://farm4.static....e3d78bd45_o.jpg
theres a set of dawes ones on now at a £5
a comfortable saddle would be on list , a gel cover or something like this selle trk man £35.
ideally -
http://cgi.ebay.co.u...em=150642564413
http://farm4.static....e3d78bd45_o.jpg
One caveat to the doctor's good advice is that if it is a cheap Argos full suspension mtb (or similar) it might not be the best bike for the task. On the other hand, an old 90s no-suspension mtb is perfect.
1.5 inch Specialized Nimbus tyres (or similar) would do the trick - they can go up to 80 psi or so but still soak up bumps. I would not rush to put a 1 inch tyre on a rim if the rim is one of the older wider mtb rims (often 1 inch in diameter). Fine with more modern, narrower rims, of course. The tyre manufacturer websites have info on what the widest recommended rim is for each tyre.
1.5 inch Specialized Nimbus tyres (or similar) would do the trick - they can go up to 80 psi or so but still soak up bumps. I would not rush to put a 1 inch tyre on a rim if the rim is one of the older wider mtb rims (often 1 inch in diameter). Fine with more modern, narrower rims, of course. The tyre manufacturer websites have info on what the widest recommended rim is for each tyre.
memoman
Active Member
- Location
- Tiverton, Devon
I converted my 90's GT Outpost for about £35.
2 new Bell city tyres (with Dupont kevlar no less) and a set of mudguards, all from Asda, the guards cost something ridiculous, £3 or £4. A new chain and a 2nd hand rack finished the job. You probably won't need the chain so £25 should be ample.
2 new Bell city tyres (with Dupont kevlar no less) and a set of mudguards, all from Asda, the guards cost something ridiculous, £3 or £4. A new chain and a 2nd hand rack finished the job. You probably won't need the chain so £25 should be ample.
Zoiders
New Member
- Location
- Ice Station Zebra
A lot of LBS's still have bog standard rigid forks knocking about that they will flog you cheaply, it's good way to ditch some weight and you will be fine on the road without suspension.
superbadger
Über Member
my Bike from Halfords and it cost £90. Its a Trax Tr1 and i got it in Feb.
So i then went back to Halfords and got a bike hut rack for £25;panniers for £25;computer,lights,lock,spoke reflectors,gel seat and mini pump set thing..... I kitted the bike for about the same price as the bike cost...
. Now for the test? I trained hard on it all through the spring getting ready for my Charity ride. No problems with it at all through training. So then i set off and had 25 kg's of weight on the back. I did 470 miles in 6 days and didn't even get a puncture!!! The bike was fantastic... I was on a limited budget but given the chance i would have changed the tyres for a faster,smoother ride coz the standard tyres not fab when your just doing roads.... Just checked my computer and my bike has done 1895.4 miles and i have had 1 puncture in all that time!!! Thats a bargain to me!!! And its still under warranty!!! Just don't tell Halfords how much i hammer the thing eh!!!
.
Oh i would say that a rigid MTB is perfect for touring.... Gd luck and keep us all posted.
So i then went back to Halfords and got a bike hut rack for £25;panniers for £25;computer,lights,lock,spoke reflectors,gel seat and mini pump set thing..... I kitted the bike for about the same price as the bike cost.... Now for the test? I trained hard on it all through the spring getting ready for my Charity ride. No problems with it at all through training. So then i set off and had 25 kg's of weight on the back. I did 470 miles in 6 days and didn't even get a puncture!!! The bike was fantastic... I was on a limited budget but given the chance i would have changed the tyres for a faster,smoother ride coz the standard tyres not fab when your just doing roads.... Just checked my computer and my bike has done 1895.4 miles and i have had 1 puncture in all that time!!! Thats a bargain to me!!! And its still under warranty!!! Just don't tell Halfords how much i hammer the thing eh!!!.Oh i would say that a rigid MTB is perfect for touring.... Gd luck and keep us all posted.
If it's the FS26, then your friend will be putting a lot of energy into bouncing both ends of the bike for 900 miles of tarmac. If it's the XC, the suspension is pretty crappy and will soak up a lot of effort.
Put £80 into buying a 20 year old second hand ready-to-ride rigid bike on ebay instead.
However, if it has no suspension, then, as superbadger points out, it could make for a grand touring bike with just a change of tyres and bar ends.
superbadger
Über Member
Norm is bang-on with that one.... so much was made about the new MTB with Shocks!!!! Cool!(4 the dirt track!). You would need sea-sickness pills riding one of them with panniers!!!! Not to mention that you would probably look like 'Churchill the insurance dog!'
.... If it does have shocks then you could film him and put it on you-tube!!!!. The bike would probably make it but don't know about your friend???
. Being Apollo i think it will be suspension because its rare to see recent models of theirs that are rigid... He could trade/swap for a rigid? I would understand if he attached to his 'pride and joy' and won't do this... You could still kit the bike out and possibly do something with the shocks to dampen them or something???? I not up on that matter but someone will know! Let us all know where you go with this one. What date/month you planning to go coz might be doing solo run next year myself.
.... If it does have shocks then you could film him and put it on you-tube!!!!. The bike would probably make it but don't know about your friend???. Being Apollo i think it will be suspension because its rare to see recent models of theirs that are rigid... He could trade/swap for a rigid? I would understand if he attached to his 'pride and joy' and won't do this... You could still kit the bike out and possibly do something with the shocks to dampen them or something???? I not up on that matter but someone will know! Let us all know where you go with this one. What date/month you planning to go coz might be doing solo run next year myself.
Nigeyy
Legendary Member
- Location
- Massachusetts, USA
Probably. As others have posted, if it's a cheapo full suspension or even a bike with front suspension, it may not be suitable for touring anyway. If it's rigid, it should be fine. If it doesn't have rack mounts on the fork and rear stays, you can also use p-clamps.
You will need slicks, new inner tubes (at least 3 inner tubes IMHO), a rear rack and a front rack or front handlebar bag to help with weight distribution. Though that's not absolutely necessary, it is a very nice thing to have and may provide more stable handling at speeds. I have a little front rack that attaches to the brake bosses, and while it can't take a heavy load, I find I can easily put my tent on it -which is really nice to even out the load. You can also take a rear rack and with a bit of mechanic ingenuity with the brackets, make it fit to the front fork.
A word of caution with the slicks: yes, some mtb rims (Sun Rhyno Lites come to mind) are wide, and not suitable for slicks down to 1.25 inches. While I don't think the manufacturer will explicitly say they aren't suitable -or you will be hard pressed to get an answer -eye ball the width of the tyre to the rim width -there should be a generous amount of "overhang" for each side of the tyre. If in doubt, don't do it. Fortunately, most mtbs don't come with Rhyno Lites or similar as standard. Secondly, a really cheap way to increase different hand positions is to include bar ends -really sensible and usable in my experience, though again, some people don't like them.
While trekking/butterfly bars are nice, I think it will be almost a necessity to also buy a new stem or quill as well -the trekking bars usually don't translate with the original stem or quill lengths.
edit: you might want to see my recent post in https://www.cyclechat.net/
The link to converted mtbs is interesting.
You will need slicks, new inner tubes (at least 3 inner tubes IMHO), a rear rack and a front rack or front handlebar bag to help with weight distribution. Though that's not absolutely necessary, it is a very nice thing to have and may provide more stable handling at speeds. I have a little front rack that attaches to the brake bosses, and while it can't take a heavy load, I find I can easily put my tent on it -which is really nice to even out the load. You can also take a rear rack and with a bit of mechanic ingenuity with the brackets, make it fit to the front fork.
A word of caution with the slicks: yes, some mtb rims (Sun Rhyno Lites come to mind) are wide, and not suitable for slicks down to 1.25 inches. While I don't think the manufacturer will explicitly say they aren't suitable -or you will be hard pressed to get an answer -eye ball the width of the tyre to the rim width -there should be a generous amount of "overhang" for each side of the tyre. If in doubt, don't do it. Fortunately, most mtbs don't come with Rhyno Lites or similar as standard. Secondly, a really cheap way to increase different hand positions is to include bar ends -really sensible and usable in my experience, though again, some people don't like them.
While trekking/butterfly bars are nice, I think it will be almost a necessity to also buy a new stem or quill as well -the trekking bars usually don't translate with the original stem or quill lengths.
edit: you might want to see my recent post in https://www.cyclechat.net/
The link to converted mtbs is interesting.
My friend who wants to do LEJOG with me next year. Is asking me if he can convert his MTB into a tourer for a small fee, under £80.
Thanks
