My first tourer was an mtb - served me very well - bit flexy though - coming off a big col I had to be very careful with braking going into hairpins - too hard and the rear would jump out - it was a Marin Eldridge - steel frame - had to be put down after a few years - came back on the bus from a tour of France - at the drop off point where i had left my car I lifted the bike up to put it on my car rack and noticed the chainstays had rusted through from the inside
MTB to Touring bike
- Thread starter Lee-M
- Start date
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raleighnut
Legendary Member
- Location
- One of the 'Elite'
Try putting some copper grease on the brake bosses, it seems to 'damp out' the vibration that causes squeal.
Gravity Aided
Legendary Member
- Location
- Land of Lincoln
Amazing. A well used bike, I'm sure.
roadrash
cycle chatterer
- Location
- sitting on the edge of wigan pier
I'm looking at doing something similar, could you tell me what mudguards they are please
arch684
Veteran
Hi got them from sjs cycles they are 26inch sks chromoplastic they come in different widths
- Location
- The TerrorVortex
The bosses have grease on already. I'll add a bit of toe-in, and that should sort it.
Nigeyy
Legendary Member
- Location
- Massachusetts, USA
Another suggestion that has worked for me: see if you can find an old brake booster -it can change the harmonics enough to stop the sqeal.
I've posted this in a few threads now but this is my old Marin Bear Valley, retired from mtn biking and now serving as tourer come relaxed ride bike
I did a few days on it last September and whilst not perfect, it's plenty good enough for my intentions. I'd add a front rack for camp touring and I've toyed with the idea of re-building the front wheel with a dynamo, mainly for charging stuff on the go but I don't have a need yet. One day.
I did a few days on it last September and whilst not perfect, it's plenty good enough for my intentions. I'd add a front rack for camp touring and I've toyed with the idea of re-building the front wheel with a dynamo, mainly for charging stuff on the go but I don't have a need yet. One day.
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stewie griffin
Über Member
- Location
- Quahog
Like to see old MTB's as tourers, here's mine.
Pic posted here before but a long time ago as I haven't visited for a while. It now sports a springy wide Brooks instead of the Thudbuster seat post.
Will be cycling down Spain in a few weeks
Pic posted here before but a long time ago as I haven't visited for a while. It now sports a springy wide Brooks instead of the Thudbuster seat post.
Will be cycling down Spain in a few weeks
- Location
- London
What is it stewie?
stewie griffin
Über Member
- Location
- Quahog
Sorry, forgot that important bit of information!
The frame was a bare painted Dawes Edge ordered new around 1992, all the other parts used to build it up then came from a broken framed Marin pine mountain that was around a year old.
Used it as a mountain bike for a few years before going to touring duties.
Lots of bits changed over the years but still has Marin light forks, the hubs from the Marin, Deore XT brakes & most of the drive, the rapid fire shifters still working but now feeling very wobbly indeed.
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- Location
- London
Wonderful. Like your approach. Congrats on keeping the hubs going. Rapidfires are damn reliable as well, which is why i in the end veered away from bar end thumbies on my new 26 inch wheeled expedition bike.
Long may your love continue to roll.
Long may your love continue to roll.
stewie griffin
Über Member
- Location
- Quahog
The Rapid fire shifters have been amazing, normally I avoid complications by keeping things simple, simple they are not yet they have worked all this time with virtually zero maintenance.
Having said that the right 7 speed one is feeling very iffy though still working fine, because I'm going to be riding for a couple of weeks soon I thought about replacing it in advance, then decided instead to take a very old cheap friction shifter & cable robbed off a skip bike as a get me by & just deal with it when something breaks, I can do this at the side of the road if necessary.
If it ain't broken.............
- Location
- London
I like your approach,
I had some Altus seven speed shifters on a bike for close on 20 years before one of them (I think it was the 7 speed rear shifting one) went but the other is still going.
I think their delicacy for tough expedition use is overstated and the cheap ones are I think often as reliable as the expensive ones. My Alivio 8 speed pods actually look nicer, and tougher, to me than my 9 speed Deore ones. No great problem to pack a spare shifter for the rear if you are worried on a long trip. I got a three speed simple friction shifter off ebay for around a fiver.
I had some Altus seven speed shifters on a bike for close on 20 years before one of them (I think it was the 7 speed rear shifting one) went but the other is still going.
I think their delicacy for tough expedition use is overstated and the cheap ones are I think often as reliable as the expensive ones. My Alivio 8 speed pods actually look nicer, and tougher, to me than my 9 speed Deore ones. No great problem to pack a spare shifter for the rear if you are worried on a long trip. I got a three speed simple friction shifter off ebay for around a fiver.
