Beginnings of a gravel bike

[us56456712]

I started on my gravel bike today. I don't have an old steel road bike frame yet in my size. I took a new old stock front high flange hub and laced it to strong 700c double walled Weinman rim. This is a narrow mountain bike rim and I plan to try 45 mm tires on it. The next step will be the rear wheel, which will be for a thread on cassette. I would like to use a triple chainring. The plan is to keep poking away until I have all the pieces. I plan to try and use a linear pull front brake and then weld on liner pull bosses on the rear triangle. Big dreams. You don't need all that modern stuff for a gravel bike, in fact I don't want disc brakes on it. I think they are overkill for gravel roads where you can ride 60 miles and only see one or two cars. I would use the soft rain brake blocks.

 

[MattiThundrrr]

I'm planning a similar build, most likely starting with an upright hybrid from the 90s. I like the Camelback esque look of a Specialized Crossroads

 

[us56456712]

I'm planning a similar build, most likely starting with an upright hybrid from the 90s. I like the Camelback esque look of a Specialized Crossroads

I want a 70s Japanese frame with good tubing. My fork is mild steel though but it accepts 700c x 45 tires. These bikes were easy to find 4 - 5 years ago but are getting harder to find.

 

[MattiThundrrr]

Yes, the drawback to my plan is the aluminum frame, I'm not sure how the stiffness would work for those corduroy roads. After a few miles, would I be wishing for steel's flex? My brother has a nice Shogun frame laying around. I'm the one who notified him that it was laying beside the crack den, so he owes me...

 

[Grant]

I want a 70s Japanese frame with good tubing. My fork is mild steel though but it accepts 700c x 45 tires. These bikes were easy to find 4 - 5 years ago but are getting harder to find.

I would go with 80s Japanese cromo frame. Miyata would be a good bet because a lot of them are meant for heavy touring.

 

[MattiThundrrr]

Lol I know you're trying to show me the road bikes, but all I see is the Trek and Cannondale. And nishiki

 

[Grant]

Lol I know you're trying to show me the road bikes, but all I see is the Trek and Cannondale. And nishiki

How about a LABOR?

 

[us56456712]

I would go with 80s Japanese cromo frame. Miyata would be a good bet because a lot of them are meant for heavy touring.
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I have been looking at Japanese touring bikes on the net. I need one with a 54 cm frame. I think I might know where there are several free ones but they are hours away. I might have to go on a road trip to visit friends and pick up some bikes?

 

[us56456712]

How about a LABOR?
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I could always weld in a truss bar on my Kent Thruster frame, ha ha. That pump location looks like an avocado buster to me, ouch.

 

[Grant]

I have been looking at Japanese touring bikes on the net. I need one with a 54 cm frame. I think I might know where there are several free ones but they are hours away. I might have to go on a road trip to visit friends and pick up some bikes?

The nicer Japanese bikes from the 80s are usually 50-53cm. The Taiwanese bikes that are cheaper are usually 54-68cm.
I have scored 2 Japanese bikes that are nice. A 54cm Schwinn Voyageur 11.8 and a 56cm Univega Gran Torismo. Both of these are light touring bikes.

 

[MattiThundrrr]

looks like an avocado buster...

Hilarious! My kids are gonna love that one...

 

[Grant]

Hilarious! My kids are gonna love that one...

I still wish people made those long frame pumps.

 

[Jude Ephesus]

I would go with 80s Japanese cromo frame. Miyata would be a good bet because a lot of them are meant for heavy touring.
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Any ideas for converting this old sled into a gravel bike?

It’s and old schwinn collegiate 5 speed with drop bars.

The patina is epic. I’m a huge sucker for baby blue.

I’d like to put a rear disc brake wheel on the back and some nice gravel tires. I’ll take all the advice I can get!

 

[Grant]

View attachment 113392
Any ideas for converting this old sled into a gravel bike?

It’s and old schwinn collegiate 5 speed with drop bars.

The patina is epic. I’m a huge sucker for baby blue.

I’d like to put a rear disc brake wheel on the back and some nice gravel tires. I’ll take all the advice I can get!

A disk brake my bend the frame because it's too powerful.

 

[us56456712]

View attachment 113392
Any ideas for converting this old sled into a gravel bike?

It’s and old schwinn collegiate 5 speed with drop bars.

The patina is epic. I’m a huge sucker for baby blue.

I’d like to put a rear disc brake wheel on the back and some nice gravel tires. I’ll take all the advice I can get!

The Collegiate already has a pretty large big cog because it's a 5 speed. What I would do is to put a slightly smaller chainring on it. Tire size is limited because it has 27 inch wheels but you can get 27 x 1 3/8 (35 mm) knobby tires, which are the largest 27 inch tires I could find. I think the Collegiate has steel rims, which don't stop at all in the wet. It has a one piece crank and a heavy Chicago electroforged frame. It really isn't worth putting any real money into it for gravel as the frame is not very adaptable for gravel and is heavy. It's not worth converting to a 3 piece crank as the frame is a real tank. I could be a beginner real nice gravel bike with the soft eraser colored rain brake blocks (or better yet the English cork and rubber rain brake blocks made for steel rims). Steel rims don't stop when they are wet. A one piece crank smaller chairing is inexpensive but the tires will cost some. If the tires on the bike are good you could just use them as 1 1/4 inch is almost 32 mm. Either tire will work well on gravel roads but not in sand or on steep downhills when it's wet unless you put on better brake shoes. A rear disc would require a different hub and then a 700c rim probably unless you lace the new hub to the 27 inch rim. The rear spacing will be different with the new hub so you would have to spread the drops a lot. Also you would need to mount disc caliper mounts on the stays and they have to be perfect or you will get rubbing, no room for error here. I think all this has too many problems. I would go with tires, gearing, brake blocks, new chain and cables. If the chain is stretched and wore the gears then they will skip with a new chain and you will have to replace the gears as well, a common problem as no one replaces chains. It could be made to work but be careful or you could spend a fortune and not have an easy riding gravel bike. In the 1960s and 70s I used a lot of bikes like this for gravel and two track riding and I did just great until I hit sand. Sand that washes down a hill and collects at the bottom, well then your going down at high speed. I really had no other problems riding them miles and miles. I used a lot of 26 x 1 3/8 wheels back then as 27 inch rims only had 1 1/4 inch tires available back then. It could be an enjoyable gravel/two track bike with little expense and effort.

 

[RustyGold]

A disk brake my bend the frame because it's too powerful.

mmmmmm............no.

 

[SpikeFC]

I still wish people made those long frame pumps.
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Well, they actually do, I think SKS still makes them

 

[Duchess]

I did a rear disc on a Columbia Firebolt and it's fine. Adjusting the shimming was a little tedious, but it all went together pretty solid and no issues with rubbing. However, I personally wouldn't use one of those kits on the front. Also, I upgraded 27" to 700c on a mixte bike for my sister and it would have been cheaper to buy a decent new lower end bike.

 

[Jude Ephesus]

The Collegiate already has a pretty large big cog because it's a 5 speed. What I would do is to put a slightly smaller chainring on it. Tire size is limited because it has 27 inch wheels but you can get 27 x 1 3/8 (35 mm) knobby tires, which are the largest 27 inch tires I could find. I think the Collegiate has steel rims, which don't stop at all in the wet. It has a one piece crank and a heavy Chicago electroforged frame. It really isn't worth putting any real money into it for gravel as the frame is not very adaptable for gravel and is heavy. It's not worth converting to a 3 piece crank as the frame is a real tank. I could be a beginner real nice gravel bike with the soft eraser colored rain brake blocks (or better yet the English cork and rubber rain brake blocks made for steel rims). Steel rims don't stop when they are wet. A one piece crank smaller chairing is inexpensive but the tires will cost some. If the tires on the bike are good you could just use them as 1 1/4 inch is almost 32 mm. Either tire will work well on gravel roads but not in sand or on steep downhills when it's wet unless you put on better brake shoes. A rear disc would require a different hub and then a 700c rim probably unless you lace the new hub to the 27 inch rim. The rear spacing will be different with the new hub so you would have to spread the drops a lot. Also you would need to mount disc caliper mounts on the stays and they have to be perfect or you will get rubbing, no room for error here. I think all this has too many problems. I would go with tires, gearing, brake blocks, new chain and cables. If the chain is stretched and wore the gears then they will skip with a new chain and you will have to replace the gears as well, a common problem as no one replaces chains. It could be made to work but be careful or you could spend a fortune and not have an easy riding gravel bike. In the 1960s and 70s I used a lot of bikes like this for gravel and two track riding and I did just great until I hit sand. Sand that washes down a hill and collects at the bottom, well then your going down at high speed. I really had no other problems riding them miles and miles. I used a lot of 26 x 1 3/8 wheels back then as 27 inch rims only had 1 1/4 inch tires available back then. It could be an enjoyable gravel/two track bike with little expense and effort.

This is awesome! Thanks so much for taking the time to write this up!!!

So, truth be told, this bike will actually only be “graveling” about 10% of the time (or miles), with the rest of the time split between paved trails and road biking.

(My daily rides have a short stint through grass / mud depending on the weather)

I know this frame is a tank. That’s half the reason I bought it! The other half was the patina! Lol

I actually thought converting this bike to a gravel bike would look cool in any environment, be a change in bike on my daily ride, weigh less than my TREK 3900 with modern wheels and when I did Ride on gravel, I could ditch my mountain bike altogether, which I take everywhere.

So, curve ball here, I specifically bought an OLD collegiate. This bike has the 26” Schwinn wheels. I was thinking the 26” Schwinn wheels would give me more options for a wheel swap?

I was hoping to do a disc on the rear and maintain the traditional brakes on the front.

 

[Jude Ephesus]

I want a 70s Japanese frame with good tubing. My fork is mild steel though but it accepts 700c x 45 tires. These bikes were easy to find 4 - 5 years ago but are getting harder to find.

If u feel like a road trip, there’s a few bikes in Syracuse that are close to what you’re looking for. A little pricey, but available. Seller may ship? Guy always has like 20 bikes on here.

https://syracuse.craigslist.org/bik/d/syracuse-miyata-710-road-bike/7052074763.html

https://syracuse.craigslist.org/bik/d/baldwinsville-shogun-alpine-t-road-bike/7067976353.html