1996 Marin Eldridge grade component advice

[MeelsOnWheels]

Hello!

New to messing around with bikes, or returning to it after a long time at least, so apologies for ignorance in advance!

Ive picked up this 1996 Eldridge grade (for £90 with most components in pretty good condition) which I’m tweaking for a commuter/get around bike:



I want to create some space between the top of the headset and the stem to attach a mac ride child seat, and also just raise the stem/bars for a more upright position.. How best to go about this? Do i need a whole new headset? Steerer tube? (And forks!?) someone point me in the right direction ! The headset is diatech and i believe original. Here’s a closer shot:



Also - the canti brakes. I like them, they’re an interesting design visually.. But I want to replace the pads and new ones available seem to have a thinner diameter post which these won’t grab. Anyone know of new pads which will fit? Also, any advice on setting them up nicely would be greatly appreciated as they seem quite tricky! Photo:



Thanks!

 

[Tootyred]

Yes, you can extend the steer tube without changing the forks. There are a couple of option....

Internal and external....BBB make both.

BUT....its not a perfect fix. I would also be very cautious if your then trying to fit a child seat to part of it too.

 

[focomat 1c]

This looks like a sound basis for your intended use . Presuming you have some basic tools I would proceed as follows :

Remove the aheadset top cap and measure the internal diameter of your steerer tube . Purchase a BBB Ahead Stem
Extender in a suitable size ( see Amazon ) Remove the existing Star Nut ( see Google ) clean the inside of the steerer
tube and loosely fit the extender . Re-install the existing brake hanger and then a 15mm spacer ( for the childs seat )
also the existing stem . Press the extender into the steerer tube and tighten

It may be that raising the stem by 15mm helps your riding position , however there are many different stems ( some
adjustable ) readily available with differing angles / reaches to suit your requirements

The Ritchey brake pads are not readily available , a set of new Tektro cantilevers c/w pads and straddle cables would be
a good solution and easier to adjust

Hope this helps

 

[hamster]

The Eldridge has thin tubing. I dented my Pine Mountain (same frame) by dropping a spanner. Child seats are designed for cheap gas-pipe frames.

Seriously, consider a child trailer. My kids loved ours, had toys and snacks while riding and stayed warm and dry. I didn't have to ride like a duck to pedal either.

 

[Vesatoro]

I would suggest upgrading to V-brakes, especially if riding with added weight of a child and a trailer. For that you need V-brake levers also.

 

[focomat 1c]

The Mac Ride Child Bike Seat does not come into contact with any of the main frame tubes
It is fastened at the front to a special headset spacer ( see original post ) and at the rear to
the base of the seat post . In effect doubling up the top tube of the frame .
The proposed new upright riding position would take some of the riders weight off the bars
to help compensate for the additional weight of a small child up front , it would also give
the child slightly more room .
If cost is an issue it would be cheaper to retain the existing brake levers and fit Suntour SE
( self energising ) cantilevers on the rear with some new cantilevers on the front .

 

[Fourbikes]

I had some of those brakes which were fitted with the same Ritchey pads as those, and swapped out the pads for some new ones. They should be compatible with any cantilever brake pads.

 

[Lhatch4]

Just get a stamped-steel headset cable stop for the brake cable. The ring that goes around the steerer tube will be thinner. Then the ring that goes around the steerer tube that is on the child carrier will fit between the stem and the new stamped-steel cable stop. There should be enough room without altering the steerer tube. Can you remove the stem cap and take a picture of the inside of the stem while it's still installed on the headtube? Then I can see how much space is left between the top of the steerer tube and the top of the stem. If you go with the stamped-steel version you with need to file down the little tab that's circled in red in the picture. These are typically made for threaded steerer tubes.

 

[focomat 1c]

I have just realised that the special headset spacer/adaptor is only 10mm thick ( previously thought it was 15mm )
If you remove the existing brake hanger entirely and replace it with a fork mounted hanger , you may have sufficient
steerer tube insertion in the stem , otherwise fit an extender as above