DirtWizard
Retro Newbie
Hello guys, newb here. I picked up this 2001 (I think) Klein Attitude last year and made a few changes with the idea of turning it into a comfort cruiser. Basically just threw on some Michelin Country Rock 1.75" slick tires and modernized the cockpit/contact points with parts I had laying around. WTB Rocket V saddle, Intense 760mm bars, Salsa stem, ESI Chunky grips. I have also removed the bar ends since taking this photo for a more modern aesthetic.
I was wondering what [low-cost] upgrades I should prioritize to optimize this steed? It might be fun to turn it back into an MTB with some aggressive tires, however I have serious doubts about how it will ride with the lower end coil fork...especially coming from my modern trail bike with a RockShox Pike Ultimate.
That being said, I think I would probably prefer to keep it comfort-road oriented. I have a 1x Boost crankset that I am going to install, along with a Shimano XT BB-MT800 bottom bracket. It has a 32t chainring though, so I'm wondering how the gearing will feel if I retain the original SRAM 7.0 9-speed cassette (11-32t). I could replace the cassette with an Advent 9 speed 11-42t or 11-46t, but I believe that would require a derailleur hanger extension and probably a new chain as well.
Besides that, I am very keen to put on a rigid fork. Any suggestions what I should look for that would be compatible and pair well with the bike's aesthetic? Preferably also affordable as I'm not trying to really pour a ton of money into this.
The last question I have is, has anyone tried to convert these Salsa Gordo rims to tubeless? I know I would have to get tubeless compatible tires, but would the rims support it? Is it worth it to even try that?
Thanks for looking!
