91 Team Marin...all road tourer?!

[Tootyred]

As some of you will know, ive been searching for a decent sized all-road touring bike.

Problem is I'm tall, very tall....and have a knackered back (probably as a result of riding rigid off road for 40 +years )...... yes....that will do it...

I started ( plan a) a little project last year called the "the bike I should be riding" and enjoyed the process and outcome. However, it did throw up some issues and made me realise where it could be better. Recap below...

The bike I should be riding...89 Marin OAP conversion....finished!

Back in July, I posed a thought for you all.... "What bike should you be riding?" Here's the link to the post; https://www.retrobike.co.uk/threads/the-bike-you-should-be-riding.448386/ It was quite interesting how many of you got onboard with the concept and that many were also...

www.retrobike.co.uk

So for version 2....my initial plan (plan b) was "just" to buy a frame, but nothing really ticked all my boxes and frankly I couldn't afford custom build on my limited income and non inflationary pension. Nothing has appeared second hand and frankly I'm bored of waiting.

So plan "C". Use what I've got and what I love and build/ modify the rest to suit.

Here goes.

 

[Tootyred]

The the starting point is the frame......

Its a 91 Team Marin. I know many of you will now be calling me a heretic for using the frame in a non catalogue/ non approved retrobike way, but I'm going to live with that.

So if your a purist....look away now......have they gone?.....good lets start.

I picked this up cheap from one of our number who found it on Facebook. He very kindly sent it to me....lovely chap.

The paints very damaged, couple of small dents and the top of the seat tube has taken a knock, distorting it.

The other annoyance is the 30.3 seatpost.....WHY DEAR GOD, WHY MARIN WHY!

Before anybody tells me its a 92, not a 91.....its not. The frame is Tange prestige oversize, with the black label and the fat tange (not rockstar) forks. The frame number is also for a 91 team marin......so how it ended up in 92 team colours your guess is as good as mine.

I personally would have been pretty upset if i ordered a prestige superlite and got this as its 150g heaver and doesn't have the ditched downtube.

In the uk it would have been dark anthracite zolotone.

so, its one of the MANY Marin anomalies.

Good news is i feel less bothered about changing it up a bit!

 

[Tootyred]

I still need a new carpet......

 

[Tootyred]

2 birds with one stone.

The top of the seat tube was just too bent, it really wasn't playing ball, getting it straight. Then i had an epiphany!

Solve the seat tube and the post size in one go. I simply ground off the tube top and then found a reducer shim that just about fits. I say just about, as obviously they dont make a 30.3mm shim, but i went bigger and sanded it out.

So no I've got a veritable smorgasbord of 27.2 posts to choose from; a repaired frame and a shim that goes in level and flat to the tube.

Huzzah!

 

[Tootyred]

One more thing was just to check out the dents and get the frame generally ready for powder. So I've sanded back the effected areas ( more to make sure there us nothing nasty lurking) and checked all the threads and straightened the hanger.....

Now off to the powder guys.....

 

[JCS]

Good plan. Watching with interest!

How long is the head tube? Big enough for you?

 

[Tootyred]

With some help..... yes....I've got a plan

 

[Tootyred]

They are 180mm btw on this generation of marins....pretty much the same from 89 to mid 90s. Good for tall people!

Probably why I own 3 of them

 

[27motorhead]

Looking forward to another great @Tootyred build!

100% agree with a 30.3mm DIA seatpost... WTF!!!

 

[Tootyred]

I can only assume some kind of opioid was being passed round in the design office that day.

I know the oversize tubing was part of the problem, but other manufacturers managed to ream it to a normal size !