Has anyone built a Gravel bike using a retro frame

[hamster]

Certainly chunky by comparison with the modded Hope screw-on I used to run! However my Wood has proved durable - I'd not come across the Sturmey ones before. Their marketing / distribution in the UK is pretty poor.

 

[epicyclo]

Certainly chunky by comparison with the modded Hope screw-on I used to run! However my Wood has proved durable - I'd not come across the Sturmey ones before. Their marketing / distribution in the UK is pretty poor.

There's no doubt that the Phil Wood is a very good hub. It is ridiculously heavy though.
Sturmey-Archer don't seem to market to the public, more OEM, but I've not had a problem getting their stuff. SJS is a good source in the UK. LBSs may be reluctant to order because of the local distributors hefty carriage charges.

 

[hamster]

Agreed; its about double the weight of the Hope!

 

[ultrazenith]

I don't know if it qualifies as a gravel bike per se, but one of my Raleigh Dynatechs is currently set up for what they call gravel round my way (Northern Portugal): a mix of cobbled back roads, pot-holed minor roads, dirt roads littered with stones, and the odd bit of actual gravel.

Basically, it's just a 90s mtb with front suspension, bar ends and a lowish front end. The front tyre is a Maxxis Larsen TT 1.9 and the rear is a Michelin Country Rock, which roll quite well on the road sections while still handling OK on the off road bits. I have toyed with fitting a gravel drop bar but I worry about having greater reach and/or a greater saddle to bar drop and its effect on my back.

This is actually as "gravel" as I think it's possible to go in Portugal, and I dread to think how uncomfortable an industry / UCI standard gravel bike would be on our "gravel"!

 

[frkl]

Hello All,

Great thread, pics, and ideas.

I've just decided to move over from another forum to one a bit more focused on my favorite era. I am on my third conversion of a retro bike to do everything drop bar bike. First was a NOS German Shogun frame from the early/mid 90s, 1 1/4 inch headset.



The second one is a Cresta Pro frame from 1993 or so, lugged Columbus tubing. It was sold as a Cross Bike, I guess a hybrid for dirt roads, or I guess a flat bar gravel bike. Here is how I got it, with 700x47c Schwalbe Smart Sams.



And here it is as a drop bar conversion (yes, the canti adjustment is terrifying, I fixed it).



Third is a replacement for no 1 after I cracked the frame. It's a 1992 Corratec 2005 drop bar conversion. I don't have pics yet. Will when it stops raining.

 

[MattiThundrrr]

@frkl that Shogun is THE BUSINESS!!!! Looks an absolute hoot!

 

[Frankenorange]

I built the gravel bike Dawes should have built in the 1980s as a successor to their WIndrush Rough Stuff oriented bike. They were still building lugged frames with 531db like this Cougar mtb.
I've set it up 1930-1950s Rough Stuff style with modern interpretation of Great north Road bars. It's got 60mm Super Motos slicks so it stays nippy on the road. I removed the vile 1980s stickers.
Single speed, of course, but because of my advancing age and growing enfeeblement, it may get a 3 speed S-A hub for long days in the mountains.
As a matter of interest 650b wheels with 50mm tyres fit, but it would need adapters for the cantis.
View attachment 600019

Loving this. someone said elsewhere that they were thinking of cafe racer builds and this says it. It has some old board racer vibes from '30s american showgrounds going on.

Hello All,

Great thread, pics, and ideas.

I've just decided to move over from another forum to one a bit more focused on my favorite era. I am on my third conversion of a retro bike to do everything drop bar bike. First was a NOS German Shogun frame from the early/mid 90s, 1 1/4 inch headset.

View attachment 604316

Shogun has world tour indestructibility written all over it. Awesome!

 

[frkl]

@frkl that Shogun is THE BUSINESS!!!! Looks an absolute hoot!

Hey, thanks so much. It was a lot of fun. And the crack in the frame was entirely my fault--roof rack, garage door. So dumb.

The guy I got it from had more, and I was this close to replacing it. But it was my first aluminum bike, and kind of an experiment, and I found it to be too harsh. I went back to steel for the replacement.

However, I was lucky enough to have a friend "order" one from me, so I was able to buy a frame and piles of parts on someone elses dime.This one has an aluminum Pepperoni style fork and a 10 speed Microshift barend, which has a friction mode! I take no responsibility for the fenders. He installed those himself

 

[frkl]

Shogun has world tour indestructibility written all over it. Awesome!

Thanks! Almost indestructible.

I unfortunately never did anything more than day rides with it. some nice and long, but never really used it to the extent I wish i could have.

 

[frkl]

@Joycey26 , if you haven't seen this thread post your Trek here!