Heresy... Or just sensible updates?

[SanPedro]

Hi

2nd post here (after my introductory post in the noobs thread).

So... I have been given really nice condition early nineties Peugeot Altus PR500. And when I mean nice, I mean as in barely ridden.

Beautiful as she is there's a few changes I want to make... or am in the process of making. The tyres are a bit perished so I've bought some Continental Ultrasport 25C which are a bit wider. It's only after going from an MTB to a road bike with 100psi tyres that you realise how crap the roads are!!! So am hoping to run them a little softer to preserve my fillings.

Next off are the pedals. They have toe clips and I just don't know how anyone can ride with these... Can't get the damn things on half the time. I've stuck some Wellgo V8 copies on for the time being... but any suggestions for a suitable replacement? Or should I just man up and get some SPDs?

The saddle has perished a little as well. The cloth cover has peeled off. But TBH I think this maybe an aftermarket as it doesn't look like a racing saddle much. am swapping it for a WTB Rocket V Comp SE. Had thought about a Brooks but budget wouldn't stretch.

So on to the biggie question. Being an MTBer I like my granny ring and multitude of gears. This has only 14 and 2 bloody great chain rings up front. How the hell am I supposed to get round the hills here in Yorkshire? (I know, I know... just MTFU and get on with it).

But would it be possible to fit a triple chainset? And would there be such a thing from that period? And if not will a modern one fit... or would it look out of place? I would like to keep it as original as possible, but practicality is likely to come first.

The other option would changing the cassette to one with larger ratio, but this might not sit with the rear mech as it's only a short cage.

 

[widowmaker]

This is so spooky, almost all the changes you are thinking of I have done to my 1985 Raleigh Clubman :shock:

I have changed my tyres for some Continental Ultrasport's and am really pleased with them, the roads where I live are pretty bad and the tyres have coped very well, a nice balance between weight, grip and puncture resistance. I changed my saddle for a Charge one, I did want a Brooks but the piggy bank did not allow for it.

I did man up and got some SPD pedals and after a couple of days would not be without them, although there will always be the inevitable 'sqeaky bum' moment at junctions

And as for gears I am struggling with my 24 tooth freewheel, the hills were I lice are damn steep and they are a real killer, I have sourced a 28 tooth freewheel which should make things easier

Oh and that's a nice bike

 

[daccordimark]

Welcome to the wonderful world of retro road bikes and Old Skool gearing!
If you fit a triple chainset you'll have to change the rear mech too but you can get a 38T inner chainring for Shimano doubles. Assuming the current one is 42T that will help a bit and won't need a rear mech change. You also might be able to do like widowmaker has and go up to a 28T on the back although it looks like it might be 28T already.
Something like the Specialized on Hilary Stone's site (http://www.hilarystone.com/cranksets3.html) wouldn't look out of place if you go triple and being 110mm BCD chainrings are available to get rid of that strange sized 46T middle ring. Make sure it's a road triple if you do go that way otherwise your chainline will be out. You would have to change the bottom bracket too of course - oh and the front mech. Easiest just to man up but I know from experience that's easier said than done in Yorkshire. I basically had to resort to a triple until after a year or so I was strong enough to handle most stuff round here on a 39T inner ring and a 26T biggest sprocket.

As for pedals you really need smooth soled shoes for quill pedals and toe clips so I would just get some SPDs if that's what you're used to on MTBs.

Saddle choice looks good assuming you've got one lying around and you know you get on with it. As you've discovered you feel the road a lot more with those skinny tyres. A Brooks would be so out of place on this bike - we ditched them in the 80s let alone the 90s! As for tyres you're spot on with the Conti 25s.

You've got a nice bike there and even if you make some changes now keep the original stuff to put back on later when you're killing those hills!

Mark.

 

[NeilM]

I'm another mtb'er turned roadie, I went about things slightly differently and built up a bike from a rolling chassis.

Like you I wanted lower gearing, so I found front chainrings with slightly less teeth and changed from a 54/43 to 50/38. Modern compact chainsets use 50/34 which is what I have on my other road bike, so if you can find a chainring of that size with the correct BCD it's an easy change.

The second thing I did to give my poor old legs the best chance of survival was to fit a cassette with the highest number of teeth my rear mech could cope with, which was 28, so I am running a 28-12. You may find your rear mech struggles with 28 teeth, but 26 should be OK with a short cage.

Tyres I run around 80 to 90 psi, as that just takes the worst of the sting out of our appallingly bad roads. I feel that all the local highways engineers (better still the Councillors) should be made to travel from site to site on road bikes with tyres at max psi. I feel sure surfaces would dramatically improve if this was complulsory.

Pedals, I have use cleated pedals on my mtb's since the 90's, so I have Speedplay Zero pedals fitted to my roadbikes, as they are light and have plenty of float.

Saddle, don't forget that the Flyte, Turbo and Rolls are all now back in production, if you want that genuine rerto look.

Good luck with your mods, and hill climbing; road riding is completely different to mtbing, but it'sa great way of getting fitter and travelling a lot further, luv it!

 

[widowmaker]

I have just been out in appalling raining conditions and MY GOD :shock: :shock: I miss my MTB's hydraulic brakes, the mid 80's brakes were a little scary

 

[Joe of Loath]

I have just been out in appalling raining conditions and MY GOD :shock: :shock: I miss my MTB's hydraulic brakes, the mid 80's brakes were a little scary

Think that's bad, try them on steel rims.

 

[widowmaker]

I have just been out in appalling raining conditions and MY GOD :shock: :shock: I miss my MTB's hydraulic brakes, the mid 80's brakes were a little scary

Think that's bad, try them on steel rims.

I can imagine you need testicles of steel to ride them :shock: , with steel rims you may as well remove the brakes and save some weight

 

[SanPedro]

First run out into the hills this morning... not too big hills though. And it felt alright.
But if anyone here knows Calderdale, West Yorkshire, at all you'll know there's some steep slopes around here if you want to get up on to the tops.

Going to try part of next years Tour which is Britain's longest continuous gradient - all 5 miles of it - out of Mytholmroyd and see how that goes. It's not too steep, just long.

Not had a chance to try the brakes in the wet but they feel pretty damn good in the dry, even compared to the discs on my MTB.

Will try the suggestion of a new chainset with smaller second cog.Assuming I can find one these days. Is this something I'll have to get 2nd hand if I don't want to change the BB?

 

[lewisfoto]

I have just been out in appalling raining conditions and MY GOD :shock: :shock: I miss my MTB's hydraulic brakes, the mid 80's brakes were a little scary

Think that's bad, try them on steel rims.

Think that's bad try 50s brakes on steel rims...

 

[daccordimark]

First run out into the hills this morning... not too big hills though. And it felt alright.
But if anyone here knows Calderdale, West Yorkshire, at all you'll know there's some steep slopes around here if you want to get up on to the tops.

Going to try part of next years Tour which is Britain's longest continuous gradient - all 5 miles of it - out of Mytholmroyd and see how that goes. It's not too steep, just long.

Not had a chance to try the brakes in the wet but they feel pretty damn good in the dry, even compared to the discs on my MTB.

Will try the suggestion of a new chainset with smaller second cog.Assuming I can find one these days. Is this something I'll have to get 2nd hand if I don't want to change the BB?

Cragg Vale will be fine on those gears - as long as the wind isn't howling in from the west over the exposed top section!!!!
It's those nasty hellishly steep climbs up out of the other side of the valley that will have you seeing stars and coughing up goodness knows what from the depths of your lungs.
I'll shut up now - sorry!

Good to hear you're riding it as is - by the time you find a lower gear setup you won't need it.

Those dual pivot brakes are going to be fine in the wet.

Mark.