How hard (moreso costly) is it to put a modern drivetrain on a vintage mtb?

[retrobiker273891]

I like larger frames. I ride everything from a 60 cm to 43 cm. I don't know about them being better for climbing, in my experience smaller frames are more responsive and efficient when climbing. A larger bike feels more planted perhaps and depending on the setup can be very balanced in terms of weight distribution, but the nippiest bike I have uphill is actually a tiny minivelo or my smaller Monark.

Here's a few of my setups View attachment 879274View attachment 879273View attachment 879275View attachment 879276

All vastly different sizes and all work fine. Can stand feet planted and the reach is adjusted with stem / bar combinations and saddle position.

Friction shifters can be used on any cable actuated drivetrain. Only thing is older friction shifters can sometimes struggle with clutched mechs and sometimes they don't have enough lever motion to reach the wider range cassettes. Up to 9 speed just about any friction shifter can do with zero issues. I like modern microshift index/friction ones. Thst is what I run on the zaskar pictured. A 7 speed freewheel with an 11 speed derailleur, friction shifted. I've since added a 3x in the front.

Thanks, hmm so the diamond back is overall a good bike, regards the make?

If you ride bikes even bigger and same size as me then sounds fine.

It seems a great price and a chance to try out the new 1x systems while still giving me the option to go 2x / 3x on a new crank if I want.

Is having a narrow/wide crank/chainset optional in that I could still run an old sugino impel with choice of sizes on the front if I wanted to with no issues?

The seller is saying there can be issues with compatibility between some back cassettes since it is 8 speed but I thought you are fine up to 11 from what others have said despite it being 8 as 8 hub is the same size as all others.

See discussion here if you could kindly perhaps clarify?

https://www.retrobike.co.uk/threads...t-looking-to-pay-80-120-postage.484158/page-4
The current chainring on it sounds big and also the back low gear does not look very large. Seem more like a roadster setup than mtb gearing right now. Would at least want a dinner plate to start with and maybe smaller chainring then take it from there if I wanted to go 2x Sugino route. So could you perhaps tell me if those bigger cassettes would be plug and play or not? Could I, money permitting, look into 9/10/11 cassettes just as easily (provided I went none indexed too though no need to get another shifter right away and look for max on 8 first)?

 

[Stressed]

Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaagh

 

[highlandsflyer]

Thanks but as mentioned earlier not an ebay user (political objector).

It's at a shop.

 

[Guinessisgoodforyou]

 

[retrobiker273891]

This is a 1993 Scott with a modern transmision, a 970 XTR. And it is low gearing: 34-22. But if you go 10 speed with a XT 785 ot XTR 985 you can do a 42-22 to climb anything.

The XT RD is not expensive pt a Deore + sunrace casette if you go 10speed 42-11 and XT or deore Shifters all around 150€ with a chain and new cables etc

View attachment 878042View attachment 878043

What is the cheapest way to improve the Diamond Back I have posted since the current gearing seems to high as 44t I was told is the chainring!

Less options for chainrings for ZEE hollowtech 2 BBs it seems. Do they even do 2x? 34t seems the smallest option and in that case I would be stuck with having to buy another chainring (seems to be £20 for 34t) then also a dinner plate 46-48t microshift advents seem availablbe for around £30. This would still only give me 19 gear inches.

Is it cheaper to get all the front derailleur, shifter and crankset and chainrings? Seems in this case, with bike setup for 1x that the 1st option of chainring for that set would work out cheaper but still stuck with only a 'high' gear of 19 compared to super lows with 3x setups.

 

[Stressed]

I'll put this to rest (some hope!?): Buy any 90s rigid mountain bike made of decent steel. It will give you the ratio you want/need to climb. Anything from that period with a bog-standard groupset will climb anything if you put it in 1/1. Chances are it will be too spinney...

 

[Guinessisgoodforyou]

How about a Rolhoff hub?

 

[PhillB]

Thanks, hmm so the diamond back is overall a good bike, regards the make?

If you ride bikes even bigger and same size as me then sounds fine.

It seems a great price and a chance to try out the new 1x systems while still giving me the option to go 2x / 3x on a new crank if I want.

Is having a narrow/wide crank/chainset optional in that I could still run an old sugino impel with choice of sizes on the front if I wanted to with no issues?

The seller is saying there can be issues with compatibility between some back cassettes since it is 8 speed but I thought you are fine up to 11 from what others have said despite it being 8 as 8 hub is the same size as all others.

See discussion here if you could kindly perhaps clarify?

https://www.retrobike.co.uk/threads...t-looking-to-pay-80-120-postage.484158/page-4
The current chainring on it sounds big and also the back low gear does not look very large. Seem more like a roadster setup than mtb gearing right now. Would at least want a dinner plate to start with and maybe smaller chainring then take it from there if I wanted to go 2x Sugino route. So could you perhaps tell me if those bigger cassettes would be plug and play or not? Could I, money permitting, look into 9/10/11 cassettes just as easily (provided I went none indexed too though no need to get another shifter right away and look for max on 8 first)?

I know nothing that has not already been shared about gears, chainrings or shifters, (in fact a great deal less!!) but I will add my 2c to say that Diamondback's were great bikes back in the day. I had one as a kid. I think they are underrated/overlooked by a lot of collectors/retrobike addicts...

 

[PhillB]

I'll put this to rest (some hope!?): Buy any 90s rigid mountain bike made of decent steel. It will give you the ratio you want/need to climb. Anything from that period with a bog-standard groupset will climb anything if you put it in 1/1. Chances are it will be too spinney...

This.

Having lurked through and read this thread, my worry is that in trying to find, effectively, that perfect set-up. you will ultimately be disappointed. 25, 30 or 40 year old technology cannot be perfect. Every bike has some level of compromise...that's why so many of us have so many of them

 

[shogun]

Last bike I got for free the frame was massive. No idea the size but with seat all the way down, iirc, I would be on tippy toes. Didn't bother me and I think I read that for hill riding, which is what I want to do most, it is not an issue and even a benefit? I remember we would be advised, again iirc, to raise the seat very high to help climbing hills.

Truth is you have no use for concepts like 'sizing up' or 'sizing down' for 'hill riding' until you have a baseline, e.g. a bike you've spent a fair bit of time on and you've experienced quite a bit of different terrain.

Nobody here can really tell you what will fit you except in very broad strokes so adjustment is likely.
You're going to need to just buy a bike and ride it; (outside of very wide parameters) there is no perfect bike.
At this point you're filling your head with confusion. Stop reading.