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

[Imlach]

You guys ride up hills?

 

[al-onestare]

This thread is gold

 

[R-V]

The time spent on this bike buy should count as hard labour, i don't know, what is the minimum wage in the UK per hour? Could be added to the final cost

 

[Tootyred]

what is the minimum wage in the UK per hour?

Eleventy thousand and hour or something now.....i think.

The amount spent in time would have paid for a 26" wheel, mid 90s, rigid, 8 speed, 3x compact drive mtb by now with cash left over for all the cassettes the op can eat....

Not sure how many different ways we can all say the same thing, but.....we can only keep going.....the penny will drop at some point im sure....

 

[Gtpulse]

I think we should all chip in a quid……….to send to the custodians of Sheldon Brown’s website and push it further up the google searches……

 

[Guinessisgoodforyou]

I always use the Sheldon gear calculator

 

[Woz]

This thread is gold

It is. It sort of represents someone frugal entering the world of bikes, and not necessarily retro either. Messed up. Bamboozled with tech. and lost.

We all know about 98% people here could put the man out of misery, cheaply face-to-face over an afternoon with beer. We have the experience and tools.

@retrobiker273891 - your old bike is for the bin. It's worthless junk and fit for a pub bike with no lock attached - but absolutely not fit for shelling out a single British penny in upgrading it. Your money is best spent getting something COMPLETE mid-range mid-90s ready to ride where the previous owner spent all the time, money and the tooling necessary to make something full rigid and road orientated and now wants it gone.

They are out there, and there are plenty, but this site is not "Click and Collect" so you need put some spunk energy into it too. If you want it all on a silver plate you will pay more, and no doubt someone could provide the additional services at cost here.

A mid-90s or later Hybrid would also work, and probably be a revelation for you.

 

[Woz]

Why not just get a second hand MTB with a triple crankset already on it?
Then just buy a rigid fork.

My main training steed still has a triple 3x9. Until I get fitter and start riding road bikes again (compact double).
I just find the gearing easier and more closely spaced. Got a fairly tight cluster at the back, currently 13-23T. No larger than 2T jumps.

On topic, you right. Standard practice for many.

Off topic. Yes!!!!. In the same situation especially getting fitness back and just pedalling. Triple MTB 22/32/42 or 24/32/44 with a 12-26 or 11-28 outback touch wood will do it all road wise is what I'm coming out with. It's all negative gearing at it's lowest. Later I intend to ditch the triple and man up *COUGH* for something like 32/42 or 44T upfront and rear end 11-30 or 11-32.

 

[dirttorpedo]

Do modern 1x drivetrains really have significantly lower gear ratios than old school triples? If its all about low gear ratios I imagine slapping an old school (or modern equivalent) 50.6 BCD crankset on there with a super low granny would take care of things. If that's not enough, then get a used 8 speed wheel, cold set the old frame to 135mm and slap the lowest range cassette you can find on it and run it friction (1 x 10 should be possible). Or better yet buy an 8 speed frame and just do the crankset and cassette swap.

 

[slackboy]

Do modern 1x drivetrains really have significantly lower gear ratios than old school triples?

@CassidyAce covered this in some detail a while back

https://www.retrobike.co.uk/threads/1x-vs-3x-the-maths.445016/