Re: 1999 Wolf Ridge
So, my beloved 1999 Wolf Ridge is now considered retro!
Signed-up as I thought the post was interesting & thought I could comment on a few of the points, I also have a question!
Regarding the rear-suspension, definitely shouldn't be touching the frame, there should be an approx. 5mm gap there.
Regarding the Manitou X-Vert E forks, these are indeed original. However, mine are only single crown. I have just stripped, cleaned & re-built my forks & I was very pleased to discover everything still in working order (a good thing, as parts are near impossible to obtain!). I think that's pretty good going for a 16 yr. old fork!
So, I was breathing a new lease of life into my forks as I fancied some shiny new discs..., and have run into the problem that you highlight, namely the 68mm post mount incompatibility issue. I did use to have Hope C2s - which of course fitted - but I ditched these long ago (for some V-brakes) as they were faff-tastic. However, I now, for vanity reasons(!) want to go back to discs.
Did you find a workable solution to mount your Shimano calliper? Having trawled the web I can't find a 68mm to 74mm post mount adapter. a2z do make a 68mm to IS mount adapter..., but you would then need a second adapter to go from IS to 74mm, this seems inelegant!
Another solution I am contemplating is using a Hope Post to Post Disc Brake Adapter (from CRC). This is a 74mm to 74mm “disc extender” adapter, but looking closely at it I think it might be possible to drill a new hole and convert it to a 68mm to 74mm adapter (an engineering drill would be useful for this!). I’m slightly concerned about structural integrity, but my guesstimate is that it would be okay; my other concern is what size disc I’d end up requiring…, tricky!!
Hope you got your Wolf Ridge up and running, still a fantastic bike IMHO