Silverfish 1987 Mountain Klein

[Silverfish]

https://www.ebay.co.uk/sch/i.html?_from=R40&_trksid=p2332490.m570.l1313&_nkw=27.4+seatpost&_sacat=0AND in the list is this:
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/19597959...5NwANocF9LtsxnJPrLPMdlrg==|tkp:Bk9SR6Kmr6KYZA

Lots of short and expensive seat posts in there

But I like the price of this one

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/13345998...ar=432911331538&widget_ver=artemis&media=COPY

 

[Silverfish]

AND sorry to show you this based on the magazine test:
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/19579001...bzsiowFOlIuuREXy93mlmXNQ==|tkp:Bk9SR8rgiqSYZA

Thank **** that is sold!
What a beauty!

 

[Silverfish]

Worked out what front mech I need
I don’t think Shimano offered a clamp on M700 to fit 31.8 seat tubes.
So I need to find an endless mount M700,front mech.
Awesome.
That just got a little bit harder

 

[Silverfish]

I'm pretty sure there is no such thing as an endless clamp M700 front mech. It certainly never existed in any Shimano catalogue that I can see - which means god knows how that photo above came to be. Maybe it is a cobbled together Deerhead/M730/M735 abomination?

It's kinda thrown my build now.
We're pretty sure the bike is an 87 and not an 85 like first thought.
Having a mix of Deerhead and Suntour parts will mess with my OCD. As will mounting a later gen front mech. Plus the roller cams are Suntour.

So if it's an 87, I might just run with 87 6 speed XT - I have most of that kicking around and I think an M730 31.8 will be a much easier find - and I can swap out the Suntour roller cams for XT U brakes. Tho I don't have many fond memories of U brakes, they were always shit!!!

Gonna be a slow burn this one. Will look at getting the frame repainted and source the parts whilst I wait...

 

[27motorhead]

I'm pretty sure there is no such thing as an endless clamp M700 front mech. It certainly never existed in any Shimano catalogue that I can see - which means god knows how that photo above came to be. Maybe it is a cobbled together Deerhead/M730/M735 abomination?

It's kinda thrown my build now.
We're pretty sure the bike is an 87 and not an 85 like first thought.
Having a mix of Deerhead and Suntour parts will mess with my OCD. As will mounting a later gen front mech. Plus the roller cams are Suntour.

So if it's an 87, I might just run with 87 6 speed XT - I have most of that kicking around and I think an M730 31.8 will be a much easier find - and I can swap out the Suntour roller cams for XT U brakes. Tho I don't have many fond memories of U brakes, they were always shit!!!

Gonna be a slow burn this one. Will look at getting the frame repainted and source the parts whilst I wait...

I think your OCD needs to be challenged! One of the attraction of say pre 87 bikes is that the components were sourced from different manufacturers as no full groupset existed.

I think the roller cams + Shimano gearing is perfectly acceptable. I'd 100% keep those on the bike vs. U brakes, they are "cooler". I love both U brakes and roller cams, but think the roller cams edge them in looks department, especially when they have the drilled-out arms!

The Klein that MBA tested came with Suntour pedals, again, I think this is acceptable and makes for a much more interesting spec. I remember reading MBUK (and others) when they tested more exotic bikes and it was always fasinating to read how they got built up because they offered frameset only and they ended up with a big mix of components which was always much more interesting to read about than a full XT 732 group.

The front derailleur feels like it could be a long expensive wait... what were the Suntour options back then...

Look forward to see what you can deal with from both an OCD and £££'s POV!

 

[Silverfish]

I've already come to the same conclusion.
The £££'s won out. My OCD will have to take a back seat
None of my bikes back then had matching anything so I think this one can legitimately be a mix of Suntour and Shimano. Early days we even used Magura levers so I'm going to stick with what I have. Deerhead wheels, headset, brake levers, cranks, shifters and rear mech, Suntour roller cams, front mech, pedals and maybe try to slip in a Suntour seat binder to balance it out a little more. Araya rims, Farmer John tyres, Rolls saddle, Hite Rite and a Strong post.

Just gotta try and remember what grips we were using in 87 now!

 

[27motorhead]

I've already come to the same conclusion.
The £££'s won out. My OCD will have to take a back seat
None of my bikes back then had matching anything so I think this one can legitimately be a mix of Suntour and Shimano. Early days we even used Magura levers so I'm going to stick with what I have. Deerhead wheels, headset, brake levers, cranks, shifters and rear mech, Suntour roller cams, front mech, pedals and maybe try to slip in a Suntour seat binder to balance it out a little more. Araya rims, Farmer John tyres, Rolls saddle, Hite Rite and a Strong post.

Just gotta try and remember what grips we were using in 87 now!

Good man! Sounds like a very tasty recipe to me!

As for grips Grab on MTN-1's you can get "new" from SJS as a back-up plan:
https://www.sjscycles.co.uk/handlebar-tape-grips/grabon-foam-mtn1-handlebar-sleeves/

 

[27motorhead]

Also WTB did grips with like a medium flange that looked super cool. And you can get these repro Magura grips with similar look:
https://classic-repro.com/product/magura-handle-ergonomic-50/?lang=en
I had 80s red GT BMX grips on one of my early 90s GT, loved flanged grips and still worked OK with thumbies

 

[Silverfish]

Good man! Sounds like a very tasty recipe to me!

As for grips Grab on MTN-1's you can get "new" from SJS as a back-up plan:
https://www.sjscycles.co.uk/handlebar-tape-grips/grabon-foam-mtn1-handlebar-sleeves/

ha! I used those back in the day. Bloody hated them

 

[27motorhead]

ha! I used those back in the day. Bloody hated them

Perfect then! Just put on your rose tinted glasses and enjoy!