- Feedback
- View
Nice! 
so old MTB frame to gravel bikes? thoughts? update on 30/06/24
- Thread starter jonnyboy666
- Start date
bikeworkshop
Senior Retro Guru
MattiThundrrr
Kona Fan
Once the hipsters get into it, there'll be no stopping it...It'll never take off
pwebb
Retro Guru
Wasn't Cunningham the dork character in happy days? Maybe not such a great name for those of us who were around in the 70s? unless it refers to his mother perhaps, pinafore clad and seemingly fond of the Fonz.
- Feedback
- View
so i decided to do a bit of moving bits about as i had pretty much decided to try the drop bars on the bike, obvs this means quite a spec change, and a few gremlins have raised their heads.
so the bike had Hope brakes, XTR, mechs and shifters, the drop bar i was using was from a previous build, so i'm using that again and it's fitted with 2x10 GRX shifters, i didn't think the XTR mech would work with the GRX shifter but i thought i'd see how far out it was, it didn't work, i have found that Wolf Tooth make a cable pull adaptor can which might work but i couldn't bothered with getting one so i have fitted the GRX mech which obviously works. i then turned my attention to the front gears, the GRX shifter does work with the XTR front mech ok, it's not quite the same as the shift on the complete GRX front end set up but it shifted fine, but then i noticed something sucky, my intention was to run the MTB gearset, the top ring on it is a 38t which is fine, nice and spinnable, but the spider is warped, not happy really this is the second spider i've had on this chainset and it's seen bugger all miles, i can just about adjust it out but i'm thinking swap the GRX chainset on instead, i haven't done that yet as i ran out of time, now the BB shell is 68, so fitting a road/gravel BB should be ok, but the GRX chainset i have is a 46/30 and i'm not sure if it will clear the chainstays, will find out tomorrow, the other issue is i am not sure if the XTR from mech will work on it, it was from the Demon Frameworks originally and was running a 42t i think so it might, the reason i can't use the GRX front mech is the frame is top pull, i know i could use a mech verter but i'm hoping not to.
brake wise i haven't decided what to do yet, i see my options are GRX levers and see if i can get flat mount GRX calipers to fit the IS mounts with a converter bracket, but i think i'd need the frame/fork +bracket + bracket +caliper, which would look crap so i might use which ever mtb post mount shimano caliper i have lying around in the shop as i'd only have to use IS to post mount bracket as normal, the other option is maybe look at Hope calipers, the mineral oil versions, but that would be a chunk of money, but here's the thing, obvs as some of you know, i can be a bit pedantic with my builds, not so much it has to be retro etc, more i like my brands to match or have a theme, now the original set up of this bike had Hope brakes/rotos/mounts/BB/hubs/qr's/seatclamp/stem/post with xtr mechs and shifters, when i built the wheels i used some older shimano XT hubs, i kind of wish i'd just used the original Hope hubs as then i would have just fitted the Hope Mineral brakes, but because i used the Shimano hubs i feel i should remove the Hope disc rotors and fit shimano rotors and calipers and mounts, this would be cheaper and i can sell all the older Hope bits as it all works fine, will probably do that but it sort of snnoys me that the bike has just the Hope post and headset left, the bar assembly has a matching stem which was 10mm shorter so fits better length wise with the drop bar.
now i just set up the gears and test rode it around the car park without any brakes just to see if the position was in the ball park and i have to say it felt pretty good, i'm going in to the shop tomorrow mainly to wait for a delivery and to sort some admin stuff so i'll probably sort the gears out properly tomorrow if i can, and maybe decide what i'm doing brake wise.
excuse the tape, it matched the previous build, i will be changing it!
anyway here are some pics!
so the bike had Hope brakes, XTR, mechs and shifters, the drop bar i was using was from a previous build, so i'm using that again and it's fitted with 2x10 GRX shifters, i didn't think the XTR mech would work with the GRX shifter but i thought i'd see how far out it was, it didn't work, i have found that Wolf Tooth make a cable pull adaptor can which might work but i couldn't bothered with getting one so i have fitted the GRX mech which obviously works. i then turned my attention to the front gears, the GRX shifter does work with the XTR front mech ok, it's not quite the same as the shift on the complete GRX front end set up but it shifted fine, but then i noticed something sucky, my intention was to run the MTB gearset, the top ring on it is a 38t which is fine, nice and spinnable, but the spider is warped, not happy really this is the second spider i've had on this chainset and it's seen bugger all miles, i can just about adjust it out but i'm thinking swap the GRX chainset on instead, i haven't done that yet as i ran out of time, now the BB shell is 68, so fitting a road/gravel BB should be ok, but the GRX chainset i have is a 46/30 and i'm not sure if it will clear the chainstays, will find out tomorrow, the other issue is i am not sure if the XTR from mech will work on it, it was from the Demon Frameworks originally and was running a 42t i think so it might, the reason i can't use the GRX front mech is the frame is top pull, i know i could use a mech verter but i'm hoping not to.
brake wise i haven't decided what to do yet, i see my options are GRX levers and see if i can get flat mount GRX calipers to fit the IS mounts with a converter bracket, but i think i'd need the frame/fork +bracket + bracket +caliper, which would look crap so i might use which ever mtb post mount shimano caliper i have lying around in the shop as i'd only have to use IS to post mount bracket as normal, the other option is maybe look at Hope calipers, the mineral oil versions, but that would be a chunk of money, but here's the thing, obvs as some of you know, i can be a bit pedantic with my builds, not so much it has to be retro etc, more i like my brands to match or have a theme, now the original set up of this bike had Hope brakes/rotos/mounts/BB/hubs/qr's/seatclamp/stem/post with xtr mechs and shifters, when i built the wheels i used some older shimano XT hubs, i kind of wish i'd just used the original Hope hubs as then i would have just fitted the Hope Mineral brakes, but because i used the Shimano hubs i feel i should remove the Hope disc rotors and fit shimano rotors and calipers and mounts, this would be cheaper and i can sell all the older Hope bits as it all works fine, will probably do that but it sort of snnoys me that the bike has just the Hope post and headset left, the bar assembly has a matching stem which was 10mm shorter so fits better length wise with the drop bar.
now i just set up the gears and test rode it around the car park without any brakes just to see if the position was in the ball park and i have to say it felt pretty good, i'm going in to the shop tomorrow mainly to wait for a delivery and to sort some admin stuff so i'll probably sort the gears out properly tomorrow if i can, and maybe decide what i'm doing brake wise.
excuse the tape, it matched the previous build, i will be changing it!
anyway here are some pics!
bikeworkshop
Senior Retro Guru
You're meant to use the crazily expensive shimano rs-785 caliper for is/pm mounts on drop levers (I think it's designed to pull the piston back better, avoid drag that is irrelevant on mtb but drives roadies crazy.
I found that with a hope account, the staff purchase price for the fantastic rx4 caliper was lower
Might have been a Covid thingy though
I found that with a hope account, the staff purchase price for the fantastic rx4 caliper was lower
Might have been a Covid thingy though
- Feedback
- View
@bikeworkshop i had these GRX levers hooked up to the basic mt200 and the 4 pot deore, both worked fine, i know there is a staff purchase on Hope but i think i have hit my limit this year! might give them a shout but the pedantic in me would feel that i'd need to strip the wheels down and rebuild the pro 2 hubs in the wheels!
