The bike I should be riding...89 Marin OAP conversion....finished!

[Mickeyspinn]

Yes but us mere mortals of challenged height status get cranked necks at the cinema or never get to see who's on stage. Win some lose some
And it's starting to look fab ..as expected !

 

[Tootyred]

Theres not many things in the world where "average" is best....but height is probably one!

I can't drive most cars.....roof lining not tall enough.....or for some odd reasons bmw seats dont go back far enough!

Doors too low, beams too low, seats in cinema and planes too short..

Clothes are very limited...shirt sleeves / jackets half way up arms, jeans too short. XL T-shirts ok....as long as you also have a 64" chest......i dont.

Tall don't always equal round!

Long tall sally does a good line in jeans if you need them....

 

[retroJIM]

So, to solve it i either need a bigger reach tall stem.....150mm long x 160mm tall.....unlikely.....

Or, a stem with a bit of rise and 2" riser bars to take up the slack!

I'm looking forward to seeing how you finally resolve this. I have similar issues. There are solutions as you've already alluded to but I'm yet to find one that aesthetically pleasing as well as functional. I suppose that shouldn't be an issue but to me it really is!

 

[Canuckbiker]

Fitted the mechs onto the frame.......easy.

Fantastic work! I like to refurbish my mechs as well but not sure I've managed to do it so well. Love those rings as well

 

[Tootyred]

I suppose that shouldn't be an issue but to me it really is!

No, i could not agree more. Just because I'm tall, why should i have to ride an ugly bike! Although big things often look ungainly.....super models etc.

But, being realistic, like all left field reasons for doing stuff, its not going to look the same as what everyone else wants or likes necessarily.

I suppose its time to be thankful that we are still wanting and able to ride....if the cost of that ( and for me im only talking on the much longer 2+ hour ish rides) is a few modifications away from a norba race bike, maybe we should all be more grateful.

In the last 2 months, I've said goodbye to 2 of my friends, one heart disease the other a sky diving accident! Poles apart, but neither is here any longer......I am......so maybe I should stop worrying if my handlebars look "funky" enough ......and get on with the riding i love.

 

[Tootyred]

XT M732 cantilevers all cleaned up, polished and mounted with bbb crossstop triple compound pads.

Chains on.....gone for my normal Sram 870.....I know the 830s are the bloody same and £4 less, but i like a bit of bling!......and they do resist corrosion better. I buy them from a local shop who lets me take them for £10 a bit if i take 5 at a time....fine by me.....

Waiting for stuff from ebay......i think bloody evri have lost my saddle! Its annoying as it was a very hard to find specialized one, same as on my touring bike....not expensive, just comfortable......damn you Evri!

 

[Tootyred]

Other than ordering the odd bits i needed to make up the jagwire cable kit, not much has happened. In fact im going backwards a bit!

Evri / hermes have deffo lost my parcel with the saddle in it.....arse!

Thought i would try the continental travel contact tyres, so put them in another bike as i was swapping to autumn/ winter tyres anyway......kinda interesting......on the road, very smooth and fast....On a cinder farm track great.....so towpath etc action fine.

Unfortunately, when pressed into real off road bridal path (wet grass, leaves, bit of mud), the lack of any central knobbles starts to show up. Not bad as the side knobs do what they should do and save the day....

I think if you were using them for world touring (or even uk touring) anywhere a car / motorbike on standard tyres can go, you would be fine......but for me thats not what i need. So im having a rethink on that.

Finally, @The History Man kindly sent me some serious nitto riser bars.....i thought they were A802s, but it wurns out they are AA801 (basically what was used on early stumpjumpers). Either way round they turned out to be too wide, too much pull back and frankly too heavy! Im sure that steel weight would have dampened the vibes a treat, but im already going steel stem, forks and frame!

But, all is not lost.....they have been transplanted to my Swallow ptarmigan! Which now looks far more in keeping with its 80s pedigree than it did and is more comfortable to ride......i may even put it back to the original xt m730 6 speed over the winter.

So now i need a second choice, but i do have a plan up my sleeve.

 

[The History Man]

Wheelies not an option.

 

[Tootyred]

The "plan b" bars turned up. Azonic double wall risers from 92....if the date stamp is a date stamp!

They are a bit faded, but oddly so faded as to be kinda " smoke" colour. I might leave them as they are or if i get into them, re powder them at a later date.

These bars have a bulged center section, rather than being feathered to the first bend.....as im sure you have all found at some point, a lot of more modern risers don't go into quills as they just won't go round the bends.....being built for the world of open face.

These looked ok, so i took a punt.....they also have a mahooooosive 63mm rise.

The upshot was i could use the lighter / lower angled or the 2 marin stems i had.....in fact its from 89, like the frame. The adavantage over the more modern marin lite stems is that there is a reasonable amount of quill. The later (post 91) stems have very little height, probably as a weight saving!

The earlier 88 stems are 100g heavier, but do have a few more degrees on them...but as the bars are taking the height.....not needed. Both are steel, so will absorb some clatter......and honestly, i think the lower angle looks better.

The set up below is with bars level to seat, even without the grip thickness....so im happy. There is probably another 15mm to go before the stop line if needed.

 

[Tootyred]

I was going to use some ritchey levers on this, that i cleaned up.....but ive just found some suntour xc pro ones to match the shifters.....they are in need of a bit of work.....so in the meantime, im going to sort out some of the peripheral bits and bobs.....bottle cages, pumps, etc, etc.

Can get the shifters on, but still can't really set them up without the levers to assess the exact position and cable lengths...