New posts

MTB Gravel Bike Conversions

April 23, 2024, 11:23 p.m.
Posts: 1528
Joined: Aug. 13, 2017

Posted by: pedalhound

Should I gravel bike my Rootdown?

100% (if it makes sense to do so).

Once I'm happy with my set up I'm keen to give the drop bars a try on the Solaris to see how it goes.


 Last edited by: fartymarty on April 24, 2024, 1:20 a.m., edited 2 times in total.
April 24, 2024, 12:12 p.m.
Posts: 1139
Joined: May 11, 2022

My 07ish Gary Fisher with kona p2 fork, brooks saddle, bb7 brakes, dmr single speed conversion, soma dream bars and 26x2.1 gravel kings is a fun city/gravel bike.

April 24, 2024, 12:14 p.m.
Posts: 1139
Joined: May 11, 2022

Posted by: pedalhound

Should I gravel bike my Rootdown?

As an old Rootdown is my only mountain bike I'm both insulted and intrigued by this question.  There have been times I've thought it might make a decent drop-bar 29er if running a super short stem.  :)

April 24, 2024, 12:16 p.m.
Posts: 1139
Joined: May 11, 2022

Posted by: TristanC

Not my pic, but I am getting excited to build up my Stooge Rambler when it arrives this summer. I think it slots into the same category of "not quite a mountain bike, not quite a gravel bike." I'm building mine up with parts salvaged off my smooshed groad bike, 27.5x2.6 fast rolling tires, 1x11. I expect it will get me into lots of trouble.

That is hot.  Those bar end shifters...do people ever bash their knees on them?  Asking for a friend.

April 24, 2024, 12:47 p.m.
Posts: 1308
Joined: March 15, 2013

Posted by: BC_Nuggets

My 07ish Gary Fisher with kona p2 fork, brooks saddle, bb7 brakes, dmr single speed conversion, soma dream bars and 26x2.1 gravel kings is a fun city/gravel bike.

We're gonna need some pics I think.

April 24, 2024, 1:27 p.m.
Posts: 16527
Joined: Nov. 20, 2002

IME touring/ riding endless gravel roads its all just boring mostly flat roads with no asphalt so need for lighting shift or super brakesbut the right tire is important

so I have a lot of boring ratehr low teck things on a > 20 yr old kona, a 9spd changer with the original old acera der seemed to work fine

no pict so just imagine itin red, note that red is a faster color


 Last edited by: XXX_er on April 24, 2024, 7:28 p.m., edited 1 time in total.
April 24, 2024, 3:46 p.m.
Posts: 1139
Joined: May 11, 2022

It's aluminum but so is this

April 24, 2024, 11:07 p.m.
Posts: 233
Joined: Nov. 20, 2020

Posted by: BC_Nuggets

Posted by: TristanC

Not my pic, but I am getting excited to build up my Stooge Rambler when it arrives this summer. I think it slots into the same category of "not quite a mountain bike, not quite a gravel bike." I'm building mine up with parts salvaged off my smooshed groad bike, 27.5x2.6 fast rolling tires, 1x11. I expect it will get me into lots of trouble.

That is hot.  Those bar end shifters...do people ever bash their knees on them?  Asking for a friend.

I've run bar ends extensively on touring and road bikes, I don't recall bashing my knees on them regularly. They stick out a little from the bars but not a ton, so if you're not regularly bashing your knees on your bars, then you probably won't on the shifters.

April 25, 2024, 6:03 p.m.
Posts: 19471
Joined: Oct. 28, 2003

I always thought CX = a frame large enough you can shoulder and run with. Thats not one  🤣

April 25, 2024, 11:28 p.m.
Posts: 1528
Joined: Aug. 13, 2017

tashi - with a longer steerer, shorter stem and riser drop bars I reckon you could have got close. 

It does look cool tho.

April 26, 2024, 8:03 a.m.
Posts: 1035
Joined: June 17, 2016

"Riser drop bars", kind of an oxymoron?

April 26, 2024, 8:59 a.m.
Posts: 161
Joined: June 9, 2017

The Diverge I reviewed had 'em. 

April 26, 2024, 9 a.m.
Posts: 16527
Joined: Nov. 20, 2002

" Handlebar " is so Ubiquitous you can't even google a decent explaination. 

The real reason I didnt post a picture of my gravel bike is that it has bar ends and they aren't even ano,

but they work and are  handy for  leaning a fully loaded bike avec panniers against a 500 yr old rock wall in yurp

April 26, 2024, 2:13 p.m.
Posts: 9347
Joined: Nov. 19, 2002

One of my biggest issues with the Rootdown is the super low stack (I am old and like a more upright position) so that's the one thing really keeping me from trying this. The frame is just sitting in my garage collecting dust...this would be more of an ATB/bikepacking build than full on gravel, I have a Norco Search steel for that...but it can only take up to 45c tires...I want something a bit more beefy.

I doubt I will do it, but man it would be a fun project...lol.

April 27, 2024, 1:13 a.m.
Posts: 1528
Joined: Aug. 13, 2017

Posted by: [email protected]

"Riser drop bars", kind of an oxymoron?

They are but they do exist. I have Corralitos on my "riser drop bar mtb" ;)

https://theradavist.com/search/Corralito+/

They help solve the problem of a too short steerer at less cost than a new fork.


 Last edited by: fartymarty on April 27, 2024, 1:14 a.m., edited 1 time in total.

Forum jump: