|
|
|
|
|
|
Registered
Join Date: Mar 2004
Location: Los Angeles
Posts: 17,574
|
Anyone ever tried installing a motor on a typical older MTB? I bought an elec. bike for my younger son since he was having a hard time keeping up with me on my road bike. Now he's kicking my ass. My lazy ass, gaming, older boy wants to come out with us now. He has an old fashion Diamond Back MTB so I need to convert that to elect assist.
My younger, 13, climbs like a freaking monkey. Likes hills. I took him on a one mile hill around the house. He went up it without any real training or riding and no shortness of breath. I don't think he actually breathed? We did it twice. Now, I really want him to start riding seriously. I need a training partner. |
||
|
|
|
|
Registered
|
My newest ride, for when I can ride again
![]() ![]() ![]()
__________________
Byron ![]() 20+ year PCA member ![]() Many Cool Porsches, Projects& Parts, Vintage BMX bikes too |
||
|
|
|
|
Registered
|
What is this brand bars i cant make it out?
![]() ![]() ![]()
__________________
82 SC , 72 914 |
||
|
|
|
|
weekend wOrrier
Join Date: May 2011
Posts: 6,358
|
|||
|
|
|
|
weekend wOrrier
Join Date: May 2011
Posts: 6,358
|
|||
|
|
|
|
Registered
|
Interesting. Thats fine I just wanted to make sure I wasnt reading it wrong because i wasnt coming up with anything either. Thanks
__________________
82 SC , 72 914 |
||
|
|
|
|
|
Almost Banned Once
|
My kind of build... Old School steel frame with a modern group set (11 speed).
![]()
__________________
- Peter Last edited by sc_rufctr; 03-11-2021 at 03:06 AM.. |
||
|
|
|
|
Registered
|
__________________
Jacksonville. Florida https://www.flickr.com/photos/ury914/ |
||
|
|
|
|
el Cheapo
|
^^^ Doesn't look like Florida..
__________________
When in doubt, throttle out. Brakes, who needs them; they only slow you down. |
||
|
|
|
|
weekend wOrrier
Join Date: May 2011
Posts: 6,358
|
I think I bought a new bike!!!!!!
I was just perusing the internet and came across this. Vintage Trek 8500 mtb frame. Vintage marzocchi fork. small size. I spy parallelogram pedals and potentially a very nice xt/lx shimano crankset. Metro slicks, and an obsolete drivetrain with cogs so thick it will outlast armageddon. My daughter is outgrowing her 20 inch bike, and this is a little big for her, but my wife would fit it, and, heck, it even fits me in it's current seat up/big handlebar form. THIS IS A NEIGHBORHOOD BOMBER!!!!- Hence the marzocchi bombers. I can't wait!!!! Unlike air forks, spring zokes just keep getting better, like an old guitar! (In other news- my daughter just rode my wife's specialized roubaix. She might not even want the Trek.)- It's good to be a dad! ![]() The price was right. Daughter approved (she'll grow into it). I'll see it tomorrow. I feel as excited as Baz and his new volvo! ![]() ![]()
Last edited by LEAKYSEALS951; 03-16-2021 at 04:21 AM.. |
||
|
|
|
|
Model Citizen
Join Date: May 2007
Location: The Voodoo Lounge
Posts: 19,308
|
I like those Aluminum Treks (tanks!) I converted one of the Al 1100 Road frames to a single speed to get around the neighborhood and I really like the way it rides!
Clean, safe, too cheap to meter.
__________________
"I would be a tone-deaf heathen if I didn't call the engine astounding. If it had been invented solely to make noise, there would be shrines to it in Rome" |
||
|
|
|
|
weekend wOrrier
Join Date: May 2011
Posts: 6,358
|
Quote:
If it checks out, a shorter stem, seatpost, narrower bars, and my daughter should fit. All stuff I probably have in my secret mtb cave. I will insist she help on installing the new setup parts to get her on her way to bike geekdom. My wife don't give a $% about park tools. Perhaps my daughter will. ![]() That seat 'almost' looks lke a 1987 sella italia knockoff. Sweat equity! Last edited by LEAKYSEALS951; 03-15-2021 at 05:00 PM.. |
||
|
|
|
|
|
Registered
Join Date: Mar 2004
Location: Los Angeles
Posts: 17,574
|
How old is she? Good on the both of ya for getting out doing what dad wants to do
. Its all about you after all. Here's my story. My younger son, 13, is depressed from having no friends from a brand new school and he's curled up like a little ball on his seat attending class all daylong. His class are 1:45 long with dreadful monotone teachers. No one talks. I sat in for 10 min and I had to getup and leave. Anyway, I started to get him out a few times a week to ride around our canyons. He took to riding pretty well. After two weeks, we were ready for the big boy ride, so we rode for 10 miles to have lunch and rode back home including climbing the 1 mile hill to the house. I have not been riding all year, out of shape and got Covid 19 lbs instead. He likes hills, at 5'7", 115lbs, who doesn't? On my way home, he hears heavy breathing coming from me gasping for air and he turns on the gas leaving me to fend for myself beating me to the house. I got him on my Ridley with regular pedals and he loves it. He can finish a 30 miles, relatively flat ride at a moderate pace of about 13-14 mph (with time to eat lunch) without much fuss and no riding during the week sometimes. I took him on my regular route that has a two mile climb and he suffered due to the length but hung with me grinding slowly up it. I wish he gets into it and learn to be a better rider. My dream is for him to start racing. if so, I am all in 1000%. I hope to live my racing through him someday. I didn't start racing until I was 17 but had been riding pretty seriously since about 16. I am already thing about buying a new bike for him, but must refrain myself for now. The Ridley and some of my other bikes fit him just fine. He will out grow it in a couple years. Last edited by look 171; 03-15-2021 at 06:27 PM.. |
||
|
|
|
|
weekend wOrrier
Join Date: May 2011
Posts: 6,358
|
^She's a big 9, so this is on the large side for her. Now that the weather has improved, we've gone on some longer rides- several miles long, but not quite where your son is, and she seems to want to do more. Already, the other neighborhood kids stand in amazement with how far she travels "Your riding where? wow" type stuff. I will shorten the stem, bars, seat, and put on some 170 cranks single ring in the front (down from what I assume are currently 175's). All spare stuff I have laying around.
In fact, her current bike had some 155mm cranks(which she had outgrown the length and the 34t front gearing), which I replaced with 170's and a 39t, ( I really wanted 165's, but dont have any) and she has a good pedal stroke with the 170's, except that the bb height is too low for a 170, so she is occasionally catching her feet on the ground when hammering. No bueno. She too, has had a rough time in school a bit, and when she gets home, I can already see her going on long strange trips on her 20 inch bike to blow off steam. She is quickly outgrowing the 20. She really needs a 24, but give her ten minutes, she'll grow into this in no time. Last edited by LEAKYSEALS951; 03-16-2021 at 04:42 PM.. |
||
|
|
|
|
Registered
Join Date: Mar 2004
Location: Los Angeles
Posts: 17,574
|
Quote:
|
||
|
|
|
|
weekend wOrrier
Join Date: May 2011
Posts: 6,358
|
A swing- AND A HIT!!!!!
Bought the bike today. Zokes in A+++ shape. XT/XTR build. Hydraulic rear disc brake. Cable disc front (perfect for a kid not to have too much "power" in the front). This was pretty much a top of the line circa 2004 mtb race bike with some urban upgrades. Got it home, cut a spare seatpost down to sit flush, dropped a low profile seat on it, changed stem from 130mm to 90mm (it still needs to be shorter), pulled the controls/brakes/grips inboard to her previous bar width. I didn't even GET a chance to switch out the 175mm cranks to 170mm. She hopped on, rode off and won't come home. Kid won't stop grinning. Neither can I. She dubbed thee "Big Wheels" Last edited by LEAKYSEALS951; 03-16-2021 at 04:43 PM.. |
||
|
|
|
|
Model Citizen
Join Date: May 2007
Location: The Voodoo Lounge
Posts: 19,308
|
Best post on this blog in ages.
Nice work, LS! Thanks for sharin'
__________________
"I would be a tone-deaf heathen if I didn't call the engine astounding. If it had been invented solely to make noise, there would be shrines to it in Rome" |
||
|
|
|
|
Model Citizen
Join Date: May 2007
Location: The Voodoo Lounge
Posts: 19,308
|
Trim those bars and plug those bar ends! Do it now!
__________________
"I would be a tone-deaf heathen if I didn't call the engine astounding. If it had been invented solely to make noise, there would be shrines to it in Rome" |
||
|
|
|
|
weekend wOrrier
Join Date: May 2011
Posts: 6,358
|
Good catch.
I wanted her to see if the width was right (they pretty much were), and I'll cut the bars tonight and plug em' up to get em' safe.I swear I've got a shorter stem around here. Funny thing is, aside from the long stem and the long cranks, she rides it like an adult riding a 29'er. It doesn't look ridiculous at all. |
||
|
|
|
|
weekend wOrrier
Join Date: May 2011
Posts: 6,358
|
Okay- got em' cut. Also cut the fork length/steerer tube down, and will cut it even shorter as we hone in on the final fit.
Things to do- 1.Buy deore 170mm crankset (keep 175 for myself ) - edit- done2.Try to get a 60mm 'ish' stem of some sort. -also done Last edited by LEAKYSEALS951; 03-16-2021 at 04:37 PM.. |
||
|
|
|