This video made me buy a "dad bike" that's converted to a singlespeed with a race drop bar. Now I'm cycling for the first time again in like... probobly more than 10 years. Thanks for inspiring!
I've done this three times with old steel road bike frames turning them into pacey commuter rigs. As I'm a hopeless mechanic (things tend to just break in my hands whilst I'm working on them) I get a friendly bike shop to help me evolve these machines. I'll say that the mechanical failures are all part of the experience, you never forget the literal sinking feeling and loss of control that comes with your first handlebar failure or steering into the side of a stationary bus you were overtaking when the crank arm suddenly snapped when you stood on the peddles. Happy days...
And experimenting with bike rebuilds and conversions like this is one of the best ways of building an amazing commuter bike. Commuter bikes live tough lives given the risk of theft, constant nasty weather, and especially if ridden through Canadian winters. Garage sales are also great sources of Dads' bikes. Happy tinkering!
For those here without any bike part connections, just like his shop, many shops keep boxes of leftovers that we can go hunt through for dirt cheap parts. and they're more than glad to sell them to you because usually it's just taking up space. I've found all kind of diamonds in rough that aren't worth anything to those that work on fancy bikes all day, but are gold to us building our own Frankensteins. thanks so much for this vid man. first one I've watched of yours and will definitely be subscribing.
I've been building on my first single speed for about 5yrs now. It just seems there's always one more upgrade to be had!! Watching your bike evolve is probably the most rewarding aspect of customizing (a bike) along with maximizing its potential! I have 19 bicycles to date... I'll be busy for the rest of my life CHASING THE DREAM OF MY INTERPRETATION OF THE ULTIMATE BUILD.
9 months later, watched it again. One of my fave vids you ever made, as per what you actually do here. Wonder if you'd do the same again today, what you would make different? I personally prefer 700c over 26"
I watched some of your other videos after pulling out my old dad (my personal bike from 96) bike that had been in the in-laws storage for years. I had tried years ago to upgrade brakes and gears and had nominal success and eneded up needing a full suspension which then put this bike in storage. 96 GT Ricochet MTN bike. I decided to turn it into the single speed gravel rider and i will say your vide do help. watching you build it in sped up time made me realize that most of the stuff i did was correct. IM an amatuer when it comes to working on bikes. Anyhow I just completed my bike and I love it. It rides great and it reminds me of my old BMX when i was a kid. anyhow love the videos and keep them coming. Thanks!!!!
I love doing this stuff. Just finished my single speed Volume Cutter build. 650c x 25c velocity fusion wheelset, tt wing bar, single front caliper. 46t front chainring with 18t freewheel. Super fun to ride, with a 16t freewheel I could ride most group road rides around here. BTW any old 90's hybrid or MTB frameset makes a great modern gravel bike.
Love it! Buying an old 12-speed road bike for $40 & putting new parts onto it as needed was a fantastic experience! I'd do more to it but it's a Steve Bauer & mild nostalgia saves it from modification. It was ridable after just tires & bar wrap, later needed a new bottom bracket, shifters, rims. Still a very fun ride!
I just really want to thank you for this video. I "build" a bike for an old gf. She (we) loved it. The pleasure was for doing it and to see her getting on a bike after idk how many years. Then all the rides we did. Reminds me a good time. Now I'm about to build a cx/gravel bike. This makes me even more excited to do it. Once again thank you.
Great this. I changed an old ridgeback hybrid into a gravel bike and I love it. Much more satisfying than just going to the bike shop and giving them your debit card.
I like this build a lot! I always check my local craigslist bicycle parts section on a weekly basis so I can try to snag cheap spare parts. I once paid $20 for a box including: a seat post, saddle, flat bar, stem, shimano deore front derailleur, shimano deore rear derailleur, complete 26" rear wheel built on a shimano deore hub, a set of shifter levers, a chain, and an FSA crankset. All of that for $20, and I have almost everything I need to build up a bike this the one you did.
Did a similar project, except I bought new wheels and tires, that was where all my money went, but it was inspired by your other projects, keep this going man, very inspiring
My dad had an ancient Specialized Hardrock that was spray painted green because that's what we had laying around. So I completely understand what you're saying when you say "dad bike" . Wish he still had it I'd love to find a bike like that for a gravel build
This was my first Spindatt video I think. Now I watch them all and drink my coffee out of a "Ride Reasonably Priced Bikes" mug! UA-cam just suggested this one and I enjoyed it all over again.
Good timing, my friend just gave me his dad's old bike similar to this. I asked him if i could have it for a restoration project. Good thing i found your video!
I actually did this type of thing not long ago. I converted a rather cheap 26" hardtail MTB to a still cheap, but purposeful gravel bike with 700c wheels and 32c tires. There were some quirks and tricks to play to get it to work properly, especially concerning the brakes, and the rear wheel axle, as I had a road bike wheelset lying around. The conversion was fairly cheap and it is a whole lot of fun to ride. Bang for the buck is just incredible with these projects. Nice video! 🙂
There is actually also another dimension to this: I am just building an insanely nice gravel bike (Open New U.P.), but it has one big problem: I can't really leave it anywhere without worrying about it, I feel obliged to clean it after every ride and this means if I am very short on time, I may not go out. Something like this would be a perfect addition to my bike fleet, something I can lock up somewhere without being too worried about it and which won't be too delicate to leave uncleaned over night (or a week). As recently moved to a very bike friendly city (Bremen, Germany) I realised it would be great to have a bike which is both fun to ride, but which I can also lock outside of a pub or something.
I like what you did with the bike. It's breathing new life into something someone else would have just thrown away. My 83 specialized was in the same condition as your bike here, I rebuilt it with a few new modern parts, and have put over 3000 miles on it, including a cross state tour. Is it perfect? Not at all, it's heavy, the brakes suck, and the shifters are hard to shift, but that's part of the fun.
thats exactly right! This bike was literally in a garbage pile and I pulled it out for this video. It'll stick around the house for visiting friends to use whenever they are in town and might need a fun big tire shredder! old bikes are fun. and fit big tires usually haha
I didn't get into tinkering with bikes until a year ago (lock-down). Found your channel and love it. This is still one of my favorite videos and now I can say that I have done one of these builds so thank you!
Just got myself a "dad bike". I havent used a bike in like, 5-8 years but i figured it's a nice addiction to start with. Picked up parts for roughly 70 dollars yesterday (sadle, chain, wires, grips etc.) I think I have myself a nice commuter now. But like with all things I get obsessed and will probobly put A LOT of time into this in the summer. Love the inspiring video, you got yourself a new sub from the nordics :)
These conversions are great, I have an old steel framed Hardrock with single speed, 26" wheels but 2.3" tyres and a 20" flat bar. Great for hacking around town on and not worrying about damn pot-holes! And it doesn't have to take space up in the house - it lives outside!! Loads of fun!
I absolutely love this. I'm teaching myself the basics and doing the same to a dirt cheap hybrid. Not rode a bike since I was a kid. I'm having loads of fun. Going to the shops for disabled parents in the morning and throwing the thing through ancient woodland paths in the afternoon. I've just indexed the rear gears and only the front next but I'm already thinking about a 1x conversion.
This video absolutely talks to me. Great advice - build what you have and have fun with what you have. I have a downhill bike, a burly hardtail, but the bike that I ride the most and gives me most joy is an old rigid Kona Humu with coaster brake, no front brake :)
I really love your way of thinking! I also build garbage bikes which doesn't make sense to anybody. But I like it! It's also good to reuse bikes and bikeparts!
This was really interesting to be honest. I built a fixed gear commuter recently and it can accomodate up to 40c to 45c tires, but i just slap some 36c clements that my friend sold for a cheaper price. At least I'm not alone when it comes to building bikes like this. Great content as always Spindatt!!!
Super, just what I needed, have started working on,and now will probably finish. Neighbor gave me an old Pugeot,too much wrong to restore, so I can make it a track bike without spending a lot of money to get a new one. Thanks for sharing!
Just bought a 2014 ridley x-night with disc brakes and sram force for 1150. Will use it as a gravel bike while also allowing me to try cx racing. So excited to start gravel riding.
Awesome thoughts and delivery, down to earth, practical. Apposed tp the uber hyped world of cycle manufacturing. We need more guys like you. BIG UPS 101!!!!
I'd love to see more people with the confidence to dig into a haggard project like this. I think it would get more people riding more ridiculously without being worried about scratching expensive investments
I converted my 92 Schwinn using drop bars from an ancient, rusted out Peugeot that my neighbor gave me. The only things I had to buy were the shifters, bar tape and a few cables.
Just started building one. Its my winterproject and im looking for used parts and cheap stuff but im sure it will be done till spring and then I will have some nice rides on it
It took me a year after watching this for the first time to actually do this project. Bought a Saracen Trailway with wheels and crankset basically just coming off, clearance for 45c for £40. I think I spent £200 with the most expensive item being some 9 speed microshift levers, although my handlebars and derailleur were scrounged off other bikes. Tektro cr-270s or mini vs are the brakes for this project. At the moment its a 32c touring/cross bike but I'm seriously considering going big once these tyres wear out.
Nice build, seem pretty straight forward to me and pretty logical choices with your links.. I hope not being a pedant or overstating the obvious but The Problem Solvers "Travel Agents" 100% worth the $45-50 for a pair make a world of difference to the pull ratio correct especially with 1st & 2nd gen SRAM levers that have such short pull. I even used Travel Agents on my TRP mini's (extra clearance for CX mud) and bought some of discontinued inline ones for my road specific BB7 set up. Someday I'll go hydro
I uploaded some videos about my vintage bike, i really enjoyed the process of stripping the frame, removing the old parts, buying the new parts and putting everything together, every penny and minute spent on that project was worth at the end
Story of my life right there! I'm always going out into the garage to see what project bike I can throw together. And they ar all exciting until they are done. Then if i lose interest, I can sell it off and find another project. Another great video. Keep it up!
Pro tip: For bottom brackets, put the bike on the floor and then use your entire body weight to step on the wrench and get it to turn. Jump on it a bit for more force. Works for other things too :)
Use a 2 foot piece of scaffolding on the wrench. Makes life much easier and the extra leverage adds a lot more control so your less likely to hurt yourself
I'm still here and watching in lockdown, got a nice dawes frame and good forks and front wheel... got a good derailleur but would single gearing save faffing, save weight and have less friction loss?
I want to do this, for no other reason than to work on another bike, but I'm not sure what frame is worthy. I have a Raleigh Willard 3 already (and love it!), but I am wondering if I can convert a Cadent or Clarity to a gravel bike. They would both be new bikes so they would be easy to find parts for. I like the idea of an older steel frame better though. When it comes to steel frames are they all roughly equal? (i.e., older box store frames) Ugh the choices!
Next time you have that problem with a BB. Just put the tool in you wise, and place the frame horizontaly on top of the tool. Then you can use your whole body to force the BB out. And you DON'T have to HIT on your tools with a Hammer (brrrrrr). AND you can use the old Deraileur as a chain-tensioner. So that there'r won't be any slack on the chain. Just a few hints Bro - and fun Vid.
Sweet build. My 2008 Dawes Horizon touring bike (which hasn't really been used for serious touring) is quite good for gravel stuff if you take the rear rack & mudguards off, and put some gravelish tyres on. I certainly enjoyed riding it when I explored the Isle of Skye a few years ago.
So to build a gravel bike do you need to start with a mountain bike frame? I have an old 80's Falcon road racing bike. Would this be a good candidate for a gravel bike build?
Hi, just picked up a nice trek 730 frame from a coworker. This video is gonna help a ton. However I’m having issues looking for a decent wheel set that won’t break the bank. Any suggestions? Btw I’m setting up similar to your bike in this video for road/gravel.
I love the way it looks cleaned up. Black handlebar tape or dark blue would look sick. So, could you do this with a road bike? Keep the road bike gears and shifting and maybe get bigger wheels and tires? Is the reason you picked a hybrid is for the bigger tires? You took a hybrid, converted to single speed geartrain and dropbars? I want a road bike that I could ride almost anywhere without bending a rim and popping a tire. I like my mountain bike but it takes a lot longer to get around. My road bike is amazing but you can't jump a curb on it.
Ah yes, the good old 'Frankenbike' spent many summers when younger with mates doing this very exact thing with anything we could beg, borrow or 'steal'. brought back so many memories... Subbed. Great video :)
Nice! only thing I might have done differently is keep the rear derailleur and used it to tension the chain. looks like there's a bit of slack it that setup, bumpy trails could be an issue
You can actually fit a 3 sped Frank in to a bike like this. It will work fine with an old Deore Schiffer wich can be fitted on to the handlebar. With an additional front deraileur and a chain tensioner you'll have not only a way better tension in your chain (wich seems to be that bad because of the drop outs) gut also 3 gears to ride with. I did that on several bikes and it works just fine. Thank you so much for your videos. You're a great guy! Greetings from a fellow bike mechanic from Germany.
With thanks to yourself and this video, I'll be starting a build like this very soon. I've sourced a bike to build up dumped behind a shed in my college needing some TLC. So thank you :-D
Ok, I want a gravel bike, but I want something with hydro disc brakes - is there any way to make that cheap? Am I being silly with this requirement? What is it like to brake on a mountain gravel descent with cantilever brakes??
I have a 90s stump jumper. I want to convert it to a gravel bike by putting a 650b rear wheel and a new fork with a 700c wheel up front. The guy at the bike shop looked at me like I was crazy. Do you think this is a bad idea?
12:57 color grade shift, but then omg at 13:10...short pull brakes with long pull v brakes and you are doing back wheel hops like you're Hans Rey?!?! Wow Eric. Mad props dude!
awesome video! i have a pretty sick mountain bike and see no point in copying the video. but, it is very inspiring for those in a pinch. Great stuff man!
I am also building something out of my wife’s mommy bike. I am using old spares from my own mtb and some from my cousin’s hand-me-downs and its fun! 😄 good job and great vid. Keep it up! 🙂
Im in the process of converting my mountain bike to a gravel bike. I changed my brake levers to a shimano sti and kept my old disc brake calipers. I'm just wondering if they will be compatible.
Hey I think the video is cool! I want to do the same thing to my bike, I got the 7 speed road bike and I want to put gravel tires and make it more fun and not just road bike boring, is there anything you can suggest for the tires that I should look up. Thanks
hey, good one. I was thinking of looking for a good old 531 80's frame with big clearances, but this opens up a lot of options. I found a good old deore rear derailleur in the bin at my local bike recycler, so now I have a starting point. Thanks for Datt.
I am the Dad who restored a grandad's bike! So, ur stuff looks juvenile, son. Hah. A old Montague Navigator now has Sora Hollowtech groupset with a drop-bar with Microshift STI. New Dura Ace brake pads with Tektro calipers & 32 mm tires. Thinking of 650B & 1.5 inch tires & Tektro mech brakes for the next transform. $120 for the frame. The whole thing is still under $500.
I have an old iron horse mountain bike. 4130 frame. I want to make a drop bar monster cross so bad. Im a total newbie to bike building but I'm somewhat mechanically inclined so I'm excited to try. Great video!
i guarantee you can do it. there is so much how to content here on UA-cam that no matter what snag you run into you'll have it sorted within hours. seized parts will be your biggest problem. For a MTB, stick with MTB cranks so you don't run into width issues. that'd be my best advice off the top of my head.
I made money on my cross frankenbike. Started with a Kona JTS frame, $60. A Specialized Crossroads Cruz for the rims, $30. A 1990 Diamondback Apex (like new garage queen) for the Deore DX group, $100. I had a bike shop install a new BB to accommodate a 3 ring crank. I sold the frames and the parts I didn't need and got back about $350.
I love the idea of commuting on bike to go to work. And while I have practiced intense sports all my life, and I still do, I HATE sweating while wearing work clothes and having to work all the day if have sweated even the slightest. Any tricks? I guess the only option is to go at a very low speed or mantaining a very low effort while pedaling to avoid sweating, right? (Where I live is very sunny/hot most of the year)
I like seeing what can be done to rescued factory issued bikes. If it doesn't work out, so what? One always learns something that can be used on future builds. Good video.
I loved this video. There's lots of parts out there you can get on the cheap. Doing projects like this are worth doing even if you have the money to throw down on a bew bike. Everyone could use a rainy day bike.
Way more fun than some rich guy's "dream build". Some folks will be able start from a nicer base using parts that became unusable only due to changing standards. I've got a Rocky Mountain Hammer Race steel frame hanging in the garage, a SID 80mm suspension fork, 26" shimano XT wheels, folding tyres and 9-speed cassettes and derailleurs, all leading a lonely life. That's all going to build into one helluva monster cross bike.
Brother I have the same bike and I was looking if it is possible to update my bike . I Will change the tires and the handlebars and will keep the rest . Thank you!!! I see that it's possible . I will try to look for second hand handlebars . A new gravel bike would cost me 1500+ at least.
What was your epic hack to keep the bottom bracket removal socket in place before you set about it with the hammer? Looks like a repurposed quick release axle?
My dads 1993 stumpjumper compbottom bracket was stripped. We were trying to throw a mid drive motor on it too. We used a pipe wrench and we broke the bottom bracket
im a full time student, needless to say im broke af. however, i found a raleigh rx 2.0 56cm cyclocross cx 700c aluminum frame for $220. should i pull the trigger on it? what front fork would you recommend?
How did you learn to control the bike in that way? Did you start on a BMX? Been thinking about trying to have the level of control over my bike however I'm not sure if a road bike is best to learn on or I'm nervous about falling on my arse. Any tips/ help would be greatly appreciate! Proper enjoy the videos you're putting out!
Brilliant video! My son needs a new mtb for the mtb competitions he goes to but also wants a gravel bike since I got one. A mtb and a gravel bike? Way too much money so I've been thinking about getting hold of an old frame and building a gravel bike for him and this video has really inspired me to do that. How cool is it to have a retro "DAD" gravel bike!!
This video made me buy a "dad bike" that's converted to a singlespeed with a race drop bar. Now I'm cycling for the first time again in like... probobly more than 10 years.
Thanks for inspiring!
Do you still the same bike now?
@@Hella-ob8fz Erik sold this one a while back
It's 3 am and I'm about to take that old bike from the basement to the garage and start working on it.
You, sir, have me captivated.
Thosell work
I've done this three times with old steel road bike frames turning them into pacey commuter rigs. As I'm a hopeless mechanic (things tend to just break in my hands whilst I'm working on them) I get a friendly bike shop to help me evolve these machines.
I'll say that the mechanical failures are all part of the experience, you never forget the literal sinking feeling and loss of control that comes with your first handlebar failure or steering into the side of a stationary bus you were overtaking when the crank arm suddenly snapped when you stood on the peddles. Happy days...
And experimenting with bike rebuilds and conversions like this is one of the best ways of building an amazing commuter bike. Commuter bikes live tough lives given the risk of theft, constant nasty weather, and especially if ridden through Canadian winters. Garage sales are also great sources of Dads' bikes. Happy tinkering!
For those here without any bike part connections, just like his shop, many shops keep boxes of leftovers that we can go hunt through for dirt cheap parts. and they're more than glad to sell them to you because usually it's just taking up space. I've found all kind of diamonds in rough that aren't worth anything to those that work on fancy bikes all day, but are gold to us building our own Frankensteins. thanks so much for this vid man. first one I've watched of yours and will definitely be subscribing.
Best for "bus n bike" commuting. Make a bike "look" like it's crap so thieves won't really want to steal it.
I've been building on my first single speed for about 5yrs now. It just seems there's always one more upgrade to be had!! Watching your bike evolve is probably the most rewarding aspect of customizing (a bike) along with maximizing its potential! I have 19 bicycles to date... I'll be busy for the rest of my life CHASING THE DREAM OF MY INTERPRETATION OF THE ULTIMATE BUILD.
9 months later, watched it again. One of my fave vids you ever made, as per what you actually do here. Wonder if you'd do the same again today, what you would make different? I personally prefer 700c over 26"
I watched some of your other videos after pulling out my old dad (my personal bike from 96) bike that had been in the in-laws storage for years. I had tried years ago to upgrade brakes and gears and had nominal success and eneded up needing a full suspension which then put this bike in storage. 96 GT Ricochet MTN bike. I decided to turn it into the single speed gravel rider and i will say your vide do help. watching you build it in sped up time made me realize that most of the stuff i did was correct. IM an amatuer when it comes to working on bikes. Anyhow I just completed my bike and I love it. It rides great and it reminds me of my old BMX when i was a kid. anyhow love the videos and keep them coming. Thanks!!!!
I love doing this stuff. Just finished my single speed Volume Cutter build. 650c x 25c velocity fusion wheelset, tt wing bar, single front caliper. 46t front chainring with 18t freewheel. Super fun to ride, with a 16t freewheel I could ride most group road rides around here. BTW any old 90's hybrid or MTB frameset makes a great modern gravel bike.
Love it! Buying an old 12-speed road bike for $40 & putting new parts onto it as needed was a fantastic experience! I'd do more to it but it's a Steve Bauer & mild nostalgia saves it from modification. It was ridable after just tires & bar wrap, later needed a new bottom bracket, shifters, rims. Still a very fun ride!
I just really want to thank you for this video. I "build" a bike for an old gf. She (we) loved it. The pleasure was for doing it and to see her getting on a bike after idk how many years. Then all the rides we did. Reminds me a good time.
Now I'm about to build a cx/gravel bike. This makes me even more excited to do it. Once again thank you.
Great this. I changed an old ridgeback hybrid into a gravel bike and I love it. Much more satisfying than just going to the bike shop and giving them your debit card.
I like this build a lot! I always check my local craigslist bicycle parts section on a weekly basis so I can try to snag cheap spare parts. I once paid $20 for a box including: a seat post, saddle, flat bar, stem, shimano deore front derailleur, shimano deore rear derailleur, complete 26" rear wheel built on a shimano deore hub, a set of shifter levers, a chain, and an FSA crankset. All of that for $20, and I have almost everything I need to build up a bike this the one you did.
Did a similar project, except I bought new wheels and tires, that was where all my money went, but it was inspired by your other projects, keep this going man, very inspiring
My dad had an ancient Specialized Hardrock that was spray painted green because that's what we had laying around. So I completely understand what you're saying when you say "dad bike" . Wish he still had it I'd love to find a bike like that for a gravel build
This was my first Spindatt video I think. Now I watch them all and drink my coffee out of a "Ride Reasonably Priced Bikes" mug! UA-cam just suggested this one and I enjoyed it all over again.
Good timing, my friend just gave me his dad's old bike similar to this. I asked him if i could have it for a restoration project. Good thing i found your video!
I actually did this type of thing not long ago. I converted a rather cheap 26" hardtail MTB to a still cheap, but purposeful gravel bike with 700c wheels and 32c tires. There were some quirks and tricks to play to get it to work properly, especially concerning the brakes, and the rear wheel axle, as I had a road bike wheelset lying around. The conversion was fairly cheap and it is a whole lot of fun to ride. Bang for the buck is just incredible with these projects. Nice video! 🙂
This video did help doing a Mongoose Hotspot Hybrid 700c conversion to Gravel Road Hybrid GRX 1x. Thank you starting today! 🙏🏾
There is actually also another dimension to this: I am just building an insanely nice gravel bike (Open New U.P.), but it has one big problem: I can't really leave it anywhere without worrying about it, I feel obliged to clean it after every ride and this means if I am very short on time, I may not go out. Something like this would be a perfect addition to my bike fleet, something I can lock up somewhere without being too worried about it and which won't be too delicate to leave uncleaned over night (or a week).
As recently moved to a very bike friendly city (Bremen, Germany) I realised it would be great to have a bike which is both fun to ride, but which I can also lock outside of a pub or something.
a DIY gravel bike is the now poor man´s adventure bike which used to be a poor mountainbiker´s road bike.
I like that idea, poor man's gravel bike....I'm a poor but want to travel...
get old fully ridgid mountain bike. put drop bars on it. thats it
Nuffs a nuff
@@ameraldas3641 When you put drop bar, you have to change the shifters too.
@@nguyenvanduc2512 not necessarily...I did just that and still have the same shifters on haha. Doesn't work too badly, either
I like what you did with the bike. It's breathing new life into something someone else would have just thrown away. My 83 specialized was in the same condition as your bike here, I rebuilt it with a few new modern parts, and have put over 3000 miles on it, including a cross state tour. Is it perfect? Not at all, it's heavy, the brakes suck, and the shifters are hard to shift, but that's part of the fun.
thats exactly right! This bike was literally in a garbage pile and I pulled it out for this video.
It'll stick around the house for visiting friends to use whenever they are in town and might need a fun big tire shredder!
old bikes are fun. and fit big tires usually haha
I didn't get into tinkering with bikes until a year ago (lock-down). Found your channel and love it. This is still one of my favorite videos and now I can say that I have done one of these builds so thank you!
Just got myself a "dad bike". I havent used a bike in like, 5-8 years but i figured it's a nice addiction to start with. Picked up parts for roughly 70 dollars yesterday (sadle, chain, wires, grips etc.) I think I have myself a nice commuter now.
But like with all things I get obsessed and will probobly put A LOT of time into this in the summer. Love the inspiring video, you got yourself a new sub from the nordics :)
These conversions are great, I have an old steel framed Hardrock with single speed, 26" wheels but 2.3" tyres and a 20" flat bar. Great for hacking around town on and not worrying about damn pot-holes! And it doesn't have to take space up in the house - it lives outside!! Loads of fun!
Dad bikes are real, folks.
Why does It have to be a 'dad' bike?!! Stupid thing to say as is the term 'dad bod'..
I absolutely love this. I'm teaching myself the basics and doing the same to a dirt cheap hybrid. Not rode a bike since I was a kid. I'm having loads of fun. Going to the shops for disabled parents in the morning and throwing the thing through ancient woodland paths in the afternoon. I've just indexed the rear gears and only the front next but I'm already thinking about a 1x conversion.
BBs are childs play once youve found that stuck seatpost :P
Unless it’s a steel frame from the 90s
Tell caustic soda that.
This video absolutely talks to me. Great advice - build what you have and have fun with what you have. I have a downhill bike, a burly hardtail, but the bike that I ride the most and gives me most joy is an old rigid Kona Humu with coaster brake, no front brake :)
I really love your way of thinking! I also build garbage bikes which doesn't make sense to anybody. But I like it! It's also good to reuse bikes and bikeparts!
This was really interesting to be honest. I built a fixed gear commuter recently and it can accomodate up to 40c to 45c tires, but i just slap some 36c clements that my friend sold for a cheaper price. At least I'm not alone when it comes to building bikes like this.
Great content as always Spindatt!!!
Super, just what I needed, have started working on,and now will probably finish. Neighbor gave me an old Pugeot,too much wrong to restore, so I can make it a track bike without spending a lot of money to get a new one. Thanks for sharing!
Just bought a 2014 ridley x-night with disc brakes and sram force for 1150. Will use it as a gravel bike while also allowing me to try cx racing. So excited to start gravel riding.
Awesome thoughts and delivery, down to earth, practical. Apposed tp the uber hyped world of cycle manufacturing. We need more guys like you. BIG UPS 101!!!!
More people should build this type of bike.This is good fun and good execise.
I'd love to see more people with the confidence to dig into a haggard project like this. I think it would get more people riding more ridiculously without being worried about scratching expensive investments
Andrew Smith , I know the feeling.... some just don't live up to the original expectation! lol
I converted my 92 Schwinn using drop bars from an ancient, rusted out Peugeot that my neighbor gave me. The only things I had to buy were the shifters, bar tape and a few cables.
Building custom bikes is a whole new hobby world apart from riding the bike
Just started building one. Its my winterproject and im looking for used parts and cheap stuff but im sure it will be done till spring and then I will have some nice rides on it
This is just one of the best videos that I see over & over great work bro
Always good to check out bike co-ops and local classifieds for parts too!
absolutely! they can be a phenomenal resource for cheap and weird to source stuff
Hybrid bikes FTW! My friend used to have an all-steel trek with a 1x drivetrain that was probably 15 years old and ahead of its time
i am always doing this strip it down and build it up different. geared or single speed.you are right , working on it is half the fun!
Loved watching. Was curious what you did to convert the old rear hub to single speed.
Single speed conversion kit. They’re about $20 on amazon, usually the price fluctuates but it’s decently cheap!
Thanks so much for this. I am a dad and I have a super ancient steel frame dadbike that's been gathering dust for years. Probably ready!
It took me a year after watching this for the first time to actually do this project. Bought a Saracen Trailway with wheels and crankset basically just coming off, clearance for 45c for £40. I think I spent £200 with the most expensive item being some 9 speed microshift levers, although my handlebars and derailleur were scrounged off other bikes. Tektro cr-270s or mini vs are the brakes for this project.
At the moment its a 32c touring/cross bike but I'm seriously considering going big once these tyres wear out.
Nice build, seem pretty straight forward to me and pretty logical choices with your links.. I hope not being a pedant or overstating the obvious but The Problem Solvers "Travel Agents" 100% worth the $45-50 for a pair make a world of difference to the pull ratio correct especially with 1st & 2nd gen SRAM levers that have such short pull. I even used Travel Agents on my TRP mini's (extra clearance for CX mud) and bought some of discontinued inline ones for my road specific BB7 set up. Someday I'll go hydro
I uploaded some videos about my vintage bike, i really enjoyed the process of stripping the frame, removing the old parts, buying the new parts and putting everything together, every penny and minute spent on that project was worth at the end
its an amazing feeling getting all the crud off a bike and giving it a new lease on life.
I love the before and after of this build
Story of my life right there! I'm always going out into the garage to see what project bike I can throw together. And they ar all exciting until they are done. Then if i lose interest, I can sell it off and find another project. Another great video. Keep it up!
its like lego! I'll never ride this bike, it'll just take up space until i feel like pulling it apart haha
scott atkins ... shall not forget the size for a 140 kg. person and the gears to go-up the hills of St. Francisco , or Lisbon . 3 minimum .
Pro tip:
For bottom brackets, put the bike on the floor and then use your entire body weight to step on the wrench and get it to turn. Jump on it a bit for more force. Works for other things too :)
🤡
But it will leave a mark on bottom side of bb,
Use a 2 foot piece of scaffolding on the wrench. Makes life much easier and the extra leverage adds a lot more control so your less likely to hurt yourself
I'm still here and watching in lockdown, got a nice dawes frame and good forks and front wheel... got a good derailleur but would single gearing save faffing, save weight and have less friction loss?
I want to do this, for no other reason than to work on another bike, but I'm not sure what frame is worthy. I have a Raleigh Willard 3 already (and love it!), but I am wondering if I can convert a Cadent or Clarity to a gravel bike. They would both be new bikes so they would be easy to find parts for. I like the idea of an older steel frame better though. When it comes to steel frames are they all roughly equal? (i.e., older box store frames) Ugh the choices!
Next time you have that problem with a BB. Just put the tool in you wise, and place the frame horizontaly on top of the tool. Then you can use your whole body to force the BB out. And you DON'T have to HIT on your tools with a Hammer (brrrrrr).
AND you can use the old Deraileur as a chain-tensioner. So that there'r won't be any slack on the chain.
Just a few hints Bro - and fun Vid.
or just use a long breaker bar to break it loose then use a ratchet when it's loose enough to do easily
@@Hazeder422 and some heat from a propane torch would do the trick
Instead of putting a new crank can you keep just one big ring in the front and use washers to take up space to attached it back on the crank arm?
Sweet build. My 2008 Dawes Horizon touring bike (which hasn't really been used for serious touring) is quite good for gravel stuff if you take the rear rack & mudguards off, and put some gravelish tyres on. I certainly enjoyed riding it when I explored the Isle of Skye a few years ago.
UA-cam and the world needs more of this type of content
So to build a gravel bike do you need to start with a mountain bike frame? I have an old 80's Falcon road racing bike. Would this be a good candidate for a gravel bike build?
Hi, just picked up a nice trek 730 frame from a coworker. This video is gonna help a ton. However I’m having issues looking for a decent wheel set that won’t break the bank. Any suggestions? Btw I’m setting up similar to your bike in this video for road/gravel.
Wouldn't a super long pipe on top of your crescent wrench work on removing the bottom bracket?
Yeah, more torque, the easier to pull
I love the way it looks cleaned up. Black handlebar tape or dark blue would look sick. So, could you do this with a road bike? Keep the road bike gears and shifting and maybe get bigger wheels and tires? Is the reason you picked a hybrid is for the bigger tires? You took a hybrid, converted to single speed geartrain and dropbars? I want a road bike that I could ride almost anywhere without bending a rim and popping a tire. I like my mountain bike but it takes a lot longer to get around. My road bike is amazing but you can't jump a curb on it.
Purely from a cheapness and tire clearance stand point! If your road bike has the clearance for tire, do it!
What you did in this video is what I spent my whole childhood doing with my BMX and 10speeds. love this!
Ah yes, the good old 'Frankenbike' spent many summers when younger with mates doing this very exact thing with anything we could beg, borrow or 'steal'. brought back so many memories... Subbed. Great video :)
What do you think of hub gears or even now gear boxes from pinion for commuting ?
Nice!
only thing I might have done differently is keep the rear derailleur and used it to tension the chain. looks like there's a bit of slack it that setup, bumpy trails could be an issue
You can actually fit a 3 sped Frank in to a bike like this. It will work fine with an old Deore Schiffer wich can be fitted on to the handlebar. With an additional front deraileur and a chain tensioner you'll have not only a way better tension in your chain (wich seems to be that bad because of the drop outs) gut also 3 gears to ride with.
I did that on several bikes and it works just fine.
Thank you so much for your videos. You're a great guy! Greetings from a fellow bike mechanic from Germany.
Not something I'd ever probably do but I love that you can do it - excited to see you ride it now!
I was wondering what if I only change the bars and use existing brake lever and cables, does it even rideable?
With thanks to yourself and this video, I'll be starting a build like this very soon. I've sourced a bike to build up dumped behind a shed in my college needing some TLC. So thank you :-D
Ok, I want a gravel bike, but I want something with hydro disc brakes - is there any way to make that cheap? Am I being silly with this requirement? What is it like to brake on a mountain gravel descent with cantilever brakes??
I have a 90s stump jumper. I want to convert it to a gravel bike by putting a 650b rear wheel and a new fork with a 700c wheel up front. The guy at the bike shop looked at me like I was crazy. Do you think this is a bad idea?
12:57 color grade shift, but then omg at 13:10...short pull brakes with long pull v brakes and you are doing back wheel hops like you're Hans Rey?!?! Wow Eric. Mad props dude!
awesome video! i have a pretty sick mountain bike and see no point in copying the video. but, it is very inspiring for those in a pinch. Great stuff man!
You should definitely copy this video if you want to make one! Thanks!
I am also building something out of my wife’s mommy bike. I am using old spares from my own mtb and some from my cousin’s hand-me-downs and its fun! 😄 good job and great vid. Keep it up! 🙂
Im in the process of converting my mountain bike to a gravel bike. I changed my brake levers to a shimano sti and kept my old disc brake calipers. I'm just wondering if they will be compatible.
Hey I think the video is cool! I want to do the same thing to my bike, I got the 7 speed road bike and I want to put gravel tires and make it more fun and not just road bike boring, is there anything you can suggest for the tires that I should look up. Thanks
I’m a dad now and I have a Fugi, Giant, and a cannondale. Time to rebuild and enjoy riding again. Road-trip
hey, good one. I was thinking of looking for a good old 531 80's frame with big clearances, but this opens up a lot of options. I found a good old deore rear derailleur in the bin at my local bike recycler, so now I have a starting point. Thanks for Datt.
I am the Dad who restored a grandad's bike! So, ur stuff looks juvenile, son. Hah. A old Montague Navigator now has Sora Hollowtech groupset with a drop-bar with Microshift STI. New Dura Ace brake pads with Tektro calipers & 32 mm tires. Thinking of 650B & 1.5 inch tires & Tektro mech brakes for the next transform. $120 for the frame. The whole thing is still under $500.
I have an old iron horse mountain bike. 4130 frame. I want to make a drop bar monster cross so bad. Im a total newbie to bike building but I'm somewhat mechanically inclined so I'm excited to try. Great video!
i guarantee you can do it. there is so much how to content here on UA-cam that no matter what snag you run into you'll have it sorted within hours. seized parts will be your biggest problem.
For a MTB, stick with MTB cranks so you don't run into width issues. that'd be my best advice off the top of my head.
Great video! Rebuilding a bike into something different. I have a 1992 Raleigh hybrid I would like to make into a gravel. Now that's a dad bike!
I made money on my cross frankenbike. Started with a Kona JTS frame, $60. A Specialized Crossroads Cruz for the rims, $30. A 1990 Diamondback Apex (like new garage queen) for the Deore DX group, $100. I had a bike shop install a new BB to accommodate a 3 ring crank. I sold the frames and the parts I didn't need and got back about $350.
Honestly this is my all time favourite Spindatt video, made me want to build up a cheap commuter gravel style bike!
Inspirational stuff brother. It’s all about scrounging and tinkering.
I love the idea of commuting on bike to go to work. And while I have practiced intense sports all my life, and I still do, I HATE sweating while wearing work clothes and having to work all the day if have sweated even the slightest. Any tricks? I guess the only option is to go at a very low speed or mantaining a very low effort while pedaling to avoid sweating, right? (Where I live is very sunny/hot most of the year)
I'm a 44yr old dad. I have a bike just like that... In my shed... In that condition. You had me laughing pretty good.
I like seeing what can be done to rescued factory issued bikes. If it doesn't work out, so what? One always learns something that can be used on future builds. Good video.
Any idea on where to find a narrow-wide chainring with a 5 arm crank?
I loved this video. There's lots of parts out there you can get on the cheap. Doing projects like this are worth doing even if you have the money to throw down on a bew bike. Everyone could use a rainy day bike.
What was the special tool u used to hold in the bottom bracket tool
Way more fun than some rich guy's "dream build". Some folks will be able start from a nicer base using parts that became unusable only due to changing standards. I've got a Rocky Mountain Hammer Race steel frame hanging in the garage, a SID 80mm suspension fork, 26" shimano XT wheels, folding tyres and 9-speed cassettes and derailleurs, all leading a lonely life. That's all going to build into one helluva monster cross bike.
Brother I have the same bike and I was looking if it is possible to update my bike . I Will change the tires and the handlebars and will keep the rest . Thank you!!! I see that it's possible . I will try to look for second hand handlebars . A new gravel bike would cost me 1500+ at least.
would i be able to use mtb derailleurs and disc brakes on a cyclocross/gravel bike frame?
What was your epic hack to keep the bottom bracket removal socket in place before you set about it with the hammer? Looks like a repurposed quick release axle?
My dads 1993 stumpjumper compbottom bracket was stripped. We were trying to throw a mid drive motor on it too. We used a pipe wrench and we broke the bottom bracket
im a full time student, needless to say im broke af. however, i found a raleigh rx 2.0 56cm cyclocross cx 700c aluminum frame for $220. should i pull the trigger on it? what front fork would you recommend?
Dig the video man! I love those types of builds. Well done and thank you👍
How did you learn to control the bike in that way? Did you start on a BMX? Been thinking about trying to have the level of control over my bike however I'm not sure if a road bike is best to learn on or I'm nervous about falling on my arse. Any tips/ help would be greatly appreciate!
Proper enjoy the videos you're putting out!
Brilliant video! My son needs a new mtb for the mtb competitions he goes to but also wants a gravel bike since I got one. A mtb and a gravel bike? Way too much money so I've been thinking about getting hold of an old frame and building a gravel bike for him and this video has really inspired me to do that. How cool is it to have a retro "DAD" gravel bike!!
Is it aluminium frame or steel frame. I just get apollo bike old steel frame tick tyres only needs drop bar and shifters
Superb build making my ol bike likes this perfect build such a frugal build...thanks men so much love from the philippines God bless...
what is the blue thing you are using to hold your wheel steady in the stand? I need one of those.
how do you taping handle bar tape ? 2 kind of tape using ? is there any goods that works like that ? 2 color handle bar tape ?
Copper paste on the crank puller threads is a good idea, thats what we do at the bike shop i work at. Nice vid!