Dream 26er Mountain to Gravel Bike - 25.5 lbs. - Reynolds 631 Steel - 1998 Jamis Dakota
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- Опубліковано 4 лют 2025
- In this video, I transformed a 1998 Jamis Dakota Mountain Bike into a much better gravel bike. It has Reynolds 631 steel frame and a 3x8 LX/XT Drivetrain.
Shop: www.depuesshop.com
Here are the parts I used.
Fork: amzn.to/3RTvZTB
Shifters: amzn.to/41yjGPM
Handlebars: amzn.to/3NDXONq
Stem: amzn.to/3tmEBZN
Tires: amzn.to/3v4YR2k
Bar tape: amzn.to/48tPFD5
Here are the tools I used.
Awesome Grease Gun: amzn.to/3k85U4O
Parts Washer: amzn.to/3PVsJGA
#gravelbikebuild
#dropbarmountainbike
www.instagram....
Love it. You preserved the 3x. Yay!
Haha! Yeah, sometimes I do, sometimes I don't!
Hi again! I subscribed, and after viewing the Gary Fisher bike restoration video, I landed just here. And I wan to say: SUPERB!! If I had any doubt about converting an MTB to gravel, This video made my mind clear!!! Thanks a lot!!! And..gravel It is!!! (or...will be!!)
Glad to hear that you found the video helpful!
That looks better as a gravel bike than a mtb, for sure. Nice re-purpose! I always loved that Jamis orange.!
It did. Recycled bicycle good for another 30 years. In fact - I think it may be tooling through the brush long after some of the carbon fiber bikes sold today have gone to the landfill.
Those steel bikes definitely last for a long, long time!
When i researched the mixed brakes between longpull and shortpull they said it wont work but your brakes works pretty good . I really appreciate your videos thanks for inspiration bike community
The brake levers definitely stroke a little farther than they should, but they do the job.
Getting ready to pretty much do the exact same build on my Kona Blast
I am just doing that on my ghetto gravel. I got tired of these cantilevers, because it takes too much force to pull these. V brakes it is now. Much better to be honest.
You can either use a Cable Problem solver or a China copy from Xtreme to fix this problem. Or a Shimano break force modulator which were used in trekking bikes.
it's neither difficult nor expensive to put Travel Agents or similar long/short conversion pulleys in place of the noodle, definitely better than just having mush-brakes
This is a primo build! The frame colour and the brown contrast colour looks fantastic.
This is the inspiration for my next bike build out and conversion.
Thats a beauty! All the components work and the colors all work together...nice ride!!
Fabulous choice of tyre, takes the look of the bike up another level 👌🇬🇧
Such an awesome build! It's so satisfying when you convert these and make a bike that rides just as good and everyone winds up loving it because they didn't know you could build these things so cheaply and stylish!
This video really helped me convert my Mongoose Tyax (from about 2006) into a drop bar MTB. The 3x front gears were the most difficult part to set up, the 8x on the back wheel became 6x. Thanks a lot for this video!
Hey, I'm thinking of doing the same thing to my 90's mtb, what was difficult about the 3x on the front? And also why did you go to a 6x in the back?
Old School craftsmanship. Well done
Man, I remember that era.. back when Ned Overend was dominating. During the late-90s in particular '98-'99, these shades of bright orange and mango yellow were among the trendy colours for bikes
That's a really nice build. It looks lovely there, in the woods in winter. That orange against the snow; and the tan side walls and bar tape.
I have a gravel bike bought from new, and now after watching this video I regret selling my mountain bike to make room. It would have been a great project to convert to a gravel bike. But hey, who needs 2 gravel bikes? Kind of defeats the object and gravel bikes’ versatility is what makes them so attractive.
Luckily I don’t have a lot of space otherwise I’d be afflicted with the same bike disease as you 😁
I definitely have a bike problem. Many of them are stacked up like cored wood! Haha!
Saw this bike on marketplace then saw this video recommended to me a few days later lol. Crazy
It's speaking to you! Haha!
What an absolute beauty! Loved the video! I think I’ll copy your exact build on my 94 ParkPre Pro 825. Thanks!
Glad I found this… kinda😂
‘Left my retro-builder New Year’s Eve afternoon canceling my re-build of a Univega Boralyn (circa early 90’s) with AMP parallelogram suspension fork. ‘Really wanted a cool retro (gravel/townie/adventure/lock it up wherever) ride out of it but with top tier componentry. The problem: Thoough it originally came specked out with XTR (and the awesome XTR parallelogram brakes), when my shifters started sticking and I took them apart, a crappy bike shop talked me into new Shimano “crap” (crankset, rings, shifters) of the day (circa 2010) and I’ve regretted it ever since. My new builder showed me an 11 speed cassette would fit (saving the wheel set and moving me into my XTR shifter of choice) but it was determined my Crank Bros free-hub had enough slop to question the build going forward (and my hesitance for 2k and up ‘vested into it with a hub with some 15 degrees of engagement) as my desire was for top tier component shift quality and 650b kinda feel and tubeless when, a (new) bike sat right next to it in that form in carbon for just over 2k.
Yeah… this is an endless rant with no clear solution going forward except perhaps my own personal project should I wanna start again at some point with a rim-brake, 26” tubeless hoop custom wheel build, centered around a hub with 240 points of engagement. Uhh… yeah.😂
Haha! The struggle is real! The good and bad thing about a 26 vintage MTB is that the options are so many! I hope you enjoy the next phase of your bike!
That turned out really nice! I don't know why, but I've always wanted to do an orange dropbar restoration with brown walls. It has a great look to it.
your videos are very relaxing and inspiring, I like your works :)
A beautiful retro bike even made better ❤
Just recently did the same thing with a 97 Stumpjumper which had a similar Deore setup. Great work, Love the channel!!
I was also interested in that fork but ended going with the Sunlite one. I was worried about it not being suspension corrected but it all worked out fine
Great video, I'm doing a similar thing with my '97 Team Marin. A buddy of mine had a similar era Jamis Dragon (back when it was new), the frame as so light it would chime if you knocked it. Beautiful bike.
have a 1993 Stumpjumper that I've been thinking about converting like this. Great video.
I like it. I ride only road bikes but you've given me an idea to do this with an old GT frame I recently acquired
I love how this one turned out!
Crazy light for 3x gearing and steel frame!
Great looking conversion. I've done a few conversions with a Kona Explosif, Voodoo Bizango and a Scott Pro Racing mountain bike frames
Very beautiful renovation!
What a practical and beautiful bike! Thank you for sharing this build.
Looks great, gonna last a long time. Nice work!!
I'd like to do a similar conversion to an early 00's aluminum 26" Gary Fisher. Thanks for the inspiration!
Nice build!
Lovely bicycle. Best Wishes on riding it.
Jamis makes tremendous bikes.
Blooming amazing got a 26” hard trail mtb that I’m trying to change to a gravel bike just didn’t no what brakes and shifter to use thanks great video
Really nice finished product looks comfortable also. Made one from a 92 Rocky and I find myself liking it over my other bikes and love it for a travel bike being more compact.
While as a finished bike it looks cool. 1. Why remove the suspension fork? Is it because it doesn't have a lockout? Would be nice to have a lockout suspension fork on chunky gravel, but if it didn't have a lockout it would be spongy for sure 2. Road shifters are not compatible with mountain front derailleurs - I noticed you didn't shift the front in video -did you change it out? also gets into top versus bottom pull front derailleurs and you sometimes have to run a pulley to run a road front derailer on a MTB 3. do those linear pull brakes brakes work well? When I have used post mount brakes in the past with road levers, I always went with the canti cyclocross/touring bike specific ones. Did you use a cable pull adapter? 4. By putting drop bars on a flat bar bike it's going to have a longer reach, even with a shorter stem, especially in the drops - you do a fantastic job on your videos!
All good points, and you are correct. The front derailleur didn't quite shift right because the pull ratio was not compatible, and I should have used a pull amplifier on the brakes. They worked well, but they were spongy. The overall feel of the bike was big, but I found it comfortable. The rigid forks were added mostly to save weight, but overall, it was a soft ride due to the fatter tires. I have another similar build that I address all these issues. Thanks for watching!!
Another really swish build. I did one like this with a 1995 Trek Singletrack cromo frame and it's my favorite bike. What do you do with all the bikes you build? Do you keep them and ride them all? I love building but don't have time to ride everything I build - or the garage space. But I'm still too attached to each build to sell them.
I learned some good techniques from your videos, like holding the cable ends in the pliers when you put them on. I was always doing that with two hands and dropping the caps.
Well.....that's a great question! I usually try to sell them but since we are in the middle of Bikeageddon and nobody is buying any bikes, my inventory is getting bigger and bigger....which I am reminded by my wife! Haha. I do have a few that I like a lot and plan on hanging onto for a while. I may do a video next year about my bike problem!!
Surprised your brifters worked with the v-brakes. I used travel adapters with mine and they work great. Kept 3x8 drivetrain.
They didn't really work well. I should have used the adapters. I did on a more recent build. ua-cam.com/video/xUKg62W8PBE/v-deo.htmlsi=FOIq39GOq9ubQgjz
I had the exact same bike back in the day!
Nice conversion 👍🏼
Wow, very nice build man.
Great video, just discovered your channel
Awesome, thank you!
So cool to see you kept the 3x8!! I always thought that brifters had trouble shifting the front derailleur on old 3x mountain bikes such as Deore/Exage LX. Did you have any problems with front shifting? I'd love to do the same conversion to my old 90's mtb
Yes, the pull ratio is not far enough on the road shifters, but some extra tuning made it barely work.
what a beauty congrats and merry xmas
Nice looking bike
Are there no problems with pull ratio on breakes? I got problems on same shifters even on shorter than standard v-breakes?
I was worried about that issue and was concerned about having to go to cantilever brakes, but these seem to work just fine. I can feel that the levers have to travel a little farther than I would like though.
I found mini V's work a treat with drop bar levers.
Trp cx 8.4 mini vbrakes work great with road shifters
I wasn't aware Mosso made suspension corrected forks for replacing suspension forks with.. Will need to check them out. My go-to has been Soma (without complaint).
They are tricky to find with brake bosses. Easy to find the disc versions.
Got me wanting to convert my Scott Scale 10.
I’m so used to the lazy steering head angles of modern MTB’s that I now find the Scott too twitchy.
Perhaps a Gravel conversion might be the answer to put an otherwise fantastic bike to use again.
How are you using Road levers with V-Brakes? Do they pull enough cable?
I the levers stroke pretty far, but it works. I think it helps because the bars are flared and it allows the levers to move enough.
You need mini v-brakes or cantilever brakes to properly match the pull
Love that build!!! You've inspired na to convert my old 26'" mtb to gravel bike. Btw, the mosso fork you used - is it specifically for 26" wheels?
They have different sizes. You need to measure the suspension fork axle to crown dimension and make sure you get a rigid fork that is similar so the geometry of the bike doesn't change.
What a Build ❤
Do you use mini vbrakes? How do the ergopower work with deore shifter?
They are regular v bakes, but they really need a brake amplifier to make them work correctly. The rear shifts great. The front is so so.
Another bike mechanic from the Marcel freakin’ Marceau school of bike repair. Would it kill you to explain why you chose the parts and components to change, and which you kept?
DePue’s bike shop? Peeyoo!
I am a fan of this era of mtb. Ridget fork and geared is my preference. Can you remove the rear wheel with out deflating the tire?
Yes, as long as you unhook the brakes.
I understand the new rims and tires and handle bar but why remove the suspension fork ?
It was more for weight. I could have kept it on. I am just about to release a new video where I do a similar build but keep the cush up front.
Very inspiring build!
Where did you get the V brake fork, I have a 2000s Rockhopper and thought about replacing the suspension fork but the forks I've seen are disk brake forks.
I found it on Ali Express. There are a few on Amazon, too. I think there's a link to one in the video description.
Does the front derailleur work correctly? I've read many times that the pull ratio of MTB and Road is different and then the triple front derailleur is unable to reach all three chain rings if the systems don't match.
The front derailleur works ok, not great, and it took some extra tuning. I suspect that I will have to adjust it frequently to keep it working well.
@@DePuesshop Triple road chain crank sets are slimmer than MTB sets and appropriate front derailleurs have to be either road or MTB. That's what I found out. You would need a road front derailleur FD that can handle a wide triple MTB crank. I've seen some mods where the pull cable of the road FD is bend extra around a rivet of the FD so that it can move further to the outer chain ring with the same cable pull.
Thank you for the info! I didn't realize that, and it explains why I had some issues with the FD. I learn so much from my viewers!
My Gary Fisher 2005 Tassajara was like this originally with the 110mm stem .
I thought road levers were not compatible with mountain front derailleurs due to the pull ratio? And they are not compatible with V brakes due to short pull levers versus long pull brakes?
You are correct. The levers were squishy. Next time, I will use a converter.
perfect build
I’ve found it hard to find good rigid 26” forks with Calipers brakes are these 1 1/8 thanks
Nice upgrade, good parts. 👍 for the trick with the scratch removing product! My only objections are the flat pedals and the beige-colored tires. By the way, up to what pressure do you inflate them? I have also converted my 1989 mangalloy Peugeot road bike to a gravel bike, with classic V-brakes but modern shifting for the gears.
I believe they are inflated to just under 30psi.
Another great build. This thing looks like a ripper !
That frame polished up nicely ❤. Personally I would have gone 1x10 with bar end friction shifter (microShift) and ditched the front derailleur. Overall a wonderful job👍😀
Don't you have an overall wider gear range with a front derailleur? Manufacturers sell new bikes with one derailleur and a few more cogs. Then they claim, "Easier Shifting." They don't say that they did it to save money by leaving off parts.
@@daniellarson3068 I have an 11-48 rear cassette on 3 of my bikes , all 1x so the range is 453%. If I am doing a lot of uphill or off road or touring I switch to a smaller chainring, It takes less than 2 minutes at home to switch. I have 30, 34, 36 and 40 tooth rings. Just have to plan ahead. When in the Pyrenees I use a 34T on my bike; in flat Florida it's 40T. You can buy 10-52 cassettes so that's 520% - which is usually more than enough. Ix just so much easier to set up.
did you stick with 26 in wheels and tires?
Yes. Those are 26 wheels and tires.
Thanks for the Inspiration. I have my 1998 Specialized Stump Jumper that I want to do the same thing to. How long did it take you to get that fork? Amazon shows about a month from China?
It took forever to get the fork. I wish a local company would offer an affordable one.
Are those long-pull brake levers? Seems like a necessity with V-brakes. Nice looking build.
No, they aren't, they still work ok but the stroke of the lever is a little long.
What makes it a gravel bike? Is it because you changed the stem, handlebar, and tires? I'm trying to convert my 26" wheel mtb also.
It's kinda a broad spectrum. The bars don't necessarily define it, but I would say something that is less than a mountain bike and more than a road bike when it comes to going off pavement.
Amazing bike❤❤
A solid can-go-everywhere bike! Loving your build. I have a question though, how do you find the brifters work with the V-brakes? I heard that V-brakes won't work well with brifters due to long/short pull mismatch. I'm planning to build something like yours.
They were a little soft. The right way is to use a v-brake amplifier to get the right feel. I have another similar build coming up where I will use them.
How did you make your shifters work? These are compatible with 3x8 shimano road derailleurs, but mtb derailleurs have different ratios. I've tried it before and it didn't work.
The rear works good. The front is a little fussy.
Nice build? Which saddle did you use?
The brand is Retrospec.
Been eyeing those shifters for a while but I couldn't find much info on them. How do the pull ratios feel? Thinking of putting them on my bike with mid-90s Deore STX/LX 3x8.
The pull is a little longer than desired, but they work ok. I did notice that they work because the bars are flared out, and that allows the levers to clear the bars when fully engaged.
weren't the brakes weak because they weren't compatible with sti?
They stroke a little far, but they still do the job. Not ideal, but I wouldn't be afraid to descend on this bike.
hi! sorry if this is too general. how do you pick the size of the frame for a conversion like this? is there any rules of thumb to follow?
Unfortunately, because I buy my bikes used, I don't get the luxury of picking the frame size. If you are interested in what size frame will fit you, there are a lot of online guides to help you pick based on your height and inseam size. Generally, you would pick the same size frame for a gravel conversion as you would a mountain bike.
Great build! Curious about frame size… Did you go with your normal frame size or size down?
Unfortunately, they way I acquire bikes, I look for deals, so I never get to pick my frame size. In the case of this bike, it's probably just a hair on the big side. I'm 5'11", and this bike is 53cm or 21 inches. I should probably be on a 19" or 20".
Good Job👍🏻
salut jai le meme pedalier ont trouve encore les plateaux? connais tu les entraxe ? merci
Awesome!! Is this one for sale?! Orange is my color 😂
Yes, it is! Haha! Everything is for sale!
are those brakes long or short pull?
Both, Haha! They work ok, but they are squishy. I probably need to add an adapter noodle to make them right.
@@DePuesshop lol. I thought that might be the case. Hey, what state are you in?
@@al-du6lb I'm in SE Michigan
Jamis 🐓🐆 Good Bikes
Nice bike.
No problem with front shifting compatibility between the shifter and the derailleur ?
It's definitely not very forgiving, but I was able to get the front to work. I worry that it may take some constant tuning over time to keep it going. The rear works perfectly.
Thank you !
Great build, what size frame and how did you determine the size of fork to order . I have a similar bike but XL frame would like to convert it to gravel
I think this frame is around a 20" (I'm out of town so can't measure). The fork is a suspension adjusted to match the height of a suspension fork, so it keeps the geometry of the bike similar. This is not a hard and fast rule but if you used a shorter rigid fork, the bike may feel unstable off road.
@@DePuesshop Thanks for getting back to me, no worries hope you have a great vacation. The rigid fork I have I don't think it will work will have to find a suspension adjusted one
What wheel size? Ty for the vid.
26" wheels.
@@DePuesshop what about 650b?
So you feel the need to take out the headset cups but don’t service the bottom bracket?
It is easier to clean the frame.
How much did it weigh before?
Sadly, I didn't get a before weight.
did you do 2x8 or 7 ?
Its a 3x8
What a beauty
are those brake levers compatible with v-brakes? nice bike build, keep it up! this thing looks a lot of fun! love the color. ke
They are not directly compatible, but they seem to work ok.
It looks great, but I suggest installing an brake stroke adapter.
I agree!
Nice build. I think it is a different kind of riding mentality on a bike like this. More of a hike on a bike. Not trying to MTB a trail at fast speed.
I agree!
I was hoping to see it turn into a 1x…very cool ride though!
Next time!
I'm here mainly for the dork disk throwing ceremony.
Also, I gotta get better at fitting tires, it always takes me WAY longer than this..!
I'm thinking about a specific video on dork disks and some better uses for them.....if you have any ideas, lemme know!!
@@DePuesshop I'm kinda torn on this. Actually I think dork disks are a good idea for most non-biker people, who are probably the majority of people actually riding bikes. But this isn't a battle I care to fight. It's funny seeing people get feisty over it, though..!
@@DePuesshop I have one I'm trying to replace. The plastic is old, cracked and yellowed from ultraviolet. I tried using an old 45 RPM record, but there is a slight dish in the spoke protector and the 45 record is flat. Maybe, I can make one from an old aluminum pan. I have a use for one. On my old bike.
Nice bike
Très beau vélo bravo!
You don't have that spoke protector back there behind the cogset. If ever something were to cause the chain to derail into the spokes, the chain can really destroy those spokes.
Yep, I have a personal issue with the disc back there. I hate the way they look. I try to make sure the derailleur is adjusted correctly and live on the edge!
Only if the bike is not set up correctly....... it's not called a dork disc for nothing.
Now i want to bild one for myself :o
For me, other than the Safety Orange paint, the drop bar, the aluminum fork and the short stem...I like it! 😆 I was also not too crazy about that generation of XT cranks (kinda weird looking). But, there's nothing like a higher quality steel mountain bike from the 90's. I have a 1998 Gary Fisher Hoo Koo E Koo with the triple butted True Temper OX tubing. Best mountain frame I've ever owned...and probably not too far off from this Dakota.
True Temper OX tubing is my favorite!!
I also have a 1999 Gary fisher hoo koo and love the True Temper Vanadium steeL frame
I'm thinking of doing something similar to a '95 Bontrager Privateer, is there any reason not to just keep my suspension fork (Marzocchi Bomber Z3 1 inch) other than weight? Also, verifying that those shifters work well with the XT derailleur/Shimano 8 speed cassette? I was thinking bar end friction shifters to keep everything simple, and I can just use Tektro (or Shimano) long pull caliper brake levers with Vbrakes, I have no issues with bar-ends but the micro-new shifters look interesting if they hold up over time, although they open up a can of worms over the brake levers- I would probably just use cantilevers that, IMHO, are just as good as V-brakes when set up well- inexpensive Tektro CR720s would be my brake choice, cheap, wide profile for good pad clearance. Have them on my tandem, no issues in steep terrain.
So far, the brakes seem to perform well. The right thing is to use a cantilever, but I'm happy with the performance. The 8 speed rear shifter works perfectly while the 3 speed up front was a little fussy to get it just right. It seems like it should have a little more movement to be able to shift just right.