I have replaced a handful of old bikes with new bikes over the years and mostly regret not keeping the old ones around just to have fun on. As I get older, I’m growing increasingly put off by how many things are designed to be disposable. I enjoy watching this channel because Tim seems to have a keen appreciation for things that are durable, sustainable, and fun. I’m never getting rid of another bike!
Ha thanks! I do - its why I'm a big fan of steel bikes. I also like the old bits that can be serviced instead of replaced - I hate how modern BBs just get thrown out - a cup and cone square taper can be cleaned and good as new. Cheers!
Still miss Dawes Ascent (my first mountain bike 1990) which I let go, just because I hadn't been using it! That was before I realised, it was ok to have more than two bikes. 😢
In 1990 a friend gave me a Specialized Rockhopper Comp. He couldn’t sell it used at the time and just gave it to me. For all of the 90’s it was my only bike. I rode it as was for everything. In the early 2000’s it became my drop bar commuter and winter bike with fenders and studded tires. In 2007 it received a fresh powder coat, all new parts and wheels and an Xtracycle conversion kit. I carried everything imaginable with it. After 50,000 miles and 15 years of riding I sold it to a young family man. He was going to use the Xtracycle to shuttle his two kids to school in Minneapolis. Steel bikes never die. That was a great bike.
@@TimFitzwaterThe funny thing is that the frame size was a little big for me. After 15 years I finally had some other bikes that fit me better. I do miss it still.
I just built up a trek antelope from early 90s. It's a great flip-flop bike. The process was probably cooler than the bike itself because i learned so much
Yes Tim. Have several bikes like that. Old RockHopper with thumb shifters and s as Kona P2 fork. Set up 1x. Also have an old Panasonic with vintage Campy cranks and first gen. White turbo saddle. It’s a single speed. Had a Helium front wheel someone gave me. It’s fun to Cob things together. Been at this obsession since the late 80’s.
3 decades of bike-only life has evolved into: #1 utilitarian grocery getter bike (basketbike) #2 nicebike for long weekend rides (roadbike) #3 Tuesday night group ride bike (kinda heavy tough roadbike) #4 touring/gravel/atb (rarely used but has done long tours) #5 vintage oldschool collecter bike (to remind of cycling traditions & heritage and maybe someday a l'eroica meet/ride/event) And your cat saying hello to the camera is cute af and interwebs gold
I love it! Great spread there! I would dig doing a l’eroica too. Though I’d have to change out the rear derailleurs - I always put a modern cheap one on them because they just shift better. I’m heading out of town for work and bumming to leave my lil guy for the first time.
I love your concepts, I have a 1999 Trek 4000, that I use for same purpose. It’s my “Frankenstein” bike now. All my old or upgraded past mountain bike parts have utilized on this bike now. People ask me all the time, why keep it around and it’s simple just like you said, it has a purpose.!
Bicycles should fit your needs and make you happy. I used to spend a lot of time riding my fat bike on pavement (with slick tires) because it made me smile. Another favorite of mine is a purpose built bikepacking bike with 27.5 plus tires. With fast rolling knobs I ride it everywhere. Really enjoy the channel!
I have some really blingy bikes. But this evening, I was working on my 1994 GT mountain bike. It’s heavy and basic, but it has a use. I bought the GT for almost nothing. A few parts have been replaced, but all together, I only have about $200 in it. But the bike is handy for trips like going to the gym. If it gets stolen, I’ll just build a new one.
Tinkering with bikes really helps with my adhd and i really enjoy it. I love 80s and 90s bicycle designs and i always want to frankenstein it with modern components. It's just very satisfying getting a project bike tranformsed into what you envisioned and it just feels unique and personal. Currently trying to get a rockhopper or a diamondback apex for a future project but i still have a spare roadbike i'm trying to get rid of lol.
Heck yeah. I wish there was more money in selling these things because I would build even more just for fun. Even if it was just break-even. I just love to tinker and try to build things too. Cheers!
Tim, all makes sense to me… like your thoughts about old vs new and having everything “perfect” so to speak. Having a variety of bikes that make you feel happy and are what you want them to be is fun and functional. As has been said many times before “you do you”, less important what others think or do. And yup, I have n + 1 bikes, most old from Craigslist that are fun, dependable, and do what I want them to do.
It funny, people think it's cool when someone drives around in a customized vintage car but loose a nugget when someone does the same thing on a vintage bike. I love my vintage bikes and 90s MNT bikes are only as slow as the rider . I enjoy the new stuff out there but my heart is with the old. Awesome video as always. 👏👏.
True - but maybe changing a bit as I've noticed more "cool kids" fixing up the old MTBs with some pretty bling parts(when we've been out in CT especially). I agree - you can make anything move - I think I really like the bigger wheels though and just feel faster on them. Thanks - cheers!
The gravel washing analogy is a good one. I see it constantly with bikes, especially with headset spacers. And let's not even mention Niner's new MCR, the dual suspension gravel bike. I would legitimately buy one just to put 580 mm flat bars on with bar ends if I had the money, just to post pictures of it online and read the comments. There's something very triggering about certain bicycles and components for some people.
I got a single gear blue 1963 Schwinn Breeze and put a Wald basket on it. Finally sorted out the front brake. It's my local town errand runner for now. Love it.
I love my nineties mountain bike. I change things up on it from time to time as parts wear out. Nothing expensive or bling bling but just an evolution. Enjoy your day my friends.
Thanks Tim ..Edmond is a wise being ! AND..I ride for fun. I like your stuff because you definitely have fun , with your friends , on bikes . I appreciate opinions and comments , but I only get a few , and I do what I like anyway . It's a powerful feeling . Be well
I mainly use an endurance gravel bike with schwalbe marathon tires for most of my cycling. I've been collecting parts to convert an old schwinn lugged frame mountain bike into a porteur utility bike.
I have a verve 2 that i swapped grx drive train with drops bars on it, running 38mm gravel tires on it. (Whatever that means lol) it’s slow fun and great for biking with my kids and pulling the kid trailer around!
As I watch the video I again wish I still had the bikes I grew up with. I don’t know if I would even ride them much, love my modern gravel bike, but they were cool. I had an old Stumpy as well. And ah my old Lotus 5speed, very pretty. But life was moving on and like that box of vinyl records… whaaa. Oh well.
I hear ya. I feel like if I did have more bikes when I was younger they wouldn't have survived my moves. Since I only had one I lugged it around even when I wasn't riding much(my farming days). I sold a few of my records when I started my business and I kinda wish I didn't...oh well. Cheers!
This is a super cool bike and I would use it for whatever I want and need and it would serve it until the very ends. An icon. Need no fastest, best or whatever. And want no best or whatever, just a favorite cool bike that makes me smile and wanna ride it. Just like this one, or the other one, or my other one… ;-)
So many people would slap some drop bars and brifters on your specialized and maybe go one by and 10(or more) enormous biggest sprocket on the rear.Mod the frame for disc brakes. Probably add a dropper post operated by the redundant brifter and end up with something just as slow, much less comfortable and not at all stylish.
100% After all that you just got a weird handling gravel bike for more money than a better gravel bike would have been off the shelf. I’ve done a conversion- it can’t hold a candle to my second hand 2014 gravel bike.
Tim your videos are always so enjoyable and informative. I like your music and the content keep it coming. Thanks I’m old and slow and get more fulfillment with every ride.
I just converted my new gravel bike to a triple with parts from my daughter's old kid's bike. Gearing was not low enough (34 x 34 - how is that a low gear?) for me for the steeps off road and for touring. The LBS put in a longer spindle, I got a wider cassette and now the bike has a 24 x 40 low and a 45 x 11 high. Now it truly is an all around bike. With the junkiest crankset out there :). But hey it works.
Thanks Tim! I love Earthquaker guitar pedals so yes I tried to pause the video to see what you put in the bag! I need to get my 90's Trek mountain bike up and running this spring.
Ha! I never let them actually be seen even on my photography accounts - they are always unreleased when they are in my hands! Glad you dig their pedals though - I work with EQD but also most the people there I've been friends with since my days in a band. We used to open for the owner's band. Get that bike running! Cheers!
I HAVE FOUND that I am hooked on listening to your great updates! Nice practical bars. I use the crazy bars from them which are so wide I find myself bumping into stuff but still enjoying them after a couple of years with them.
@@TimFitzwater I am actually finding them a bit too wide. I look at your more swept back bars and think it would be better for my build. They don’t settle great with a slight sweep but not enough so I find I get a bit of hand pain from them. Also I don’t drop down into the bull horns enough to warrant them. I do occasionally though, so I suppose the option is there but it’s a lot of extra structure for only occasional moments to stretch out to that position.
I built up an 88 GT Karakoram single speed with various upgrades and that thing is a pig but it's bulletproof and still fun as hell to ride. Oh and I found and left it in my place in the DR. Cheers man!
Have a early KHS triple butted alloy frame deore groupset, with canti brakes. Must have been expensive when it came out. Put a BMX stem and motorbike bars on it, front and rear racks, semi slick tyres. Built it for my daughter but I ride it a lot. Got a single speed road bike that I put a carbon disc brake fork on it and 32mm road tyres, it's fast and fun.
I love Biopace rings! I just use them for snow riding though, when I'm wearing heavy boots and am not strapped in with cages. they're great for trudging-climbing. Very classy looking Specialized frame . Yeah I vote for U-locking that. I just got some awesome all aluminum Sun Tour ratchety Thumbies, which will probably sit in the parts bins for 5 years... My non suspension MTB's have both been semi-retired to trailer hauling and snow work . (48 CM MB-2 and 1988 Trek 930) and they live in the basement . The 700C converted Panasonic Sport 1000 Gravel bike pretty much rules the ghetto for errands. I am now addicted to fenders , I want them on everything now. New camera . I am so stoked. I love my new Sony RX 100 VII, It hangs on my chest in its leather case, I don't even feel it when riding, and it's well padded , Hey do you use a lavallier mic while riding? or just that rabbit fur thing? You never have wind issues . I have a small external mic coming from B and H. Not going to try to shoot on the bike though, too nervous .
First time using them - interesting for sure. Can you believe I don't own a U-lock? Should get one. Very cool collection. I always want to full fender a bike and never do it. I even have fenders for 700c x 35mm. Nice Honjo's. I use a wind screen that goes over the whole GoPro so all three mics are covered. I use a bit of post-production audio clean up from time to time too. In the video with Erin we are wear lavalier mics ...but I don't use them for these vlog style vids much anymore. I use the Rode Wireless Go II's I've gotten good at using all the cameras on the bike - modern auto focus sure helps!
@@TimFitzwater I've said it before . Your camera work is unparalleled. My "new" Sony's auto focus is impressive enough for now, I finally dialed it in. Not a gu-dushable mobile bike cam though. But gonna be fun AF for street shots. Wow I didn't know you could edit wind noise!! (???) I got my Kryptonite U-lock/cable lock combo for 25.00 on sale at REI. Has thwarted "them" so far, and this town is pretty rough. It all depends, though, on the venues, as we all know. Front fender takes 5 minutes. Rear one takes 3 hours , take breaks for swearing.
@@TimFitzwater BTW I assume you've seen the Sheldon Brown bombproof method of U lock and cable , or google it. My Kryptonite is a base model, The forgettabout it model is designed for NYC. And its pricey AF. Mine has held up for the past 8 years , but be sure to flush it out with PB Blaster . The included cable is really sturdy. I strap mine down (innertubes) loop folded , and , really, really tight on to a seatpost rack , and it doesn't make the rear end of the bike wobble, it's unnoticeable.
I have an early naughties Apollo 26" with 9" rise bmx bars, racks front and back, basket on the front and 1x5 trans. The bars are great you can put a small panier on the cross bar. I think any bike you can set up for a good price is great value.
I have two rolling or complete 90s; one touring hybrid with MTB gears and alt bars set up Rando for fun, a generic water pipe steel set up for winter commuting/utility with Alfine 8 speed. Love the faux Rando, like the winter ice breaker for its usefulness and bad conditions reliability, plus its circus wagon hippie girl friend paint. Latest find Fuji Marlboro folding 97 MTB, cool frame, godawful components. Actually it is a mess but stealing good bits from Hard Rock and more bits from the bin, and it will be a cool travel bike next year.
I think mongrel bikes are the best, all the bits you like put together to make your unicorn 👌 I love shopper/utility/cargo bikes and I'm currently building my unicorn folding shopper bike from a new 'challenge Holborn ' frame (cheap supermarket bike) with good bmx hubs and bearings, whitewall schwalbe tyres, flatland bars (fluorescent green) , six speed shimano, lime green sprung seat, fluorescent green pedals , front and rear luggage racks (frame colour) and the frame is getting painted purple and the mudguards are pink😎👍 you asked 😂
My 93 rockhopper has lived in the storage unit while living in Morgantown, just miserably slow around here with the hills and what not. My niner rlt is getting delegated to adventure/utility bike.
Yeah - tons of climbing on the old MTBs is….. How did they do it? Especially on those old rough trails? The old bikes are fun but I’ll take my gravel bike if I have to choose.
Loving my 1988 Fisher Paragon. People in the know comment cool. The rest ask why are you riding that old junket you can afford a nice new bike 😉 I have converted it into a touring bike. I put butterfly/ trecking bars on it and the classic Schwab Marathon tires on. Over 5,000 touring mile to date.
Dropped a bit too much into a Trek 800. Does well for shoulder season and particularly sloppy conditions. I feel like a kid flying through puddles! It’s slow, but fine for cruising around. My biggest qualm is it flops when I try to ride no-handed.
what odd and perfect timing, i just finished up putting a Shimano internally geared nexus hub on my folding bike Friday. 8-speeds and 24-inch wheels. slow and how should we say, "Statley" in ride position. it also fits in a large shoulder bag for next season's touring. got love purpose-built builds! once again great content,thanks
I have a '94 Bridgestone XO-3 that I bought new. While not a direct comparison to a nineties mountain bike, it is 26" and is slow! However with Panaracer 1.75 T-Servs and a Velo Orange Tourist bar nothing is smoother. Great bike for rail trail or just riding something different for a change. IMHO, if you want speed you need 700c/29.
All my bikes are built for fun. BMX bars on everything... EVERYTHING 😮 Riding bikes is fun, and you should ride what you want, how you want without worrying about other people's opinions, but if you have cat approval of your setup, that's the best...
Consider doing a video in which you show several of your bikes and indicate the purpose you've assigned to them. On a different note, when you're riding with your Canon slung across your back, what lens do you have mounted? Thanks!
As I change things up often these videos kind of serve as that for each bike - I should get a coherent playlist together of my bikes - that would probably be the best thing. Its a 28mm f/2.8 pancake lens. I will sometimes also bring a 16mm f/2.8 or my "nifty fifty" 50mm f/1.8. I love these small inexpensive lenses for stuff like this.
I have an old Worksman Newsboy that I found years ago. Its old, slow and weighs a ton, but it's super fun to ride. I dont really have to worry about leaving it outside the store, cause its ugly and who's gonna want it? 😂😂
I recently have started bike commuting in the last year and have an acoustic as well as an e-bike from Aventon. At first I felt this pressure that I was doing something wrong having an e-bike. But it has allowed me to commute 6 miles each way to work on a daily basis and then I have my regular bike otherwise. I’m not sure why, but even as someone who doesn’t consider themselves a cyclist I even feel pressure about what bike I ride or clothes I wear, etc etc. much more confident in my riding now and even plan to get some alt bars on my acoustic bike! Huge fan of the channel. Would love your thoughts on e-bikes and any experience with belt drives?
I think belt drives are a cool concept - I just worry about what you do in the rare event of something going wrong with them. Say you are on a tour or something - a lot of shops don't have the stuff to help. I'm all about e-bikes - getting more people out there and they are way better than another car on the road. I don't have one now but I know I will at some point. I didn't consider myself a "cyclist" for most of my life and just rode in the clothes I had. In fact I mostly still do - I started to buy some cycling specific shorts just because they are reinforced in the right places - I kept wearing out all my jeans and jean shorts because I ride so much. Even some of the stuff I buy for riding isn't cycling-specific brand stuff. I definitely have no interest in spandex - though I don't care if someone else chooses to wear it.... Thanks!
In general style does fall down my list - but I try to blame the YT channel for having some good looking classics to ride. 😎 (Who am I kidding - I was snapping up vintage bike when this channel was still mostly about my cameras)
I completely agree a vintage MTB is no gravel bike. They are clunky, heavy and slow with mostly bad gearing...BUT! They have hella style points and a excellent rebuild project to learn how to work on bikes and figure out what works for you. At least that's my excuse 🤡
100% One thing I didn’t think of until it was mentioned recently is how they have to have those high bottom brackets because of the small wheels. Modern gravel bikes have low ones and handle so much better. I don’t mind the gearing with the old triples but yeah - they are weird bikes. I can’t imagine trying to do what I used to on these anymore. But I do keep building them up anyways!
I consider my 2021 rim brake Specialized Allez to be the almost perfect bike, if only it would accept larger tires. Newer models can accept larger tires, but they switched to disk brakes. You can never really win unless you go custom
Yeah - rim brakes are getting rarer and rarer. I’ll take them for the tire clearance though - I can’t deal with skinny tires around here anymore. Side note: there is an awesome bakery in Cincinnati, OH called Allez and there is a lugged carbon Allez hanging over the register.
Yes I have an old Bianchi that I built up as a single speed it's fast in on the flats fast going downhill not so much going uphill the brakes are s*** but other than that I like it.
You can have style and utility, it just costs a damn lot. Speed doesn't sit well w/ utility. I found I could rip it pretty good on my late 80s MTB. Mid 90s MTB always felt sluggish in comparison, no idea why.
I guess a lot depends on ones opinion on style(and utility!). I dig this Stumpjumper and it was cheap because its all old parts... This is my oldest MTB at a 1989 - I feel its very 90s though so I can't really answer to that. Cheers!
I built up a split top tube city bike, a Giant Via 2, to be an all road bicycle. It’s about 30 pounds, so it’s not fast, but it works great for commuting, riding on gravel, etc. it’ll fit 700x47 tires with room to spare.
I have replaced a handful of old bikes with new bikes over the years and mostly regret not keeping the old ones around just to have fun on. As I get older, I’m growing increasingly put off by how many things are designed to be disposable. I enjoy watching this channel because Tim seems to have a keen appreciation for things that are durable, sustainable, and fun. I’m never getting rid of another bike!
Ha thanks!
I do - its why I'm a big fan of steel bikes.
I also like the old bits that can be serviced instead of replaced - I hate how modern BBs just get thrown out - a cup and cone square taper can be cleaned and good as new.
Cheers!
Still miss Dawes Ascent (my first mountain bike 1990) which I let go, just because I hadn't been using it! That was before I realised, it was ok to have more than two bikes. 😢
In 1990 a friend gave me a Specialized Rockhopper Comp. He couldn’t sell it used at the time and just gave it to me. For all of the 90’s it was my only bike. I rode it as was for everything. In the early 2000’s it became my drop bar commuter and winter bike with fenders and studded tires. In 2007 it received a fresh powder coat, all new parts and wheels and an Xtracycle conversion kit. I carried everything imaginable with it. After 50,000 miles and 15 years of riding I sold it to a young family man. He was going to use the Xtracycle to shuttle his two kids to school in Minneapolis. Steel bikes never die. That was a great bike.
Wow! Love it!
Can’t believe you were able to give it up - I get sentimental. I’m glad you did the though as bike should be ridden.
Rockhoppers are good bikes, you made it great. 💪
@@TimFitzwaterThe funny thing is that the frame size was a little big for me. After 15 years I finally had some other bikes that fit me better. I do miss it still.
I just built up a trek antelope from early 90s. It's a great flip-flop bike. The process was probably cooler than the bike itself because i learned so much
Yes Tim. Have several bikes like that. Old RockHopper with thumb shifters and s as Kona P2 fork. Set up 1x.
Also have an old Panasonic with vintage Campy cranks and first gen. White turbo saddle. It’s a single speed. Had a Helium front wheel someone gave me. It’s fun to Cob things together. Been at this obsession since the late 80’s.
Nice!
3 decades of bike-only life has evolved into: #1 utilitarian grocery getter bike (basketbike) #2 nicebike for long weekend rides (roadbike) #3 Tuesday night group ride bike (kinda heavy tough roadbike) #4 touring/gravel/atb (rarely used but has done long tours) #5 vintage oldschool collecter bike (to remind of cycling traditions & heritage and maybe someday a l'eroica meet/ride/event) And your cat saying hello to the camera is cute af and interwebs gold
I love it!
Great spread there!
I would dig doing a l’eroica too. Though I’d have to change out the rear derailleurs - I always put a modern cheap one on them because they just shift better.
I’m heading out of town for work and bumming to leave my lil guy for the first time.
I ride a Surly Orge that's 10 years old now. It was "old" the day I bought it. Couldn't be happier.
Nice.
I love your concepts, I have a 1999 Trek 4000, that I use for same purpose. It’s my “Frankenstein” bike now. All my old or upgraded past mountain bike parts have utilized on this bike now. People ask me all the time, why keep it around and it’s simple just like you said, it has a purpose.!
💯
Bicycles should fit your needs and make you happy. I used to spend a lot of time riding my fat bike on pavement (with slick tires) because it made me smile. Another favorite of mine is a purpose built bikepacking bike with 27.5 plus tires. With fast rolling knobs I ride it everywhere. Really enjoy the channel!
Fat bike = Smiles
Heck yeah!
Thanks - cheers!
I have some really blingy bikes. But this evening, I was working on my 1994 GT mountain bike. It’s heavy and basic, but it has a use.
I bought the GT for almost nothing. A few parts have been replaced, but all together, I only have about $200 in it. But the bike is handy for trips like going to the gym. If it gets stolen, I’ll just build a new one.
Heck yeah.
I feel that way when I ride my simple single speed to gigs also.
Tinkering with bikes really helps with my adhd and i really enjoy it. I love 80s and 90s bicycle designs and i always want to frankenstein it with modern components. It's just very satisfying getting a project bike tranformsed into what you envisioned and it just feels unique and personal. Currently trying to get a rockhopper or a diamondback apex for a future project but i still have a spare roadbike i'm trying to get rid of lol.
Heck yeah. I wish there was more money in selling these things because I would build even more just for fun. Even if it was just break-even. I just love to tinker and try to build things too.
Cheers!
For me my bike is a machine that makes me happy. The most enjoyable way to get around.
Heck yeah!
Tim, all makes sense to me… like your thoughts about old vs new and having everything “perfect” so to speak. Having a variety of bikes that make you feel happy and are what you want them to be is fun and functional. As has been said many times before “you do you”, less important what others think or do.
And yup, I have n + 1 bikes, most old from Craigslist that are fun, dependable, and do what I want them to do.
Heck yeah. I may try to nudge some old school people to try wider tires from time to time but 100% - do what you like with your bikes.
Cheers!
It funny, people think it's cool when someone drives around in a customized vintage car but loose a nugget when someone does the same thing on a vintage bike. I love my vintage bikes and 90s MNT bikes are only as slow as the rider . I enjoy the new stuff out there but my heart is with the old. Awesome video as always. 👏👏.
True - but maybe changing a bit as I've noticed more "cool kids" fixing up the old MTBs with some pretty bling parts(when we've been out in CT especially).
I agree - you can make anything move - I think I really like the bigger wheels though and just feel faster on them.
Thanks - cheers!
The gravel washing analogy is a good one. I see it constantly with bikes, especially with headset spacers. And let's not even mention Niner's new MCR, the dual suspension gravel bike. I would legitimately buy one just to put 580 mm flat bars on with bar ends if I had the money, just to post pictures of it online and read the comments. There's something very triggering about certain bicycles and components for some people.
100%
Buy an Italian bike and put some SRAM on it instead of Campy : )
I got a single gear blue 1963 Schwinn Breeze and put a Wald basket on it. Finally sorted out the front brake. It's my local town errand runner for now. Love it.
Nice!
I haven’t dabled in anything older than 70s road bikes.
I love my nineties mountain bike. I change things up on it from time to time as parts wear out. Nothing expensive or bling bling but just an evolution. Enjoy your day my friends.
Heck yeah.
Been running my ‘01 Trek since I got it - nothing special to anyone just a slow evolution of what I wants
Cheers!
Thanks Tim ..Edmond is a wise being ! AND..I ride for fun. I like your stuff because you definitely have fun , with your friends , on bikes . I appreciate opinions and comments , but I only get a few , and I do what I like anyway . It's a powerful feeling . Be well
Yeah - I just love bikes and that is it!
I don't mind any disagreements - I don't see a reason to be a jerk about things!
Cheers!
Heck yeah, your analogy works for bikes! You’ve seen mine! ☮️❤️🚲
😃
😎
I mainly use an endurance gravel bike with schwalbe marathon tires for most of my cycling. I've been collecting parts to convert an old schwinn lugged frame mountain bike into a porteur utility bike.
Sounds like it would be a rad build.
I do ride my gravel bike(2014) for most of my rides.
I have a verve 2 that i swapped grx drive train with drops bars on it, running 38mm gravel tires on it. (Whatever that means lol) it’s slow fun and great for biking with my kids and pulling the kid trailer around!
Heck yeah!
As I watch the video I again wish I still had the bikes I grew up with. I don’t know if I would even ride them much, love my modern gravel bike, but they were cool. I had an old Stumpy as well. And ah my old Lotus 5speed, very pretty. But life was moving on and like that box of vinyl records… whaaa. Oh well.
I hear ya. I feel like if I did have more bikes when I was younger they wouldn't have survived my moves. Since I only had one I lugged it around even when I wasn't riding much(my farming days).
I sold a few of my records when I started my business and I kinda wish I didn't...oh well.
Cheers!
This is a super cool bike and I would use it for whatever I want and need and it would serve it until the very ends. An icon. Need no fastest, best or whatever. And want no best or whatever, just a favorite cool bike that makes me smile and wanna ride it. Just like this one, or the other one, or my other one… ;-)
😎
So many people would slap some drop bars and brifters on your specialized and maybe go one by and 10(or more) enormous biggest sprocket on the rear.Mod the frame for disc brakes. Probably add a dropper post operated by the redundant brifter and end up with something just as slow, much less comfortable and not at all stylish.
100%
After all that you just got a weird handling gravel bike for more money than a better gravel bike would have been off the shelf. I’ve done a conversion- it can’t hold a candle to my second hand 2014 gravel bike.
Tim your videos are always so enjoyable and informative. I like your music and the content keep it coming. Thanks I’m old and slow and get more fulfillment with every ride.
Thanks so much!
I hope to be old(er) and slow one day too. It sure beats the alternative!
Cheers!
I just converted my new gravel bike to a triple with parts from my daughter's old kid's bike. Gearing was not low enough (34 x 34 - how is that a low gear?) for me for the steeps off road and for touring. The LBS put in a longer spindle, I got a wider cassette and now the bike has a 24 x 40 low and a 45 x 11 high. Now it truly is an all around bike. With the junkiest crankset out there :). But hey it works.
That sounds rad - love it. Making it work for wha you need.
On the flip side. It might be over generous of me to say, “That’s a bad ass bike.” Although I do think it is a B.A.B. 😊
Thanks Tim! I love Earthquaker guitar pedals so yes I tried to pause the video to see what you put in the bag! I need to get my 90's Trek mountain bike up and running this spring.
Ha! I never let them actually be seen even on my photography accounts - they are always unreleased when they are in my hands! Glad you dig their pedals though - I work with EQD but also most the people there I've been friends with since my days in a band. We used to open for the owner's band.
Get that bike running!
Cheers!
I HAVE FOUND that I am hooked on listening to your great updates! Nice practical bars. I use the crazy bars from them which are so wide I find myself bumping into stuff but still enjoying them after a couple of years with them.
I think the Crazy Bars are cool but I haven’t tried them yet.
Cheers.! 🍻
@@TimFitzwater I am actually finding them a bit too wide. I look at your more swept back bars and think it would be better for my build. They don’t settle great with a slight sweep but not enough so I find I get a bit of hand pain from them.
Also I don’t drop down into the bull horns enough to warrant them. I do occasionally though, so I suppose the option is there but it’s a lot of extra structure for only occasional moments to stretch out to that position.
I built up an 88 GT Karakoram single speed with various upgrades and that thing is a pig but it's bulletproof and still fun as hell to ride. Oh and I found and left it in my place in the DR. Cheers man!
“Fun to ride” - that is all that matters! And it doesn’t have to be the daily driver if you don’t want it to be.
Cheers!
Have a early KHS triple butted alloy frame deore groupset, with canti brakes. Must have been expensive when it came out. Put a BMX stem and motorbike bars on it, front and rear racks, semi slick tyres. Built it for my daughter but I ride it a lot.
Got a single speed road bike that I put a carbon disc brake fork on it and 32mm road tyres, it's fast and fun.
Nice!
I love just building stuff and making it work.
I love Biopace rings! I just use them for snow riding though, when I'm wearing heavy boots and am not strapped in with cages. they're great for trudging-climbing. Very classy looking Specialized frame . Yeah I vote for U-locking that. I just got some awesome all aluminum Sun Tour ratchety Thumbies, which will probably sit in the parts bins for 5 years... My non suspension MTB's have both been semi-retired to trailer hauling and snow work . (48 CM MB-2 and 1988 Trek 930) and they live in the basement . The 700C converted Panasonic Sport 1000 Gravel bike pretty much rules the ghetto for errands. I am now addicted to fenders , I want them on everything now. New camera . I am so stoked. I love my new Sony RX 100 VII, It hangs on my chest in its leather case, I don't even feel it when riding, and it's well padded , Hey do you use a lavallier mic while riding? or just that rabbit fur thing? You never have wind issues . I have a small external mic coming from B and H. Not going to try to shoot on the bike though, too nervous .
First time using them - interesting for sure.
Can you believe I don't own a U-lock? Should get one.
Very cool collection. I always want to full fender a bike and never do it. I even have fenders for 700c x 35mm. Nice Honjo's.
I use a wind screen that goes over the whole GoPro so all three mics are covered. I use a bit of post-production audio clean up from time to time too. In the video with Erin we are wear lavalier mics ...but I don't use them for these vlog style vids much anymore. I use the Rode Wireless Go II's
I've gotten good at using all the cameras on the bike - modern auto focus sure helps!
@@TimFitzwater I've said it before . Your camera work is unparalleled. My "new" Sony's auto focus is impressive enough for now, I finally dialed it in. Not a gu-dushable mobile bike cam though. But gonna be fun AF for street shots. Wow I didn't know you could edit wind noise!! (???) I got my Kryptonite U-lock/cable lock combo for 25.00 on sale at REI. Has thwarted "them" so far, and this town is pretty rough. It all depends, though, on the venues, as we all know. Front fender takes 5 minutes. Rear one takes 3 hours , take breaks for swearing.
@@TimFitzwater BTW I assume you've seen the Sheldon Brown bombproof method of U lock and cable , or google it. My Kryptonite is a base model, The forgettabout it model is designed for NYC. And its pricey AF. Mine has held up for the past 8 years , but be sure to flush it out with PB Blaster . The included cable is really sturdy. I strap mine down (innertubes) loop folded , and , really, really tight on to a seatpost rack , and it doesn't make the rear end of the bike wobble, it's unnoticeable.
I have an early naughties Apollo 26" with 9" rise bmx bars, racks front and back, basket on the front and 1x5 trans. The bars are great you can put a small panier on the cross bar. I think any bike you can set up for a good price is great value.
Nice!
...and I agree 100%
I have two rolling or complete 90s; one touring hybrid with MTB gears and alt bars set up Rando for fun, a generic water pipe steel set up for winter commuting/utility with Alfine 8 speed. Love the faux Rando, like the winter ice breaker for its usefulness and bad conditions reliability, plus its circus wagon hippie girl friend paint. Latest find Fuji Marlboro folding 97 MTB, cool frame, godawful components. Actually it is a mess but stealing good bits from Hard Rock and more bits from the bin, and it will be a cool travel bike next year.
Very nice! Kinda want to see the painted one!
I like all the bikes I’ve built-up. They aren’t perfectly color coordinated, usually all parts-bin, and their purpose doesn’t overlap much.
Just building stuff and getting out on it is good enough I think. I love a good old parts bin build.
I think mongrel bikes are the best, all the bits you like put together to make your unicorn 👌 I love shopper/utility/cargo bikes and I'm currently building my unicorn folding shopper bike from a new 'challenge Holborn ' frame (cheap supermarket bike) with good bmx hubs and bearings, whitewall schwalbe tyres, flatland bars (fluorescent green) , six speed shimano, lime green sprung seat, fluorescent green pedals , front and rear luggage racks (frame colour) and the frame is getting painted purple and the mudguards are pink😎👍 you asked 😂
Heck yeah - sounds awesome!
My 93 rockhopper has lived in the storage unit while living in Morgantown, just miserably slow around here with the hills and what not. My niner rlt is getting delegated to adventure/utility bike.
Yeah - tons of climbing on the old MTBs is…..
How did they do it? Especially on those old rough trails?
The old bikes are fun but I’ll take my gravel bike if I have to choose.
Loving my 1988 Fisher Paragon. People in the know comment cool. The rest ask why are you riding that old junket you can afford a nice new bike 😉
I have converted it into a touring bike. I put butterfly/ trecking bars on it and the classic Schwab Marathon tires on. Over 5,000 touring mile to date.
Awesome!
definitely like fun and unique.
Dropped a bit too much into a Trek 800. Does well for shoulder season and particularly sloppy conditions. I feel like a kid flying through puddles! It’s slow, but fine for cruising around. My biggest qualm is it flops when I try to ride no-handed.
Heck yeah.
My Marin is super floppy like that.
what odd and perfect timing, i just finished up putting a Shimano internally geared nexus hub on my folding bike Friday. 8-speeds and 24-inch wheels. slow and how should we say, "Statley" in ride position. it also fits in a large shoulder bag for next season's touring.
got love purpose-built builds! once again great content,thanks
Awesome- love it!
I have a '94 Bridgestone XO-3 that I bought new. While not a direct comparison to a nineties mountain bike, it is 26" and is slow! However with Panaracer 1.75 T-Servs and a Velo Orange Tourist bar nothing is smoother. Great bike for rail trail or just riding something different for a change. IMHO, if you want speed you need 700c/29.
Oh - I bet that is a rad bike.
I'm a 700c guy too - not even crazy about 650b when I'm trying to move.
All my bikes are built for fun. BMX bars on everything... EVERYTHING 😮 Riding bikes is fun, and you should ride what you want, how you want without worrying about other people's opinions, but if you have cat approval of your setup, that's the best...
Heck yeah!
Tim, we gonna talk about what's in that EQD bag? 👀
Can’t for a few weeks. 😎
Wow - Blackout Y Bridge - that would have been cool to ride
It was so strange!
Consider doing a video in which you show several of your bikes and indicate the purpose you've assigned to them. On a different note, when you're riding with your Canon slung across your back, what lens do you have mounted? Thanks!
As I change things up often these videos kind of serve as that for each bike - I should get a coherent playlist together of my bikes - that would probably be the best thing.
Its a 28mm f/2.8 pancake lens. I will sometimes also bring a 16mm f/2.8 or my "nifty fifty" 50mm f/1.8. I love these small inexpensive lenses for stuff like this.
I have an old Worksman Newsboy that I found years ago. Its old, slow and weighs a ton, but it's super fun to ride. I dont really have to worry about leaving it outside the store, cause its ugly and who's gonna want it? 😂😂
Ha! Nice!
Love Edmond❤❤
🐈⬛😎🥰
I recently have started bike commuting in the last year and have an acoustic as well as an e-bike from Aventon. At first I felt this pressure that I was doing something wrong having an e-bike. But it has allowed me to commute 6 miles each way to work on a daily basis and then I have my regular bike otherwise. I’m not sure why, but even as someone who doesn’t consider themselves a cyclist I even feel pressure about what bike I ride or clothes I wear, etc etc. much more confident in my riding now and even plan to get some alt bars on my acoustic bike! Huge fan of the channel. Would love your thoughts on e-bikes and any experience with belt drives?
I think belt drives are a cool concept - I just worry about what you do in the rare event of something going wrong with them. Say you are on a tour or something - a lot of shops don't have the stuff to help.
I'm all about e-bikes - getting more people out there and they are way better than another car on the road. I don't have one now but I know I will at some point.
I didn't consider myself a "cyclist" for most of my life and just rode in the clothes I had. In fact I mostly still do - I started to buy some cycling specific shorts just because they are reinforced in the right places - I kept wearing out all my jeans and jean shorts because I ride so much. Even some of the stuff I buy for riding isn't cycling-specific brand stuff. I definitely have no interest in spandex - though I don't care if someone else chooses to wear it....
Thanks!
Utility/exploration. Style is always good.
In general style does fall down my list - but I try to blame the YT channel for having some good looking classics to ride. 😎
(Who am I kidding - I was snapping up vintage bike when this channel was still mostly about my cameras)
I completely agree a vintage MTB is no gravel bike. They are clunky, heavy and slow with mostly bad gearing...BUT! They have hella style points and a excellent rebuild project to learn how to work on bikes and figure out what works for you. At least that's my excuse 🤡
100%
One thing I didn’t think of until it was mentioned recently is how they have to have those high bottom brackets because of the small wheels. Modern gravel bikes have low ones and handle so much better.
I don’t mind the gearing with the old triples but yeah - they are weird bikes. I can’t imagine trying to do what I used to on these anymore. But I do keep building them up anyways!
I consider my 2021 rim brake Specialized Allez to be the almost perfect bike, if only it would accept larger tires. Newer models can accept larger tires, but they switched to disk brakes. You can never really win unless you go custom
Yeah - rim brakes are getting rarer and rarer. I’ll take them for the tire clearance though - I can’t deal with skinny tires around here anymore.
Side note: there is an awesome bakery in Cincinnati, OH called Allez and there is a lugged carbon Allez hanging over the register.
I thought something was beeping in my house.
Yes I have an old Bianchi that I built up as a single speed it's fast in on the flats fast going downhill not so much going uphill the brakes are s*** but other than that I like it.
Nice.
Dare I say, I detect a wee bit of a problem with authority. 😂
I've been told I have that problem many times....
Speed, utility, or style don't matter if it's uncomfortable to ride. 🤔
💯
You can have style and utility, it just costs a damn lot. Speed doesn't sit well w/ utility.
I found I could rip it pretty good on my late 80s MTB. Mid 90s MTB always felt sluggish in comparison, no idea why.
I guess a lot depends on ones opinion on style(and utility!). I dig this Stumpjumper and it was cheap because its all old parts...
This is my oldest MTB at a 1989 - I feel its very 90s though so I can't really answer to that.
Cheers!
don't tell old Shovel it ain't worth doing.
😎
Got two of them on the road now - working on homes for the rest!
There is something special about this one though - couldn’t give it up.
I built up a split top tube city bike, a Giant Via 2, to be an all road bicycle. It’s about 30 pounds, so it’s not fast, but it works great for commuting, riding on gravel, etc. it’ll fit 700x47 tires with room to spare.
Nice!
There is just something about building up something unique.
Especially if it can fit 47s!
Gary Fisher bikes were fast
Totally depends on the bike. They sold out and lots of cheap stuff under the name.
“ I don”t do Electric or Hydro…”. Dude: WTF is a “hydro” bike?
hydraulic brakes - new fancy bikes have them
@@TimFitzwater I was hoping that you had an inside line on something cool.
first
got a full two days on the "normies"