@@simonechague9621 As I said in the video, it used to be made by Mavic, but they don't make it anymore. You can sometimes find them on ebay. Search for something like Mavic 26 to 700c adapter.
Hello RJ, I'm putting a fork for 26" wheels on my son's 24" wheel bike since I can't find a decent 1" steerer suspension fork for it. Do you think the second set of adapters you showed will work upside down to move the v brakes lower? Thanks
It works with the road bike breaks I think they're call caliper breaks. By the way your videos been giving me more free knowledge, I always fixed my bikes since I was 12, I'm not a bike repair guy but I can take apart a bike and put it back together the only thing I'm not good at, is fixing the rims, which I know I can learn how to work on them with your videos. Thank you for all that knowledge, knowlegde is power.
i wanted to see you change the fork to the ridged fork i have a bike like this i converted it to 700c wheels but i want to change out the shocks for For a ridged fork i needed to see you do that and show me how to do it great video though i was looking forward to seeing how you would change it to a ridged fork
I love your videos because you inspire people who like to work with old bikes, used parts and cheap solutions. Im also building a gravelbike at the moment.
I've done this to several mountain bike frames, mostly disc so as long as the wheel and tire fit, easy conversion. The one V-brake I converted I found another idea online; just a steel bar that bolts to the shoe arm hole and then the shoe goes in the top hole, done. Seemed plenty strong ever afterwards but the old Mavic arch looks like it would retain absolutely ALL the stopping power for sure.
When I saw the Mavic adapter it reminded me of a thing I bought for my bike. When I noticed that my frame was too weak for my v brakes to engage properly, I bought a brake booster from ebay. Like the Mavic adapter, it could slide side to side on the bolts. I didn't want it to do that so I took a hoseclamp, folded it 3 times in an accordion shape and filed it to fit in the holes. The modified hose clamps works as a stop for the v brake bolts so it doesn't slide and put strain of the frame. My v brake is very strong now. P.S I'm gonna buy that Craftsman vice-grip-wrench, it seems like an heaven sent tool for annoying bolts and such.
Thanks for this advice...i usualli build my own bikes, and many times the idea of getting longer rims on a 26"frame came to my mind and allways the brakes issue came across...now I know a solution.
This was a fantastic video, very informative. Now you've got me thinking of changing the wheels out on my 16 year old Supercycle XTI 18. Nice craftsman wrench. CDN Tire for the win!
Cool conversion! I personally liked the other adapter vs the Mavic one, but the Mavic adapter is definitely easier to install and will work if you can't remove your brake studs.
I like the geometry, I usually put a 435 or longer rigid fork on front, higher gearing and for a while one could get some high end 26er frames (ones that had both wheel clearance and room for at least a 46 big ring or even a full compact) on closeout and build a very nice gravel grinder.
When I seen the title of this video I was thinking who will want to do this. After watching maybe I will try this. I do have a specialized with rigid forks & cantilever brakes. All have to do is find the wheels.
Great video! I have converted my old 1995 Rocky Mountain Hammer to a kind of touring/commuter bike with thin 26x1.25 street tires, drop bars, 105 brifters, dynamo hub, road gearing, tubus carrier rack, but finding fenders that fit is almost impossible - the tires are so far away (almost 2") from the frame. This might be the solution I need to finish off the conversion. Thanks!
Hey RJ the bike guy I wanted to thank you for this video I just got some rims for my bike and they're 27.5 my bike is a 26in and I wanted to put my new rims on my bike so you definitely answer my question now I just go ahead and do it thanks again keep up the good work :-)
RJ-drinking game: Rules, every time RJ says 'there', first one slams the table have to say a name of the person that will drink a sip of his/her beer. BUT if he says 'here' last one NOT slamming the table drinks. If neither and you slam the table, YOU drink. It's quite fun! Try it out.
You should have left the 26" wheel in the front and mount some aero bars ad patent the whole concept. Time trial mountain bike!! 100% chance of injury :)
I was looking at doing this on my mountain bike as well and was looking at the limitations of the existing cantilever brakes. I was foolishly looking around for cantilevers that adjusted up to 63mm from the posts - obviously didn't have much luck. I should have known to check your channel for a vid on how to go about doing this. Thanks for the vid.
I'm still on the fence about this conversion for my 26" bike, mainly because I'm not sure whether 700c wheels would fit the frame. If I could source some good second hand 700c wheels, I'll definitely give it a try.
Avid speed dials are great for running mixed brakes. A lot of v brake lever combos have plastic blocks that can be moved to select Canti pull or v brake cable pull distance.
Thanks! I'm going to make a Frankestein bike off scrap parts with 700 touring frame and wheels, mtb gears and 26'' suspended fork. I think i'll mount calipers brakes.
thanks for these cool conversion ideas. i think you are the only one who does these in depth conversions that i have seen. it would have been great however if you were to do a test ride after and comment on how the conversion actually affects the ride-ability and handling characteristics of the bike after such a conversion. otherwise, great videos and keep up the great work.
thanks for replying. i guess i was mainly wondering if your foot hit the front tire while turning because of the bigger wheel since you mentioned it in the video.
I have put 27.5 wheels on a 26 MTB and there is a noticeable rise in the bottom bracket height. The cross bar is correspondingly higher too. 700c is equivalent to 29 so mounting and dismounting may be exciting 😁
Would those little brake post extenders work "in reverse?" As in, would they help lower the brakes rather than raise them, if they were positioned downwards instead of upwards? I'm basically trying to find a simple 700 to 650b conversion solution (...aka downsize my rims) but I'd love to keep my same brakes if possible...
Amazing, I was wondering if it was possible to convert but always dismissed it because I thought I couldn't fit tyre wide enough. But now it's time to go measuring.
I had 26x2.5 tires on my mtb and 700x23c tires seem to be the same diameter. Like the 700c rims are bigger but since the tires are small the total diameter of the rims with the tires installed seems nearly same.
I think converting to 650b/27.5 would be a better approach. Nowadays, with the rising popularity of gravel bikes, there are so many choices of tires available for that wheel size and the slightly smaller diameter gives you a bit more clearance to play with. I would only consider a 700c conversion if it was a frame with no chainstay bridge, like a Bontrager or a mid-90s Raleigh Ti frame. If the frame already has disc mounts then going with disc brakes is a given. For frames without disc mounts then, either Paul Motolite v-brakes or, if you're on a budget, then there are BMX v-brakes that are designed to accommodate multiple wheel sizes. I remember back in the late 1990s, seeing riders running 650b wheels on their MTBs for racing on the H.P.R. figure-8 velodrome. They were using the Paul Motolites to make the conversion.
Really good video !!! I've been looking for one like it.thank you for the upload 😀i have a Specialized stumpjumper from the 80s .26" I've put 27" and have tons of clearance.i now have to figure out brakes.will these adapter's work for me ? The original back rim split ,I've seen where you can weld it but after riding on 27s I like it.
I am in the process of doing this conversion to an old Cannondale mountain bike. This video was the answer to my question. Thank you. Those Mavic adapters are very hard to find but there are a couple manufacturers of those other adapters. do you know of any V-brakes with a longer than average adjustment so that maybe you would not need an adapter.
I bought a 26" front hub motor ebike kit. But I'd like to look around for a different used bike to put it on. Currently have the kit on a Schwinn Sidewinder ("Women Inspired") with a SUNTOUR aluminum shock fork (not tapered). I'm wondering what my limits are if I want to go wild and frankenstein something together. I assume I could buy a bike with 24" wheels and change out the front fork to 26" - am I right? But, what if I found an old BMX type bike with 20" tires - could I put my 26" forks on that frame? Not that I particularly want to do that - just trying to determine how universal forks are.
One thing I've noticed about newer bikes vs bikes like this from around 20 years ago is that the rear triangle of the older bikes are typically a lot beefier. on some of the newer bikes the rear looks paper thin, particularly the seat stays. What is your opinion on that trend, are the beefier rear triangles from yesteryear better or the newer, more forgiving modern frames that look like they have a lot more flex to them?
I’m not sure, but my 2cents go for a combination of 3 factors. 1. Rim brakes, be that v-brakes or Magura HS, put all the braking force sideways on the seat stays. So the seat stays have to be stronger. They are having to support the compression from rider weight and wheel impacts, while being “pulled apart from each other” by the rim brakes, or bending them. They could buckle if they weren’t strong. So since disk brakes were mostly optional, the frame manufacturers had to make seat stays adequate for both brake types. 2. Rim brakes eventually got phased off from newer bikes. So this meant that all the stiffness that the seat stays had to support the rim brakes wasn’t needed, and this came about the same time that the biggest previous and ongoing trend was lightweight. So if rim brakes aren’t supported, there’s no need for the brake post attachment points and the added stiffness for the rim brakes effectiveness. The frames got lighter, simpler and sleeker, but less compatible. The rigidity goes to the last point. 3. Less rigidity isn’t necessarily bad. Obviously pedaling on something that feels made out of spaghetti isn’t very pleasing. But, the evolution of manufacturing allowed for choosing which rigidity is built into the frame. So the seat stays can be stronger sideways for cornering, but maybe a little softer to vertically help with comfort over bumps and impacts. Or a mix of both directions. But that would either remove the braking effectiveness from the rim brakes, because the stays would just bend instead of putting pressure on the rim, or, complicate the construction of the seat stays and add more weight or manufacturing cost. Maybe, IDK. Disk brakes do not have such issues because they are assembled in areas of the frame that are very strong in any case, and if not, it doesn’t take that much material to reinforce the disk brake mount. Rim brakes are very far away from any possible reinforcement. And it is always a balancing act, to make the rim brakes better, the frame would be less comfortable because it would loose compliance. But I absolutely love my HS33. Did about 2000km on them, on road, gravel, respectable mountain biking, mud, rain, dirt, and I’m not a light guy. And everyone was very surprised on how strong the stopping was with those brakes. They await for their chance to get reassembled in another bike for my enjoyment.
Interesting for sure. But also, why? What's the practical application? I see plenty of drawbacks, especially on this bike. As mentioned, there's the possibility to clip the front tire while turning, but also there is now less travel in the suspension. With a rigid fork, I could see this being more practical (especially if there is rake in the fork), but I wouldn't do this on a suspension fork.
I hope all is well, but I can not get the adapters, the ones used I have been told are to short and for BMX bikes. None online. Considering how many there are for disc brake is shocking
Could you do this but on a less extreme scale? I'm thinking about fitting 27.5s on my GT outpost from 1995 after adding a fork. I would love to see you do a video on the subject!
Maybe a 650b wheel is more appropriate for a conversion. This would allow more clearance and usage of all 650b gravel tires as 26" is going out of business at tire manufacturers. The small adapters are all over AliExpress by the way... ! 😉
Hey RJ, there are some brake calipers which have a long adjustment too. Got a pair of ice jaw v2 bmx brakes on my mountain bike just for this purpose. Think Pauls will do it as well
Hi! Great video, very useful. I'm trying to do the same thing (700 wheels on a 26" MTB) but it's hard to find adapters like Mavic's. The studs in my frame are welded, so I don't know how to use the second type of adapters you've shown in the video. Any suggestion? In the meantime, I'm trying to contact the Taiwanese Mr.Control company, It seems they have a Horseshoe adapter but I can't find a place to buy it. Thank you for all!
Hey curious question im wanting to get a electric motor for my bike but only issue I’m worried about is I have a giant mountain bike 27.5” and the electric wheel is 26” would it work. I know probs a really dumb question but I need to know.
If you are replacing a suspension fork with a rigid fork, you would want a suspension corrected fork. And a road fork would not be made for the road terrain of a mountain bike.
29 wheels are much Better than 26. You'll travel farther with less effort I'm glad it's possible to convert 26 to 29 cause all my 4 bikes are built on 90s chromoly frames and the standard size back then was 26 so they're all 26
Hey RJ, hows the brake flex using the promax post extenders? i'd assume that the vintage mavic extenders have significantly more support with the arch, acting similar to v-brake boosters, and not have any excess flexing
I wonder what is the benefit. Stronger frame than road bike and cheaper than a gravel bike frame? With those tires really close to frame you will not be able to do much offroading anyways - I tried bigger tires on my bike and when there is less than 5-7mm of clearance, all the muck gets stuck between tire and frame.
Yes, I get that much - but you know you can get a nice (used) road frame for pennies these days. So I suppose the reason someone might do it, is for the frame that can fit wider tires and withstand some off-road beating without having to pay for overpriced dedicated gravel bike frame.
Would you consider posting a tracing of the Mavic Caliper Adjuster for 700C wheels so I can fabricate my own? (I am giving up finding the manufactured part.)
Hi bro Im currently riding MTB 26 inch and would like to convert it to hybrid. How to go about it? Can I change the tyre only or how? Pls advise, thank u
Boy , you combine the drop bar conversion and 700c wheels and you can make any of the high quality older mountain bikes into a touring machine. I have an older Trek 970 I picked up a while ago which would be a canadite. PS the older trek's 930s. 950s and 970s have rack mounts. , fender mounts , and made in USA Trutemper good frames to name s few. Also I hate toe overlap so would have to check that.. Another thing to consider I guess is the type of riding . Obviously the more road you do I guess the 700c might be better, the more trail the smaller rim bigger tire might be better on the 650
I reckon your your skill on bicycles of all flavors does come close to a flying submarine experiment, but how safe for daily use is it? I believe you confirm that safety on bikes goes first. Mind bogles on your effort invested to make a inch difference on tyres diameter. Big thumbs up!
Juraj Grossmann please explain how this swop can affect safety,I’ve done this swop both ways (no difference apart from thinner tyres (less grip) maybe you should try it then you’ll know what your talking about.
i know there is preference and taste, and there is maybe also some rationale to extend the tires by inch, meaning if you can produce the torque to use it. looking on how the tires are close to the brakes edge i was a bit puzzled on how you would mount em preassured up. just my 5cc
@@RJTheBikeGuy I have a 650b hybrid but its quite heavy (14.7 kgs), due to weight it is not that responsive in accelerating, my hybrid has a rigid steel fork with aluminium frame with rear lock out dimensions of 142mm and front lock out dimensions is 100mm, so that's why I was planning to upgrade it, by changing wheels to 700c with 28mm tyres ( currently it has a 650b X 44mm tyres) , also would be changing drivetrain to 1X11. Shimano ( I am considering GRX 1x crank with 105 rear derailleur combined with SLX trigger shifter)..as currently it has a 3X7 tourney which is kind of potato in shifting.., if you have not made any video on this I think it would be a great idea for making one..its my first bike which I have brought so it holds a special place in my heart that's why upgrading it...I just want to make it a bit lighter,responsive also at the same time fast...I would like to have your thoughts on this...if you have any ideas I would like to have them. thanks for your response 😄.
@@dhrumil_108 Better save the bike as it is without spending lots of cash to it, and look for other bike. I went modifiing old bike, and changed it too much, meanwhile I found newer highier spec models a lot better in enjoying the ride. Currently have around 15 bikes, and still that old one that I changed to low lvl stock setting and it still seems ok, after being not succesfull "wannabe racing bike"
Long pull v brake levers not compatible with caliper brakes. I don't necessarily agree with that. I use Tektro v brake levers on Shimano RSX caliper brakes and they work fine...no problem at all.
@@RJTheBikeGuy They are less progressive...but braking effort is no less effective than my other bikes. The difference is marginal. I'm just telling you how it is in my experience. I own 9 bikes and built many of them from frame up and I ride 250klms a week. I understand braking performance. Really enjoy your vids by the way...very instructional 👍
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Hello, what name of the inverted U piece?, this is the extender?, do not found on internet. Thanks, regards from Chile.
@@simonechague9621 As I said in the video, it used to be made by Mavic, but they don't make it anymore. You can sometimes find them on ebay. Search for something like Mavic 26 to 700c adapter.
Hello RJ, I'm putting a fork for 26" wheels on my son's 24" wheel bike since I can't find a decent 1" steerer suspension fork for it. Do you think the second set of adapters you showed will work upside down to move the v brakes lower? Thanks
It works with the road bike breaks I think they're call caliper breaks. By the way your videos been giving me more free knowledge, I always fixed my bikes since I was 12, I'm not a bike repair guy but I can take apart a bike and put it back together the only thing I'm not good at, is fixing the rims, which I know I can learn how to work on them with your videos. Thank you for all that knowledge, knowlegde is power.
i wanted to see you change the fork to the ridged fork i have a bike like this i converted it to 700c wheels but i want to change out the shocks for For a ridged fork i needed to see you do that and show me how to do it great video though i was looking forward to seeing how you would change it to a ridged fork
Why am I watching this? I don't even want to get rid of my 26" wheels... so calming to listen to/watch this
I love your videos because you inspire people who like to work with old bikes, used parts and cheap solutions. Im also building a gravelbike at the moment.
Thank you for doing this, the guy at the bike shop never heard of doing this to a 26"
Lord Kek 😂😂😂😂 “If it looks stupid but it works, it ain’t stupid” -Gahndi.
Did this to a cheap beach cruiser lol it actually doesn't look too bad and is pretty quick and reliable
I've done this to several mountain bike frames, mostly disc so as long as the wheel and tire fit, easy conversion. The one V-brake I converted I found another idea online; just a steel bar that bolts to the shoe arm hole and then the shoe goes in the top hole, done. Seemed plenty strong ever afterwards but the old Mavic arch looks like it would retain absolutely ALL the stopping power for sure.
Great info. You just saved me an entire Sunday afternoon on experimenting. Thanks.
When I saw the Mavic adapter it reminded me of a thing I bought for my bike. When I noticed that my frame was too weak for my v brakes to engage properly, I bought a brake booster from ebay. Like the Mavic adapter, it could slide side to side on the bolts. I didn't want it to do that so I took a hoseclamp, folded it 3 times in an accordion shape and filed it to fit in the holes. The modified hose clamps works as a stop for the v brake bolts so it doesn't slide and put strain of the frame. My v brake is very strong now. P.S I'm gonna buy that Craftsman vice-grip-wrench, it seems like an heaven sent tool for annoying bolts and such.
Thanks for this advice...i usualli build my own bikes, and many times the idea of getting longer rims on a 26"frame came to my mind and allways the brakes issue came across...now I know a solution.
This was a fantastic video, very informative. Now you've got me thinking of changing the wheels out on my 16 year old Supercycle XTI 18. Nice craftsman wrench. CDN Tire for the win!
Cool conversion! I personally liked the other adapter vs the Mavic one, but the Mavic adapter is definitely easier to install and will work if you can't remove your brake studs.
I like the geometry, I usually put a 435 or longer rigid fork on front, higher gearing and for a while one could get some high end 26er frames (ones that had both wheel clearance and room for at least a 46 big ring or even a full compact) on closeout and build a very nice gravel grinder.
Thanks for all your tutorials, it helps me a lot here in France :) May God Reward you and Guide us !
When I seen the title of this video I was thinking who will want to do this. After watching maybe I will try this. I do have a specialized with rigid forks & cantilever brakes. All have to do is find the wheels.
Great video! I have converted my old 1995 Rocky Mountain Hammer to a kind of touring/commuter bike with thin 26x1.25 street tires, drop bars, 105 brifters, dynamo hub, road gearing, tubus carrier rack, but finding fenders that fit is almost impossible - the tires are so far away (almost 2") from the frame. This might be the solution I need to finish off the conversion. Thanks!
Got a link for the 26x1.25 tyres?
That's really cool RJ. I never knew those adapters even existed. Might have to try it myself!
Never get tired of your videos.
Interestingly, on modern 700c trekking/cross bikes (take Giant Roam for one) feet usually hit the front wheel even on large size frames.
Wow that’s pretty cool, I had never seen adapters like those! Thanks,
Hey RJ the bike guy I wanted to thank you for this video I just got some rims for my bike and they're 27.5 my bike is a 26in and I wanted to put my new rims on my bike so you definitely answer my question now I just go ahead and do it thanks again keep up the good work :-)
Did u use the small adapter or the mavic one?
How did it change the riding feel when in flat roads? Does it really matter changing from 26 to 27.5?
RJ-drinking game: Rules, every time RJ says 'there', first one slams the table have to say a name of the person that will drink a sip of his/her beer. BUT if he says 'here' last one NOT slamming the table drinks. If neither and you slam the table, YOU drink. It's quite fun! Try it out.
You should have left the 26" wheel in the front and mount some aero bars ad patent the whole concept. Time trial mountain bike!! 100% chance of injury :)
The real suicycle mod!
I was looking at doing this on my mountain bike as well and was looking at the limitations of the existing cantilever brakes. I was foolishly looking around for cantilevers that adjusted up to 63mm from the posts - obviously didn't have much luck. I should have known to check your channel for a vid on how to go about doing this. Thanks for the vid.
Ice jaw v2 bmx brakes or paul motolites have that capacity
Folding Bike conversion v brakes
I'm still on the fence about this conversion for my 26" bike, mainly because I'm not sure whether 700c wheels would fit the frame. If I could source some good second hand 700c wheels, I'll definitely give it a try.
This works pretty well, provided you have the right breaking gear, or disc breaks.
hey, really like the fact that you showed us two solutions. the information was great to me.
thanks
Avid speed dials are great for running mixed brakes. A lot of v brake lever combos have plastic blocks that can be moved to select Canti pull or v brake cable pull distance.
Thanks! I'm going to make a Frankestein bike off scrap parts with 700 touring frame and wheels, mtb gears and 26'' suspended fork. I think i'll mount calipers brakes.
Cool . My buddy did the same thing on an older Kona - came put awesome
Found these to help locate pads. BREEZEY Black/Red Bicycle V Brake Extension 406 to 451 Converter Adapter Accessory
thanks for these cool conversion ideas. i think you are the only one who does these in depth conversions that i have seen. it would have been great however if you were to do a test ride after and comment on how the conversion actually affects the ride-ability and handling characteristics of the bike after such a conversion. otherwise, great videos and keep up the great work.
I rode it. It rode fine.
thanks for replying. i guess i was mainly wondering if your foot hit the front tire while turning because of the bigger wheel since you mentioned it in the video.
Waiting till I have a few more part liking around but would love to build up a gravel bike out of a old mountain bike frame
nice video 2 things that might help for the foot not touching the wheel is 1. having old style cages to put the shoes in and 2. shorter crank arms..
I have put 27.5 wheels on a 26 MTB and there is a noticeable rise in the bottom bracket height. The cross bar is correspondingly higher too. 700c is equivalent to 29 so mounting and dismounting may be exciting 😁
I am planning to change my current 26x2.2 tires to a 27.5x1.5 tires. Do you think will there be a noticeable to the riding feel?
@@francisfabian242 I really have no idea as the reduction in tire size will compensate for the increase in wheel size.
@@francisfabian242 Yes. Faster! 😁
Would those little brake post extenders work "in reverse?" As in, would they help lower the brakes rather than raise them, if they were positioned downwards instead of upwards?
I'm basically trying to find a simple 700 to 650b conversion solution (...aka downsize my rims) but I'd love to keep my same brakes if possible...
Amazing, I was wondering if it was possible to convert but always dismissed it because I thought I couldn't fit tyre wide enough. But now it's time to go measuring.
Thanks! I’m reviving my 2003 HR (white w/ blue letting) from my college days. Think I’ll go ahead with the 27.5 fork now that I know.
I had 26x2.5 tires on my mtb and 700x23c tires seem to be the same diameter. Like the 700c rims are bigger but since the tires are small the total diameter of the rims with the tires installed seems nearly same.
I think converting to 650b/27.5 would be a better approach. Nowadays, with the rising popularity of gravel bikes, there are so many choices of tires available for that wheel size and the slightly smaller diameter gives you a bit more clearance to play with. I would only consider a 700c conversion if it was a frame with no chainstay bridge, like a Bontrager or a mid-90s Raleigh Ti frame. If the frame already has disc mounts then going with disc brakes is a given. For frames without disc mounts then, either Paul Motolite v-brakes or, if you're on a budget, then there are BMX v-brakes that are designed to accommodate multiple wheel sizes. I remember back in the late 1990s, seeing riders running 650b wheels on their MTBs for racing on the H.P.R. figure-8 velodrome. They were using the Paul Motolites to make the conversion.
Really good video !!! I've been looking for one like it.thank you for the upload 😀i have a Specialized stumpjumper from the 80s .26" I've put 27" and have tons of clearance.i now have to figure out brakes.will these adapter's work for me ? The original back rim split ,I've seen where you can weld it but after riding on 27s I like it.
Also, I never see guys lubricating the pivot points on brakes?
I am in the process of doing this conversion to an old Cannondale mountain bike. This video was the answer to my question. Thank you. Those Mavic adapters are very hard to find but there are a couple manufacturers of those other adapters. do you know of any V-brakes with a longer than average adjustment so that maybe you would not need an adapter.
TheMonaco03 I think Paul's motolites are what you're looking for, but IIRC they're quite expensive
www.ebay.com/itm/142464483256
I bought a 26" front hub motor ebike kit. But I'd like to look around for a different used bike to put it on. Currently have the kit on a Schwinn Sidewinder ("Women Inspired") with a SUNTOUR aluminum shock fork (not tapered). I'm wondering what my limits are if I want to go wild and frankenstein something together. I assume I could buy a bike with 24" wheels and change out the front fork to 26" - am I right?
But, what if I found an old BMX type bike with 20" tires - could I put my 26" forks on that frame? Not that I particularly want to do that - just trying to determine how universal forks are.
One thing I've noticed about newer bikes vs bikes like this from around 20 years ago is that the rear triangle of the older bikes are typically a lot beefier. on some of the newer bikes the rear looks paper thin, particularly the seat stays. What is your opinion on that trend, are the beefier rear triangles from yesteryear better or the newer, more forgiving modern frames that look like they have a lot more flex to them?
I have no opinion on that.
I’m not sure, but my 2cents go for a combination of 3 factors.
1. Rim brakes, be that v-brakes or Magura HS, put all the braking force sideways on the seat stays. So the seat stays have to be stronger. They are having to support the compression from rider weight and wheel impacts, while being “pulled apart from each other” by the rim brakes, or bending them. They could buckle if they weren’t strong.
So since disk brakes were mostly optional, the frame manufacturers had to make seat stays adequate for both brake types.
2. Rim brakes eventually got phased off from newer bikes. So this meant that all the stiffness that the seat stays had to support the rim brakes wasn’t needed, and this came about the same time that the biggest previous and ongoing trend was lightweight. So if rim brakes aren’t supported, there’s no need for the brake post attachment points and the added stiffness for the rim brakes effectiveness.
The frames got lighter, simpler and sleeker, but less compatible. The rigidity goes to the last point.
3. Less rigidity isn’t necessarily bad. Obviously pedaling on something that feels made out of spaghetti isn’t very pleasing. But, the evolution of manufacturing allowed for choosing which rigidity is built into the frame. So the seat stays can be stronger sideways for cornering, but maybe a little softer to vertically help with comfort over bumps and impacts. Or a mix of both directions. But that would either remove the braking effectiveness from the rim brakes, because the stays would just bend instead of putting pressure on the rim, or, complicate the construction of the seat stays and add more weight or manufacturing cost. Maybe, IDK.
Disk brakes do not have such issues because they are assembled in areas of the frame that are very strong in any case, and if not, it doesn’t take that much material to reinforce the disk brake mount. Rim brakes are very far away from any possible reinforcement. And it is always a balancing act, to make the rim brakes better, the frame would be less comfortable because it would loose compliance.
But I absolutely love my HS33. Did about 2000km on them, on road, gravel, respectable mountain biking, mud, rain, dirt, and I’m not a light guy. And everyone was very surprised on how strong the stopping was with those brakes. They await for their chance to get reassembled in another bike for my enjoyment.
Interesting for sure. But also, why? What's the practical application? I see plenty of drawbacks, especially on this bike. As mentioned, there's the possibility to clip the front tire while turning, but also there is now less travel in the suspension. With a rigid fork, I could see this being more practical (especially if there is rake in the fork), but I wouldn't do this on a suspension fork.
This would not affect the amount of suspension travel.
RJ The Bike Guy wouldn’t the wheel hit the frame? Think I chose my words poorly.
Also on brake calipers,wouldn't bmx brakes work?
you ever thought about doing a e-bike conversion. would be cool to see if you could convert a regular bike or even a cheap department bike.
Thought about it. Maybe one of these days. Gotta do more research on them. Lots of different kits and setups.
Could you check to see if the KENDA KWICK 700X30C would work.
I hope all is well, but I can not get the adapters, the ones used I have been told are to short and for BMX bikes. None online. Considering how many there are for disc brake is shocking
Great video!...I suspect those post adapters might offer stiffer braking than the discontinued Mavic bridges..not sure...
Hi rj have you ever thought about doing a video on how to install rod brakes??
On a bike without them?
Any problems after changing the tyre size??? Pls tell me
Could you do this but on a less extreme scale? I'm thinking about fitting 27.5s on my GT outpost from 1995 after adding a fork. I would love to see you do a video on the subject!
I am not doing videos from every size to every other size. Try it. It will work or it wont.
That Mavic converter is pretty cool
Maybe a 650b wheel is more appropriate for a conversion. This would allow more clearance and usage of all 650b gravel tires as 26" is going out of business at tire manufacturers. The small adapters are all over AliExpress by the way... ! 😉
Anyway one could replace the V-Brakes by mini V-Brakes to make them short pull (and makem them compatible with Road STi's) ?
Hey RJ, there are some brake calipers which have a long adjustment too. Got a pair of ice jaw v2 bmx brakes on my mountain bike just for this purpose. Think Pauls will do it as well
Yeah, I have seen them. I question how well they will work with very little leverage.
They're not bad but I know what you mean. I wouldn't want to use them with worn pads.
Where did you get the relocation devices? I’m trying to convert my own 26” to 700c.
I just put a nice old m marzocchi 26in on a 700c road bike. I'm waiting for those ebay extra long reach v brakes .
Why change at all - what is the advantage please?
I have tried the long reach v brakes. Not enough braking force, since it changes the leverage.
Hi! Great video, very useful. I'm trying to do the same thing (700 wheels on a 26" MTB) but it's hard to find adapters like Mavic's. The studs in my frame are welded, so I don't know how to use the second type of adapters you've shown in the video. Any suggestion? In the meantime, I'm trying to contact the Taiwanese Mr.Control company, It seems they have a Horseshoe adapter but I can't find a place to buy it.
Thank you for all!
Hey curious question im wanting to get a electric motor for my bike but only issue I’m worried about is I have a giant mountain bike 27.5” and the electric wheel is 26” would it work. I know probs a really dumb question but I need to know.
With Alibaba stuff you can do any conversion
i just converted my Norco Indie 700c commuter to 650b to ride trails, and the tires end up being the same total diameter
did you use those little adapters to lower the brakes?
Nice demo RJ.
Rj can u do a 28 to 26 conversion please......
How about change the fork with road bike fork,couse can't find adater for breake😥😥😥
If you are replacing a suspension fork with a rigid fork, you would want a suspension corrected fork. And a road fork would not be made for the road terrain of a mountain bike.
@@RJTheBikeGuy thank's RJ, i cosider to replace with rigid mtb fork 29"..
Do those adapters work backwards? I have 700c narrow road wheels and I'd like to use some 26" mountain bike wheels/tires
Can we drill a hole in a steel fork ?
what about when you ride it. wil the rear adapters handle all the torque when you press the brake hard ?
Thank you for all your videos. I've learnt so much from you.
Can you just add add 0.75" adapter on the bottom of the fork to extend it and fit the wheel with better clearance and less tweaking for brakes?
No.
@@RJTheBikeGuy Thanks.
I like the new wheels more han the old ones, i wanted to do the exact same thing with my gt aggressor from 2008.
I converted my 95 gt avalanche to 700c wheels.
29 wheels are much Better than 26. You'll travel farther with less effort
I'm glad it's possible to convert 26 to 29 cause all my 4 bikes are built on 90s chromoly frames and the standard size back then was 26 so they're all 26
is it possible to mount those brake post extenders in reverse to fit a 26in wheel in a 28in frame? ....also what about 650b?
Send to me the links of the wheels that you use. Thanks
Can you please do a video on how to upgrade from a 3x9 to a 1x11 or 2x. Thanks
ruclips.net/video/KHXYN1JH8Oc/видео.html
Hey RJ, hows the brake flex using the promax post extenders? i'd assume that the vintage mavic extenders have significantly more support with the arch, acting similar to v-brake boosters, and not have any excess flexing
They seemed to work fine when I test rode it.
I wonder what is the benefit. Stronger frame than road bike and cheaper than a gravel bike frame? With those tires really close to frame you will not be able to do much offroading anyways - I tried bigger tires on my bike and when there is less than 5-7mm of clearance, all the muck gets stuck between tire and frame.
You could install road tires for the road.
Yes, I get that much - but you know you can get a nice (used) road frame for pennies these days.
So I suppose the reason someone might do it, is for the frame that can fit wider tires and withstand some off-road beating without having to pay for overpriced dedicated gravel bike frame.
Great video that show me lots of ideas. God Bless You
Pls do video on how to install RB crankset to MTB frame. Thanks in advance 😊
Remove MTB crank and BB. Install RB crank and appropriate BB. Install new appropriate sized chain. Maybe adjust FD.
Sir, my bike is Large Frame but 26 inch wheels, im 6'2, would a longer seat post work? I dont my knees hurt
Can I do the reverse? 700c wheels to 26".....
Hi RJ what size your fork?
Would you consider posting a tracing of the Mavic Caliper Adjuster for 700C wheels so I can fabricate my own? (I am giving up finding the manufactured part.)
RJ that’s rad! what wheels would you recommend to do this with disc brakes? Might give it a go.
so is your bike still a 26 inch bike with 700cc tires but taller ?
Is it ok to take a 700c bike and put 26inch wheels on it?
Hi bro Im currently riding MTB 26 inch and would like to convert it to hybrid. How to go about it? Can I change the tyre only or how? Pls advise, thank u
Glad I saw this video. Was going to try this to my 1990's mtb.. Not worth it.
Are all post of vbrake mount to screw out?
What of the 2 mounting is the better?
700c to 26" possible with the Promax converters?
Boy , you combine the drop bar conversion and 700c wheels and you can make any of the high quality older mountain bikes into a touring machine. I have an older Trek 970 I picked up a while ago which would be a canadite.
PS the older trek's 930s. 950s and 970s have rack mounts. , fender mounts , and made in USA Trutemper good frames to name s few. Also I hate toe overlap so would have to check that..
Another thing to consider I guess is the type of riding . Obviously the more road you do I guess the 700c might be better, the more trail the smaller rim bigger tire might be better on the 650
do you think a large sized frame would give you more clearance?
No. Has nothing to do with it.
@@RJTheBikeGuy so whats different
One is frame size, the other is wheel size. They are two different things.
@@RJTheBikeGuy i msem what's makes say a large bike from a small or medium
@@Kevin-wy8kc www.bikeradar.com/advice/buyers-guides/how-to-measure-a-bike-frame-our-complete-guide-to-sizing-a-bike/
I reckon your your skill on bicycles of all flavors does come close to a flying submarine experiment, but how safe for daily use is it? I believe you confirm that safety on bikes goes first.
Mind bogles on your effort invested to make a inch difference on tyres diameter. Big thumbs up!
I would be pretty confident with the mavic adapters. Not sure about the others.
all i am trying to say is that it seems for negligable benefit we are trading off safety.
Juraj Grossmann please explain how this swop can affect safety,I’ve done this swop both ways (no difference apart from thinner tyres (less grip) maybe you should try it then you’ll know what your talking about.
i know there is preference and taste, and there is maybe also some rationale to extend the tires by inch, meaning if you can produce the torque to use it. looking on how the tires are close to the brakes edge i was a bit puzzled on how you would mount em preassured up. just my 5cc
I think 650b frame would accommodate 700c wheels better than 26" frame... RJ what you would comment on this?
IDK. Never done it. Why not use 650b wheels, or a 700c frame?
@@RJTheBikeGuy I have a 650b hybrid but its quite heavy (14.7 kgs), due to weight it is not that responsive in accelerating, my hybrid has a rigid steel fork with aluminium frame with rear lock out dimensions of 142mm and front lock out dimensions is 100mm,
so that's why I was planning to upgrade it, by changing wheels to 700c with 28mm tyres ( currently it has a 650b X 44mm tyres) ,
also would be changing drivetrain to 1X11. Shimano ( I am considering GRX 1x crank with 105 rear derailleur combined with SLX trigger shifter)..as currently it has a 3X7 tourney which is kind of potato in shifting.., if you have not made any video on this I think it would be a great idea for making one..its my first bike which I have brought so it holds a special place in my heart that's why upgrading it...I just want to make it a bit lighter,responsive also at the same time fast...I would like to have your thoughts on this...if you have any ideas I would like to have them.
thanks for your response 😄.
@@dhrumil_108 Better save the bike as it is without spending lots of cash to it, and look for other bike.
I went modifiing old bike, and changed it too much, meanwhile I found newer highier spec models a lot better in enjoying the ride.
Currently have around 15 bikes, and still that old one that I changed to low lvl stock setting and it still seems ok, after being not succesfull "wannabe racing bike"
@@czapik90 yes I would keep that in consideration, total cost of modification is running around 700$ for a 1X11 slx groupset, wheels,fork etc..
Is it a good thing to notch.. So you can get a little more room to get rims in and out?
I don't know what you are talking about.
@Nate Pultorak That would not be a good idea.
I have a 28hole 26 wheel a 26x1.5 fit on my rim?
Long pull v brake levers not compatible with caliper brakes. I don't necessarily agree with that. I use Tektro v brake levers on Shimano RSX caliper brakes and they work fine...no problem at all.
You will have less braking leverage. That is physics.
@@RJTheBikeGuy They are less progressive...but braking effort is no less effective than my other bikes. The difference is marginal. I'm just telling you how it is in my experience. I own 9 bikes and built many of them from frame up and I ride 250klms a week. I understand braking performance. Really enjoy your vids by the way...very instructional 👍
Really interesting and helpful video as always thank you.
Please talk about nut's key I never see this tool
Sorry for mi english
Best regards from spain
Nice work as usual!