This video made me buy a "dad bike" that's converted to a singlespeed with a race drop bar. Now I'm cycling for the first time again in like... probobly more than 10 years. Thanks for inspiring!
I've done this three times with old steel road bike frames turning them into pacey commuter rigs. As I'm a hopeless mechanic (things tend to just break in my hands whilst I'm working on them) I get a friendly bike shop to help me evolve these machines. I'll say that the mechanical failures are all part of the experience, you never forget the literal sinking feeling and loss of control that comes with your first handlebar failure or steering into the side of a stationary bus you were overtaking when the crank arm suddenly snapped when you stood on the peddles. Happy days...
For those here without any bike part connections, just like his shop, many shops keep boxes of leftovers that we can go hunt through for dirt cheap parts. and they're more than glad to sell them to you because usually it's just taking up space. I've found all kind of diamonds in rough that aren't worth anything to those that work on fancy bikes all day, but are gold to us building our own Frankensteins. thanks so much for this vid man. first one I've watched of yours and will definitely be subscribing.
9 months later, watched it again. One of my fave vids you ever made, as per what you actually do here. Wonder if you'd do the same again today, what you would make different? I personally prefer 700c over 26"
And experimenting with bike rebuilds and conversions like this is one of the best ways of building an amazing commuter bike. Commuter bikes live tough lives given the risk of theft, constant nasty weather, and especially if ridden through Canadian winters. Garage sales are also great sources of Dads' bikes. Happy tinkering!
I watched some of your other videos after pulling out my old dad (my personal bike from 96) bike that had been in the in-laws storage for years. I had tried years ago to upgrade brakes and gears and had nominal success and eneded up needing a full suspension which then put this bike in storage. 96 GT Ricochet MTN bike. I decided to turn it into the single speed gravel rider and i will say your vide do help. watching you build it in sped up time made me realize that most of the stuff i did was correct. IM an amatuer when it comes to working on bikes. Anyhow I just completed my bike and I love it. It rides great and it reminds me of my old BMX when i was a kid. anyhow love the videos and keep them coming. Thanks!!!!
I've been building on my first single speed for about 5yrs now. It just seems there's always one more upgrade to be had!! Watching your bike evolve is probably the most rewarding aspect of customizing (a bike) along with maximizing its potential! I have 19 bicycles to date... I'll be busy for the rest of my life CHASING THE DREAM OF MY INTERPRETATION OF THE ULTIMATE BUILD.
Love it! Buying an old 12-speed road bike for $40 & putting new parts onto it as needed was a fantastic experience! I'd do more to it but it's a Steve Bauer & mild nostalgia saves it from modification. It was ridable after just tires & bar wrap, later needed a new bottom bracket, shifters, rims. Still a very fun ride!
I love doing this stuff. Just finished my single speed Volume Cutter build. 650c x 25c velocity fusion wheelset, tt wing bar, single front caliper. 46t front chainring with 18t freewheel. Super fun to ride, with a 16t freewheel I could ride most group road rides around here. BTW any old 90's hybrid or MTB frameset makes a great modern gravel bike.
Great this. I changed an old ridgeback hybrid into a gravel bike and I love it. Much more satisfying than just going to the bike shop and giving them your debit card.
I like this build a lot! I always check my local craigslist bicycle parts section on a weekly basis so I can try to snag cheap spare parts. I once paid $20 for a box including: a seat post, saddle, flat bar, stem, shimano deore front derailleur, shimano deore rear derailleur, complete 26" rear wheel built on a shimano deore hub, a set of shifter levers, a chain, and an FSA crankset. All of that for $20, and I have almost everything I need to build up a bike this the one you did.
There is actually also another dimension to this: I am just building an insanely nice gravel bike (Open New U.P.), but it has one big problem: I can't really leave it anywhere without worrying about it, I feel obliged to clean it after every ride and this means if I am very short on time, I may not go out. Something like this would be a perfect addition to my bike fleet, something I can lock up somewhere without being too worried about it and which won't be too delicate to leave uncleaned over night (or a week). As recently moved to a very bike friendly city (Bremen, Germany) I realised it would be great to have a bike which is both fun to ride, but which I can also lock outside of a pub or something.
I just really want to thank you for this video. I "build" a bike for an old gf. She (we) loved it. The pleasure was for doing it and to see her getting on a bike after idk how many years. Then all the rides we did. Reminds me a good time. Now I'm about to build a cx/gravel bike. This makes me even more excited to do it. Once again thank you.
Good timing, my friend just gave me his dad's old bike similar to this. I asked him if i could have it for a restoration project. Good thing i found your video!
Did a similar project, except I bought new wheels and tires, that was where all my money went, but it was inspired by your other projects, keep this going man, very inspiring
I like what you did with the bike. It's breathing new life into something someone else would have just thrown away. My 83 specialized was in the same condition as your bike here, I rebuilt it with a few new modern parts, and have put over 3000 miles on it, including a cross state tour. Is it perfect? Not at all, it's heavy, the brakes suck, and the shifters are hard to shift, but that's part of the fun.
thats exactly right! This bike was literally in a garbage pile and I pulled it out for this video. It'll stick around the house for visiting friends to use whenever they are in town and might need a fun big tire shredder! old bikes are fun. and fit big tires usually haha
I actually did this type of thing not long ago. I converted a rather cheap 26" hardtail MTB to a still cheap, but purposeful gravel bike with 700c wheels and 32c tires. There were some quirks and tricks to play to get it to work properly, especially concerning the brakes, and the rear wheel axle, as I had a road bike wheelset lying around. The conversion was fairly cheap and it is a whole lot of fun to ride. Bang for the buck is just incredible with these projects. Nice video! 🙂
This was really interesting to be honest. I built a fixed gear commuter recently and it can accomodate up to 40c to 45c tires, but i just slap some 36c clements that my friend sold for a cheaper price. At least I'm not alone when it comes to building bikes like this. Great content as always Spindatt!!!
I didn't get into tinkering with bikes until a year ago (lock-down). Found your channel and love it. This is still one of my favorite videos and now I can say that I have done one of these builds so thank you!
I absolutely love this. I'm teaching myself the basics and doing the same to a dirt cheap hybrid. Not rode a bike since I was a kid. I'm having loads of fun. Going to the shops for disabled parents in the morning and throwing the thing through ancient woodland paths in the afternoon. I've just indexed the rear gears and only the front next but I'm already thinking about a 1x conversion.
Next time you have that problem with a BB. Just put the tool in you wise, and place the frame horizontaly on top of the tool. Then you can use your whole body to force the BB out. And you DON'T have to HIT on your tools with a Hammer (brrrrrr). AND you can use the old Deraileur as a chain-tensioner. So that there'r won't be any slack on the chain. Just a few hints Bro - and fun Vid.
Pro tip: For bottom brackets, put the bike on the floor and then use your entire body weight to step on the wrench and get it to turn. Jump on it a bit for more force. Works for other things too :)
Use a 2 foot piece of scaffolding on the wrench. Makes life much easier and the extra leverage adds a lot more control so your less likely to hurt yourself
Just got myself a "dad bike". I havent used a bike in like, 5-8 years but i figured it's a nice addiction to start with. Picked up parts for roughly 70 dollars yesterday (sadle, chain, wires, grips etc.) I think I have myself a nice commuter now. But like with all things I get obsessed and will probobly put A LOT of time into this in the summer. Love the inspiring video, you got yourself a new sub from the nordics :)
I'd love to see more people with the confidence to dig into a haggard project like this. I think it would get more people riding more ridiculously without being worried about scratching expensive investments
I converted my 92 Schwinn using drop bars from an ancient, rusted out Peugeot that my neighbor gave me. The only things I had to buy were the shifters, bar tape and a few cables.
My dad had an ancient Specialized Hardrock that was spray painted green because that's what we had laying around. So I completely understand what you're saying when you say "dad bike" . Wish he still had it I'd love to find a bike like that for a gravel build
These conversions are great, I have an old steel framed Hardrock with single speed, 26" wheels but 2.3" tyres and a 20" flat bar. Great for hacking around town on and not worrying about damn pot-holes! And it doesn't have to take space up in the house - it lives outside!! Loads of fun!
Awesome thoughts and delivery, down to earth, practical. Apposed tp the uber hyped world of cycle manufacturing. We need more guys like you. BIG UPS 101!!!!
Story of my life right there! I'm always going out into the garage to see what project bike I can throw together. And they ar all exciting until they are done. Then if i lose interest, I can sell it off and find another project. Another great video. Keep it up!
This video absolutely talks to me. Great advice - build what you have and have fun with what you have. I have a downhill bike, a burly hardtail, but the bike that I ride the most and gives me most joy is an old rigid Kona Humu with coaster brake, no front brake :)
Sweet build. My 2008 Dawes Horizon touring bike (which hasn't really been used for serious touring) is quite good for gravel stuff if you take the rear rack & mudguards off, and put some gravelish tyres on. I certainly enjoyed riding it when I explored the Isle of Skye a few years ago.
Super, just what I needed, have started working on,and now will probably finish. Neighbor gave me an old Pugeot,too much wrong to restore, so I can make it a track bike without spending a lot of money to get a new one. Thanks for sharing!
It took me a year after watching this for the first time to actually do this project. Bought a Saracen Trailway with wheels and crankset basically just coming off, clearance for 45c for £40. I think I spent £200 with the most expensive item being some 9 speed microshift levers, although my handlebars and derailleur were scrounged off other bikes. Tektro cr-270s or mini vs are the brakes for this project. At the moment its a 32c touring/cross bike but I'm seriously considering going big once these tyres wear out.
This was my first Spindatt video I think. Now I watch them all and drink my coffee out of a "Ride Reasonably Priced Bikes" mug! RUclips just suggested this one and I enjoyed it all over again.
I am also building something out of my wife’s mommy bike. I am using old spares from my own mtb and some from my cousin’s hand-me-downs and its fun! 😄 good job and great vid. Keep it up! 🙂
I uploaded some videos about my vintage bike, i really enjoyed the process of stripping the frame, removing the old parts, buying the new parts and putting everything together, every penny and minute spent on that project was worth at the end
Nice build, seem pretty straight forward to me and pretty logical choices with your links.. I hope not being a pedant or overstating the obvious but The Problem Solvers "Travel Agents" 100% worth the $45-50 for a pair make a world of difference to the pull ratio correct especially with 1st & 2nd gen SRAM levers that have such short pull. I even used Travel Agents on my TRP mini's (extra clearance for CX mud) and bought some of discontinued inline ones for my road specific BB7 set up. Someday I'll go hydro
Just bought a 2014 ridley x-night with disc brakes and sram force for 1150. Will use it as a gravel bike while also allowing me to try cx racing. So excited to start gravel riding.
With thanks to yourself and this video, I'll be starting a build like this very soon. I've sourced a bike to build up dumped behind a shed in my college needing some TLC. So thank you :-D
I really love your way of thinking! I also build garbage bikes which doesn't make sense to anybody. But I like it! It's also good to reuse bikes and bikeparts!
You can actually fit a 3 sped Frank in to a bike like this. It will work fine with an old Deore Schiffer wich can be fitted on to the handlebar. With an additional front deraileur and a chain tensioner you'll have not only a way better tension in your chain (wich seems to be that bad because of the drop outs) gut also 3 gears to ride with. I did that on several bikes and it works just fine. Thank you so much for your videos. You're a great guy! Greetings from a fellow bike mechanic from Germany.
Ah yes, the good old 'Frankenbike' spent many summers when younger with mates doing this very exact thing with anything we could beg, borrow or 'steal'. brought back so many memories... Subbed. Great video :)
Nice! only thing I might have done differently is keep the rear derailleur and used it to tension the chain. looks like there's a bit of slack it that setup, bumpy trails could be an issue
My son is 14 and keeps growing. Ie. His current hardpack bike is too small. We're (he with guidance) going to build a similar project this summer. For dirt & gravel logging roads. Good video for him to watch.
When I’m removing bb cups even the old 1970’s ones, I put the bb socket in the vice or use the vice as a spanner on the square face, then the frame becomes a massive spanner handle. 🙂
Just started building one. Its my winterproject and im looking for used parts and cheap stuff but im sure it will be done till spring and then I will have some nice rides on it
I loved this video. There's lots of parts out there you can get on the cheap. Doing projects like this are worth doing even if you have the money to throw down on a bew bike. Everyone could use a rainy day bike.
for the leaver problem you can use extra long brake noodles it takes up that spongey feeling. I used to build bikes like this all the time for my customers. its nice to see a good mechanic on youtube for once, nice vid.
I like seeing what can be done to rescued factory issued bikes. If it doesn't work out, so what? One always learns something that can be used on future builds. Good video.
thanks Joel! You're right.. my assumption was mostly that people watching would have an understanding of sizing and hopefully not immediately bite at the first cheap option presented to them
I'm still here and watching in lockdown, got a nice dawes frame and good forks and front wheel... got a good derailleur but would single gearing save faffing, save weight and have less friction loss?
How can you say that bike is a garbage? There is no such thing as a garbage bike. That bike is your master piece! And I know you're proud of it! Keep riding dude
Way more fun than some rich guy's "dream build". Some folks will be able start from a nicer base using parts that became unusable only due to changing standards. I've got a Rocky Mountain Hammer Race steel frame hanging in the garage, a SID 80mm suspension fork, 26" shimano XT wheels, folding tyres and 9-speed cassettes and derailleurs, all leading a lonely life. That's all going to build into one helluva monster cross bike.
I made money on my cross frankenbike. Started with a Kona JTS frame, $60. A Specialized Crossroads Cruz for the rims, $30. A 1990 Diamondback Apex (like new garage queen) for the Deore DX group, $100. I had a bike shop install a new BB to accommodate a 3 ring crank. I sold the frames and the parts I didn't need and got back about $350.
I am the Dad who restored a grandad's bike! So, ur stuff looks juvenile, son. Hah. A old Montague Navigator now has Sora Hollowtech groupset with a drop-bar with Microshift STI. New Dura Ace brake pads with Tektro calipers & 32 mm tires. Thinking of 650B & 1.5 inch tires & Tektro mech brakes for the next transform. $120 for the frame. The whole thing is still under $500.
Spray a penetration oil and let it set for a couple days to break rusty connections. If you want to accelerate the process use a heat gun or hair dryer.
I took a very standard aluminum frame not too unlike your silver tricross gave it a crackerjack paint job and it looks like a million buck, the secret is making sure the welds look nice. The thing I like about carbon frames is the way the tubes join and I did that with my alloy bike, a bit of Bondo.
hey, good one. I was thinking of looking for a good old 531 80's frame with big clearances, but this opens up a lot of options. I found a good old deore rear derailleur in the bin at my local bike recycler, so now I have a starting point. Thanks for Datt.
my friends already jump to the bike world more early than me, and i really interested to joining them, but what i have is unused bike of my dad, it's similar with yours, but mine got a little more longer on the frame because the basic from the bike is rigid mtb, a week ago i just change my dropbars set(lever,bartap,bar it self, rear sprocket, and freewheels, all of them is changed because some of them already worn out and rusty,. the next parts i need to changed is my crank set, seat post and saddle. wish me luck mate. and for you, thanks, it's encourage me more than before to building my first bike.
Great video, with great music as always. The ghettofab linear brakes with those levers is inspiring, due to seeing this I may assemble yet another funky bike....
hell yeah! my first build took at least 6 months of scrounging and learning. I'm just "lucky" (hoarder) enough to have parts abound in my home shop haha thanks for watching
Brilliant video! My son needs a new mtb for the mtb competitions he goes to but also wants a gravel bike since I got one. A mtb and a gravel bike? Way too much money so I've been thinking about getting hold of an old frame and building a gravel bike for him and this video has really inspired me to do that. How cool is it to have a retro "DAD" gravel bike!!
12:57 color grade shift, but then omg at 13:10...short pull brakes with long pull v brakes and you are doing back wheel hops like you're Hans Rey?!?! Wow Eric. Mad props dude!
Many people don't realize just how easy it is to upgrade a crappy hybrid into a gnarly cross rig. I have two hybrids that I am slowly upgrading. The one I've done the most work on is my commuter, a 92' Schwinn Crosscut. It has a sturdy, lugged frame and massive tire clearance. I just converted it to drop bars this summer. My next move will be to upgrade the brakes.
You should do a part 2 to this, upgrading the dirt cheap gravel bike to a mid-price higher quality build! That way your viewers would know which parts to gradually upgrade
Necessity is the greatest motivator for a bike build. If you haven’t the cash it’s the way to go. Mind you if you have cash it’s still a fun way to go too.
This is almost perfect for me, I have a road bike which frame broke and a mtb I used to use as a commuter. The plan is to mix and match so I would have Shimano Sora on a mtb. I feel like its verry similar setup.
been there, done that. Problem is that hybrid frames for straight bars tend to be looooooong in their top tubes. Bad news for smaller guys like me. Geometry just doesnt work with drop bars then. Sold my project (a wonderful 1991 Scott Atacama) to a taller guy & bought a fitting Spesh Sequoia. Happy now. Sometimes cheap as dirt is just dirt.
I have an old iron horse mountain bike. 4130 frame. I want to make a drop bar monster cross so bad. Im a total newbie to bike building but I'm somewhat mechanically inclined so I'm excited to try. Great video!
i guarantee you can do it. there is so much how to content here on RUclips that no matter what snag you run into you'll have it sorted within hours. seized parts will be your biggest problem. For a MTB, stick with MTB cranks so you don't run into width issues. that'd be my best advice off the top of my head.
Thats a fun video to watch. None the less the problem with those frames and single speedwill always be chain tension. I cant imagine that this one would stay put while riding around in the dirt.
Hi, just picked up a nice trek 730 frame from a coworker. This video is gonna help a ton. However I’m having issues looking for a decent wheel set that won’t break the bank. Any suggestions? Btw I’m setting up similar to your bike in this video for road/gravel.
Thumb shifters will fit those drop bars if you use long nuts and bolts as I have done to my bikes, and as you well know if the shifters are friction, they are cheap and no problems running mix and match gears from the junk box.
This video made me buy a "dad bike" that's converted to a singlespeed with a race drop bar. Now I'm cycling for the first time again in like... probobly more than 10 years.
Thanks for inspiring!
Do you still the same bike now?
@@Hella-ob8fz Erik sold this one a while back
It's 3 am and I'm about to take that old bike from the basement to the garage and start working on it.
You, sir, have me captivated.
Thosell work
I've done this three times with old steel road bike frames turning them into pacey commuter rigs. As I'm a hopeless mechanic (things tend to just break in my hands whilst I'm working on them) I get a friendly bike shop to help me evolve these machines.
I'll say that the mechanical failures are all part of the experience, you never forget the literal sinking feeling and loss of control that comes with your first handlebar failure or steering into the side of a stationary bus you were overtaking when the crank arm suddenly snapped when you stood on the peddles. Happy days...
For those here without any bike part connections, just like his shop, many shops keep boxes of leftovers that we can go hunt through for dirt cheap parts. and they're more than glad to sell them to you because usually it's just taking up space. I've found all kind of diamonds in rough that aren't worth anything to those that work on fancy bikes all day, but are gold to us building our own Frankensteins. thanks so much for this vid man. first one I've watched of yours and will definitely be subscribing.
Best for "bus n bike" commuting. Make a bike "look" like it's crap so thieves won't really want to steal it.
9 months later, watched it again. One of my fave vids you ever made, as per what you actually do here. Wonder if you'd do the same again today, what you would make different? I personally prefer 700c over 26"
And experimenting with bike rebuilds and conversions like this is one of the best ways of building an amazing commuter bike. Commuter bikes live tough lives given the risk of theft, constant nasty weather, and especially if ridden through Canadian winters. Garage sales are also great sources of Dads' bikes. Happy tinkering!
I watched some of your other videos after pulling out my old dad (my personal bike from 96) bike that had been in the in-laws storage for years. I had tried years ago to upgrade brakes and gears and had nominal success and eneded up needing a full suspension which then put this bike in storage. 96 GT Ricochet MTN bike. I decided to turn it into the single speed gravel rider and i will say your vide do help. watching you build it in sped up time made me realize that most of the stuff i did was correct. IM an amatuer when it comes to working on bikes. Anyhow I just completed my bike and I love it. It rides great and it reminds me of my old BMX when i was a kid. anyhow love the videos and keep them coming. Thanks!!!!
a DIY gravel bike is the now poor man´s adventure bike which used to be a poor mountainbiker´s road bike.
I like that idea, poor man's gravel bike....I'm a poor but want to travel...
get old fully ridgid mountain bike. put drop bars on it. thats it
Nuffs a nuff
@@ameraldas3641 When you put drop bar, you have to change the shifters too.
@@nguyenvanduc2512 not necessarily...I did just that and still have the same shifters on haha. Doesn't work too badly, either
I've been building on my first single speed for about 5yrs now. It just seems there's always one more upgrade to be had!! Watching your bike evolve is probably the most rewarding aspect of customizing (a bike) along with maximizing its potential! I have 19 bicycles to date... I'll be busy for the rest of my life CHASING THE DREAM OF MY INTERPRETATION OF THE ULTIMATE BUILD.
Dad bikes are real, folks.
Why does It have to be a 'dad' bike?!! Stupid thing to say as is the term 'dad bod'..
Love it! Buying an old 12-speed road bike for $40 & putting new parts onto it as needed was a fantastic experience! I'd do more to it but it's a Steve Bauer & mild nostalgia saves it from modification. It was ridable after just tires & bar wrap, later needed a new bottom bracket, shifters, rims. Still a very fun ride!
I love doing this stuff. Just finished my single speed Volume Cutter build. 650c x 25c velocity fusion wheelset, tt wing bar, single front caliper. 46t front chainring with 18t freewheel. Super fun to ride, with a 16t freewheel I could ride most group road rides around here. BTW any old 90's hybrid or MTB frameset makes a great modern gravel bike.
Great this. I changed an old ridgeback hybrid into a gravel bike and I love it. Much more satisfying than just going to the bike shop and giving them your debit card.
I like this build a lot! I always check my local craigslist bicycle parts section on a weekly basis so I can try to snag cheap spare parts. I once paid $20 for a box including: a seat post, saddle, flat bar, stem, shimano deore front derailleur, shimano deore rear derailleur, complete 26" rear wheel built on a shimano deore hub, a set of shifter levers, a chain, and an FSA crankset. All of that for $20, and I have almost everything I need to build up a bike this the one you did.
There is actually also another dimension to this: I am just building an insanely nice gravel bike (Open New U.P.), but it has one big problem: I can't really leave it anywhere without worrying about it, I feel obliged to clean it after every ride and this means if I am very short on time, I may not go out. Something like this would be a perfect addition to my bike fleet, something I can lock up somewhere without being too worried about it and which won't be too delicate to leave uncleaned over night (or a week).
As recently moved to a very bike friendly city (Bremen, Germany) I realised it would be great to have a bike which is both fun to ride, but which I can also lock outside of a pub or something.
I just really want to thank you for this video. I "build" a bike for an old gf. She (we) loved it. The pleasure was for doing it and to see her getting on a bike after idk how many years. Then all the rides we did. Reminds me a good time.
Now I'm about to build a cx/gravel bike. This makes me even more excited to do it. Once again thank you.
Good timing, my friend just gave me his dad's old bike similar to this. I asked him if i could have it for a restoration project. Good thing i found your video!
Did a similar project, except I bought new wheels and tires, that was where all my money went, but it was inspired by your other projects, keep this going man, very inspiring
I like what you did with the bike. It's breathing new life into something someone else would have just thrown away. My 83 specialized was in the same condition as your bike here, I rebuilt it with a few new modern parts, and have put over 3000 miles on it, including a cross state tour. Is it perfect? Not at all, it's heavy, the brakes suck, and the shifters are hard to shift, but that's part of the fun.
thats exactly right! This bike was literally in a garbage pile and I pulled it out for this video.
It'll stick around the house for visiting friends to use whenever they are in town and might need a fun big tire shredder!
old bikes are fun. and fit big tires usually haha
I actually did this type of thing not long ago. I converted a rather cheap 26" hardtail MTB to a still cheap, but purposeful gravel bike with 700c wheels and 32c tires. There were some quirks and tricks to play to get it to work properly, especially concerning the brakes, and the rear wheel axle, as I had a road bike wheelset lying around. The conversion was fairly cheap and it is a whole lot of fun to ride. Bang for the buck is just incredible with these projects. Nice video! 🙂
This was really interesting to be honest. I built a fixed gear commuter recently and it can accomodate up to 40c to 45c tires, but i just slap some 36c clements that my friend sold for a cheaper price. At least I'm not alone when it comes to building bikes like this.
Great content as always Spindatt!!!
Dig the video man! I love those types of builds. Well done and thank you👍
RUclips and the world needs more of this type of content
I didn't get into tinkering with bikes until a year ago (lock-down). Found your channel and love it. This is still one of my favorite videos and now I can say that I have done one of these builds so thank you!
I absolutely love this. I'm teaching myself the basics and doing the same to a dirt cheap hybrid. Not rode a bike since I was a kid. I'm having loads of fun. Going to the shops for disabled parents in the morning and throwing the thing through ancient woodland paths in the afternoon. I've just indexed the rear gears and only the front next but I'm already thinking about a 1x conversion.
Next time you have that problem with a BB. Just put the tool in you wise, and place the frame horizontaly on top of the tool. Then you can use your whole body to force the BB out. And you DON'T have to HIT on your tools with a Hammer (brrrrrr).
AND you can use the old Deraileur as a chain-tensioner. So that there'r won't be any slack on the chain.
Just a few hints Bro - and fun Vid.
or just use a long breaker bar to break it loose then use a ratchet when it's loose enough to do easily
@@Hazeder422 and some heat from a propane torch would do the trick
Pro tip:
For bottom brackets, put the bike on the floor and then use your entire body weight to step on the wrench and get it to turn. Jump on it a bit for more force. Works for other things too :)
🤡
But it will leave a mark on bottom side of bb,
Use a 2 foot piece of scaffolding on the wrench. Makes life much easier and the extra leverage adds a lot more control so your less likely to hurt yourself
This video did help doing a Mongoose Hotspot Hybrid 700c conversion to Gravel Road Hybrid GRX 1x. Thank you starting today! 🙏🏾
Just got myself a "dad bike". I havent used a bike in like, 5-8 years but i figured it's a nice addiction to start with. Picked up parts for roughly 70 dollars yesterday (sadle, chain, wires, grips etc.) I think I have myself a nice commuter now.
But like with all things I get obsessed and will probobly put A LOT of time into this in the summer. Love the inspiring video, you got yourself a new sub from the nordics :)
Hybrid bikes FTW! My friend used to have an all-steel trek with a 1x drivetrain that was probably 15 years old and ahead of its time
BBs are childs play once youve found that stuck seatpost :P
Unless it’s a steel frame from the 90s
Tell caustic soda that.
More people should build this type of bike.This is good fun and good execise.
I'd love to see more people with the confidence to dig into a haggard project like this. I think it would get more people riding more ridiculously without being worried about scratching expensive investments
Andrew Smith , I know the feeling.... some just don't live up to the original expectation! lol
I converted my 92 Schwinn using drop bars from an ancient, rusted out Peugeot that my neighbor gave me. The only things I had to buy were the shifters, bar tape and a few cables.
Building custom bikes is a whole new hobby world apart from riding the bike
My dad had an ancient Specialized Hardrock that was spray painted green because that's what we had laying around. So I completely understand what you're saying when you say "dad bike" . Wish he still had it I'd love to find a bike like that for a gravel build
These conversions are great, I have an old steel framed Hardrock with single speed, 26" wheels but 2.3" tyres and a 20" flat bar. Great for hacking around town on and not worrying about damn pot-holes! And it doesn't have to take space up in the house - it lives outside!! Loads of fun!
Awesome thoughts and delivery, down to earth, practical. Apposed tp the uber hyped world of cycle manufacturing. We need more guys like you. BIG UPS 101!!!!
Story of my life right there! I'm always going out into the garage to see what project bike I can throw together. And they ar all exciting until they are done. Then if i lose interest, I can sell it off and find another project. Another great video. Keep it up!
its like lego! I'll never ride this bike, it'll just take up space until i feel like pulling it apart haha
scott atkins ... shall not forget the size for a 140 kg. person and the gears to go-up the hills of St. Francisco , or Lisbon . 3 minimum .
This video absolutely talks to me. Great advice - build what you have and have fun with what you have. I have a downhill bike, a burly hardtail, but the bike that I ride the most and gives me most joy is an old rigid Kona Humu with coaster brake, no front brake :)
Sweet build. My 2008 Dawes Horizon touring bike (which hasn't really been used for serious touring) is quite good for gravel stuff if you take the rear rack & mudguards off, and put some gravelish tyres on. I certainly enjoyed riding it when I explored the Isle of Skye a few years ago.
Super, just what I needed, have started working on,and now will probably finish. Neighbor gave me an old Pugeot,too much wrong to restore, so I can make it a track bike without spending a lot of money to get a new one. Thanks for sharing!
It took me a year after watching this for the first time to actually do this project. Bought a Saracen Trailway with wheels and crankset basically just coming off, clearance for 45c for £40. I think I spent £200 with the most expensive item being some 9 speed microshift levers, although my handlebars and derailleur were scrounged off other bikes. Tektro cr-270s or mini vs are the brakes for this project.
At the moment its a 32c touring/cross bike but I'm seriously considering going big once these tyres wear out.
When I was young my local bike shop kept junk beside the shop. It provided me with do much fun
This was my first Spindatt video I think. Now I watch them all and drink my coffee out of a "Ride Reasonably Priced Bikes" mug! RUclips just suggested this one and I enjoyed it all over again.
I am also building something out of my wife’s mommy bike. I am using old spares from my own mtb and some from my cousin’s hand-me-downs and its fun! 😄 good job and great vid. Keep it up! 🙂
I uploaded some videos about my vintage bike, i really enjoyed the process of stripping the frame, removing the old parts, buying the new parts and putting everything together, every penny and minute spent on that project was worth at the end
its an amazing feeling getting all the crud off a bike and giving it a new lease on life.
I love the before and after of this build
Nice build, seem pretty straight forward to me and pretty logical choices with your links.. I hope not being a pedant or overstating the obvious but The Problem Solvers "Travel Agents" 100% worth the $45-50 for a pair make a world of difference to the pull ratio correct especially with 1st & 2nd gen SRAM levers that have such short pull. I even used Travel Agents on my TRP mini's (extra clearance for CX mud) and bought some of discontinued inline ones for my road specific BB7 set up. Someday I'll go hydro
Just bought a 2014 ridley x-night with disc brakes and sram force for 1150. Will use it as a gravel bike while also allowing me to try cx racing. So excited to start gravel riding.
Thanks so much for this. I am a dad and I have a super ancient steel frame dadbike that's been gathering dust for years. Probably ready!
With thanks to yourself and this video, I'll be starting a build like this very soon. I've sourced a bike to build up dumped behind a shed in my college needing some TLC. So thank you :-D
I really love your way of thinking! I also build garbage bikes which doesn't make sense to anybody. But I like it! It's also good to reuse bikes and bikeparts!
You can actually fit a 3 sped Frank in to a bike like this. It will work fine with an old Deore Schiffer wich can be fitted on to the handlebar. With an additional front deraileur and a chain tensioner you'll have not only a way better tension in your chain (wich seems to be that bad because of the drop outs) gut also 3 gears to ride with.
I did that on several bikes and it works just fine.
Thank you so much for your videos. You're a great guy! Greetings from a fellow bike mechanic from Germany.
I guess my dad is an exception, he have built several bikes from scratch, and he takes really good care of his bikes too
BrynolfCorp you have a Bike Dad, and Bike Dads don’t have Dad bikes
Ah yes, the good old 'Frankenbike' spent many summers when younger with mates doing this very exact thing with anything we could beg, borrow or 'steal'. brought back so many memories... Subbed. Great video :)
What you did in this video is what I spent my whole childhood doing with my BMX and 10speeds. love this!
Nice!
only thing I might have done differently is keep the rear derailleur and used it to tension the chain. looks like there's a bit of slack it that setup, bumpy trails could be an issue
My son is 14 and keeps growing. Ie. His current hardpack bike is too small. We're (he with guidance) going to build a similar project this summer. For dirt & gravel logging roads. Good video for him to watch.
When I’m removing bb cups even the old 1970’s ones, I put the bb socket in the vice or use the vice as a spanner on the square face, then the frame becomes a massive spanner handle. 🙂
i am always doing this strip it down and build it up different. geared or single speed.you are right , working on it is half the fun!
I’m a dad now and I have a Fugi, Giant, and a cannondale. Time to rebuild and enjoy riding again. Road-trip
Just started building one. Its my winterproject and im looking for used parts and cheap stuff but im sure it will be done till spring and then I will have some nice rides on it
I loved this video. There's lots of parts out there you can get on the cheap. Doing projects like this are worth doing even if you have the money to throw down on a bew bike. Everyone could use a rainy day bike.
for the leaver problem you can use extra long brake noodles it takes up that spongey feeling.
I used to build bikes like this all the time for my customers.
its nice to see a good mechanic on youtube for once, nice vid.
Great video! Rebuilding a bike into something different. I have a 1992 Raleigh hybrid I would like to make into a gravel. Now that's a dad bike!
My new favourite channel
I like seeing what can be done to rescued factory issued bikes. If it doesn't work out, so what? One always learns something that can be used on future builds. Good video.
Love what you are doing man. Definitely think it may have been worth it to talk about sizing with this type of bike, those top tubes are LONG.
thanks Joel!
You're right.. my assumption was mostly that people watching would have an understanding of sizing and hopefully not immediately bite at the first cheap option presented to them
I'm still here and watching in lockdown, got a nice dawes frame and good forks and front wheel... got a good derailleur but would single gearing save faffing, save weight and have less friction loss?
Not something I'd ever probably do but I love that you can do it - excited to see you ride it now!
How can you say that bike is a garbage? There is no such thing as a garbage bike. That bike is your master piece! And I know you're proud of it! Keep riding dude
Way more fun than some rich guy's "dream build". Some folks will be able start from a nicer base using parts that became unusable only due to changing standards. I've got a Rocky Mountain Hammer Race steel frame hanging in the garage, a SID 80mm suspension fork, 26" shimano XT wheels, folding tyres and 9-speed cassettes and derailleurs, all leading a lonely life. That's all going to build into one helluva monster cross bike.
Always good to check out bike co-ops and local classifieds for parts too!
absolutely! they can be a phenomenal resource for cheap and weird to source stuff
Honestly this is my all time favourite Spindatt video, made me want to build up a cheap commuter gravel style bike!
I made money on my cross frankenbike. Started with a Kona JTS frame, $60. A Specialized Crossroads Cruz for the rims, $30. A 1990 Diamondback Apex (like new garage queen) for the Deore DX group, $100. I had a bike shop install a new BB to accommodate a 3 ring crank. I sold the frames and the parts I didn't need and got back about $350.
I am the Dad who restored a grandad's bike! So, ur stuff looks juvenile, son. Hah. A old Montague Navigator now has Sora Hollowtech groupset with a drop-bar with Microshift STI. New Dura Ace brake pads with Tektro calipers & 32 mm tires. Thinking of 650B & 1.5 inch tires & Tektro mech brakes for the next transform. $120 for the frame. The whole thing is still under $500.
Spray a penetration oil and let it set for a couple days to break rusty connections. If you want to accelerate the process use a heat gun or hair dryer.
I took a very standard aluminum frame not too unlike your silver tricross gave it a crackerjack paint job and it looks like a million buck, the secret is making sure the welds look nice. The thing I like about carbon frames is the way the tubes join and I did that with my alloy bike, a bit of Bondo.
hey, good one. I was thinking of looking for a good old 531 80's frame with big clearances, but this opens up a lot of options. I found a good old deore rear derailleur in the bin at my local bike recycler, so now I have a starting point. Thanks for Datt.
my friends already jump to the bike world more early than me, and i really interested to joining them, but what i have is unused bike of my dad, it's similar with yours, but mine got a little more longer on the frame because the basic from the bike is rigid mtb, a week ago i just change my dropbars set(lever,bartap,bar it self, rear sprocket, and freewheels, all of them is changed because some of them already worn out and rusty,. the next parts i need to changed is my crank set, seat post and saddle. wish me luck mate.
and for you, thanks, it's encourage me more than before to building my first bike.
Love this channel. Been watching for 2 years. Sooo much good content for the wannabe tinker. Thanks man, keep it coming.
This is just one of the best videos that I see over & over great work bro
Great video, with great music as always. The ghettofab linear brakes with those levers is inspiring, due to seeing this I may assemble yet another funky bike....
People love it! Good job dude.
That was great! Bike theft is high where I live (london, UK) so having a decent beater is appealing.
Just completed the same project with a old marin steel frame, bought for £45 English pounds, took me a bit longer through. Excellent vlog.
hell yeah! my first build took at least 6 months of scrounging and learning. I'm just "lucky" (hoarder) enough to have parts abound in my home shop haha
thanks for watching
Brilliant video! My son needs a new mtb for the mtb competitions he goes to but also wants a gravel bike since I got one. A mtb and a gravel bike? Way too much money so I've been thinking about getting hold of an old frame and building a gravel bike for him and this video has really inspired me to do that. How cool is it to have a retro "DAD" gravel bike!!
12:57 color grade shift, but then omg at 13:10...short pull brakes with long pull v brakes and you are doing back wheel hops like you're Hans Rey?!?! Wow Eric. Mad props dude!
Many people don't realize just how easy it is to upgrade a crappy hybrid into a gnarly cross rig. I have two hybrids that I am slowly upgrading. The one I've done the most work on is my commuter, a 92' Schwinn Crosscut. It has a sturdy, lugged frame and massive tire clearance. I just converted it to drop bars this summer. My next move will be to upgrade the brakes.
You should do a part 2 to this, upgrading the dirt cheap gravel bike to a mid-price higher quality build! That way your viewers would know which parts to gradually upgrade
see RJ the bike guy on youtube. He does a pretty good one using a Ross steel frame and 29er tires. 1x10. The end result is pretty darn cool.
Necessity is the greatest motivator for a bike build. If you haven’t the cash it’s the way to go. Mind you if you have cash it’s still a fun way to go too.
This is almost perfect for me, I have a road bike which frame broke and a mtb I used to use as a commuter. The plan is to mix and match so I would have Shimano Sora on a mtb. I feel like its verry similar setup.
been there, done that. Problem is that hybrid frames for straight bars tend to be looooooong in their top tubes. Bad news for smaller guys like me. Geometry just doesnt work with drop bars then. Sold my project (a wonderful 1991 Scott Atacama) to a taller guy & bought a fitting Spesh Sequoia. Happy now. Sometimes cheap as dirt is just dirt.
I have an old iron horse mountain bike. 4130 frame. I want to make a drop bar monster cross so bad. Im a total newbie to bike building but I'm somewhat mechanically inclined so I'm excited to try. Great video!
i guarantee you can do it. there is so much how to content here on RUclips that no matter what snag you run into you'll have it sorted within hours. seized parts will be your biggest problem.
For a MTB, stick with MTB cranks so you don't run into width issues. that'd be my best advice off the top of my head.
Superb build making my ol bike likes this perfect build such a frugal build...thanks men so much love from the philippines God bless...
Ended up being a winter commuter bike that you won't be devastated if/when it gets stolen
Inspirational stuff brother. It’s all about scrounging and tinkering.
Bike building with spares is amazing. And not only that but trying something different. I'd love to make a 26 wheel drop bar bike next.
Thats a fun video to watch. None the less the problem with those frames and single speedwill always be chain tension. I cant imagine that this one would stay put while riding around in the dirt.
Hi, just picked up a nice trek 730 frame from a coworker. This video is gonna help a ton. However I’m having issues looking for a decent wheel set that won’t break the bank. Any suggestions? Btw I’m setting up similar to your bike in this video for road/gravel.
great video. I used to love working on old bikes when I was a mechanic. It was great when we did upgrades to keep old bikes on the road :)
It’s always fun seeing a bike with unsuspected upgrades on the street haha it’s always a surprise
We always used to take the cranks off and BB out while the bike was on the floor. Could put more force on the spanners (stand on them).
Thumb shifters will fit those drop bars if you use long nuts and bolts as I have done to my bikes, and as you well know if the shifters are friction, they are cheap and no problems running mix and match gears from the junk box.
That’s a genius idea, I’m probably going to have to get a set and get some gearing on this thing!