- This topic has 9 replies, 6 voices, and was last updated 4 years ago by .
-
Finally finished Roadrat conversion
-
Posted 4 years ago
As mentioned in THIS post, I have procrastinated and faffed for ages about turning my Mk1 Roadrat into a geared, offroad-capable do-everything bike.
And here it is!
This is just after riding the St Martha’s Hill Downslink descent, which was bumpy to say the least.
Frame, forks, saddle, seatpost, cranks are all original. The wheels are some spare 27.5″ Mavic 23mm rims on Hope Pro2 hubs. Tyres are Panaracer Gravelking X, set up tubeless. 35psi per end. Any lower than that and they can get a bit burpy.
Gears and brakes are SLX. The bars are Spank Vibrocore 760mm with Ergon grips. They look a little weird, but are comfy enough. Pedals are Time Link (clips on one side, composite platform on the other for going to the pub). Almost everything came out of the spares bin.I had considered putting a bigger rotor on, but on reflection I don’t think I want to make it any easier to lock up. When I do lock up in the greasy chalk, it tends to hit the deck fast.
I may, however, change the 38-tooth chainring for something smaller; The North Downs are quite steep on one side.Overall, it feels like a more refined version of the mountain biking I was doing in the early 00s. It demands my focus on anything slightly techy, but is rewarding for it. Great fun, and a good solution for getting some miles in when the conditions are rough. I recommend.
Posted 4 years ago
The topic ‘Finally finished Roadrat conversion’ is closed to new replies.
