If you were tourifying an old MTB frame, what would you do?

Mildly slightly toying with tourifying an old Bonty Privateer frame that’s currently hanging on my garage wall. It’s got disc tabs and an Exotic carbon fork (also with disc tabs)

I’ve got the usual selection of bike detritus in the garage, so could build it up in any kind of bastardised format really, so wondering what might work best (if aesthetics are allowed to be ignored…).

Do I use 26″ wheels and ‘normal’ slicks. Or big fat slicks? Or 700c wheels and 1.5″ish slicks?

What about bars; flat bars and bar ends? Or drops?

What would folks do for a trundling along touring type thing?

26 wheels and fat slicks – fat all the way, and 26inch wheels are stronger and will suite BB height better.

Whatever bars you have really, flats and bar ends good, drops fine too if you have the spares to set up gearing and brakes, standard mtb stuff might be cheaper.

Built it up how you want nice and cheaply, make sure it’s all working nicely: then just ride the fecker. Bikes that do a good job are great, never mind aesthetics or parts snobbery.

Also, I reckon mtb tourers are cool in a non-fashionable, non-niche, bog standard kinda way.

This is SO much down to personal taste.

If it were me, I’d replicate a set up something similar to a Marin I had back in the 90’s. I’d stick with 26 and some fat slicks. I’d also go the flat bar/bar ends route.

Post up pics once you’ve done.

Fat slicks are great but just be mindful of the extra weight. I have used both 2.35 Big Apples and thinner (1.50?) Marathon Racers on the same kind of setup. Got along well with both tbh, it was a skinny steel frame.

Most of my care in speccing an older MTB hybrid was in comfort and positioning (seat, stem, bars)

Straight bars and bar ends worked but the stem was too long. Could have prob cured by swapping the layback post.

I got the most joy from some long trekking-type bar-ends. If I’d had the budget/inclination to persist would probably have fitted drips and bar-end shifters. In the end I sold it and bought a modern adventure tourer 😳

These (wish I’d seen the grips before)

http://www.bikeforums.net/hybrid-bicycles/966563-found-my-perfect-grip-bar-end-combo.html

I’ve retired one from proper MTBing, have big semi slicks (they roll faster than some slicks) on it, and a rear rack, with Mary bars. Currently mostly used for carrying kids (weeride and tagalong) but the pannier rack means in 10 mins I could have it ready for some touring (including a bit of rough stuff touring).

700c wouldn’t give me that option (plus tbh I had 26in wheels available) and would be less versatile for touring.

I’ve toured (and commute) on an old late 90s marin – rack, 1.5″ slicks, 3*8 gears, guards, and on-one OG bars on a high (for me) front end. I really like the bike, it cruises along fantastically easily. Shame it’s got a 1″ crack in the headtube 😥

OH has used her hardtail to do touring type trips a few times- conversion pretty much consists of swapping to some 1.5 slicks and taking the reverb off, then strapping a load of drybags/bikepacking luggage to it (depending on how recent!).

Have to pack pretty light without panniers but good for a week. If you’ve got rack mounts it should be easy- I have considered getting one of the racks that mounts directly to the axle to buy some more space but the ‘little bit extra’ could probably be pretty easily achieved with a smaller sleeping bag so doesn’t seem much point

Edit- picture here (can’t do embed on phone)

Here’s my old 97 M-Trax 150 with the Procraft Evo XL touring bar-ends. I fitted Landcruisers and mudguards for gravel/muddy paths or the Marathon Racers for road.

I had some shorter wrapped bar-ends but they were really just because I had them and the bar tape matched the seat (tan Spoon)

Eventually the larger bar ends took over, supremely comfortable IMO (I do lots of climbing and distance) – looking back they were the best investment ever. Ridiculously cheap offer @ €13 at the minute at bikediscount.

I might still have them, albeit beaten up, you’re welcome to try them out for the cost of postage.

For luggage I use the Thule ‘Pack n Rack’ pannier racks, or just the rear one with a bar bag. Bit of a PITA to get on and off though, but they do the job for light touring. For new bike I’m just going to buy some trad bolt-on racks front and rear.

If you are going to use dropbars, you may need a shorter stem than that you used with flat.

A dropbar that will accept mtb diameter brake levers is the Satori Bullbar aka One23 Smooth Drop aka Minotaur. It’s narrower than mtb dropbars, but also not a big drop. Works for me, but everyone is different.

When looking at slicks, a good guide is the tpi count (threads per inch). Tyres with a high tpi are likely to be more supple and roll better. Go all the way to 2.35″ if you can. I recommend Schwalbe Big Apples, but their Super Motos may be even better.

I did some short tours on an old Marin Eldridge Grade I converted for commuting: 26″ Panaracer Pasela slicks, 3×7 gears, SKS guards, pannier rack, flat bars, thumbshifters. Was a really good setup, though limited heel clearance with large panniers. I used it for an overnight camping tour towing a baby trailer and it coped admirably.

I tour on a Surly Instigator (Mark 1) which shouldn’t work but does as it is so solid and the geometry is spot on. I fitted a Surly fork with low rider and anything cage mounts on the front and an SQR bracket on the seatpost. Have used Halo Twin Rail tyres, which I’ve also fitted to my wife’s 1992 Marin as they seldom puncture and the ‘twin rail’ design works really well on road and off. Now have a set of Surly extraterrestrials but they only just fit at the rear where the Halos have masses of room. I’ve cut/ drilled cheap clip on mudguards to fit and they work really well for what they are and come off easily if I’m flying. I run normal bars, don’t like bar ends but have found Ergon grips work well.

I’m yet to ride it but I’ve built this:

DSCF7891 by Stephen Williams[/url], on Flickr

Didn’t want to part with my Singular Swift so decided to try and turn it into a commuter bike with the option of going off road (The monster cross FB page told me off for calling it a monster crosser of sorts… )
Went drop as I like drops for a commute, I tried a shorter stem but felt cramped in the drops
I’m running with big apples as they had good discount at the time on 29×2.0, do kinda wish I went 2.35 for the laughs.
Fingers crossed it works out OK for my 10 mile each way commute.

I built up my tourer for my UK to Slovenia trip from my old Raleigh M-TRAX Ti MTB, all I did was stick some crossmarks and a 42-32-22 triple crank on it, paired with an 11-36 cassette. Bars of choice for the trip were flats with bar ends, but also like flared drops for touring. (My more recent custom build was designed around woodchippers)

I did cross the alps on it, towing a trailer with the bike/kit weight of 45-50kg so the gears were needed.

My 94 Kilauea temporarily converted for touring. Only real changes were a rear rack, guards, short high rise stem and bar ends/slicks. Rode beautifully and my current Genesis TDF isn’t miles better than it, I would have been happy touring for many years on this.

For me it was fat slicks, munguards with flaps, longer stem and narrower bars for a comfortable position that replicated my old road bike. I kept with risers but what ever works. Front and rear rack. Three bottle cages (one under down tube, one seat tube and one extra long topeak one on top of down tube). It’s very heavy but very tough.

Second the Halo Twin Rail tyres. Work well assault all surface tyre.

Convenient thread this. Can’t bear the thought of parting with my Niner so looking at turning it into a tourer come posh commuter. Woodchippers look comfy but I think the long top tube will scupper it. I can’t get on with low or stretched out cockpits. That grip & bar end combo ^^ looks promising, coupled with a hi-rise stem.

MrTricky – Member
I tour on a Surly Instigator (Mark 1) which shouldn’t work but does as it is so solid and the geometry is spot on….

I set one of those up for a big overland trip in Oz. The beauty of the Instigator is that it is very strong and even with a grossly heavy load (mainly water) it doesn’t wallow or flex.

I found my Rockhopper got a bit frisky with a really heavy load on.
I had to have the panniers quite far back to get heel clearance.

Personally, I reckon the longer (older?) the better, or maybe try getting some weight off the back with low riders.
If mostly on road, it might be worth going up a frame size.

I had to have the panniers quite far back to get heel clearance.

The taller / bigger footed you are the more this is an issue using XC frames with panniers as they have pretty short chain stays compared to a touring frame. You need to chose the rack well so that the sides are supporting the pannier properly when its sitting so far back. Makes the handling an acquired taste but can also make the bike a pain in the arse when you’re not on it – depends if your touring is about being in the saddle or day or going places and doing things – cafe stops, getting the bike on and off of trains, through gates etc the bike is constantly trying to throw itself on the floor. I just switched to a trailer instead.

I think that this is a 94 Kona Kileau in touring mode. I added a rack! 🙂

america0024.jpg by John Clinch[/url], on Flickr