90s MTB to Gravel Bike Conversion. 1997 Marin Bear Valley SE Build Part 3

[@andymanley4854]

Looks great and a very helpful video. I’ve been considering a similar build with my 97 Team Marin.

[@MozOnBikes]

Do it! Set a budget and try and find second hand parts and have fun!

[@TheEwacha]

Good Job! I was able to buy a "virtually" new BV SE last year. Still with original tyres from '95! But now with Race King ;) It's a first-class "Mini Gravel". It will always remain in the collection :) As a teenager I always wanted a Marin, but I couldn't afford it...

[@theretrobikeshed3392]

Cracking build mate and thank you very much for the derailleur hack that will come in real handy for alot of tinkerers 👌👍

[@JimLBon]

I’m running an 11-40 8 speed cassette, same Acera rear derailleur, and 3 crank gears at 30-36-42. Works great! Currently building a 92 Stumpjumper. Trying to decide if I want to copy the drivetrain on my other or if I should go for a clutched derailleur from Microshift. I’m really lucky and have Recycled Cycles up the street a few miles. They have THOUSANDS of bike parts. Total candy store. Yesterday I picked up a Ti seat post and a full set of Avid cyclocross canti brakes for 120.00. I’ll probably be trying to build with as many used parts from them as I can just for fun.

[@MozOnBikes]

I’ve got the Advent X on another bike, it’s good. But distribution here in the U.K. is a bit sketchy and the price is similar to Deore.

[@lastfm4477]

Take a look at the new Shimano ESSA 8sp rear derailleur RD-U2000.

[@Po.2013]

Nice build. I have in the basement never used Specialized Rockhopper from 91. I am thinking of doing a gravel bike out of it.

[@PolyglotBikepacker]

Do it and make a video of it

[@invade81]

100%

[@nunce3813]

Beautiful build and great shifter hack ! 👍

[@newoldsteel]

Oh yea this looks SOO GOOD!! Nice job. I got a crossroads Cruz but the black frame with silver and black parts with silver rims is just more striking!

[@Speedscholars]

That crank looks lovely! Great job on the bike

[@glennpettersson9002]

I have a 2012 Voodoo Hoodoo with disc brakes that I have done the same conversion to, the advantage of discs is I can cram 700x40c in there though at the moment I am running 650bx36 because they're closer to the original 26x2 diameter. Great build and thanks for sharing. 👍

[@jeremynorth]

Great build. love the Billy bonkers. I agree that you need another link or two in the chain. Waxing is the best way to go

[@alexisg311]

Ha sido un trabajo espectacular. Mis felicitaciones. It has been a spectacular job. My congratulations.

[@dfletcher3052]

Good job on the build... looks great for a 27 year old MTB... Like button hit... Subscribed...

[@jerrybennett5753]

Lovely build and excellent video. Super clear info. Thank you :)

[@arrosconpollo1]

I love this build video. Links to parts used would help a lot. I would also appreciate a brief description of how you reproduced the decals. Great post. Thank you 👍🏼

[@robinindahood3266]

Looks amazing! Clean and powerful..

[@scotthornsey]

Came across this at 2am after having the incredible idea of doing a gravel build on my dad's old 90s steel mtb. Great video, consider me subbed

[@PolyglotBikepacker]

Great project! Big skill level

[@IsraelGouveia-k3x]

Parabéns 👏🏽👏🏽👏🏽show de bola ⚽️ que Deus te abençoe vc e toda sua família. 🙏🏽

[@fernfloyd]

Very nice restoration/mod bike, dude.

[@lastfm4477]

The new Shimano ESSA 8sp rear derailleur RD-U2000 is now the top choice for inexpensive drop-bar old 10sp shifter 1x drive train. Total capacity: 34T. Max. low sprocket: 45T. Min. low sprocket: 45T. Shadow design.

[@MozOnBikes]

@@lastfm4477 I’ve been trying to get one since they announced them and I’m guessing they’ve not been shipped to the uk or Europe yet as whilst I see listing on distributor websites they are not yet available to order. Very frustrating as I think they unlock a lot of older shifters for decent 1x systems.

[@bernardreuvers4672]

just to check. will this derailleur work with a tiagra 10 speed shifter st 4700. also when 2x?

[@LukasSpukasTukas]

Tiagra 4700 10 speed is the only road 10 speed where the pull ratio does not match other road or mtb 10 speeds or below. So no. Unfortunately it does not work. It is compatible with GRX 10 speed

[@GEORGE-wy6oj]

that buckle though

[@cyclerevive]

Looks brilliant 😊

[@al-du6lb]

wait, aren't v-brakes long-pull and road levers short-pull? I've seen people try this before and they had to use a special adapter to make the short-pull levels compatible with the long-pull brakes.. This works fine in this case?

[@MozOnBikes]

I was expecting it feel mushy and rubbish but they worked great!

[@photooutdoor2574]

Genau! Einfach den Kurbelarm noch 20x den Lack wegkratzen lassen.

[@qbag9397]

Why didnt you buy new fork, and weld new mountage for disc brakes it would be sick build for bikepacking?

[@alexsch9956]

Didn't work for me the braking power was mediocre with Shimano Sti's and Kool stop pads especially when you had V-Brakes before mounted (which you have to run super close to the rim, also not optimal) What worked now tho are Contec Mini V-Brakes with 95mm arm length. It's close but a Schwalbe Billy Bonkers 26x2.1 is clearing the brake cable. Stoping power is brutal, the good old on/off V-Brake feeling tho. Love it or hate it 🤷😂 What also works really well is the U-brake in the back and Shimano Sti's, no Problem at all locking up the rear wheel from the tops!

[@91722854]

interesting that the standard V brakes work with road brifters, thought u would need mini-V brakes to work with road levers, at least that's what i used on one of my bikes

[@alexsch9956]

They work quite well actually brake power wise but you have to be really close to the rim and if your wheel is just 98,5% true you probably gonna have some rubbing on the pads. Also wheel removal is quite difficult/not possible without letting air out of the tire, so I will probably install this travel converter gizmo for that reason!

[@11mcrew27]

I’ve got a 1990 Carrera Krakatoa Flex that I’m going to convert to a gravel bike

[@MozOnBikes]

If you’ve got the parts around you and it won’t cost a fortune, give it a go!

[@colincampbell4261]

BB with longer spindle? You could have used the double chainring.

[@alexisg311]

Nuevo subscriptor 👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻

[@Dimass]

I really love how the 26" MTBs look as gravel bikes, but are they a good option to go and ride on a gravel trail, are they comfortable enough?

[@MozOnBikes]

I think it depends on what the gravel trails are like in your area. For me in the U.K. the gravel tracks are low use farm tractor trails (think Clarksons Farm) Bridle ways which can get pretty chunky, Canal paths etc. For this kind of terrain the wider profile 1.9 to 2.3in 26 mountain bike tyres work better than let’s say 700c by 38-42mm tyres. I found this on my Specialized Diverge as it performed way better when I dropped the wheel size down to 650b and added the 47 WTB tyres. Also a 26in gravel conversion can be done quite cheap, so it’s a good way of dipping your toe in the water with low financial risk.

[@RonaX]

I thought road levers and v-brake needed a modulator or something. What 105 levers series are those?

[@tmayberry7559]

I didn't think that standard v brakes would work with road shifters

[@joffbrown]

How are the v-brakes working so well this is the only thing putting me off of building my 26" hard tail into a gravel bike.

[@Bungle2010]

You can get a little gizmo that converts the short pull of road bike levers to the long pull that v brakes need. I just ordered a pair myself.

[@alexsch9956]

They work also without the gizmo, quite well actually brake power wise but you have to be really close to the rim and if your wheel is just 98,5% true you probably gonna have some rubbing on the pads. Also wheel removal is quite difficult/not possible without letting air out of the tire, so I will probably install a gizmo aswell for that reason!

[@hermittranslator]

As someone who used the pull ratio converter gizmo and later converted to Promax P-1 mini v-brake - just get a pair of mini v-brakes, they're fairly inexpensive, available from many sources, and most importantly they work insanely well with any short-pull road levers, much better than normal v-brakes designed around long-pull MTB levers. They look very clean and sleek, too. I had them on a CX bike and they were fairly comparable in power and modulation to my 105 hydro discs on the other bike. The only problem is you're wearing down your rim and not the rotor, although both will last you years, and obviously it's much more susceptible to mud, grime, snow and dirt - as a side effect of that once the v-brake mechanism gets wet it may squeal horribly, too. Otherwise they're easy to set up, don't need bleeding, their pads are universal, fairly inexpensive and widely available, and overall they were quite awesome. I sold that bike a couple of years back, but I'm actually getting a 90s Marin Bear Valley for a retro restomod soon - and it will have v-brakes - I'm totally down with that, I don't mind them this much, and that's coming from someone who usually uses hydro disc brakes.

[@Bungle2010]

@@hermittranslator So what would be the advantage to me?

[@tblakemusic]

Interesting about the shifters/RD combo. Where can you find the shift ratios?

[@MozOnBikes]

They are not published stats from shimano, they just have their compatibility chart. Most of the shift ratio and hacks are from KZbin/bike nerd forums and pages.

[@cdg_8787]

Hello Sir, just wondering, were you able to change the wheel set from 26er to 700c? thanks☺

[@MozOnBikes]

No they won’t fit, well they won’t fit with a tyre of significant enough volume that I would feel comfortable taking off road. Plus it will lift the BB and potentially change the steering characteristics. Then you’d have to figure out what to do with the brakes to get them to work with the larger diameter rim.

[@cdg_8787]

@@MozOnBikes noted and thanks Sir😀

[@SHWELL11]

That setup looks perfect!

[@heinricholiphant9676]

Change the fork to carbon ..used road instead.

[@soap5393]

Handsome bike, but I'm trying to understand why speed would be important enough on an off-road / "gravel" bike to call for drop handle bars. Everyone who shows a conversion build on Utube goes to drop bars. I could see it on a road bike going down a mountain on pavement, but...?

[@MozOnBikes]

Drop bars have a few advantages and disadvantages. Isn’t not speed per se, it’s efficiency. They kind of tuck you in out of the wind and make you feel you’re catching the wind less. Also they provide a variety of had positions so in theory can increase comfort and reduce fatigue on a long ride. Plenty of disadvantages though, expensive shifter that are damage prone, less steering authority in technical terrain, less breaking power on the hoods it goes on and on.

[@soap5393]

@@MozOnBikes Thanks for the explanation.

[@MarkVanWey]

They should call them "Schwobbly" tires. No matter what you do, they won't run true.

[@mosquitobike9223]

The system v-break are is not compatible for STI Use cantilever brakes

[@MozOnBikes]

Well that’s what I was expecting, buuuut they work fantastic in this example.

[@mosquitobike9223]

@@MozOnBikes I used STIs with MTB disc brakes, but they became weak after a while of use.

[@MozOnBikes]

I’ve got TRP Spyres on 2 other bikes and they are pretty crap! The V brakes with STIs defo would outperform them in the dry.

[@nestysantiago2003]

tire size?

[@MozOnBikes]

2.1

[@nestysantiago2003]

is it 26er rim?

[@MozOnBikes]

@@nestysantiago2003 for sure!

[@nestysantiago2003]

thanks

[@hrisko100able]

your rear wheel is out of true

[@justdude8115]

I really doubt that V-Brakes will work well with short pull brake levers. Even with proper flat bar long pull brake levers I don't like V-Brakes, I would definitely go with cantilevers. Then if you already have left shifter there is no reason to not put front derailleur. There are a few problems with the groupset that you choose: big gaps on 10 speed wide range cassette and no low gears for steep climbs. This isn't an MTB afterall, there is no need for 1x systems. 11-36t cassette with 26/42 will give you both high speed on the road and low gears on offroad and climbs. And it will be easier to find comfortable ratio because of smaller gaps between cogs. I personally went with 22/36. I would definitely go with GRX derailleurs because it is guaranteed compatibility and clutch. But overall I like the aesthetics of this build. I'm right now putting some money to rebuild my 1993 Pine Mountain, but I will go with VO Crazy Bars instead of drop bars. The biggest problem is building inexpensive wheel because non disc 135mm hubs are outdated and no one makes them anymore (except for very expensive brands), so I'm trying to find vintage Hope hubs. Another problem is that rhyno lite rims that I want to use come only in 36h version and finding 36h hubs makes thing a lot harder.

[@MozOnBikes]

I was surprised as you regarding the v brakes, I was prepared to put up with mushy lever feel. But they feel great! 1x systems are great, gaps are nonsense you train yourself to have a more broad tolerance with a 11-42 and it’s close to 1:1 gear ratio with a smaller diameter wheel, it climbs great. It really something just normal to me on most my bikes now, I actually find my 12 speed 2x rival on my road bike a bit of a pain in the arse as I’m skipping gears unless I’m really on the gas hard. Plus I no longer have to worry about chain suck or it miss shifting and the sound for of the chain ticking against the front derailleur. The problem with GRX is it’s not compatible with the older 10 speed shifters. It’ll only work with GRX400 or Tiagra4700. Have you considered running a 135 disc hub? Ok, the hub flanges are less than ideal, empty 6 bolt might look a little naff. But I think a centre lock 135 could be a stealthy alternative option.

[@justdude8115]

@@MozOnBikes wide range 10 speed was my very first choice when built my first bike and it immediately became a pain in my ass - couldn't find comfortable gear on the road and I couldn't use largest cog because of chain being too twisted (chainline was really messes up). I then converted it to 2x and I love it. No problems with front derailleur, just adjust it properly once and it will work flawlessly. And shifting is really good because on each chainring I can use 9 cogs so I switch to small chainring only when the climb is steep or when I'm offroading and since I try to avoid roads most of the time I'm on singletrack and I don't switch to large chainring for hours until I reach paved road. Last time I was climbing for over an hour, with 1:1 ratio I definitely wouldn't make it. It's just a lot more comfortable to have normal cadence even on steep and long climbs.

[@_da_beda]

I was actually having the same doubts about the v brakes. I never tried "normal" v breaks with drop bar shifters but all over the internet they say: its not working (as they are short pull). Which one did you install? I actually build up some kind of 700c retro cx with mini v brakes paired with drop bars, those actually work very great.

[@that_bald_bloke]

Great build! Using this as inspiration for my palisades trail build. 🤙

[@hermittranslator]

@@_da_beda I've once purchased a early 10s CX bike and the previous owner unknowingly installed regular v-brakes that were paired with Sram Rival levers. It was okay-ish, but the pads had to be extremely close to the rim to compensate for the pull ratio difference. So totally usable, but far from the optimal/best experience. For cable-actuated brakes the MTB long pull is 15mm, road's short pull is 7mm, so we're talking about a pretty major pull compensation here. Later I just ordered some Promax P-1 mini-Vs and the difference was night and day. They were absolutely amazing. So amazing that I couldn't say they were really any worse than my 105 hydro disc setup on my main gravel bike.

[@alessmarilia]

Original sempre , vai ser original. Este negócio de revitalizar Mountain Bike anos 90 e tirar originalidade não está com nada . Tudo Nutella 😂🤪

[@vuhoangphuc999]

Thanks for video! Is RD-M3020 and 105 brifter work smooth together? And are there any modify on rd or brifter?

[@MozOnBikes]

Nope, totally standard!