Building The Gravel Bike - Real Time Complete Build | Garbage To Gravel-ish Episode 3

[@gcntech]

Have you built an old mountain bike into a gravel bike?

[@girlsdrinkfeck]

do a DIY electric bike build ? them sort of videos get loads of views ( unrestricted for private land racing )

[@gulfcitynd]

I kinda made a single speed from a Walmart bike wrecked the rear grip shift so yeah I hacked it

[@williammercer136]

Built an old Apollo MTB into an awesome 26inch gravel machine.

[@glennoc8585]

No offense but a mtb is a gravel bike.

[@llandor]

Reminds me of when I built my hybrid into a cx-bike (before gravel bikes were a thing), sadly I wasn't aware the 8 speed Deore derailleur was not compatible with the 8 speed Sora shifter..

[@jamonzonv]

These are the great type of videos which make GCN what we always liked about it. Jon's struggle show us, the real life of making a bike, which is great for what we can expect.

[@Solarsystem50]

This is mental healing therapy. I love to fix vintage bikes and this is just fun to watch. Jon talks with that really cool soothing British accent throughout the entire video. The only thing left was how to paint the frame, which sounds quite challenging.

[@spocksleftball]

Just completed my gravel build last Friday. First ride Saturday. Fantastic to build your own ride.

[@dennishermey5873]

What material is used to build your frameset? Steel, aluminum, carbonfiber?

[@loganhall5580]

This "garbage bike" is 10 times better than my main bike... Grad school student here; gratefully accepting donations from GCN if you all felt generous! ;)

[@thomasjbrablec]

I had an idea for GCN Tech. How about you guys try to build from parts off of AliExpress? You can get everything from frames, forks, wheelsets, posts, bars to full groupsets and bling in Chinese carbon fiber for a fraction of what it costs from name brands. I would love to see a sort of... Made in China, Assembled in the UK dream build bike.

[@lifeguardkliff]

Tom Brablec this is top notch

[@lifeguardkliff]

Tom Brablec this is top notch

[@markvonwisco7369]

I'm actually in the process of doing this, although I sourced everything but the saddle, had tape and groupset direct from the factory - lightcarbon.com is the website. No affiliation other than being a customer. I'm still deciding on groupset. I haven't yet decided whether to splurge on Ulegra Di2 or the mechanical version. The completed bike should end being about half the cost of a comparable bike from one of the big Western companies.

[@graemewoodward5106]

To make a truly authentic fake, you'd also have to use one of the Chinese/Taiwanese alternate groupsets, e.g. microShift. It would be an interesting comparison to a 'brand-name' construction.

[@nicokilla11]

Sponsors should never allow this... I do agree thought it would be awesome

[@markrobinson1458]

I have small wooden wedge to hold the awkward chain ring bolt in place so it can be screwed into without the hassle. Good job Jon 👍

[@matthewsully4565]

Can't believe you did it again. Built a bike but didn't show us even riding around the car park. Nice job John ... but ya gotta show us a test ride at least :-/

[@elbotho]

found the test ride: kzbin.info/www/bejne/sICTXnijodCDZ68

[@williamhilliard7386]

Vintage is gaining grate popularity, everyone should have a retro. Mine is a 90s Bianchi-japan prod. Friction 10 sp. 54cm. I absolutely love it

[@MrBrianofarrell]

Top little series this one, appreciate the full video here of the build as well, neophyte to the mechanic side of bikes myself. Also, Jon, love your presenting style, top notch or super noice as you boys could say.

[@kayg2125]

The man, and now the legend! wish Jon was still present on this channel.

[@neutron7]

If you have an internal cable routing without a guide, you can put the inner cable through first, with a zip tie circled around inside the exit port, once the cable goes through the zip tie, you can pull it out. then you can use the inner cable to easily guide the outer cable through. then take the inner cable back out to cut the outer to length.

[@martinh2783]

Old inner tubes for bar tape is the obvious choice.

[@Mantis858585]

This sounds awesome but not sure if I want my hands to smell after every ride.

[@nickpryce-jones7293]

Great video. Loving Jon’s stuff but really refreshing to see you focusing on reviving an old bike as there’s nothing more satisfying.

[@ojtibi9906]

Thanks for the video, Jon. You know, lots of people tend to do the steps described in videos like this but they never know the reason why they're doing it in the first place. Your stories and explanations help give insight on why we (the viewers) should do things, or why not, if we get in the same situation. Cheers!

[@owenchase4017]

Hello at GCN, I really like this idea of converting an old mountain bike into a gravel-ish bike. I live in Maine, not far from New Hampshire and Vermont, where there are several hundred miles of old railroad lines that are now used as bike trails. Most of these rail trails have gravel surfaces of various firmness, so a bike with 26 inch mtn bike tires should work well. And, of course, the drop bars will help me avoid tired and sore hands by offering more hand positions for longer rides. I’ll be using my Specialized Rock Hopper from around 1990. I changed this bike to use a suspension fork and V brakes many years ago, but I still have the old fork and cantilever brakes stored away someplace. I also have a choice of drop bars, threadless stem and adapter, and old cable hangers in my parts collection, so the only new parts I need may be a pair of Shimano Tourney brifters to work with the original 3 by 7 drive train. Also, judging by Google maps, your part of England has many miles of gravel trails along the old canal towpaths, such as along the Kennett and Avon Canal. Do you ever ride your gravel-ish bike on any of those trails?

[@searchingshropshire]

I’ve had an old Raleigh cro mo max 2 in bits in the garden for years. It’s my new old bike project to make it look clean but keep some of the original parts. And then stumbled on this vid.

[@basquint]

When you mount your new inner derailleur cable you can put your chain on the 3th smallest ring on your cassette, your derailleur has a small tension now. Tighten your cable on this setup. Now just shift a couple of times. Your cable will stretch out and should be at the right tension now.

[@andywalford7544]

Jon, use a proper third hand tool that clamps the blocks on the rim, THEN the fourth hand tool, which you called third, to tension the cable!

[@Brurgh]

seeing jon struggle wit the cantilever brakes a little made me feel better for the half hour effort it took for me to fit mine for the first time!

[@stuartdryer1352]

I have made that same dumb mistake putting on a chain. Glad to see even a professional can do it.

[@johnpotter4555]

Great job Jon, love the banter during the build. What about an "Italian" bike build as the next project?

[@robbchastain3036]

I missed Breakfast at Wimbledon on the tele. Not a big enough tennis fan. But I didn't miss Breakfast with Jon. A big bike fan, every single day. Thanks, Jon, and now you'll have to go riding with Si and Katherine. And then hand that bike over to Ollie so he can make it more aero.

[@jasongirvan6729]

Love these videos John I have a cable tip for your cable tips 🥁😂 I lightly coat the cable ends with some electronics resin solder for permanently kept tips that you can still pull on in the future without fraying and then dress the end with your favourite colour cable tip (if you’re not a weight wienie) Electronics solder is light and liquifies at a very low temp which also allows me to add a dab mid cable to stop sliding cable donuts 🍩

[@chrisscott8362]

I do the same but use a little dab of Gel superglue.

[@jasongirvan6729]

chris scott I tried the gel glue but I find I can’t really pull on the cable with a tool in the future as I find the glue chips off Could be the type I used though

[@mal.p]

Nice job, I like a retro bike build! May I suggest a bracket on the fork down, like one a white reflector would have been mounted on. That way, if the front cable fails, you won't get thrown over the bars when the bridge cable is pulled onto the tyre by the cantis.

[@TheWaxChainFanClub]

Very pleased to hear JC has a nice smooth end.

[@martint3761]

Can't believe I have just watched 45 minutes of this! Fantastic, most educational. Great presentation. Thanks Jon

[@vr4042]

I used that same Race Face chain ring to convert my 2006 Trek Madone road bike to a 1X drive-train! Works great. 44 tooth and using an XT 11x36 cassette with the Wolftooth extender to use the original Dura Ace rear derailleur.

[@Brault08]

Nice winter bike, perfect for the city

[@criggie]

Jon - why are there not straddle-wire catchers? If a brake cable lets go and the cantis pull the straddle wire into the tread, you'll have a full wheel lockup. As for pedals, I'd go with some big silvery bear trap style flat pedals. Cleats are too modern, and toe straps might not be the best for a quick dab in the corner. If you want to be old-school then maybe some half toe-clips from zefal or similar, but no to toe straps. However half toe clips could catch a root. Your call.

[@JeffRElliott]

This was surprisingly nice to watch, great work!

[@petinka721]

Great video! 46 minutes in heaven! Jon is a great mechanic and I hope we will see a video there he ride that bike to and tell how it feel.

[@jamiepeirce526]

Can’t no handlebar tape

[@therealcaldini]

The most bizarre thing has just happened to me. I’m putting together some IKEA furniture (normal activity for a bank holiday of course) when I get the sudden urge to listen to Kim Wilde’s You Keep Me Hanging On - not sure why - I’ve never chosen to listen to Kim Wilde at any point in the last 38 years. It’s a good tune though so I ask Siri to play the best of Kim Wilde. Kids in America comes up first, naturally, and the second is a song I’ve not heard before: Chequered Love. About half way through the song I realise that it’s the tune to that Oakley advert that keeps playing at the start of all the GCN videos. How spooky is that?! And there was me thinking it was something modern but it’s nearly as old as me!

[@Derkiboi]

Interesting

[@rajarahman2655]

Excellent video. Inspirers those who think out the box and experiment on bikes. Frame doing nothing, do something to it. It’ll be fun. My winter bike. Raleigh Shopper. Extra long quill stem, drop bars, kept the S A 3 speed hub gear shifter, Brooks saddle, mudguards is a must, upgraded brakes, Schwalbe Marathon Plus 20” and a modified, rack. Does me for winter riding. No probs. Just give it a brush down, on the weekend.

[@TheWaxChainFanClub]

Thanks JC! Could watch these videos all day. Would it be possible to do a classic refurb... I'm lusting after my old Grifter.

[@19redmiata94]

I buily my old trek into a gravel bike. It works great too. Ive taken in on a metric century. I put hydro disc brakes on it too. I got a pair of shimano RS505 levers off ebay, used a 105 R7000 rd, and MTB calipers and hoses I had on hand. works like a champ

[@Ricgiller]

Old steel deraillure hangers easily bent back with minimal worry of cracking it.

[@wtfiswiththosehandles]

Yeah, steel frames still come with fixed hangers.

[@3693G]

Steel work hardens. The older the frame and number of times it's been bent before all add to the risk of cracking.

[@graemewoodward5106]

Yes - but you trash the derrailleur in any incident. Better to have a replaceable hanger as the weakest link. If you pick up some trail debris, there's an increased likelihood that your derrailleur will be saved and the hanger can be easily/cheaply replaced. In principle at least - some hangers cost way too much.

[@g.fortin3228]

Looks great ! One thing I would mod in the future with such a big chainring, is a larger cassette for better hills gearing... or at least one with a bigger bailout gear. Of course we have some good hills where I live, so if your terrain isn't so hilly then your all set.

[@simonguard5087]

My first cross bike was a mountain bike, fitted drops and Shimano Sora shifters. Weighed an absolute ton and the courses then had more run sections but it got me started, happy days.

[@mnbv5555cxz]

I think this is motivating me to 'recover' a 1977 Motebecane Super Mirage I have in the basement - convert to single speed commuter! Thanks Jon

[@KTM-d7d]

I've done that with an old bike ive found in the woods. I had converted it to a single front brake aswell. Its nice for commuting without having to worry too much

[@serjoprot]

I did this a few months ago, and had the same issue with the front brake interfering with the stem... So I just drilled a hole in the aluminum stem and had the brake cable pull from it

[@haskellelephant]

A conversion I would like to see is "cheap retro bike" to "retro superbike" conversion. Get an old (but good) frame second hand and spoil it with some really nice vintage parts. Or maybe just new vintage looking parts.

[@dapster]

I believe they already made a similar video where they took a cheap bike from eBay and turned it into a superbike.

[@danjones8934]

When Jon was explaining the whole stem, cable situation all I could hear in my head was Martyn Ashton singing “HAAAAACKS & Bodges” Brilliant!

[@amdnable]

Yes I have an idea! Take an old steel 26" mountain bike frame and mount on it drop bars and 700cc wheels. Maybe single-speed. The idea is to have a robust commuter that can take on some gravel.

[@Calum_S]

I wish I was as efficient as Jon when working on my bike.

[@ForTsz]

I d love to see a frame builder do some custom bits (or even mod the frame) in the next build! Nice job Jon

[@sven-ericstittrich9696]

You could use a hydraulic Drop seatpost and control it with the other Shifter..... Greetings from Germany

[@wonglemydongle867]

I'd love to see an oldschool cyclocross bike rebuild or Beachracer (for example koga beachracer) build!

[@gethind-j2390]

Thanks JonnyTech, great work and a very timely mini-project!

[@BenFerber]

For your next series, how about turning a folding bike into a super bike? (Making it lighter, faster, more aero, etc.) I commute on a folder--a Dahon Mariner D7 I got for cheap off eBay--and I've been slowly making little changes to help get my commute time down and make my weekday workout feel a bit more race-y, while still keeping it foldable and simple.

[@Crossers76]

May have been worth the effort in sourcing a quill stem with the cable coming through the top of the stem like the old profile type. Or a flexstem (if you remember them!) Would have be perfect with extra kudos points too.

[@oreocarlton3343]

Agree, flex would be super cool and quill to ahead adaptors look ugly

[@jonnyd8603]

Great video series guys, I’d love to see an old 27 conversation to 700 or 650b that would be great thanks and keep up the good work!

[@ltrtg13]

You can get Race Face chainring Tab shims. Put then on with the chainring in the inside and they make the cranks look nice again.

[@nickkent7164]

And miss out on some trick anodised bolts?! Should have gone purple ;-)

[@keyproductions100]

that front brake in that configuration is a death trap, if the top cable (or bolt) fails, the callipers will spring open and the connecting cable will go in your grips and lock the wheel up, your teeth will hit the concrete with your body weight behind them, you can get a safety mechanism for them on ebay

[@keyproductions100]

@Singlespeedpunk 32 yrs building custom bikes/motorbikes/gopeds etc, 35 years bmx freestyle and mtb downhiller, seen it 3 times, the reason you haven't seen it is probably down to the front reflector (which is not on this bike), most older people leave them on, they act as a safety stopper, 85% of young customers take them straight off, but as you said, maintenance is key, but then again I have seen more than one factory nipple come off the lever side of the cable, better to be safe than sorry, I stick by my words, these brakes are dangerous as standard, if it was my bike, I would add the cable splitter mechanism, but for the same price you can get a cheap set of v brakes off ebay

[@zhoutai182]

Jon, you can just use the Tektro fork crown hanger for the front cantilever, it sits in the middle of the fork crown for that exact same reason of yours, and also works with suspension forks

[@JonCannings]

Don't worry folks. the cable hanger will be replaced with a perfect one. This was something I managed to quickly get hold of.

[@mattgies]

Glad to hear it. I was about to comment that shimming a cable hanger into place with rubber isn't cricket, no matter how tightly you wrap the rubber.

[@hughchapman5319]

Nice bit of bodgery on that headset though

[@Metal-Possum]

Bolt one to the crown of the fork please, those were available on plenty of 90's MTBs.

[@joskes123]

Good luck John, love all your build videos. Great fun

[@sonsofmatriarchy5552]

I'm still looking for tartan bartape

[@TGRacing]

I finished (-ish) my 'monster cross' conversion. I used microshift type 3 x 7 shifters (I was amazed but they worked straight away with little adjustment.) A set of flared bars, a system X quill stem adapter and System X 110mm variable stem, a Selle Italia X1C cyclo-cross saddle. Now I just need to add the bar tape and I'm finished ... for now. Test ride was a hoot with 26 inch MTB tyres. might eventually switch those out for gumwall gravel tyres. The bike cost me £20 and I reckon I've spent another £60 on it. I did the routing mistake you did at 42:25 on my road bike on a tour. Had to fix it in a hotel room on the floor.

[@waynebutler970]

I really like this, will have to go round looking in skips now for a suitable donor. Look forward to the next episode.

[@craignittolo3040]

a real delight to watch you work

[@ItachiGT]

Fantastic video, it looks so easy when someone who knows what is doing, handles it. Meanwhile I have problems getting the tires on and off the wheel rims.

[@jacksquat2067]

Thanks for posting this. I'd do this kind of thing all day if I had the choice, but I don't. So it's nice to sort of live vicariously through these videos. 😁🚴

[@mikesmith2864]

That tool is a fourth hand. The (Park) third hand is a spring steel tool to clamp the brake pads against the rim. I always preferred the VAR third hand tool, which looks like a funky C-clamp. Fourth hands also work well for tightening cable ties.

[@straight_edge]

This was a pleasure to watch! Thanks Jon and GCN!

[@alexjohnstonjohnston5374]

I worked in a bike shop in the early 90’s and we had a plastic setting tool for the cantilevers. I was fixing up my old cross bike this weekend, with some (very) retro Mafac cantilevers, and they are almost un-set-able! My cable snips are a bit second hand, so all cables and outlets were getting squished! No fun at all!!!

[@aoe76]

On my bike i used a cantilever in the back but used a v-brake with a problem solver in the front. It became very efficient and looked better as well.

[@stephenhisel9395]

Sweet build,didnt know about those rear brakes before,im going to find some of those!Have to say though,those quill to threadless adapters are god awful!If you cant find or afford a threadless fork for your bike with a one inch steer tube,you can jam the tapered end of a bmx seatpost down into the top of your fork steerer and weld them together,carefully grind it back smooth,fill the threads with metal filler and sand all smooth,you have a threadless fork that can now be cut as needed!And no,it will not come apart.

[@Jeff-bd4gg]

My favorite video from Jon to date!

[@Pastashock]

I’d love to see you build a rando/gravel/tourer. Old school French style with mafac brakes, TA Cyclotouriste crankset, full length chrome fenders and a front rack.

[@paulobrien4794]

Thanks Jon and team, this was great.

[@csobering3108]

That bike looks tidy! Now for the test ride! Hope you go for some nice flats on it.

[@davidmarshall2399]

This has me inspired, I have a old hybrid mtb that i've got up and running again to get back into the habit of commuting on a bike. Once it's a habit, the plan was to maybe go a Canyon Grail AL 7, but I'm wondering if speccing out the groupset and wheels on the old frame might not be a worthwhile way to go.

[@igorgetsin3646]

Not a mountain bike, but a hybrid. Cannondale Quick Cx 3. Replaced front suspension with CF. Changed to a hollowtech BB and better crankset. And a fresh set of panaracer tires. Also, CF flat bar.

[@bhumiriady]

Oh My Froomey! That bike looks so cool and super nice! A fantastic transformation.

[@dbanbery]

Ideas for other rejuvenations of old bikes - what about a resto mod? Reynolds frame modern wheels and modern groupset? I have done two and they are our main bikes

[@matthewlewis272]

Brilliant results I still got a Cannondale 26 inch bike frame I baught it the year 1999 I still love using it

[@mashkal2006]

Classic to modern conversion. Old 5 or 6 speed bike with down tube shifters to one with modern gears, shifters wheels and all the rest of it. I want the convinience of modern bike but on an old frameset.

[@hughchapman5319]

Pretty sure this bike would have had shifters on straight bars originally but yeah upgrading old frames with modern components makes for great bikes

[@01FozzyS]

Nah, let's just put the blame on Olie for the cables. Well done,Jon! It looks just like the Winter beater I built out of an old Rockhopper. All black with a dropbar.

[@HR-ws1rj]

Nice work Jon! You’ve transformed some decent bikes. Love these episodes. Great stuff

[@BikeItUK]

Would make a good touring bike. Great work as always thanks for the advice and inspiration. All the best Andy

[@jen3800]

great video! nice to have in depth , longer videos !

[@danielv6954]

I could watch you building bikes all day ;). The good stuff ;)

[@Mattebodra]

Please let us know how those Double Fighter work! I'm looking after them as a budget gravel tire for my bike.

[@nickkent7164]

I use these on my Kona gravel conversion. Very good results so far. Comfy and grippy. Will swap out for mud though.

[@pathurley86]

Great series, you've inspired me to refurbish my '91 British Eagle with a similar setup

[@csobering3108]

Ya, I built a 91 miyata triple cross into a drop bar gravel bike / tourer. The drive train is mostly vintage 739 xt and I used bar ends for shifting.

[@kenblair2538]

Nice work Jon. I thought about doing a 1x10 with something too. Say, that front rim, looks like it could use a little truing. KB

[@Brian-ho8uy]

Let's see a 1970's Schwinn Varsity/Continental converted to a gravel bike!

[@johnmausling3851]

Do another one of these complete bike videos like this with SRAM shifters(Double Tap) or Di Shimano please!! Nice job.

[@charlierohlfing]

That HUGE long cage on that rear mech really puts the chain and jockey wheel close to the ground. Prone to damage? I've been messing with 1X drivetrains a bit and discovered that you don't need long cage mech at all. I'm running a 1X with a 42-11 cassette and getting by with an old Dura Ace short cage rear mech. The tooth difference is only 31, and since there is no tooth difference in the front, a short cage works fine. Oh, I should mention I am using a derailleur extension, to get the whole thing low enough to get under the 42.

[@pmd7914]

Need bridges for the straddle wire so you don't go AOT when the main brake cable breaks.

[@brettgoodwin6052]

These 'gravel' bikes strongly resemble 1990's mountain bike but with drop handle bars!!

[@benspeedschannel888]

Brett Goodwin everyone trying to be John Tomac lol

[@robbchastain3036]

Gravel is just a sneaky way for roadies to go mountain biking. Socially acceptable at the coffee shop and everyone is cool with it.

[@robertcoates2752]

@@robbchastain3036 Also a sneaky way for mountain bikers to go road riding.

[@jamesowen418]

They are! Lots of mtbs used to have drop bars and others anyway , the flat bar only really started to take over in the late 80's

[@crusherbmx]

Ya, it's just a mountain bike....set up for specific riding, but so are most mountain bikes.

[@andystone5487]

I'm a little surprised you didn't run the cables round the opposite side of the head tube..... I.e. The rear shift would go round the left hand side of the head tube. If you were running both shift cables, they would cross under the downtube. This way gives you a much smoother curve and no rubbing against the head tube. 👍 I also run the plastic tubing and tailed ferrules to help keep out the muck n water..... 👍

[@dncsmedia]

Truly enjoyed the video! Thanks!

[@leebridgwater]

Really enjoyed, great show.

[@arleyramirez8323]

Very nice built 👍 beautiful bike

[@alexgeorge6561]

Did the exact same thing with the chain when swapping from a 105 mech to GRX on my Giant Revolt gravel bike. Happens to the best of us

[@davechony]

How did you choose your stem length when going to drop handlebars, to compensate for the extra reach?

[@jerrys.projects]

Just finished 80 km riding in the morning. Prepared a Proteinshake and now I saw this upload!!!

[@jerrys.projects]

life's good

[@matthaigh5296]

You could have used the stem itself as the brake cable abutment, 8mm hole in the top, 2.5mm hole in the bottom. Was done back in the day!

[@sandrochiavaroBeerCircles]

Fantastic video John!

[@RABINO822008]

Hi there! What do you think about 1024 steel for gravel cycling? Thanks!