Modernising 'old' frame..

Great! I think you've had positive replies as it sounds like you know what you are doing, like you have a solid committed plan so that's ace, also you are getting it done professionally. 1997 is kind of mid skool so you can go either way, and why not make it more rideable, specially if it's not a full on classic. I wouldn't do it to my 94 Orange Prestige as it's retro to me as is and occasional novelty, but my 1997 DMR has tabs and V studs and annoying cable guides only! not chopping the studs or guides off this one though (yet) as its staying in its original survivor paint... (for now!) Cable disc it is..

Project sounds great, defo need pics and a thread for it.

And yep colour bits are hard to come by especially green, and matching. I've been hoarding some SRP bolts which I may consider selling...

Noooooooo !!!!! You're going to burn in hell for eternity !!! That's blasphemy.

Cantilevrus (the Roman God of slowness) said : "Vobis non fugabit discus im Retro cyclus."
Or in English "Thou shalt not put discs on a retro bike"


In all seriousness, I've recently taken delivery of a steel Sbike and plan on doing the same thing. I just need to figure out how on earth I'm going to get the brakes on there and then find me a framebuilder. Apparently there are none over here, so I'll probably end up in the UK.
If only I could find Dr.S .

Do it , I would have done the same on my E3 had it been steel but had to make do with a bit of cunning engineering on an old Hope set up but it works.
If making a few changes keeps the bike ridden then it can only be a good thing.
Matthew

Blasphemy eh ? Try this ....



I have tried really I have to be faithful to Retro and much as I love the old kit, the modern stuff is well .... um .... better.
This forum is responsible for making me feel bad like this (in a good way) and I so admire the beautiful creations people have made as fresh out of the box originals as projects or pieces of art and kudos to those who actually ride them too.
I have a lovely old Dynatech Diablo waiting to be my attempt (again) as homage to Retroness after my failed previous attempts like the Merlin above but despite having a set of LX cantis, thumbies, ridiculously narrow flat bars, barends and wheels which have a braking surface all lined up and ready I know it'll be built up ridden once or twice like that and then retromodded with modern parts as its a bike I want to keep to enjoy riding.
Its yours .... do what you like with it and enjoy.

Completely agree that discs are the way ahead, my 94 lava dome causes plenty of upset amongst the purists as its got a modern fork and discs. From my point of view its now got suspension that works and brakes that work, bit with old school geometry.

That Kona is gorgeous.

I've got an old 'Dale that I keep mean to rebuild so I can use it, it won't get discs because its an ali frame but will get riser bars modernist forks and tyres to make it usable.

It's current Pace RC35's are rubbish, the canti brakes and original Hope cable disc suck too. It's all stuff that was cutting edge when the bike was first put together, but just doesn't work like more modern stuff.

It depends really, When I built my first retro, the feeling was brilliant, the fear of just riding down a dry rocky path with canti's and rigid fat blade forks had me bouncing around with arms burning slightly worried of losing control, total nostalgia! Loved it!
After a few retro rides though I was already thinking of a 'Winter bike' and the practicalities and performance wants I learnt about all went into building my various practical and impractical moderns!
I don't get out as much as I'd like so it seems to work having retros as retros and moderns (with the best of retro engineered in - other way round ).

It makes sense though if you've lived with a bike for years though or it's an expensive bike you love riding and just want to improve. Or a bike you are just wanting to have the best of both.

Same thing happens with cars, guys chase nostalgia and then end up with a performance car with modern add ons, it's a trade off or choice really I suppose.

Reanimation - that's exactly the point! My 'inspiration' if you like is the old 30's and 40's cars that were hot-rodded in the 50's in the states.
I mean, everyone acknowledges that (frankly) the Jag E-type was rubbish, so hence people modernise some - tastefully - to make them actually usable!

Compared to U-brakes and rigid forks, V's and elastomers were great, but these days they just don't cut it.

My rationale is that if I want to USE the bike (and I do!), I don't want to be thinking 'oh, it's a real crappy day today, better take out the full-sus dics bike so I know I won't stack it at the first wet muddy corner' and I don't want to be sat at the start of a trail thinking 'damn, better take this carefully, in case I damage this fortune of precise retro NOS'..

I think that bikes in original or in showroom condition have their place, but that's not why I got into this whole mountain biking lark in the first place. When I started, I loved my retro (modern at the time!) rigid Saracen, but these days I think that a combination of the two is probably best.

So the Voodoo will NOT have 10sp, will NOT have Octalink, will NOT be modified to 1.5" forks, and will have nice sensible 100mm SID's and QR all-round, and hopefully will be the craziest thing on 2 wheels I've ever owned!
Still waiting on the paintwork to be finished, but If you search Google for 'Scirocco Green' then you have an idea of the colour..

If anyone knows of any decent parts that are available in a similar colour PLEASE let me know!!

I'm looking at transferring all my bits from the broke bike to a new frame and really want to try some old steel but one thing keeps me from plumping for an old frame is the stem issue.

Dvatark- did that frame come with a 1" or 1 1/8" headset and if 1" how do you get around the 'modern' fork issue?

You'd really have to be going back to early 90's or before to not find a 1+1/8" headset..
My 1997 bikes are both 1+1/8" and have no problem - apart from geometry - with 1+1/8" 'modern' forks. That Kona above is 1+1/8 ( for example ).

The bigger issues are things like seatpost diameter & needing to find mechs or shims that will shim larger modern mechs to old tubing, and in some old frames the inability to use 'fat' tyres (if that's your thing..) due to narrow stays, and the odd awkward narrow seatpost diameters..

An old frame will normally happily take more modern V's/Magura brakes, threadless headset, and kind of BB you like, and many short-travel forks. - Hence the Voodoo project!