Do it all / adventure bike?

Heavy

Retro Guru
I own a number of mountain bikes from 1985 to present day, but haven't owned a 'racer' since the early 80s so my knowledge is very limited.

My son recently bought a new 'adventure' / 'gravel' bike - a Saracen Hack, which he is really enjoying. This basically seems to be a road/cyclocross/tourer/mountain bike hybrid.

I've been thinking of buying something similar, in order to keep up with him, but I'm now wondering if this is an opportunity to get some more retro in my life? I do however want modern creature comforts.

So, would I be able to take a retro tourer or cyclocross f&f - add some modern components and create a go almost anywhere, retro/mod all day bike?

What are your thoughts, ideas, benefits or snags? If a spec list or bike springs to mind - let me know.

TIA.
 
It's a great and easily doable idea!
Early 90's MTBs make brilliant go-anywhere, do-anything tourers. They will take tyres from 1.2" all the way up to 2.1. Most have braze-ons for racks and lugs. I have ridden on four continents on my converted 1990 Marin Palisades.

There is a retrobike touring thread which should give some inspiration!
 
Not done it myself, but I imagine any 700c 531 or similar frame with mudguard eyelets then run 650b wheels and tyres
 
Re:

There is a huge range of adventure / gravel tyres now available for 700c wheels, so a CX frame with the correct dropout width and enough tyre clearance can easily be pressed into gravel bike service.

I run mine 1 x 10 with a huge cassette and MTB mech.TT shifter and Absolute Black chainring. It is on Panaracer Gravel King SK 35 tyres and was supposed to be tubeless, but at present has tubes. Modern CX canti's are outstanding, better than V brakes by a long way, mine are FSA.

DSCN1346.JPG
 
Re:

Thanks for your replies - some cool bikes there.

I've got my year 2000 Canondale F series set up as a commuter with narrow tyres, guards & rack, so I think I'd like to have my new bike to be cyclocross based.

I like the sound of wide ranging 1x gears.

Thanks folks.
 
Re:

Thanks for your replies - some cool bikes there.

I've got my year 2000 Canondale F series set up as a commuter with narrow tyres, guards & rack, so I think I'd like to have my new bike to be cyclocross based.

I like the sound of wide ranging 1x gears.

Thanks folks.
 
hamster":1acdd2ki said:
Do the maths with 1x gears, they have less range than most doubles.

Only at either extremes of the range, I sat down and worked it out.

If I had the gearing set up so that it matched either a road bike or an mtb... then I might just as well have a road bike or mtb, so I set it up with a good spread that would allow me a little of both.
 
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