Has anyone built a Gravel bike using a retro frame

jimo746":8ya8n6i1 said:

GCN are converting a retro Saracen mtb frame into a "Grahvel" bike.
Parts 1 & 2 are on YouTube...

https://youtu.be/K-NGiqdxDGc

https://youtu.be/2Cm9tA1zRgM

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ultrazenith":1hy0ltfe said:

... which they're too young (or lack the trail skills) to know how to ride properly...

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bjellys":2juv3hy2 said:

Has anyone built a Gravel bike using a retro frame if you have can I see some photos please also was it a worthwhile project or should I stick to riding retro mtb

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mr-mac":jenco60h said:

Here is a crazy thought for a gravel bike....

Take an old 27” wheel road bike almost always very relaxed geometry in say 531 so fairly light but strong and comfortable.

Now there are some ok 27x1 1/4 tyres but I am thinking use a 27.5 rim with gravel tyres and one steel frame can easy add disc brake mounts. There would easy be room for the 27.5 rim if the bike you buy was designed for mudguards and originally used long reach brakes.

Plus 27” wheel bikes/frames are cheap....

In fact one of my fave bikes ever was one I bought for £10 out local paper when I was 18 and needed a bike to get 6 miles to work. Bare in mind I knew nothing about bikes. It was a crap, painted white by hand, scrapped and crap looking thing but was cheap and worked.... years later I realised it wasn’t as crap as I assumed, was an old 27” wheeled 531 frame, cinelli stem, cinelli bars, stronglite cranks, suntour ratchet levers, 27” alloy rims on campag hubs, campag saddle, campag leather saddle and shimano AX derailleurs and cassette. However due to 531 and nice relaxed geometry it would chew up the miles with comfort and so well. I mean it was early 90’s and nobody wanted road bikes and it looked so crap I could leave it outside a pub in city centre without a lock on a regular basis and it never walked...... but it was brilliant and actually well kitted out.

Would have been ideal with 27.5 rims and gravel tyres and a few other tweaks to make it a gravel bike. Long arm derailleur and triple group at front if needed...

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jimo746":6y1wh4ek said:

Well this guy did the Silk Road race on an old Bridgestone with M730 parts on it, just goes to show that the old bikes can still compete, maybe not win, but can still hold their own

https://bikepacking.com/bikes/conans-19 ... tone-mb-1/

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jimo746":kg1fn6o0 said:

Well this guy did the Silk Road race on an old Bridgestone with M730 parts on it, just goes to show that the old bikes can still compete, maybe not win, but can still hold their own

https://bikepacking.com/bikes/conans-19 ... tone-mb-1/

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