[johnbryanpeters]

I was driving along today and in one of those free stuff piles that you see by the road in Vermont there was a mountain bike that didn't look quite like the typical Walmart discard. I was headed to do something and hauling a trailer, so I continued on, but decided to head back to take a look when I had finished my errand.

It was still there when I got back, a black and gray Bridgestone Comp, cantis, 3 x 7, rock ring, bright red bar ends, bar-o-rust chain, rotted tires, Deore thumbies. Couldn't pass it up.

I took it home and found a couple of tires, needed rim tape, for which electrical tape served, took some pliers and oil to the chain, wiped off some grease, discovering that the front sprockets were the dreaded Bio-Pace. Adjusted the headset, which was way overdue.

In a half an hour or so, I was cruising up and down the road, accompanied by clunks and hiccups every time some of the stiffer links arrived at the shifter. I think I'll get a new chain tomorrow, and patch the rear tube, which doesn't hold air so well - this bike feels like it was somebody's baby some years back and it deserves some TLC and to be ridden.

J

 

[Wumpus]

 

[mcA896]

pics pleeeeeease

 

[wooglin]

Single that baby up and you're good to go. You might think twice about the 130mm sussy fork though.....

 

[henrymiller]

pics pleeeeeease

I second that.

Does the bike have a number, e.g. MB-1, MB-2, MB-3, etc...

 

[mcA896]

where did a 130mm fork come into play?

 

[The Kadvang]

Oooh biopace! Score. Pics si'l vous plait.

 

[johnbryanpeters]

I second that.

Does the bike have a number, e.g. MB-1, MB-2, MB-3, etc...

MB-3. Fuzzy pics are forthcoming. :dancing:

J

 

[johnbryanpeters]

pics pleeeeeease

Here ya go...

 

[splat]

John
you should have told me while We were at monkey fest I could have taken some real nice pics of it , even some with you riding it .

Actually I guess I'll go back through my pics and see if I have any of you riding it.

 

[johnbryanpeters]

If I'm going to ride it much more, I've got to replace the BioPace chainrings. I find them very uncomfortable, especially in the rough stuff - throws off my timing.

Also seems pretty high geared, with 26-36-46 rings.

J

 

[RhinofromWA]

Leave teh BioPace ring on! You need to keep that engineering marvel alive and kicking. It does not deserve to just be discarded.

LOL

Sweet bike (privous own of 1988ish DB Ascent with BioPace rings (Exage Mountain groupo) U-brake below the chain stay and all.

 

[RhinofromWA]

If I'm going to ride it much more, I've got to replace the BioPace chainrings. I find them very uncomfortable, especially in the rough stuff - throws off my timing.

Also seems pretty high geared, with 26-36-46 rings.

J

That is just a normal std ring set up right? It was prior Compact drive.

You should keep the rings on. It is what makes the bike "special" Also is a good converstional peice for parties. If Honda's DH bike can have square rings........

 

[johnbryanpeters]

This is a real dilemma for me. I'd really like to keep it stock, since virtually everything on it seems to be original. But I like to ride, too.

From hubs to shifters, everything's Deore SLX; most of it has the original stickers intact. Rims, stem, bars, and grips are Ritchey. Actually, here are the specs:

A921542 on bottom bracket
26 x 2.1 Panaracer Dart front
26 x 2.2 Specialized Cannibal rear
Tranz-X bar ends, red.
Shimano XLR cantilever brakes
Rock-Ring
Deore SLX thumbies
Deore SLX derailleurs
Ritchey Vantage rims
Deore SLX hubs
Gary Fisher leather seat.
SAHAL (?) pedals
Ritchey contoured grips.
BioPace rings, 26-36-4(?6?)
Hyperglide cassette, 12-14-16-18-21-28, 400 kg-cm torque

 

[RhinofromWA]

This is a real dilemma for me. I'd really like to keep it stock, since virtually everything on it seems to be original. But I like to ride, too.

From hubs to shifters, everything's Deore SLX; most of it has the original stickers intact. Rims, stem, bars, and grips are Ritchey.

The main draw of that bike is it's almost a time machine. It is what we rode before everything we have now.

The soul of the bike is in the components. If you want a new bike with an old frame then it will be closer to what you are used to but it won't have that special "it" factor of original components. I woul tear it down and inspect the parts and clean regrease and adjust it back to operate well and leave it as that. Heck it is almost a museum peice.

Antique motorcycles are never worth more than when they have their original parts. Restored ones are pretty but it is rare to have a working antique beast. Much like it sounds like you have there.

Example: You can put a sycro gear box in an antique motorcycle but then it doesn't have that tell tale "crash box" sounds and feal...some of the magic is lost, even if it works better with the new technology.

You have a Gem in the rough....just shine her up.

 

[johnbryanpeters]

I have gotten some education in the cleaning and fixing. The rear brakes were now working well, squealed, pads worn out. I completely disassembled them this weekend, cleaned them in solvent, read Barnetts Chapter 36, and straightened a significantly bent pivot pin on the drive side.

Adjusting the pads on cantilever brakes has always driven me nuts - fighting the springs while tring to align and tighten everything. This time I dry-assembled them with the springs out, made my adjustments, then greased and installed the springs. Worked very well, and so do the brakes now.

I was out of bicycling from say 1978 to 1998, so I missed a bunch of mountain bike component evolution. My first ride when I got back into it was a 7 x 3 with indexed shifting.

The shifters are pretty beat up - the owner must have taken quite a fall or falls. Anybody got a decent pair of SLX thumbies in their parts pile?

J

 

[RhinofromWA]

I have gotten some education in the cleaning and fixing. The rear brakes were now working well, squealed, pads worn out. I completely disassembled them this weekend, cleaned them in solvent, read Barnetts Chapter 36, and straightened a significantly bent pivot pin on the drive side.

Adjusting the pads on cantilever brakes has always driven me nuts - fighting the springs while tring to align and tighten everything. This time I dry-assembled them with the springs out, made my adjustments, then greased and installed the springs. Worked very well, and so do the brakes now.

I was out of bicycling from say 1978 to 1998, so I missed a bunch of mountain bike component evolution. My first ride when I got back into it was a 7 x 3 with indexed shifting.

The shifters are pretty beat up - the owner must have taken quite a fall or falls. Anybody got a decent pair of SLX thumbies in their parts pile?

J

The shifters work? Do they just look bad or do they not work at all? Hmmm I remember Suntour XE (or something) shifters being the stuff back then....any thumb shifter should work.... indexed for 7sp of course.

 

[Rip]

Nice.

 

[johnbryanpeters]

They work. Cap's a little bashed on one and missing on the other. I need to go to bike flea markets, I guess.

 

[Skookum]

isn't there something in the bible about fixin up poor lost bikeys get's you thru the pearly gates or somethin?
JonnyB you tryin to play Mother Theresa for unwanted bikeys here or somethin?