Upgrades to entry level MTBs and Comfort Bikes

gclark8

Yes, Most of the weight came off the tyres, the steel stem and bars and steel seat post. However for the bars I used the Rabbi, circumcision rather than alloy, maintaining some dead weight over the front axle.

I will try the e_mail again over the weekend and send some ideas off to ozylynx.

__________________
Cheers,
George.

gclark8

Bike Finished!

Jackie chose the Red Soft Foam Grips, looks good, there are red flashes on the frame tubes.

Weight could have been lower by choosing a lighter Seat Post, Seat Clamp and alloy bars, but still around 12.5kg on the old bathroom scales with the rack and two bottle cages.

Next, have a rest for a few days...

__________________
Cheers,
George.

BikeBloke

Sounds like a great project George!

Have you got any pics to show us?

__________________
Cheers,

Bloke on a bike
(Perth, Western Australia)

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
2005 Giant CRX4 with:
Continental Gator Skin tyres - 700x23C
Shimano M324 pedals
Satori steerer tube extender
Selle Italia FLX Gel Flow seat
Vetta RT88 cycle computer
2 aluminium bottle cages
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

gclark8

Sorry, no digital camera.

It will be here until Sunday Night, you are welcome to call over and have a look. Jackie decided not to transport it home in the rain tonight.


Another little project today:
Giant Boulder, 2004, Ladies 17", rigid forks:
Previously I had changed the tyres to 26x1.5" Duro City Slicks, 65psi.
Re-fitted a Uno Suspension Seat Post and Adaptor,
Swapped a 7 speed 14-28 spin on cartridge for a 11-28,
Cut 40mm off the bars,
Reset the seat height, forward position and the lever angle to get a better fit for the lady. Now quite a quick ladies bike for the local paths. (48-11 top gear and slicks)

__________________
Cheers,
George.

gclark8

We have pix!

Thanks to Jackie's #2 son, a camera!

See previous posts, #1 or #2 for a full list of parts.

Attached Thumbnails

       

__________________
Cheers,
George.

artemidorus

May I utter some heresy? I've picked up Amoeba Scud drop bars and CF ( ) Scud stem from the City Bike Depot sale for $135. Bar tape from ProBikeKit for ~$10. "Old" 105 9spd shifters from my road bike, slightly scratched from a crash, free. All with the intention of turning my 7spd 1992 cromo steel, rigid-fork "MTB" into a full 559mm-wheel tourer. But I can't bring myself to take the flat bar off! I'm too fond of the bike as it is.
What I have done, however, is to fit a 9spd rear shifter, 9spd chain, narrow-type RD jockey wheels and 8 sprockets from a 9spd road cassette to make an 8spd bike, a la Sheldon Brown. (Faithful thumbshifters are finally gone). Beaver Tail mudguards. New v-brake on the front to replace the narrow-profile centre-pull cantilever. 1.3 Contact Sport tyres.
Now it goes like a dream, although (heresy) not quite like my road bike. Great for loads and the wet. I'm just trying to find all the bolts and brackets for my old Low-rider front rack, and I'll have the perfect commuting cargo beast.

BikeBloke

A month ago, I thought I was in the market for a drop-bar racebike, until...

...I realised that the flat bar & rapid fire shifters suit me better.

I have no regrets that I resisted the temptation of fashion!

__________________
Cheers,

Bloke on a bike
(Perth, Western Australia)

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
2005 Giant CRX4 with:
Continental Gator Skin tyres - 700x23C
Shimano M324 pedals
Satori steerer tube extender
Selle Italia FLX Gel Flow seat
Vetta RT88 cycle computer
2 aluminium bottle cages
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

gclark8

This was one of the decisions I made with the Upland, to stay with 7, go for 8 of 9 or go full 9.

I bought a new RM30-8 Freehub Body from Shimano to do the 7 to 8/9 conversion, however after finding the Sunrace Road Cassette in 7 speed 11-24, I decided to stay with 7 speed to keep the price down and see how she goes on it for a bit. No complaints so far.

__________________
Cheers,
George.

artemidorus

My 7spd chain, 7spd cassette, upper jockey wheel and middle chainring were fried anyway, so I was looking at expense one way or the other. I actually had bought cassette and chain as spares for my road bike, and had bought a shifter set to put the front shifter on my partner's bike, so I had all the stuff sitting around anyway. Damned if I wanted to pay top dollar for new, mid-range 7spd stuff.
I had bought a used 9spd LX hub to build a 9spd wheel, but I'm in no hurry to do that now, as the 8spd set-up works beautifully. When my 14 year old deore dx hub finally dies (it's showing no sign of imminent demise), I'll build a new 9spd wheel.

artemidorus

Drop bars ain't fashion, they're great. I'd have no qualms about giving the flat bars the chop if this were a new bike (not that you can buy such a bike very easily these days). I'm just ridiculously sentimental about my old bike. It was my first adult bike.

Little Jackie

To have drops or flats is not necessarily about fashion. I have found that there is a toll to my shoulders and neck riding the drop bars (I am not as young as I used to be), though I have got George to put a stem extension in and raise them somewhat. Haven't had a good ride since then, but my shoulders were already aching the day I test rode it and they didn't feel any worse!

__________________
Jackie

Road Bike: Felt F100

XS Ladies Giant Upland (modified)- see it go!
http://www.cyclingforums.com/t363004.html

eldavo

Hi all, a newbie to the forum here, my first post.
I just bought a pair of new Uplands in matt black, a 19" for myself and 17" for the gf on my birthday, before the long weekend.
I have a Giant Sedona AL (2003) I was considering servicing/maintaining/11-24 rear cassette, but decided for the time and money I'd get a new bike at the same time as the gf was getting hers.

I find the 12 rear 48 front top gears tall enough for my current unfitness compared to the 14 rear 48 front of the Sedona. After reading this thread and other talk, I decided to try slick 1.5" width rim/tyres over the 1.95" stock since I will be cycling 50-60km daily (or as frequent as is convenient) commute. I figure I have the dirt tyres/tubes on the Sedona I can fit for any dirt trails with other friends.

The following have made their way onto the Upland
- I put the suspension seat from the Sedona
- the century profile touring bar I had on the Iguana/Sedona vertically instead of horizontal and without elbow/forearm pads, to provide a cruisy comfort upright grab position until I can ride fast enough for fancy-no-hands again.
- the Cateye Velo basic trip computer from the Sedona will go onto the Upland when I get some replacement baby zip ties
- the chromed steel rack now rusty my Dad used since the mid 80's on his Repco Trekker racer style bike which I've used on Iguana/Sedona
- the fluoro green saddle bags and basic repair kits he also had from same era on the rear rack
- the giant bottle cage and compact pump mount from Sedona
- the Sedona rear axle (Joytech brand) slightly longer than the Upland's Shimano axle, which wasn't long enough with the rack mounts taking up length.
- rear flasher k-mart origin pinched from my sister's unusd k-mart red-rock brand MTB (my dad's k-mart one I used have lost the mount)
- front cateye halogen 4xAA with 6xD cell bottle cage booster pack from my Iguana era, will be retired when I source a cheap light duty LED with flash modes.
- paid for tyre liners at assembly (not hoping to find out if they are actually in there or not!)

The bars aren't as high and comfortable reach as the Sedona, I thought this would be a problem, but with the unicorn-like touring bar positioned upright it gives me the best of both worlds, lower and look down at the ground pedalling, or upright relaxed enjoy the view.

I remember the reason I got the Sedona was the Iguana's MTB ergonomics meant a sore back of neck from having shoulders down, but head tilted up maximum to see ahead while supporting torso on bars. I still find that now in the 2hrs I've ridden the Upland, which is when I sit up comfy and go for the high middle bar. Great when the wind is at your back, more comfort AND speed

So far this upgrade hasn't cost me much, using parts from the Sedona, tyres swapped at build, accessories from past bikes, leaving the cost of the Upland and tyre inserts (~$320). I will fit the Upland bits (seat, axle) to the Sedona to have a comfort MTB ready to go for rarer dirt trail rides, adjustable bar to 50 degree upright position to take in the bush scenery.

eldavo

Hi all, a newbie to the forum here, my first post.
I just bought a pair of new Uplands in matt black, a 19" for myself and 17" for the gf on my birthday, before the long weekend.
I have a Giant Sedona AL (2003) I was considering servicing/maintaining/11-24 rear cassette, but decided for the time and money I'd get a new bike at the same time as the gf was getting hers.

I find the 12 rear 48 front top gears tall enough for my current unfitness compared to the 14 rear 48 front of the Sedona. After reading this thread and other talk, I decided to try slick 1.5" width rim/tyres over the 1.95" stock since I will be cycling 50-60km daily (or as frequent as is convenient) commute. I figure I have the dirt tyres/tubes on the Sedona I can fit for any dirt trails with other friends.

The following have made their way onto the Upland
- I put the suspension seat from the Sedona
- the century profile touring bar I had on the Iguana/Sedona vertically instead of horizontal and without elbow/forearm pads, to provide a cruisy comfort upright grab position until I can ride fast enough for fancy-no-hands again.
- the Cateye Velo basic trip computer from the Sedona will go onto the Upland when I get some replacement baby zip ties
- the chromed steel rack now rusty my Dad used since the mid 80's on his Repco Trekker racer style bike which I've used on Iguana/Sedona
- the fluoro green saddle bags and basic repair kits he also had from same era on the rear rack
- the giant bottle cage and compact pump mount from Sedona
- the Sedona rear axle (Joytech brand) slightly longer than the Upland's Shimano axle, which wasn't long enough with the rack mounts taking up length.
- rear flasher k-mart origin pinched from my sister's unusd k-mart red-rock brand MTB (my dad's k-mart one I used have lost the mount)
- front cateye halogen 4xAA with 6xD cell bottle cage booster pack from my Iguana era, will be retired when I source a cheap light duty LED with flash modes.
- paid for tyre liners at assembly (not hoping to find out if they are actually in there or not!)

The bars aren't as high and comfortable reach as the Sedona, I thought this would be a problem, but with the unicorn-like touring bar positioned upright it gives me the best of both worlds, lower and look down at the ground pedalling, or upright relaxed enjoy the view.

I remember the reason I got the Sedona was the Iguana's MTB ergonomics meant a sore back of neck from having shoulders down, but head tilted up maximum to see ahead while supporting torso on bars. I still find that now in the 2hrs I've ridden the Upland, which is when I sit up comfy and go for the high middle bar. Great when the wind is at your back, more comfort AND speed

So far this upgrade hasn't cost me much, using parts from the Sedona, tyres swapped at build, accessories from past bikes, leaving the cost of the Upland and tyre inserts (~$320). I will fit the Upland bits (seat, axle) to the Sedona to have a comfort MTB ready to go for rarer dirt trail rides, adjustable bar to 50 degree upright position to take in the bush scenery.

gclark8

Well done Davo!

It is nice to see someone else appreciates the value of the Upland as a base bike. Post a pix if you have a camera.

__________________
Cheers,
George.