urban setup

okay need some advice setting up my SS. I have an late 90's mongose mtb bike i want to turn into a fun city/urban bike. Just to get from point A to B and mess around on. the city would be pasadena btw...i'm moving there soon don't really know what the terrain is like.

searched the forum so i got a good idea how i'm gonna do this couple ?'s

-what would be the optimal gear setup...most sites say start at 2:1 ratio but from what i've gathered a 49x17 is kinda in the ballpark for what i'd be using it for. This is where i'm most confused

-which crankset to use...salsa i read has good ones for SS but i can't seem to find prices around, i don't need anything too fancy. is there a good online store that sells salsa?

-plan on using either the nashbar or forte ss conversion kit, is one better? the nashbar kit comes with smaller cogs 14-15- 16 and forte has 16-18-20
Forte
Nashbar

-additional stuff i was gonna buy to make it a good urban bike
Tires
Riser bar
-stem riser maybe???

so help me out what gears should i be using and how does the setup look?
Thanks,
David

 

My brother went to school in Pasadena ... Pasadena is in the foothills to the East of LA ...

So, while I recall that the the campus was on "flat" ground, figure the rest of the city isn't.

Your gearing will depend on your fitness level ...

Personally, I'd opt for the conversion kit with the larger set of cogs since it is easier to buy individual chainrings than individual cogs (you could always-or-eventually buy an LX/105 8-or-9-speed cassette & can cannibalize it for individual cogs) ...

You can us ANY crank (i.e., any BCD) ... for the time being, you could simply move the large ring to the middle position (or, since you are using a conversion "kit" you could leave it in place) ... the incline of the streets will suggest what gearing you will eventually want. You may indeed decide that a "road" crank is what you'll want to use, or not.

For the time being, use the tires that are on the bike ... let the roadway conditions you encounter dictate the replacements.

Handlebars are definitely a matter of personal preference.

 

I'd just lose all but the middle ring on the front, both deraillers, shifters and some of the chain and try it on different cogs on the back until you're close to what you liked, then you can go for perfection. I did that on an old Ross and rode it many years until it broke. Miss that bike.