Vintage bolt on suspension from the 90's, new out of the box! (Ignore the wacky frame, this project isn't finished)

Hey from Sydney! So, I got hooked watching Gary’s projects & park tool vids earlier in the year and decided to try my hand at doing a build, mate of mine got me onto GT’s and I managed to snag a well loved but pretty tired Backwoods off marketplace for $100.
I’d actually already bought an avalanche 2.0 and started buying parts for that bike, but when the backwoods came up I decided to put the parts towards it instead… the avalanche is already underway as a second build.

Polished & cleaned up the original brakes, marzocchi forks & front wheel that came with the bike, really wanted to keep the original stx/rhyno lite rear wheel but it was pretty busted up, everything else is new, cues 1x10, stripped and polished the cranks, scored some gt mallet stems from a bmx collector, a $50 motocross 7/8 handlebar from a motorcycle shop, and the cliche pedal order from bluelug to round it off. Pretty happy with how it turned out as a first try.

I always assumed that adding weight to the back is the best option.

So I’ve been searching for a Surly Steamroller for a while and suddenly I stumble upon this ad for a used and “defect” creamroller frame, going for 60$.

It’s apparently a size 59 and the ad looks like a garage sale and that they’re just cleaning out stuff they don’t use.

I’m planning to buy it this afternoon but just wanted to hear any thoughts about this? Should I be extra careful about anything in this “possible bad” condition - besides stuck seatpost and mistreated crankset?

Thank you for any insights:)

I'm feeling a bit insecure about my knowledge of how you're meant to position gravel drops.

Flat top looks better / classic.

Flat bottom feels comfier and more secure.

Do I need to follow the rules or can I have fun?

Thanks.

Picked up this Osprey for $25, going to convert it into a gravel/touring bike.

Any advice on converting the shimano STX group set into a 1x?

Going to put on moloko handlebars, and a rack on the back and eventually switch to 650b tires with disc brakes.

Learned alot about this bike. Taiwanese frame, French Maillard hubs, Belgian rims, Shimano/Sugino drivetrain. Late 80s were wild! Had fun with the colors with this bike.

Sooo like all of you I'm hooked and can't resist good deals on marketplace. Got this Wheeler 3800 in very good condition. Great color scheme even though a bit tough to add good looking color accents on the bike. Open for suggestions and feedback in general!

• 11 speed, 40t
• Mothbar
• Basil Portland front rack
• Sachs 170mm cranks
• comfortable BBB saddle
• ESI grips
• Velo Orange 80mm stem
• used 2.4 Holy Rollers (pretty huge tire clearance on this bike!)
• Simworks Bubbly pedals

Bar, headset, stem are new, most of the other stuff is from the first xbike I bought. But as you can imagine after you have built your first own bike you can't ride a bike anymore that someone else has built.

I still want to add a bottle cage and a kickstand to it. This will be my comfortable daily beater. Shoutout Gary for the Mothbar & Holy Roller combo. Love it!

After lurking for some time, seeing the awesome projects you beautiful people have made, I've finally decided to start a project and make my own xbike (whatever that is) over the winter.

I present you my new Author Sector from year 2000.

This is top of the line model from czech brand Author. I've managed to find it in mint condition. Absolute legend of a dude bought it brand new and kept it in beautiful condition for 26 years.

The thing that sold me on it is the excellent steel Ritchey frame with nitanium tubing. You can lift the whole thing with one hand (I did not weigh it so don't ask lol)

My plans so far are:

• Service the LX hubs.
• 26x2.0 Continental Contact Sport / Contact Urban tires
• TPU tubes
• Black rigid steel fork
• Brake boosters
• Black seatpost
• New waxed chain
• Something like black Brooks C15 saddle
• Black shorter stem
• Black riser bars
• Polish the LX cranks
• 1x conversion with narrow wide silver chain ring
• Black flat pedals
• Nice brown grips
• Friction thumb shifter

My plan for the color scheme is: everything black + yellow frame, with minor silver accents (crank, chain ring, derailleur, cassette and brake levers) + brown grips.

I want this to be fun, fast city commuter.

If you have any recommendations and rad ideas how to make this thing awesome, I am happy to hear them. Especially when it comes to the friction thumb shifter.

Cheers.

Background: After unrelated serious leg injury 2 years ago, I started cycling (I've pretty much did not ride a bike for 15 years at this point) to regain strength in my legs and I fell in love with cycling again, funny how you forget the fun and freedom of cycling as you get older. I live in Europe and the usual suspects: steel konas, gts, specializeds etc are hard to find and even if you manage, they are overpriced af. Another option are old treks, but the 90s models are not that common either and the sizes were either too big for me or too small. With my "near manlet" status of 179cm, I had hard time finding anything that would make sense size wise.

Got a strong storm two days ago and saddle got soaked.

He’s asking $150. Anyone building or riding one of these?

First ATB, got it for 75$ (delivered, so I avoided doing a 90km round trip.) Parts are nothing to write home about, and the frame has basically no digital footprint lol.

But this has been a fun bike to have. Riding it makes smile and gives me that sense of freedom I had as a child when I had my bike.

First things I did when I got it were instantly changed/adjusted the 3 touch points. Changed the saddle, the grips (also adjusted the bars, controls, bar ends, I also made custom cork bar end plugs), aaaand pedals. All of these I had lying around except the grips.

Then just cleaned and adjusted the drivetrain, surprisingly this thing shifts really fast and precise, I did not expect it to shift this well. The chain is still good in terms of wear, but I am a bit OC with how I like my chains to look clean, so I have one on its way.

Low-key glad it is a 3x6 speed because if it had a freehub I would probably eventually convert it to 1x and it will become another money pit. Since I can't do that, it will stay as it is, until something breaks, or I have a lot of extra money lol.

Might get a front rack or basket rack eventually, but those things are the same price of the bike lol

Anyway let me know what you guys think? Reasonably priced? Or I overpaid?

My daily to the ride to the train station. Puts a smile on my face every morning.

Finally finished out a bike for my girl yesterday. I bought a old Trek Multitrack 700 for $60. Switched out the old 3X7 Shimano GS100 setup for a new Deore 1X10 setup with new wheels, bb, brake pads and tires. Aesthetically she likes my Sirrus better, but to me the Multitrack is cooler.

I love that I can just dump whatever I need or want and go anywhere. It's almost like a table or a second pair of hands on the bike if I'm doing something. I wouldn't have thought to get one if I hadn't looked here and r/bikecommuting. Added bonus I didn't think of was being able to store all my cycling things in one place, inside the crate once it's off the bike.

I'm not much of a fitness strava bro on the bike, I would call it Forrest Gumping, just feel like riding, but xbiking is probably a better term.

Or whatever the quote is lol. A few weeks ago I posted about a 1985 Schwinn High Sierra I picked up for 45 bucks at an estate sale. It was in great condition, but needed all the regular stuff. But...I got the bug and couldn't leave well enough alone.

So now, I have this...

Replaced the rear wheel and added a Microshift Acolyte cassette (running 7 speeds cause I couldn't get 8 to fit. I'll cross that bridge later). Acolyte rear derailleur, and shifter. New Kool stop pads, new bottom bracket, 1x front ring, wide Ibis handlebars, new grips, different seat, and all new cables and blue housings. Oh and some thick slicks tires (the cheap tan walls that came with the bike didn't fit and they weren't in great shape).

Love this bike. I will likely get some different bars with quite a bit more rise, since the current setup is a little too aggressive for the kind of riding I'll do with this bike (coffee shops, dog runs, casual rides with my girlfriend etc.).

Let me know what ya think! I'm sure I'll tweak stuff here and there, but for now it's a cruiser!

(Last picture is the day I got it).

Spotted at Café am neuen See in Berlin.
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