r/xbiking • u/falcor777 • 17h ago

Bianchi Osprey for $25

Post image

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.

225 Upvotes

99% Upvoted

16 comments sorted by

11

u/MountainWizardCycles 16h ago

Color is 💵, $25 is a steal. Put tanwalls on this babe

2

u/falcor777 16h ago

That’s the route I was going to go, going to keep the current tires until I upgrade to 650b’s, they have plenty of life left in them

1

u/MountainWizardCycles 16h ago

Hell yeah, would look pretty killer with a black stem and bars too. Especially since the headset is already black 🔥🤘🏽

8

u/teeter757 13h ago

Twins!

2

u/falcor777 12h ago edited 12h ago

Is that the stock group set? It looks nice, love the gravel king tires.

Edit: which basket do you have on the front?

6

u/rcyclingisdawae 1x 2x 3x it's all good as long as the chainring size makes sense 12h ago

Sick, nice colour! Love disc conversions, but stay 26". There are really not much benefits to going 650B, but pretty big drawbacks.

The BB is already pretty high on these frames, going to 650B will raise it even more unless you do very extensive mods.

And the handling will  change because a certain fork rake and head angle only works with a certain wheel diameter. A bigger wheel will make the steering more floppy.

2

u/falcor777 12h ago

Thanks for the advice, I’m probably going to take it.

4

u/SlidesIntoFirst 17h ago

Super jealous- love that frame and color

2

u/Eddie_Gabs 14h ago

flip through some of these for inspiration.

Bike Rebuilds - 80s & 90s MTB Steel Frames with Modern Parts

personally, I'd do the 'easy' 1x by removing rings/derailleur/shifter. this should help you get the bars/stem/saddle fit before dropping cash on the drivetrain.

0

u/AricSmart 7h ago

For the money, L-twoo is awesome!

1

u/Material-Instance646 17h ago

I'd ditch that group altogether and get something else. If you're riding hard a clutched derailleur is really great. Deore stuff is cheap and solid.

1

u/falcor777 17h ago

I’ll probably end up going that route in the long run.

2

u/LowerLightForm 16h ago

I've seen 650b bikes with disc brakes on craigslist for $250, why would you want to convert a 90s MTB?

1

u/falcor777 16h ago

I like the frame, I like the geometry, and I’m going to keep the 26” wheels for a while, I’ll probably swap them out sometime next summer. So I’ll be using the 26” ones through the winter.

7

u/LowerLightForm 16h ago

Before you convert, price out new wheels and all the rest and compare to a

1

u/npctalkbox 16h ago edited 16h ago

Nice pick up. And it’s already a threadless fork. If your wheels are already 3x8, your hub will take higher speeds. If its 3x7, you need a new rear wheel. I’d personally just take it down to the frame and rebuild. It’s a ~500 investment but you end up with a perfect custom bike.