We have many customers who are getting back on their bike after many years of not riding for a variety of reasons. Oftentimes they find that they’ve either grown a lot or can’t (or don’t want to) bend over as much, so they either raise their handlebars beyond the safe limit and risk their lives, they might stop riding altogether or think that they need to buy a new bike.
Well, if this resonates with you or you know of someone who might benefit from this please read on and/or share! There are many ways to get a higher more comfortable riding position without risking your life! Here are some of the many options we have for you in stock.
Note: some of these options might require some re-working of your brake/ shift cabling; it all depends on your current bike and how it was set up. We’re happy to give your bike a close look and a free estimate to make it fit your better.
Ever wonder how to use those bike racks on the front of all the CATA buses? Well now you can practice without the stress of people waiting for you.
Here is a short compilation of videos of Tim Potter using this new demo bike rack installed outside the Shaw Transportation Center in the center of the MSU campus. Gives you a better idea of how the work.
Thanks to Michigan State University Police and Public Safety Officer Schutter for shooting this video and for his efforts to coordinate everyone necessary to make this happen. Videos taken in May of 2022.
So, you hear lots of people talking about gravel biking and see lots of new races with “gravel” or “dirt” in the titles popping up and wonder what the rage is all about? Well, here’s a good article to tell you more about this new hot trend in biking.
Before the make-over – a stock Specialized Sirrus hybrid.
After the make-over, we’ve got a nice modern gravel bike!
The slideshow above is a good example of a recent conversion our shop did to a hybrid style bike to a gravel bike as an example of making a “gravel” bike more affordably than going out and buying a bike marketed as a “gravel” bike.
Now, you’re convinced you’d like to give it a try but don’t want to drop $1000+ quite yet. Well, you can make your own gravel bike on a tight budget! Start with an old touring bike (70’s-80’s) or early mountain-bike (’80s) and you’ve got a great platform to work with. Shown above are some examples from an excellent article showing how early MTBs can be converted to classy gravel bikes.
Now, you’re convinced you’d like to give it a try but don’t want to drop $1000+ quite yet. Well, you can make your own gravel bike on a tight budget! Start with an old touring bike (70’s-80’s) or early mountain-bike (’80s) and you’ve got a great platform to work with. Shown above are some examples from an excellent article showing how early MTBs can be converted to classy gravel bikes.
Original ad for my old Louison Bobet road bike as listed in the 1968 edition of Cyclo-Pedia, an early mail-order business operated by Gene Porteusi, which he started in Detroit then moved to Cadillac, MI to escape the Detroit riots in the late 60’s.
A few years ago I acquired a 1968 French road bike, a Louison Bobet Amateur C-34, the type with skinny tubular road tires made for going fast on nice smooth roads, the kind which we no longer have sadly. I had been longing for a French randonneur-style classy bike, and was convinced by Jan Heine’s research in Bicycle Quarterly over the years that fatter tires would be the answer for enjoying the rough roads and exploring gravel roads near my home.
My results were phenomenal. The resulting bike is one of my favorite riders and looks great, to me anyway. I can ride it all day on rough pavement or climb the steep gravel hills of the Barry-Roubaix course. A true “all-rounder” bike.
Here are the photos of the bike as I purchased it.
Original spec bike in all it’s original glory.Took this pic on its first maiden voyage under my ownership.The original pump is cool isn’t it?The original MAFAC Racer brakes wouldn’t reach far enough for 650B. If you can find MAFAC Raid model brakes they will (but they’re pricey).The MAFAC Racers got swapped out for Dia-Compe 750 model center pull brakes which are still readily available and affordable.The original steel cotter-pin cranksets are kinda cool but also a pain to maintain properly, not to mention very heavy!The original AVA stem is pretty but known to have sudden failure, so it got swapped for a newer stem.The original Campy derailleur is very cool, but only accommodates up to 24 or 25 tooth freewheels.The original saddle, cool, but rock hard.Selfie during my first ride on the bike after tuning it up. Yes, I still have my old shoes from the early 80’s & white ankle socks!
Bikes similar to this spec and geometry were made thru the 70’s and early 80’s, then in the later 80’s bike manufacturers started making road bikes much tighter as they decided everyone was going to race or think of racing sometime. Super narrow rock-hard tires were the hot ticket and tolerances got super tight such that many of these bikes won’t take even 28 mm wide tires. The frame and fork designs were also such that even downsizing from the very common 27 in. wheel size in the 70’s/early 80’s to 700c wheels might allow for maybe 32 mm wide tires if you’re lucky, and certainly no room for fenders. So, if you’ve got a choice, go for the older 70’s/ early 80’s frames for your conversion project.
Here’s the bike after I converted it to a 650B rando bike:
The handlebars got updated to super comfy randonneur style bars.I love having my shifters on my handlebars. These are vintage Sun Tour ‘bar cons’ and work great without taking my hands off the bars.I upgraded the rear derailleur to a classic SunTour VGT long cage to handle the larger freewheel and triple crankset.I upgraded to a vintage Stronglight crankset and a 3-pc bottom bracket so that I could have a triple crankset for larger hills.I love these 42 mm Soma Grand Randonneur tires. Light and supple!Just enough room for these 42mm tires and a nice fender!
If you’re really interested in the ultimate French-style rando bikes, check out the Facebook group, 650B Vintage Bike Fan Club, I ended up starting after converting my Louison Bobet to 650B wheels. Sheldon Brown (one of the greatest, most prolific writer of bike mechanical articles – RIP) also wrote a good article on the topic. Oh, and I chose Soma Grand Randonneur 650bx 42 mm tires and love them!
MSU Bikes’ staff would love to help you convert an old bike to a classy 650B gravel / rando bike, or give you advice about doing it on your own. Stop in or call to get started!
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