# Rebuilding your trusty vintage, worth it or not?



## jimsbbc (Jan 18, 2007)

I still have my first mountain bike and I am in the process of restoring it. I think it will be worth it for fun, even though the platform is not competitive with modern stuff. How many of you still have an old ride that you still love to relive the good ol days on? Have you rebuilt it and was it worth it? Tell about your ride and what vintage (or new) components you rebuilt it with.


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## stan4bikes (May 24, 2006)

If you liked the bike, can afford to restore it and want to do it, it's worth it. It will probably never give you the thrill of the original, but it can still be fun.


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## ameybrook (Sep 9, 2006)

I restored my 94 Kona Lava dome. It was way worth it, lots of good memories.

Check out the thread

http://forums.mtbr.com/showthread.php?t=254518


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## dougmint (Oct 29, 2006)

I have had a blast restoring my 92 Diamondback Ascent EX, fully rigid steel bike. I can't wait to ride it. So far, I have replaced the seat post, seat post clamp and seat. Have changed from flat handlebars to low rise bars. New chain, cassette, and 34T front chainring. Changed from cantalever brakes to V brakes. Upgraded wheels / tires to tubeless. And changed from 21 speed to 7 speed. I am considering doing the rear derailleur, crank, and BB, but I want to see how it rides first. The bike weighs about 25.5 lbs right now.


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## Caffeine Powered (Mar 31, 2005)

dougmint said:


> And changed from 21 speed to 7 speed..


Is that one equipped with rapid fire shifters or thumb shifter? If it's thumb shifters, you can run an 8 speed cassette when you wear out the 7 speed. Shimano was nice enough to put 8 actual detents in their 7 speed shifters. I ran 8 speed Dura Ace hubs on my Axis Team, really ugly neon green, and even old Sachs 8 speed freewheels on Mavic hubs.


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## Rumpfy (Dec 21, 2003)

jimsbbc said:


> I still have my first mountain bike and I am in the process of restoring it. I think it will be worth it for fun, even though the platform is not competitive with modern stuff. How many of you still have an old ride that you still love to relive the good ol days on? Have you rebuilt it and was it worth it? Tell about your ride and what vintage (or new) components you rebuilt it with.


Your vintage is plenty competitive, and yes, it will be worth restoring.

I raced my 92 Psyclone last weekend. All parts on it are period correct from 92-93.
While _I_ may have sucked...the bike was great. Plus it looked a hell of a lot cooler than most of the other dull full suspension bikes there.


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## dougmint (Oct 29, 2006)

_Is that one equipped with rapid fire shifters or thumb shifter? If it's thumb shifters, you can run an 8 speed cassette when you wear out the 7 speed. Shimano was nice enough to put 8 actual detents in their 7 speed shifters. I ran 8 speed Dura Ace hubs on my Axis Team, really ugly neon green, and even old Sachs 8 speed freewheels on Mavic hubs._

My DiamondBack has the thumb shifters. I actually like 7 speeds, but I may switch to 8 speed some day. And yes, mine is also neon green, but I actually like the look of it, as it is so different from the bikes that are being built today.


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## azjeff (Jun 3, 2006)

Judging from the photo you're either way out front or way OTB. Or lost 


Rumpfy said:


>


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## Sixty Fiver (Apr 10, 2006)

My Kuwahara Cascade (rigid steelie) is 20 years old and is a fairly recent acquisition... if I'm not going to be hitting the gnarly singletrack and getting stuipid on my Trek HT it's the Kuwie that gets ridden.

It handles the road, the trails, and the moderate singletrack really well and I've even run it on the gnarly sections albeit at slightly lower speeds.

It's a beautifully built bike and from what I've seen, high end Kuwaharas are fairly uncommon and I put that down to lower production numbers and a fairly steep initial cost. It was a $800 - $900 bike back in '87. 

I figure that this bike will be with me for a very long time.


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## CB2 (May 7, 2006)

My '96 rigid steel stumpjumper is my main ride. It's actually at the powder-coater right now.
As far as being restored, well the only things original on it are the seat-post, the frame and the fork. I don't really care if it's period correct, I just like to ride it.
It's a singlespeed now too.
So if keeping you older bike rolling is worth it or not, I say "*Hell Yeah!*"


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## Rumpfy (Dec 21, 2003)

azjeff said:


> Judging from the photo you're either way out front or way OTB. Or lost


Way, way OTB. 

I got my ass handed to me.


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## alexk (Sep 30, 2005)

Yes, I reckon it's worth it. Even if you do it just for fun and only ride the bike periodically. It depends if you have a number of other bikes that you may rotate for riding time on each one. If you have a modern bike or a full suspension bike and the bike you're restoring is a rigid it's great to ride it for comparison. Ameybrook's Kona is a really great example of a restoration. You get the chance to repaint the bike in your favourite colour and upgrade certain components that you may not have had the chance to upgrade originally.

It's also much easier than restoring a car! 

How old is the bike and what's the level of componentry and frame material? If you have a lugged frame treasure it. There's quite a fan base for the older Bridgestones and the Trek single track 930 MTB's because they use a lugged frame.

Nice to see some talk of older Diamond Backs too. I've got a 1993 Diamond Back Axis, originally came rigid and with full Deore XT but it has changed a bit over the years. It's still wearing it's original dark mica green paint but it's now got a set of Duke SL suspension forks, Avid Ti V-brakes and I went back to the XT thumbshifters as the bike was originally fitted with Rapidfire Plus. I'm about to change the 100mm Duke SL forks to 63mm Marzocchi Z2 forks because the geometry is a bit choppered out (mostly noticeable in tight single track where you have to move your body around a lot to compensate for the slower steering) and the Z2 forks are from 1996 so they're a bit more period correct. I can go back to cantilevers too as the Z2's have a canti hanger on the fork brace. Well set up cantis are just as good as V-brakes and I could run bigger tyres (up 2.3" width) with the canti's too because of the additional height clearance (the 2.3" would foul the brake cable on the Avid V-brakes). Luckily those 93 Diamond Backs came with a 73mm bottom bracket shell width so there is plenty of tyre clearance at the chain stays for a 2.3" tyre. I've still got the original rigid forks too & I haven't ruled out returning it to a rigid bike.

How did you place in the race Rumpfy?


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## longhaultrucker (Jan 24, 2007)

*cool,i love project bikes*

i think it's a great idea,and until i found this forum,i thought i was one of the few that get's into this kinda thing!i still got a mid '90's diamond back ht that was my 1st new lbs purchase (well,sorta,a bud bought it,got ina bind and i bought it from him 3 weeks later ),and i got the idea to redo it a coupla 3 years ago,got it apart,and 4got about it while searchin for parts.i'd like to redo it period correct,and i got a '00 trek (i know,not really old enuff to be retro/vintage yet) that i'm thinking of doin the same thing to...but both will have to wait till i finish my current project

ps:i have a few vintage bikes not of the mtb variety that i could use any info on.2 made by bf goodrich (my lbs dude says they're from the 50's-60's),and scwinn touring bike (?).they're stashed in a storage rental a 1/2 drive away...i'll post pix next time i get out that way.


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## jimsbbc (Jan 18, 2007)

Thanks for the replies everyone! I'm going to put my old school RaceFace cranks back on it and have some fun. My vintage is a Trek 8000 from 1993, the last of the bonded frames. I am definitely going to keep it, though all expenditures have to be passed by the committee (wife)  .


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## PCC (Sep 5, 2005)

My '89 Stumpie has been modernized. The frame, fork, headset, stem, seatpost, front derailleur, bottom bracket, and cranks are original. The rest have been upgraded with modern parts (including Rapidfire shifters and, gasp, a RapidRise rear derailleur!). It's a thoroughly enjoyable bike to ride, though it no longer goes off-road. Doctor's orders (I have a FS C-Dale for that). I have the parts to restore it to almost original condition or I can make it period correct as I don't have one pair of the original cantilever brakes and brake levers but I do have a pair of Dia-Comp 986s and SS5 levers.


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