Turning a 26er into a gravel bike

[100Tours]

I've been meaning to do this post for a while, mostly on the basis that there are probably a handful of other stubborn hubbers with old 26 frames that they're still not ready to get rid of.  2 health warnings up front, 1. this worked out more expensive than I thought and 2. if you do this anyway, your gearing is going to be limited more than you would have on a purpose-built gravel frame - check this first. In this case I think it's been worth it because this is such a good frame, but still perhaps risky and marginal.

During the last few weeks before the bike industry invented the 29er I fatefully splashed out on a Titanium Ragley 26" hardtail frame. I switched it over to 650B wheels at one stage, which made a great little bike, but it struggled with mud, or wet leaves for example which hardly cleared the stays or BB.

This is the frame (stock photo)

This is the bike as a 26er (stock photo)

This is the bike as a 650b (flipped L-R to show the geo)

I've also been looking for a gravel build with some decent tyre clearance, and having ridden a few different candidates I'm convinced that Ti (or steel) is pretty ideally suited for gravel. Carbon is hard on corrugations.

[100Tours]

First up I borrowed a set of 700c wheels off another bike to check on clearances. This was a big plus on this frame, and it looks like I can fit tyre widths up to 700cx50mm. I'm currently running 700cx40, and this is running very well on the local gravel. I've ended up with a 2nd hand pair of Hunt 4 season wheels off the hub with 40mm Kenda gravel tyres, both of which I rate highly (Hunt hub adapter options are cheap and arrive in about a week off the UK website).

Next step was to look for a rigid fork with a 1 1/4" steerer - keeping the existing headset. I tried to work out the geometry of what I wanted to choose between a rigid mtb fork or a gravel-sized option. The issue being whether you go for a taller axle-crown length or not. I ended up going for a shorter gravel fork (off ebay) on the basis that it would give me approximately the fork trail I was looking for, and going along with the advice on a number of online forums. I've ended up with a rather steep seat tube angle - which is partly compensated by a laid back seatpost - very little BB drop, and a short stem. This was a bit of a gamble, but the bike handles really well and I'm pleased with the result.

Other than the 700c wheelset, my other non negotiable on the build was to move over to a drop handlebar and Shimano hydraulic STIs/Brifters. By far this was the most expensive change - I'm not usually brand specific, but I'm really enjoying the Shimano STI mineral oil hydraulics and I ended up buying these new. Calipers were a new flat mount caliper on the front, and a repurposed XT post mount caliper on the rear. Bar is aluminium (carbon bars and gravel..) and second hand.

Finally the drive train. I surprised myself again when I tried to install a road crankset - the frame cannot accept anything more than a 46t outer ring, and a 36t on the inside. So back to the original MTB cranks and 2 new chainrings. I'm now running a 34-46 front setup. Then needed to replace the previous XT rear deraileur because Shimano uses different pull rations for road and MTB these days.. So off to the hub for a new 105 deraileur too. The front deraileur is a 10s, top pull XT version rather than going for an 11s 105 f/d with a pulley. Time will tell whether this is a good move, but so far so good here.

[100Tours]

Net conversion cost - R13 000

Spend - R21 500
Hunt 4 season gravel wheelset, valves, tyres, disks - R6 000
Fixation straight steerer fork - R3 500
Shimano 105 hydraulic STIs and flat mount caliper - R7 500 (new)
2x chainrings, front and rear deraileurs - R2 000 (new rings and f/d)
Drop bars, bar tape, saddle - R2 500

Re-used from previous MTB build (almost nothing)
Headset and stem
Crankset and BB
Seatpost
Rear caliper
Bottle cage and rear skewer

From my spares cupboard
11s chain and cluster
Gear cables, housing, and frame mounts for cables
Road pedals

 

Sold (on the Hub) - R8 500
650b wheelset
26er fork
Formula brake set
MTB Shifter/deraileur
Riser bar

[Eddy Gordo]

nice, making me think about a frame I am selling.

[dirtypot]

I ended up making one of these mostly by accident as well. 

I needed a bike to live on the indoor trainer, so got a 26" MTB frame, bought a set of gravel bars and then raided my parts bin for 10sp Ultegtra STI's & rear derailleur, MTB crank with 44T (all I could get my hands on), rigid steel fork and the rest of the drive train and used an old front wheel to complete.  So all in all it cost me about R1k to put together. Bargain!

I liked how it looked though, so the idea started brewing in my head about turning it into a working bike.  The fork and frame had disc brake mounts so it was possible to do it.  Then my wife bought a new road bike with disc brakes which came with a spare set of wheels which I immediately stole to see if they would work, and they did!  Clearance is perfect with 38C tyres.  And to get around the braking issue, TRP make a hydraulic caliper which is cable operated, so its all normal cables until the caliper.  Neat and powerful.  

 

[100Tours]

55 minutes ago, dirtypot said:

.. TRP make a hydraulic caliper which is cable operated, so its all normal cables until the caliper.  Neat and powerful.  

 

Those don't seem to be so easy to find any more

[Jewbacca]

I have one of these too.... Weighs in at just over 8kg

I purchased some JuinTech hydro/Mechanical calipers and they work like a dream

 

Edited July 6, 2021 by Jewbacca

[Beattbox]

I'll be following this thread with interest. I have an old Gary Fisher 26er which was my first MTB from 1995 and is now hanging in my garage. Don't have the heart to sell it.  I'd like to convert it to 700c wheels (I've checked and they do fit) and drop bars to start. My problem it getting the brake calipers to fit the bigger wheels. I've seen extensions for the calipers mounts online but not sure how well they work. Looking for options and ideas. 

[dasilvarsa]

Do You Know ?

You can buy a Decent Gravel Bike for Under 15K.

It's Current and Re-Saleable.

 

https://rookcycles.com/collections/rook-scout

Edited July 6, 2021 by dasilvarsa

[Dusty]

9 minutes ago, dasilvarsa said:

Do You Know ?

You can buy a Decent Gravel Bike for Under 15K.

It's Current and Re-Saleable.

 

https://rookcycles.com/collections/rook-scout

Those are fair prices.

[Jewbacca]

11 minutes ago, dasilvarsa said:

Do You Know ?

You can buy a Decent Gravel Bike for Under 15K.

It's Current and Re-Saleable.

 

https://rookcycles.com/collections/rook-scout

For sure, BUT that wouldn't help empty my parts bin and get in the good graces with my wife!

[Trevz]

9 minutes ago, Jewbacca said:

For sure, BUT that wouldn't help empty my parts bin and get in the good graces with my wife!

Easier to buy new components and claim you had it lying around than buying a new shiny bike. Even though the groupset alone was more than 15k. lol

[Hairy]

2 hours ago, Beattbox said:

I'll be following this thread with interest. I have an old Gary Fisher 26er which was my first MTB from 1995 and is now hanging in my garage. Don't have the heart to sell it.  I'd like to convert it to 700c wheels (I've checked and they do fit) and drop bars to start. My problem it getting the brake calipers to fit the bigger wheels. I've seen extensions for the calipers mounts online but not sure how well they work. Looking for options and ideas. 

Which Fisher frame was this ... my first proper MTB was also a Hoo Koo E Koo from the same era.

[Zebra]

3 hours ago, dirtypot said:

 And to get around the braking issue, TRP make a hydraulic caliper which is cable operated, so its all normal cables until the caliper.  Neat and powerful.  

 

any info you can share on where you SOURCED this from, and rough cost? thanks!

[Beattbox]

1 hour ago, Hairy on a Davidson said:

Which Fisher frame was this ... my first proper MTB was also a Hoo Koo E Koo from the same era.

It's the Tassajara frame.

[dirtypot]

1 hour ago, Zebra said:

any info you can share on where you SOURCED this from, and rough cost? thanks!

They're brought in by Omnico so should be able to be sourced from any bike shop.