How to Make Your Own Touring Bike from an Old MTB!

an old mountain bike is a great platform to build up a high performance Touring bike I have some secondhand parts laying around that would take this giant boulder here to that level some parts are pretty cheap so it won't break the bank to buy them new either the Focus here is on Comfort functionality and durability the most important aspects of a Touring bike as always I will sprinkling lots of useful tips and tricks along the way and at the end I will give you some important tips what to look for when buying a secondhand bike for a project to do yourself yeah let's begin with the cockpit straight mountain bike handlebars are great for on the trail but lack an ergonomic back sweep to put your wrists in a more natural position while touring long stretches this helps to prevent possible wrist and hand issues and gives an overall more comfortable ride this old Ergo Tech bar I have laying around is a very comfortable and cheap bar that will put your wrists in the right position the only upgrade that I had to buy off the shelf was the quill and stem to attach The Handlebar I will also put on a handlebar mount to attach The Handlebar back but I will discuss that a little bit later on onto the saddle most Saddles out there are not very good for long days on the bike they start to hurt your backside which really downgrades the enjoyment of riding a bike the Brooks B17 is perhaps the most iconic saddle used by touring cyclists for decades this one I bought Barely Used second hand for my two-year World Tour it's not hard to find one in good condition be sure it isn't too used though as the ladder will form to your behind over time and that's the trick it's in the forming so you create a custom and comfortable fit the ladder needs a bit of TLC from time to time with some ladder Grease another important place where you make contact with the bike are the pedals a good platform to set your feet when pedaling has to give you a confident sense of connection and comfort the key in my opinion is to have a large surface area where you can Shuffle around a bit to change up the position of your feet aiding in staying comfortable a large platform will also create more contact area for your feet which gives a better sense of connection with the pedal and therefore the bike as a whole flat battles like the nuke proof Horizons here are a great option these ones are made to take a beating and just keep on spinning without having to have to service them even after years of being out in the elements another important consideration are the tires a touring tire needs to be durable make good contact over a variety of surfaces and give a comfortable and smooth feeling to ride mountain bike tires come in many forms and often have a rugged thread pattern to be able to grip off-road surfaces these are not ideal on paved Services as a lot of threat patterns cause vibrations which can be heard felt and also add rolling resistance the schwalber Martin series take all the boxes in front I am installing a regular Marathon which can do over 20 000 kilometers in my experience I had hardly any punch with it over two years of continuous touring and they are very quiet on the back I'm putting a marathon Mondial the most beefy version in the series they make a bit more noise and have notably a bit more drag compared to the regular marathons but they make up with a nice thread profile for a bit of extra grip and most importantly they are even more durable where you need it most on the back by the tire wears fastest the essence of a Touring bike is to Hulk air multiple days over long distance bike racks are one of the best ways to connect some good waterproof bags onto a bike a big factor when it comes to bicycle touring functionality with many brands on the market tubus is probably the best when it comes to durable and functional racks both my racks on my world Touring bike were second hand when I got them you can check that bike out with a link popping up in the upper right corner the rack that I'm putting on the front is the Tara model from tubers simple and effective with the tubing looping over the wheel a place I often use to put an action camera on the back I'm installing a tuber's logo another great rack with two different heights you can clip on bags made from thin steel tubing these are made to last and I haven't had any problems with them for over 5 years knock on wood fenders can make a massive difference if you ride in wet circumstances water and mud is start from being flung up at you by the spinning wheels prevents road debris from being kicked up as well helping you to stay cleaner the SKS blue males are made from plastic aluminum composite making them very durable and lightweight they're a bit of a hassle to get installed properly but with some patience it's totally doable they're also a defining look in the transformation from a mountain bike to a Touring bike thank you it's all about what you take with you on a bicycle tour sturdy and waterproof bags are the key to keep all the important gear safe and organized we have used ortly back from the start and have used many second hand ones with great success the quality of the bags is one of the best out there and the peace of mind they give you that they will keep everything clean and dry in inclement weather is something of a must-have when being out in the elements on The Handlebar we have the ultimate 6 7 liter which was already a second hand one when we got it but still going strong on the front we have the 12 and a half liter gravel packs combining to a total of 25 liters of storage and on the back we have the famous back rollers also a secondhand pair with 20 liters each making a total of 40 liters of storage capacity the things to look out for when choosing a mountain bike to upgrade of course you want all the components to work well shifters shifting nice and easy and also the brakes functioning properly a three by dry train are the most common and will probably give you an adequate shifting range see that nothing on the frame is bent out of shape including the derailleur and the derailleur hanger when riding preferably there are no creaking noises going on it can be hard to Source where they're coming from see that the bottom bracket and the headset are still set in tightly and run smoothly a big plus if they are found on the frame are cage and rack bosses to easily attach bottle cages and racks there are alternative options to create bosses when they're not already on the frame like the DMR hinge clamps look if the wheels are sturdy and true and that also the spokes still have good tension you want at least 32 spokes for the wheel to be properly strong if there are Rim brakes on the back you want to make sure that the rim brake surface isn't too far worn the wheel could be insufficiently strong going forward if the rim is close to being worn out if things are out of order or need to be replaced it's not that hard but will take some perseverance in some instances YouTube is full with great tutorials and in the links down below I will list a few great resources for me it's highly rewarding to be able to upgrade and maintain components and therefore the bike as a whole the reassurance you get by having some in-depth mechanical experience from working on your own bike is a wonderful thing to have under the belt when things go sideways out on tour if you're interested in what tools to take with you out on tour check out the video right here be sure to like And subscribe for more videos like this thanks for watching and I'll see you out on the road

Channel: Wheels to Wander

Views: 201,807

Keywords: wheels to wander, wheelstowander, bicycle touring, world bicycle tour, bicycle travel, bike touring, cycling around the world, world bicycle touring, bike camping, touring bike, bikepacking, bicycle tour, bike tour, touring bicycle, cycling the world, cycle touring, budget touring, budget touring bike, budget bicycle, retro mtb, budget mtb, diy touring bike, bike overhaul, bike restoration, bicycle restoration, bicycle modification, bicycle overhaul, bike modification

Id: SLDDTn05-4k

Length: 8min 52sec (532 seconds)

Published: Sun Sep 24 2023