Vintage MTB overhaul vs New Gravel Bike quandry

[retropean]

I purchased a Panasonic Mountaincat from a member on here.

It's in great condition (though had been sitting a while). With all the talk on Gravel Bikes just being old rigid hybrids/mountain bikes I figured I could get in on the action. So I refreshed some of the cables and chain, and strapped my old panniers to it and took it on the C&O canal.

My findings:
-I was shocked at how heavy it was. I did not weigh it, but when fallen trees blocked the path, I struggled to lift it (with panniers).
-The stock handlebars suck for a 100 mile ride. It took like 2 weeks for my hands to feel normal again. I realize this is some stupidity on my part for riding this far as a maiden voyage... but yeah. They need to change. So I was thinking a drop bar conversion.

I want to go on more bikepacking adventures. Some would involve shipping or flying with my bike. My plan was to ditch the panniers and get frame/seat bags.

I guess my questions are:
-Is the search for losing weight on this thing a lost cause because of the luggage involved in bikepacking? My gear is somewhat lightweight but with food and water it's always going to be heavier than what I set out with on a road bike.
-Is it worth it just starting with something new? Part of this started as a "you can have fun, cheap, with a vintage MTB" but at some point dropping a ton of money on this is going to be much less cost effective than starting from scratch. I had my eyes on the Ibis Hakka MX, or Ritchey Outback.

pic for clicks

Originally Posted by gdw

What kind of touring are you planning to do? Pavement and gravel/dirt roads... any singletrack? How many days will your average trip last? Will you be camping, credit card touring, a bit of both? If you're camping is your gear light weight and low bulk/volume. The answers you provide will make it easier for us to help determine whether your current bike or a new one suits your needs.

Gravel dirt road, couldn’t do single track with panniers but it’s the sort of thing I’d love to hit if I was in the neighborhood. Average trip probably 2 days but some 5 days in there with resupplies. Camping. I buy “ultralight” hiking gear when I need new stuff but run my old heavier gear when I can.

[Ken Robb]

To me when I consider weight reduction I want to compare the proposed saving with the overall weight of the bike as it will be ridden including me. I might notice a 1/2 pound reduction on an 18 pound carbon race bike but not on my 25 pound Allrounder with 25 pounds of bags and gear.

[Pastashop]

In the end, a loaded up bike should be sturdy. Weight isn’t the driver, as light structures can be sturdy, too. But the resilience of steel tubes is not a bad thing in itself for an adventure bike.

Hands: Try Jones H-Bar?.. or a Rivendell Billie or similar from VO, if you don’t want to change the stem, too. Ergon grips are good too. Good tires can make a big diff, and bar height for hand comfort.

[MikeD]

How much does the bike weigh by itself? I'm guessing about 30 lbs. I don't think you want a light bike for bike packing/touring so at best, you're looking at a 25 lb. bike anyway. 5 lbs is not much weight when you add the weight of all the gear you're carrying.

[joevers]

I don't think you can do better than a Ritchey Outback for what it sounds like you're trying to do.

[mtechnica]

The problem with old mountain bikes is they’re heavy and because of the geometry the reach will probably be way too long if converted to drop bars, and it will handle bad with a stubby stem. There are some inexpensive gravel bikes that would be better and cost not much more than what a rebuild and the modern components would cost for an old bike. Look at Poseidon and state bicycle co. I think Marin has a couple cheap steel gravel bikes. For long rides you want drop bars and low weight imo.

[MikeD]

Originally Posted by joevers

I don't think you can do better than a Ritchey Outback for what it sounds like you're trying to do.

The Outback is a great frame, but it will cost you $$$ to build it up, with the price controls on components today, vs buying a complete bike. Ritchey did offer complete bikes not long ago. Wonder why they stopped?

[charliedid]

Buy a gravel bike.

[MikeD]

Originally Posted by charliedid

Buy a gravel bike.

It depends on what you want to do with it. For loaded touring, gravel bikes lack frame rigidity and strength and low gearing, maybe brazeons for racks too. For lightweight touring/bike packing OK. A purpose built loaded touring bike would be heavier than a gravel bike, most likely.

[lorenbike]

.

[bigbill]

The folks I know that do extended gravel trips with a loaded bike (bikepacking) have swept-back flat bars with clip-on aero bars so they have more hand positions.

My gravel bike has flared drop bars with double taped drops to take pressure off my hands.

[Peter P.]

The bike's weight is irrelevant. From the photo; look at all the gear you're loaded with!; a few pounds of bike weight is nothing, yet adds to durability.

As has been already mentioned, the bike's geometry might not be conducive to a drop bar conversion. Instead, install some short bar ends. That should be all the multi-hand positioning you need. Tip: buy STRAIGHT bar ends, and cut them down if necessary then slip ATB grips over the bar ends. You'll have plenty of cushioning, just like I have on my bars.

Don't succumb to the marketing and think a gravel bike is the solution.

[charliedid]

Originally Posted by MikeD

It depends on what you want to do with it. For loaded touring, gravel bikes lack frame rigidity and strength and low gearing, maybe brazeons for racks too. For lightweight touring/bike packing OK. A purpose built loaded touring bike would be heavier than a gravel bike, most likely.

Everything depends

From the OP "I want to go on more bikepacking adventures. Some would involve shipping or flying with my bike. My plan was to ditch the panniers and get frame/seat bags."


I stand by my comment that for this purpose a Gravel/Adventure bike with all the braze-ons would be way more preferred IMO

With all due respect to OP's bike in that set up looks like torture to ride, as he clearly found out.

[retropean]

Thanks all, lots of good stuff to think about so far.

Originally Posted by joevers

I don't think you can do better than a Ritchey Outback for what it sounds like you're trying to do.

Would it even be much lighter? Probably would handle better, look cooler, and fit more modern stuff for what it's worth... I’m not a weight weenie but maybe I’m overestimating what a gravel bike can deliver me. I was bummed to be averaging like 11mph on this thing.

Originally Posted by charliedid

With all due respect to OP's bike in that set up looks like torture to ride, as he clearly found out.

Very true... any tips besides handlebars? Reach ain't bad given the handlebar height.

Originally Posted by Loren090

I bought a pretty sweet $100 80s steel MTB this past year with intent to use as a bad weather commuter. Haven't put much into it other than new tires and fenders but to be honest I'm sort of in the same position as you with keeping it or fixing up. I had forgotten how narrow straight bars are not my favorite. I wouldn't put drops in it but some swept back cruiser style bars would probably be the jam as well as converting from the triple to a 1x. But by then, I would have put much more money into it than I had purchased it for. Goodluck!

Yes, I considered 1x as well. The shifting is a little clunky and I might as well drop the weight and get the scene points while I'm at it . But, as you say, hard to figure out where this starts being non-sensical, money wise.

Originally Posted by Peter P.

The bike's weight is irrelevant. From the photo; look at all the gear you're loaded with!; a few pounds of bike weight is nothing, yet adds to durability.

As has been already mentioned, the bike's geometry might not be conducive to a drop bar conversion. Instead, install some short bar ends. That should be all the multi-hand positioning you need. Tip: buy STRAIGHT bar ends, and cut them down if necessary then slip ATB grips over the bar ends. You'll have plenty of cushioning, just like I have on my bars.

Don't succumb to the marketing and think a gravel bike is the solution.

Thanks, I agree with you regarding weight. So maybe I do need to start looking at bar solutions, things to ponder.

Originally Posted by MikeD

How much does the bike weigh by itself? I'm guessing about 30 lbs. I don't think you want a light bike for bike packing/touring so at best, you're looking at a 25 lb. bike anyway. 5 lbs is not much weight when you add the weight of all the gear you're carrying.

30lbs is about right, If I remember right it was like 50lbs fully loaded but it was 2 months or so ago now.

Originally Posted by Pastashop

In the end, a loaded up bike should be sturdy. Weight isn’t the driver, as light structures can be sturdy, too. But the resilience of steel tubes is not a bad thing in itself for an adventure bike.

It's pretty wobbly under full load but maybe because I used panniers instead of frame/seat bags?

[bshell]

I don't see the logic in swapping out a triple chainring set up for 1X if I planned to do loaded trips of any kind. Gimmee all of the gears.

$0.02