~ and perhaps had a mustache
RIM BRAKE MOUNT ADJUSTERS | 69ER CONVERSIONS
MUSTACHE BAR CONVERSION KIT | 29 INCH WHEEL CONVERSION KIT
CUSTOM 69ER BIKES ~ SUSPENSION AND RIGID
Pictured is a classic 1992 Fat Chance Titanium hardtail built in Summerville, Mass., reborn in 2006 as an All Road and Trail 29er. Now that you own a modern full suspension mountain bike, don't get rid of that older classic hardtail. It can be turned into a bike that will truly compete for your attention. The Dreamride "If 6 was 9" conversion kit will morph any bike with cantilever brake mounts to an All Road rig that you can ride to and on the trail. It will turn your past favorite into the bike you commute to work on, train on, or take with you on vacation. Find the magic of 29 inch wheels and the perfect way to resurrect the former love of your life.
Brake mount adjusters move canti-mounts up one and a half inches to place pads directly onto the 29 inch wheel rim surface. If your hardtail has disc brake mounts, you won't need adjusters to swap to 9er wheels. Cantilever brakes are far more powerful on 29er rims (700c) than 26 inch wheels. If your brakes are classic cantis or linear pull, use them. If you have an option, go canti rather than disc. Rim brakes allow the option of a Mustache or drop bar, discs don't, unless you run mechanical discs which, frankly, offer the worst of both worlds (more weight, more maintenance, and no more power than rim brakes on a 9er).
$90 a pair (front and rear)
This price includes handling and shipping anywhere in the 48 states.
Complete 6-6 to 9-9 (or 6-9) Kit
~ $895
Includes:
Dreamride built wheelset with Chris King Classic Mountain hubs (in available colors), Mavic A719 or A319 rims, DT Competition 14/15 double butted spokes, alloy nipples (6-9 conversions use matching smaller Mavic rims in the rear)
*Two Cantilever or V-Brake mount adjusters with necessary hardware
*WTB InterWolf or CrossWolf 700c kevlar beaded tires
Velox rim strips
Kenda tubes
*REPLACEMENT FORKS: Brake mount adjusters will not fit under suspension fork brake arches. We offer a wide selection of rigid forks suitable for this changeover (Tange steel, Kinesis aluminum, On One, White Brothers carbon, custom Ventana, etc.) at a range of prices from around $120 to $400. Have axle to crown measurement of your stock fork ready when you call, if you need a fork replacement.
*Only cyclocross tires will fit under the brake mount adjusters. These are fine for most off-road situations and are perfect for road and trail combo rides.
Mustache bars are traditional bicycle racing handlebars from the late 19th century. A mustache bar front end is extremely ergonomic, offering a number of hand positions available to eliminate soreness and fatigue, including a power position that is more efficient on climbs and in traffic, and a laid-out aero position that cannot be had on drop bars without a tri-bike extension. A mustache bar conversion kit turns a hardtail mountain bike into a sturdy city bike, a road bike into a classic speedster, a singlespeed or "fixie" into a track/street toy, and, when combined with a 6 to 9 inch wheel conversion (see above), produces what may be the best all-around bicycle for touring or commuting on pavement, dirt, fire roads, smooth and moderately rooted singletrack, and rails to trails conversions.
Mustache Bar Conversion Kit
Options, subsitutions and additions:
~ $295
Includes:
Ritchey adjustable stem
Cane Creek V-brake or Shimano Ultegra canti road levers
Nitto heat-treated mustache bar
Serfas handlebar tape (choice of colors in stock)
Shimano Dura Ace 9 speed bar end shifters
Cables, housings, ferrels and four Jagwire in-line cable tensioners
Brooks leather bar tape (limited to colors in stock) (add $65)
Shimano Ultegra 7 or 8 speed bar end shifters (deduct $10)
Dimension (or similar Chinese-made) mountain aluminum stem (deduct $20)
Custom Moots Ti-Beam stem (add $315 and 5 weeks) We keep a few custom Moots stems in stock.
Avid cantilever brake set and Cane Creek canti road levers (no price change)
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About conversions from 26 inch wheels to 27.5 or 29 inch wheels: Study the geometry of the bike you wish to convert. Rear suspension can create many issues with clearance and geometry, so it may be best to leave that fully alone. If the frame has front suspension, you may need to replace it with a rigid fork. Use the fork's suspension compensation numbers (axle to crown measurement) to judge whether or not a larger wheel will work. A hardtail frame with 80mm of suspension compensation up front is fine for either a 9-9 or a 6-9 conversion, but you must have the correct fork for either choice. With a 69 conversion, the taller front wheel will need a fork with a shorter axle to crown measurement to avoid the chopper effect. Disc brakes allow easy conversions. Rim brake bosses on 26 inch wheel forks must be adapted to allow the conversion. A custom fork is a good investment, but be very sure on your measurements. If you select the right fork to compensate for the lift, you will end up with something very special. The Manitou HT rigid 69er conversion above works exceptionally well on the trail or the road, though the cyclocross front tire lacks floatation. Swapping the 2.1/42mm tire combo pictured for a 1.6 slick on the rear and a 25mm road tire up front creates one of the best all around city bikes you could own. I used a Tange non-suspension compensated fork and a specific ratio of tire width to balance out geometry for a 71 degree head angle. Anything slacker than 69 degrees turns a 29 inch wheel into a plow. Anything steeper than 72.5 is dangerous off-road. The best place for a 6-6 to 6-9 or 6-6 to 9-9 conversion is in the city, but these things can work really well on certain types of trail. Combine a mustache bar for a most effective "hybrid" bike.
Pictures below are of our LA SAL MOUNTAIN LOOP build. Of all the build formulas we offer, the "loop road" is the purist example of an all-around bicycle--more than a toy, but a machine you can ride to work, to the store, to school, as a tourer, or for fun and recreation. The Loop originated as a build for mountain road riding on a Moots road or cross bike frame, but the mustache bar formula works for just about any rigid bike frame. It gives you a great climbing position in the saddle or standing, and it allows you to see what is around you while you are in an agressive position. Mustache bars take a bit of getting used to, but if you give the bars time to grow on you, the effective ergonomics will certainly be evident. You will be hooked. There are other bars that attempt to do what a mustache bar does, but the mustache still rules in the "hybrid" category. You can buy carbon bar end shifters that cost $350 to fit on your mustache bar, but the only "stache" bars you can buy are aluminum, produced in one size. One manufacturer tested the waters by putting carbon oversized stem clamp diameter mustache bars in wholesale catalogs in 2008, but never actually produced them. It is a sad statement on the aversion to this bar that despite its abilities, we must rely on Nitto to produce a one-size-fits-all version. Still the best, but, like all things desireable, not for everybody.
