Beginnings of a gravel bike

Rat Rod Bikes Bicycle Forum

Help Support Rat Rod Bikes Bicycle Forum:

This site may earn a commission from merchant affiliate links, including eBay, Amazon, and others.
If u feel like a road trip, there’s a few bikes in Syracuse that are close to what you’re looking for. A little pricey, but available. Seller may ship? Guy always has like 20 bikes on here.

https://syracuse.craigslist.org/bik/d/syracuse-miyata-710-road-bike/7052074763.html

https://syracuse.craigslist.org/bik/d/baldwinsville-shogun-alpine-t-road-bike/7067976353.html
Thanks, it's nice to know. Prices are OK if they area as nice as the pictures. They are too nice to cut up though. I'm looking for free. I have a line on 5 that may pan out. They have rust from barn storage on them all. I plan to put them in my jig and spread the rear triangle to accept 45 mm tires and 130 mm axle. I would have to cut the rear triangle braces and weld on new ones once the spread is done. Then I would weld on liner pull or canti bosses. I have done all this stuff before but I don't want to grind, bend, weld and fill a pristine frame. Most of my parts are useable but pretty junky looking, some like the drop bars are from the 1930s so they are crusty. I'll hide that with bar tape. My junk would look out of place on a nice frame.
 
So, curve ball here, I specifically bought an OLD collegiate. This bike has the 26” Schwinn wheels. I was thinking the 26” Schwinn wheels would give me more options for a wheel swap?
The 26" that the collegiate came with isn't a normal 26" (ISO 559), its a Schwinn 26" (S-6? ISO 597). So, you get roughly one size of tire, 26" x 1 3/8".

There are differences between 26" and 27" frames...but, not at lot...

https://www.ratrodbikes.com/forum/i...giate-vs-speedster-racer.105962/#post-1072510
 
Thanks, it's nice to know. Prices are OK if they area as nice as the pictures. They are too nice to cut up though. I'm looking for free. I have a line on 5 that may pan out. They have rust from barn storage on them all. I plan to put them in my jig and spread the rear triangle to accept 45 mm tires and 130 mm axle. I would have to cut the rear triangle braces and weld on new ones once the spread is done. Then I would weld on liner pull or canti bosses. I have done all this stuff before but I don't want to grind, bend, weld and fill a pristine frame. Most of my parts are useable but pretty junky looking, some like the drop bars are from the 1930s so they are crusty. I'll hide that with bar tape. My junk would look out of place on a nice frame.
Dig it.
 
CC646836-7969-4B84-9F67-D7B4E5BD56E0.jpeg
The 26" that the collegiate came with isn't a normal 26" (ISO 559), its a Schwinn 26" (S-6? ISO 597). So, you get roughly one size of tire, 26" x 1 3/8".

There are differences between 26" and 27" frames...but, not at lot...

https://www.ratrodbikes.com/forum/i...giate-vs-speedster-racer.105962/#post-1072510
Thanks rusty. I know the schwinn has a proprietary size, I was thinking of sticking some aftermarket 26” mtb wheels in there?

I was thinking the difference between schwinn 26” and modern 26” would still allow for a pretty easy swap with only some simple mods?
 
Theoretically...a 26" x 1 3/8" and a 26" x 2.125" should both have a 26" outside diameter. I've fit a 26" x 2.125" on a Varsity before, and it is tight on width, fine on height.
Awesome!!!! Just what I’m looking for!

I may pass on the rear disc and just upgrade my wheels and pads like @us56456712 advised....

I’ll be sure to measure up before I buy.....
 
I used to have a steel rimmed road bike. It had the coolest feature. There was texture on the braking surface of the rim, almost dimpled, so you could still slow it down when they were wet. Only bike rims I ever saw like that.
 
View attachment 113460
Thanks rusty. I know the schwinn has a proprietary size, I was thinking of sticking some aftermarket 26” mtb wheels in there?

I was thinking the difference between schwinn 26” and modern 26” would still allow for a pretty easy swap with only some simple mods?

I have put aluminum wheels with 26 x 1.75 tires on my Schwinn Corvette and they fit fine. There is a little more space around the fenders than it had with the middleweight Schwinn wheels and tires but it works fine. I think I had to modify the slots in the front drops or file the hub axle flat but I'm not sure as it was 6 years ago. The alloy wheels came from an old CWC that I had and I wanted more original wheels for the CWCPerfect swap, fixed two problems.
 
I have put aluminum wheels with 26 x 1.75 tires on my Schwinn Corvette and they fit fine. There is a little more space around the fenders than it had with the middleweight Schwinn wheels and tires but it works fine. I think I had to modify the slots in the front drops or file the hub axle flat but I'm not sure as it was 6 years ago. The alloy wheels came from an old CWC that I had and I wanted more original wheels for the CWCPerfect swap, fixed two problems.
Thanks for all your insight here. I didn’t mean to hijack your thread!

I’ll b looking for details on your build and look forward to seeing the frame you get.
 
View attachment 113460
Thanks rusty. I know the schwinn has a proprietary size, I was thinking of sticking some aftermarket 26” mtb wheels in there?

I was thinking the difference between schwinn 26” and modern 26” would still allow for a pretty easy swap with only some simple mods?

That looks just about the same as the gravel bikes I made in the 60s and 70s. Schwinn bikes like this were pretty easy to find at thrift stores and many had the 26 x 1 3/8 tires (I think they were called S-6). I didn't know back then that Schwinn had a different size tire until I tried to fit a tire and no one had them where I lived so I put on other wheels from other thrift store bikes. Back then there were a lot of old cheap 10 speeds with 26 x 1 3/8 wheels. My first Schwinn was probably a Collegiate or similar bike as it had the narrow 26 inch tires and drop bars and was sprayed black, over everything. I probably paid $4 for it. Most often I just made a poor mans single speed by eliminating the rear derailleur. I also had some with gears and some with a coaster brake and flat bars. I always had two and sometimes three of these bikes as loaners so that my friends could trail ride with me. I used to throw them in my boat when a bunch of us went camping and we would gravel ride when we weren't fishing. That blue Schwinn is already a gravel bike. It's got drop bars, easy to reach shifter, big rear cog and brake levers on the flat part of the bars. I would just put on a smaller front sprocket. It's almost a perfect gravel bike as it is. 26 x 1 3/8 wheels, the size from old English bicycles, would fit on there and you could get tires cheaper and easier. In the 1980s Columbia made an inexpensive heavy 10 speed with this sized wheel. Take it from one who has ridden this type of set up for years, it's a lot of fun. For what you describe as your rides it should be perfect. If you ever decide to ride 10 or 15 miles of gravel, well this bike would be just great for that distance.
Here is an old 10 speed with 26 inch cruiser wheels that I used for winter and gravel about 4 years ago. It was a loaner for people who came to visit us and wanted to ride. All we have is gravel. It's now long gone to the scrap drive.
IMG_4479.JPG

Here is one of my original 70s gravel bikes but the only thing the same now is the frame and fork. I rebuilt it last year for the unofficial March build off. It's not the same now as this picture is about 5 years old. It now has upright bars, like it did in the 70s. I rebuilt if for the Unofficial March Build off so it is very similar to the way my gravel bikes were in the 60 and 70s. I used the frame and made it like I used to ride them for nostalgia and to have one for my collection. It's like Lincoln's hammer, everything has been replaced so much that almost nothing is the same as it was.
A few years ago:
IMG_0002.JPG
Now with a Sachs coaster brake and steel 26 x 1 3/8 rims. A long time ago I rode a similar bike 20 mies of single track on a horse trail. Couldn't do that now with this bike. One of my buddies from the fishing days still rides with me and we are in our. 70s. He called these bikes "medicine bikes". He said "you remember when we were mountain biking before there were mountain bikes"? We rode hiking trails, two track and gravel. Our rides were nothing like real mountain biking.
91806_9347a3430d13ef293793058cdd635c63.JPG
 
Last edited:
The Collegiate already has a pretty large big cog because it's a 5 speed. What I would do is to put a slightly smaller chainring on it. Tire size is limited because it has 27 inch wheels but you can get 27 x 1 3/8 (35 mm) knobby tires, which are the largest 27 inch tires I could find. I think the Collegiate has steel rims, which don't stop at all in the wet. It has a one piece crank and a heavy Chicago electroforged frame. It really isn't worth putting any real money into it for gravel as the frame is not very adaptable for gravel and is heavy. It's not worth converting to a 3 piece crank as the frame is a real tank. I could be a beginner real nice gravel bike with the soft eraser colored rain brake blocks (or better yet the English cork and rubber rain brake blocks made for steel rims). Steel rims don't stop when they are wet. A one piece crank smaller chairing is inexpensive but the tires will cost some. If the tires on the bike are good you could just use them as 1 1/4 inch is almost 32 mm. Either tire will work well on gravel roads but not in sand or on steep downhills when it's wet unless you put on better brake shoes. A rear disc would require a different hub and then a 700c rim probably unless you lace the new hub to the 27 inch rim. The rear spacing will be different with the new hub so you would have to spread the drops a lot. Also you would need to mount disc caliper mounts on the stays and they have to be perfect or you will get rubbing, no room for error here. I think all this has too many problems. I would go with tires, gearing, brake blocks, new chain and cables. If the chain is stretched and wore the gears then they will skip with a new chain and you will have to replace the gears as well, a common problem as no one replaces chains. It could be made to work but be careful or you could spend a fortune and not have an easy riding gravel bike. In the 1960s and 70s I used a lot of bikes like this for gravel and two track riding and I did just great until I hit sand. Sand that washes down a hill and collects at the bottom, well then your going down at high speed. I really had no other problems riding them miles and miles. I used a lot of 26 x 1 3/8 wheels back then as 27 inch rims only had 1 1/4 inch tires available back then. It could be an enjoyable gravel/two track bike with little expense and effort.
In my searching at the time( that didn't matter because I was converting to 700c anyway) I found I think three other rims besides wiemann that were alloy, and like 8 different tires. I bet you could use 27.5 wheels if the brake calipers have enough adjustment and frame clearance. I have a 27.5 wheel off some part out cruiser/hybrid... I need to compare rim sizes with a 27 and 700c.
 
View attachment 113460
Thanks rusty. I know the schwinn has a proprietary size, I was thinking of sticking some aftermarket 26” mtb wheels in there?

I was thinking the difference between schwinn 26” and modern 26” would still allow for a pretty easy swap with only some simple mods?
If I recall; a schwinn 26 is closer in size to a 650b or a or standard wheelchair wheel- real close to iso 26 but just slightly bigger. I could be wrong though, but most iso 26" tires won't fit schwinn 26s. You could throw some iso 26 wheels on it, though.
 
I used to have a steel rimmed road bike. It had the coolest feature. There was texture on the braking surface of the rim, almost dimpled, so you could still slow it down when they were wet. Only bike rims I ever saw like that.
Wiemann rims are like that and other high quality steel rims to increase braking in rain and in general as a rough surface for the brake to grab.
 
I still don't understand the point of gravel bikes, or why another genre must exist, with the slew of choices of offroad bikes existing.
 
That looks just about the same as the gravel bikes I made in the 60s and 70s. Schwinn bikes like this were pretty easy to find at thrift stores and many had the 26 x 1 3/8 tires (I think they were called S-6). I didn't know back then that Schwinn had a different size tire until I tried to fit a tire and no one had them where I lived so I put on other wheels from other thrift store bikes. Back then there were a lot of old cheap 10 speeds with 26 x 1 3/8 wheels. My first Schwinn was probably a Collegiate or similar bike as it had the narrow 26 inch tires and drop bars and was sprayed black, over everything. I probably paid $4 for it. Most often I just made a poor mans single speed by eliminating the rear derailleur. I also had some with gears and some with a coaster brake and flat bars. I always had two and sometimes three of these bikes as loaners so that my friends could trail ride with me. I used to throw them in my boat when a bunch of us went camping and we would gravel ride when we weren't fishing. That blue Schwinn is already a gravel bike. It's got drop bars, easy to reach shifter, big rear cog and brake levers on the flat part of the bars. I would just put on a smaller front sprocket. It's almost a perfect gravel bike as it is. 26 x 1 3/8 wheels, the size from old English bicycles, would fit on there and you could get tires cheaper and easier. In the 1980s Columbia made an inexpensive heavy 10 speed with this sized wheel. Take it from one who has ridden this type of set up for years, it's a lot of fun. For what you describe as your rides it should be perfect. If you ever decide to ride 10 or 15 miles of gravel, well this bike would be just great for that distance.
Here is an old 10 speed with 26 inch cruiser wheels that I used for winter and gravel about 4 years ago. It was a loaner for people who came to visit us and wanted to ride. All we have is gravel. It's now long gone to the scrap drive.
View attachment 113520
Here is one of my original 70s gravel bikes but the only thing the same now is the frame and fork. I rebuilt it last year for the unofficial March build off. It's not the same now as this picture is about 5 years old. It now has upright bars, like it did in the 70s. I rebuilt if for the Unofficial March Build off so it is very similar to the way my gravel bikes were in the 60 and 70s. I used the frame and made it like I used to ride them for nostalgia and to have one for my collection. It's like Lincoln's hammer, everything has been replaced so much that almost nothing is the same as it was.
A few years ago:View attachment 113522Now with a Sachs coaster brake and steel 26 x 1 3/8 rims. A long time ago I rode a similar bike 20 mies of single track on a horse trail. Couldn't do that now with this bike. One of my buddies from the fishing days still rides with me and we are in our. 70s. He called these bikes "medicine bikes". He said "you remember when we were mountain biking before there were mountain bikes"? We rode hiking trails, two track and gravel. Our rides were nothing like real mountain biking. View attachment 113523
Awesome, awesome, awesome..... thanks so much for all this insight.

This is great.

I didn’t quite pay $4 for this sled, but at $25 + “eBay freight” I got the exact, complete bike and patina I was looking for at s pretty reasonable price.
 
Gravel bikes exist to sell more bikes. Simple as that. Not a bad thing, just niche marketing and stuff. Around here, the marketing kinda guy, kinda missed, and we save thousands by building our own
If you have smooth gravel for many miles an old V brake mountain bike with urban thread 1.75 tires, an old converted road bike or a new gravel bike would work. I like to ride gravel as I have been almost hit twice road biking from distracted cell phone drivers. Out here on gravel there is no cell service so gravel riding is popular. It's very different from single track and road riding, but you really don't need a modern gravel bike to do it. The rigid rear mountain with a lock out fork is good as we get areas where there might be a few miles of washboard and the suspension is nice. My wife's gravel bike is like that with narrow 26 inch tires and a lock out front fork, rigid rear.
 
Last edited:
Awesome, awesome, awesome..... thanks so much for all this insight.

This is great.

I didn’t quite pay $4 for this sled, but at $25 + “eBay freight” I got the exact, complete bike and patina I was looking for at s pretty reasonable price.
I'll say that's reasonable. $25 is the same as $4.00 back then (I looked it up) and it isn't all spray painted black and has shot tires. Good job.
 
@us56456712 that grey and black single speed camelback with the comfort bars you posted above looks excellent. Your posts have so much info and tips that I look forward to the side tracks, as I'm getting my bicycle apprenticeship by following along
 

Latest posts

Back
Top