Unconventional gravel bike

So I got this rigid singlespeed MTB a few years ago, and while it was fun, my other MTBs didn’t beat me up as much. I stopped riding it much for a few months, and figured I’d get more use out of a gravel bike. So I turned it into one.

– Frame – 2014 Kona Unit chromoly frame and fork (it’s a mountain bike)
– Brakes – BB7 baybeee with cheap Tektro singlespeed road levers
– Wheels – Novatec flow trail 29er MTB. They’re red!
– Tires – Goodyear connector tan walls. Highly recommend these.
– Drivetrain – about that…

So this bike started as a single speed MTB, which meant nothing about it but the cable stops were drivetrain compatible. Brake levers, rear hub, and rear dropouts all had to go, in addition to getting a drivetrain. Long story short, I came up with this!

Drivetrain is 1×10 speed Shimano XT. I designed and 3D printed an adapter to mount a regular 10 speed shifter like a stem shifter, but use it without moving my hand off the bar to shift. It looks weird but is actually pretty comfortable, and the shifter stays out of the way of my legs and doesn’t hit the top tube.

The geo of the bike works really well for me – I wasn’t shocked to learn that old XC bike geo isn’t much different than modern gravel bike geo. It’s quick enough to ride to work, comfy enough for 50+ mile endurance rides, and beefy enough for singletrack and even dirt jump laps. Love this thing!

by floormat2