hello 👋 i’ve been riding old bianchi casually for about a year, but im looking to turn it into an atb style bike (if that’s the correct term). i was thinking about some different bars that aren’t drops, a new seat, and some wider tires more equipped for dirt/grass. but im curious what you guys would do to this! or if you have any recommendations. thank you!
by Negative-Mall6876
13 Comments
First you’ll need to focus on drivetrain… if you live somewhere with hills, that crankset won’t give you good granny gears. You could also stand to widen your range with your sprockets… but you may need a new wheel for that, or the Shimano 7speed freewheel with a 34t granny cog at least.
For cranks – get at least a 46-30 as it’s pretty useful.
Saddle is fine, as long as it’s comfortable (though that angle seems a bit extreme!)
If you want different bars, go albatross bars… they’re just so good… so comfy and useful…
sick bike
You might be better off getting another bike. I can’t tell from the pic how much tire clearance you have but generally road bikes of this era could take about a 32mm or 35mm max…many will cap out at 28mm or even 25mm.
An 80s or 90s mountain bike would easily take a 2″ tire, probably give you a lot more of what you’re looking for.
that frame may be a bit big for you??? just an educated guess based off the stem length and seatpost length. This is a good-looking bike though
I wouldn’t mess with the cranks or gearing assuming you already enjoy riding the bike. You may not be able to fit anything too much wider but GravelKings are available in a range of sizes and the tread may better suit your purposes, plus the brown wall would look great with that saddle. I second the albatross bar recommendation, but the Rivendell Billie bars are great too. They’re bigger and have more hand position options. You’ll probably need a longer stem if you switch to swept back bars. Great looking bike!
You’re not gonna fit much wider tires than what you’ve got, judging by the current tight clearance at the seat tube and fork crown. If you’re set on upgrading this bike, you could get a 650b wheelset and *maybe* fit a 42 mm width.
The seat angle, seat tube height and stem are telling me this frame is too big for you, I’d suggest keeping this for road rides if you want, but finding a more suitable frame for ATB use.
That’s a pure Road Bike.
There’s no room for wider tires.
I would put a way longer stem on, level the saddle, call it my road bike and then buy a bike with sigg nifficantlyyy more clearance for signi ficaaantly wider tires.
looks real nice as is to me
Most atbs are built out of 90s mtbs this is an old road bike. These make for great city comuters or single speed conversions. The snall tire width would make these either not fun on dirt or grass or possible dangerous (getting caught in ruts, popping tires, losing traction etc.
It’s looking good already. I have a similar looking bike that can take 35mm Gravelking SKs and it’s ok with most trails around me, just very limited in the speed I can bomb downhill on everything but the smoothest gravel. If it can fit less than 35s, look for a different frame.Â
A TA Specialite crank or the Velo Orange ripoff can give you a wide range triple, together with a long cage rear derailleur
Perfect as is, need a different bike
Frame’s too big for you as others have mentioned.
Seat angle is atrocious🤮, probably a symptom of the frame size issue, as is the super short stem.
It’s a road racing frame, can’t be made into a gravel bike. Steep head tube is for quick criterium handling, and there is the complete lack of any brazeons for fenders or racks.
Sell the bike to a tall person whom it fits. And look for a different bike that fits you and more closely meets your needs.