This video was a lot of fun to film and edit.
Its a slightly different approach and highlights just how popular cycling has become over the last few years in London.
This Diamond Back was great already, but with a few modifications, we’ve created a fantastic bike to tackle the streets no matter what the weather.
I hope you enjoy the video.
***Part list***
Shimano CUES SL-U4000 CUES shift lever; right hand; 9-speed
Shimano CUES RD-U4020 CUES rear derailleur; SGS long cage; 9-speed × 1
Shimano CUES CUES CS-LG300-9 Link Glide cassette; 9-speed; 11 – 41T × 1
Shimano Deore CN-LG500 Link Glide HG-X chain with quick link; 9/10/11-speed; 138L × 1
SRAM s FR-5 EU brake lever set / One Size
ELTIN Platform Pins pedals / One Size
SKS Bluemels mudguard 60 mm / 26´´
ODI Longneck SLX grips / 160 mm
SYNCROS Capilano Sport Foam saddle / 150 mm
Shimano Cues FC-U4000 1x Chainset – 9/10/11-SP – 175 mm (40T)
Medium “Wrangler” Handlebar
Schwalbe Billy Bonkers Addix Performance Tyre 26 x 2.10
***Weather footage attribution***
Weather forecast clip © Crown copyright, Met Office (14/11/2025).
Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.
No endorsement by the Met Office is implied.
43 Comments
Hey everyone! Sorry about the audio on this one 🙏 This is only my 4th video and I’m still learning how to edit as I go. Thanks for sticking with me — I promise I’ll keep improving!
Dude it looks great would ride the $hit out of it
There were high end free wheel hubs before Shimano came out with cassette hubs. So not all free wheel hubs are low end.
Peeling stickers is a pain! Try next time using a hair dryer/ hear gun to melt the adhesive on the back of the sticker. Makes peeling them off WAY easier
Great video, as always. Happy new year
£400 on a resto will get you a better bike than 400 on a new one.
I love this kind if thrift builds. That's why I like to watch oldshovel channel. You build a bike out of decently priced components that simply work and do the job for a fraction of the cost of a new bike with all the latest gimmicks that are not needed. And I love mudguards. I see you opted for sks. They're great, easy to setup and align because they are straight, not twisted as e.g. italian orion mudguards which are pain in the butt to fit them correctly so that the tires don't rub against them and they cover the wheel evenly. You snipped the front mudguard bolt. I would also snip the mudguard rods as they seem to protrude too far above the clamps.
And to nake the vbrakes stronger, swap the cable housing for a comoressionless from jagwire and maybe install boosters or go bonkers and put maguras's hydraulic vbrakes hs33, but this won't be a thrift build anymore
you could've spent a 100 if you just kept the original drivetrain which is perfectly fine for commuting
Very nice build! Really love the colors and used parts. Just one question isn’t the chain too short when you go on the biggest cog?
90s MTBs were gravel bikes before gravel was cool.
Nice build. I prefer flat bars and a slight forward lean even on city bikes, but that's just my preference. Makes pedalling more efficient and the headwind less bothersome.
Brilliant resto, another gem saved
Good job ! My bike is a 90s GT Karakoram 14" with drop bars and high-rise stem which might sound a bit odd but works great as a relaxed sudo gravle bike. Love it , much more to my liking than the full on full carbon and carbon wheels specialised race bike i just sold .
Banging bike looks great
Sweet ride. Keep your D-lock handy with that!
DB looks good, but you did not have to spend that money. I bought a 95 Muddy Fox Monarch Pro for 50 quid. Xt throughout with Maxic wheels on Paralax hubs. 5 hours of thorough cleaning (because it had been shedded 15 years before). A few new cables and new grease on bearings. Only part replaced was handlebars as I wanted a 2 inch rise as opposed to the flat bars (i'm old now). Bike rides like a dream. Overall spend was about 70 quid. Bike is awesome. These deals can be found daily by searching properly and smartly. They are well worth it. New bikes under 400 quid are generally no where near the same level of quality in a good 90's bike
Great video my friend!! But I think that you have to slide the gear shifter first and then the brake lever 😮
My 2 cents: there are plenty of cruiser bikes on used markets with internak hubs, dynamo etc. More comfort, more practice. Steel or alu on your choise. Chrome untirust. And of course, Kickstand!!!
I rode those kinds of bikes back in the 90's they are a lot of fun, I think you did just fine.
Just a note, on the 40 tooth chain ring, sometimes you can bolt the ring to outside of the crank, just have to ensure your chain line is good, I got an old Felt Verza Speed 50, that had a 3×8 setup on it, I changed it to a 1×8 setup with a 40 tooth up front, works just fine, but I may go back to 38 to see if it helps me go up hill a bit easier.
id spend alot on a vintage bike as ive already done with mine lol,i get carried away
Lovely build, some of the most inspiring builds at the moment are what people are doing with 80s and 90s mountain bikes. I think a lot are made of the brakes, for your intended use, V brakes, even cantis would provide ample stopping power for commuting.
Ridimh illegal on foot path that against the law idoit
Do new bikes have to come with disc brakes? This some new law/regulation? Or just your personal opinion on what minimum spec level manufacturers should be making?
Im just looking at the perfect setup for a woman's hybrid for scrapping, Commuting and bike packing on.
Yes. Until recently, my everyday bike was a similar vintage Diamondback Wildwood. I made all the same mods, right down to the Avid brake set (except I kept the 3 x 7 and put a Sunrace 34-12 cassette on).
Fantastic content!
For commuting front rack with basket is very handy – easy to just throw a bag in there and go.
That turned out lovely.
Music……….
Lovely video! Nice to see not just the bike restoration, but your commute and part of London as well. Keep going! Ehrrrr… riding!
The geometry of a 90s mountain bike is practically the same as my old Surly Long Haul Trucker, 26” tires. The LHT has longer chain stays, and slightly beefier frame. Cool bike you have there! Cheers from Chicago! Edit; I’m running Schwalbe Big Apples, those Continentals are super nice too!
I’ve got an early 90s carrera as my summer/touring bike stands me about the same as yours did, and we’re about 35 countries travelled with it.
I’ve got a 2yo carrera subway2 as the winter bike bought when I worked at Halfords, tbh I think that’s the best bike Halfords sell but not many people buy them, everyone wants MTBs
You might have been able to replace the freehub body on that original 7 speed wheel so that it could accept a 9 speed cassette.
I like your bike project, I would like to see a convertion to internal geared hub on a commuter bike
Great build and video!
Add congestion charges and reduced emission levels too!
Love the paint! Sweet build.
I still have my Saracen Forcetrax from 1996. It was a pretty advanced MTB back in the day but over the years it's become a general purpose bike (Mudguards, 2.0" Road tyres, Racks front and back, V-Brake conversion). It's absolutely ideal and worth more to me than it is to Ebay.
Great Frame (Tange ChroMo) and almost identical looking to the DIamond Back in the Video).
I have the Diamondback outlook which I think is the same year. I'm currently restoring it and have lost the headset bearings. I ordered new ones but there not the right size. Does anyone know the correct size. The head cups are original.
I feel like I need to defend the Canti! I have a 1995 Marin bear valley, with original drivetrain and canti brakes and I find with a decent set-up they are definitely good enough. Especially with some kool stop pads!
Great video! There’s no “W” in the work million tho
I rode an Ascent in early 90s here in the western U.S. and it was great on gravel, downhill single track, and pavement.
Great looking bike. IMHO, you can never go wrong with a set of Billy Bonkers.
London is flat, North Londoners: 😐
❤ Totally dig this video, i’ve got the identical bike that I just bought back from the owner that I sold it to 16 years ago it was my first mountain bike. I have total intentions to do exactly what you’re done here so this is totally ironic experience for me ….same color and everything great job. Great video. Happy day.