mauler
Active Member
Here's my conversion.
Donor bike was a Porsche FS of 1996 vintage. It was rotting away in a dark corner of my home. I took a look at it and it looked like a perfect candidate for a resurrection job.
The original fork was never returned to me after I sent it to a LBS for a refurbishment before I stored it away.
Serendipitously, I found, literally, an unused Rock Shox SID fork in my home's storeroom. Apparently a friend of my brother's left an unassembled Specialized M5 hardtail frame, drivetrain, components, etc., at home for storage and never came back for it. Finders keepers.
SRAM X-0 9-speed grip shifts, X-0 rear derailleur, Shimano Dura-Ace front derailleur, SRAM Force 53/39 crank, Shimano XT front V-brake, Avid BB7 rear disc brake, Shimano BL-R780 brake levers (compatible for long- and short-pull brakes).
Not fully understanding some of the challenges of the conversion, I got down to it anyway. First, I had a hard time understanding the assembly instructions. Being dyslexic, I preferred pictures. After a while, I abandoned the written stuff, referring to them only when absolutely needed.
Rather than using the included adaptor for the front wheel, I used a spare rear wheel at the back, taking advantage of disc brakes because the Porsche's frame didn't have cantilever brake posts. The rear disc brake is attached to an adaptor made by a local bicycle fabrication master, the original being of a proprietary design.
I had some issues with the RD shifting to the lower gears until I figured that the chain was a few links too short. Added some links and the issue vapourised.
Another issue, which still is an issue, is the RD. When the thing is fully screwed into the FWD bracket, the other end of the screw protrudes and interferes with the chain on the highest gear. I circumvented the issue by using washers to space things out.
Other than some silly mistakes, the conversion went well.
The finished product is a bit on the high side but manageable.
Comments are welcome, please!
Here are some pictures:
Donor bike was a Porsche FS of 1996 vintage. It was rotting away in a dark corner of my home. I took a look at it and it looked like a perfect candidate for a resurrection job.
The original fork was never returned to me after I sent it to a LBS for a refurbishment before I stored it away.
Serendipitously, I found, literally, an unused Rock Shox SID fork in my home's storeroom. Apparently a friend of my brother's left an unassembled Specialized M5 hardtail frame, drivetrain, components, etc., at home for storage and never came back for it. Finders keepers.
SRAM X-0 9-speed grip shifts, X-0 rear derailleur, Shimano Dura-Ace front derailleur, SRAM Force 53/39 crank, Shimano XT front V-brake, Avid BB7 rear disc brake, Shimano BL-R780 brake levers (compatible for long- and short-pull brakes).
Not fully understanding some of the challenges of the conversion, I got down to it anyway. First, I had a hard time understanding the assembly instructions. Being dyslexic, I preferred pictures. After a while, I abandoned the written stuff, referring to them only when absolutely needed.
Rather than using the included adaptor for the front wheel, I used a spare rear wheel at the back, taking advantage of disc brakes because the Porsche's frame didn't have cantilever brake posts. The rear disc brake is attached to an adaptor made by a local bicycle fabrication master, the original being of a proprietary design.
I had some issues with the RD shifting to the lower gears until I figured that the chain was a few links too short. Added some links and the issue vapourised.
Another issue, which still is an issue, is the RD. When the thing is fully screwed into the FWD bracket, the other end of the screw protrudes and interferes with the chain on the highest gear. I circumvented the issue by using washers to space things out.
Other than some silly mistakes, the conversion went well.
The finished product is a bit on the high side but manageable.
Comments are welcome, please!
Here are some pictures:
