Convert steel MTB to commuter

[alexhunter123711]

I have a couple of old steel mountain bikes, I'd like to convert 1 or 2 of them into a commuter, where should I start? The tires/ wheels first I guess? Any recommendations? And what else should I change? The bikes are: shogun trail breaker 3, trail breaker SP and Avanti lightning. Which one/s should I keep?

[10speedsemiracer]

If the Avanti Lightning has a suspension fork (which I think it does) then that sort of relegates it to last place. The Shogun Trailbreaker 3 is first option (also assuming it has a rigid fork) followed by the Trailbreaker SP.
Stay with the 26s, swap the tyres to Schwalbe Marathon Racer (if the budget allows) or Maxxis Overdrive (if budget dictates) and then dump the canti brakes for V brakes and matching brake levers. Spme nice SKS fenders and a sturdy rack...job done.

[alexhunter123711]

Thanks for the reply, they're all rigid, I don't really like suspension. For the tires, how narrow could I go? They all have pretty bulky tires on them at the moment

[10speedsemiracer]

I've found 26x1,75 is a happy medium between comfort and rolling speed, but if you wanted outright speed you could find a 26x1,5. Continental make a 26x1,5 CityContact tyre which is ok.

[find_bruce]

Thanks for the reply, they're all rigid, I don't really like suspension. For the tires, how narrow could I go? They all have pretty bulky tires on them at the moment

You could probably fit 1" (ie 25mm) tyres, but why would you want to. Non nobbly will make a significant difference in reduced rolling resistance, narrow, not so much. You should be able to find 1.25 " (ie 32mm) tyres which would be around the minimum I would consider, but more likely to aim at around 1.5" (40mm)

[bychosis]

Depends how much you want to change them. Simple as changing to some slick tyres, or going the whole hog. Adding mudguards, changing the cassette, crank, chainrings, shifters to a more road oriented set of gear, changing the bars or adding extensions to get low aero etc.

[10speedsemiracer]

Forgot to mention, if you swap to V-Brake (for a commuter, I've found this is a good move) then this allows the use of the ez-fire brake/shifter units which tidies up the cockpit nicely and they work well for the comparatively small $ outlay. Like these :



and these V-Brakes (Shimano t4000) :
..

Add the fenders of your choosing and a decent rear rack with Schwalbe Marathons and you have a heavy duty commuter which stand up to whatever you throw at it.

[jaseyjase]

If your commute is relatively flat, id recommend the SS conversion, geared accordingly.

I actually went the other way and went for wider tires, for comfort and something a little tougher for debris on the roads that i commuted on.

Went 26 x 2.4

[alexhunter123711]

Looks like the shifters for the shogun 3 don't work correctly, they move, but don't 'lock in' for the next gear etc.. so maybe just go with the other shogun? It's frame says tange, while the 3 is crmo 4130 which i think is better?

[10speedsemiracer]

Looks like the shifters for the shogun 3 don't work correctly, they move, but don't 'lock in' for the next gear etc.. so maybe just go with the other shogun? It's frame says tange, while the 3 is crmo 4130 which i think is better?

Unless the shifters are physically broken, they may just need a blasting out with degreaser and then a re-lube. There are a bunch of videos on YouTube that show this process.
The below is from a YT channel called RJtheBikeguy, and I think he's a bit rough but this video is ok..

You may not need to go to the extent of disassembling, and may only need to blast the interior of the shifter with WD40 through the cable port while working the action (have an oil pan underneath and probz do it outside). What happens is that the grease congeals internally within the shifter and the solvent properties of WD40/RP7 dissolve and wash the old chunky grease out. When it starts clicking again, let it dry, and then re-lube with a good spray-in lube.