You may have owned or still own a bike that’s the ideal platform for an adventure or gravel bike conversion. The bike I used to have was a 2012 Santa Cruz Highball. (You can read posts about this bike in the archive here.) I recently came across the exact bike I used to own on Facebook Marketplace at a price I couldn’t resist, and picked it up with a plan: strip it down to the frame and build it up from scratch as the ultimate flat bar gravel and adventure bike.
What makes this “vintage” XC mountain bike so appealing as the platform for an all-purpose gravel/ATB/adventure rig? Thanks for asking… and here’s my answer, in the form of an SEO-friendly checklist:
1. Geometry that is optimized for endurance riding
Modern mountain bikes are designed for XC courses that have grown to be more technical and require geometry that can handle it. However, older XC hardtails feature steeper head angles, shorter wheelbases, and lower bottom brackets — similar to geometry that is being adopted by modern gravel bikes.
These bikes were designed for endurance riding, and this geometry works great on moderate terrain for long hours in the saddle – they’re nimble, efficient, and stable on mixed terrain, which makes them optimal for gravel and adventure rides. There’s a reason companies like BMC used their TeamElite XC hardtail as the prototype/mule for their gravel bike line.
2. Tire clearance and versatility
While older hardtails may not fit the massive rubber being found in many of the modern hardtails we’re seeing, a 2.1″ or 2.3″ is huge when it comes to gravel riding. With some of the new, fast-rolling, higher volume gravel tires like the Kenda **, you have a bike that can handle everything from smooth pavement to logging roads filled with potholes and rocks. And you won’t have to be as concerned with durability – after all, it’s a mountain bike frame.
3. Flat bar confidence
Many riders consider drop bars a prerequisite for labeling a bike a gravel bike. But who cares about labels when you’re miles from nowhere? Especially if you’re finding yourself on rough terrain or loaded with bikepacking gear.
4. They’re affordable and accessible
If you have the patience and know what you’re looking for, you can find a crazy deal on an older mountain bike. Restoring and converting an older bike can be cheaper than buying a new bike. However, I find having a one-of-a-kind rig that’s unique and features the parts you like the biggest reason to DIY your adventure rig. Yes, there’s a time investment involved, and for many, that equals cost. But that is also what makes the effort with it (IMO).
Five things to look for in an older mountain bike frame for a gravel/adventure conversion
I’m pretty psyched on finding and getting back together with my old Santa Cruz Highball. While finding one that was a few years newer would have been nice, it feels like a reunion. I already know this bike, what it can do, and have experienced adventures on it. It also fit my prerequisites in finding the right chassis.
My main priorities are that it’s reasonably light and has a nice enough frame to invest time in. It should fit well, and you should like its aesthetics, or you won’t want to ride it.
I have a few other prerequisites; here they are in the form of yet another list:
1. Disc brake mounts
Disc brakes are a must-have for me – I can’t ever see myself wanting to go back to rim brakes, which makes a frame with disc brake mounts essential. I was less concerned about the rear axle or rear axle spacing, as non-boost wheels are still abundant; they’re also still in use. Ideally, a through axle rear end would have been great, but I already had this bike and a rear quick-release is not a deal breaker.
Yes, you can have disc brake tabs welded to some frames, but that would require painting and additional prep. Unless it was a nice titanium frame, I’d argue it isn’t worth the time and cost.
2. Twenty-nine-inch wheels
You might be able to pull off making a 26″ wheel frame run gravel tires, but I’d say it’s less than ideal. I’ve done it, but I’d look for a 29″ wheel xc hardtail.
3. Two water bottle cage mounts
I have been riding a Kona Honzo Carbon converted into a multi-surface adventurer, and while I was able to add a second bottle cage using the Topeak Versa Mount, I didn’t love the look. Having the capacity for two full-size water bottles was a priority for me, and I happily traded internal cable routing and a through-axle rear end for it. And that Kona is rad, it will find a happy home.
4. Dropper post compatibility
A lot of people run rigid posts on their gravel bikes, but my idea of adventure often has me riding in places I shouldn’t be riding with a rigid fork with slick tires.
Dropper posts are available in a few common sizes: 30.9mm, 31.6mm, and 34.9mm being the most common these days. Thanks to companies like PNW Components, it is possible to find a quality dropper post at a reasonable price point, including 27.2mm sizes, which are less common. PNW offers their Coast Suspension, Cascade, and Pine dropper posts with external routing options, with the Pine and Coast available in 27.2mm diameters.
Older bikes are less likely to feature internal frame routing for derailleur cables and dropper posts, which means potentially ugly external cable routing. Admittedly, modern gravel rigs look quite sleek with all the internal brake cable routing and wireless shifting.
5. Reasonably lightweight
If we’re looking at older cross-country mountain bikes, they should all be reasonably lightweight. There’s no point in putting time into a heavy bike – the point of the exercise is to refurbish those gems out there. Whether it’s a nice steel, carbon fiber, titanium, or aluminum frame,
I recently discovered a 2012 Santa Cruz Highball on Facebook Marketplace – a bike I used to own. While it’s going to need some work, I’m excited about the potential of this build. In the next post, I’m going to document the process of restoring it and converting it for use as a multisurface endurance adventure bike for gravel and light trail riding.