Return of the Adventure Bike

   Yes, it's part three of the Adventure Bike Series, and there is still one to go! A customer has a Marin mountain bike conversion waiting in the wings, but my recent project was quite similar, involving a Giant Boulder SE that was just sitting unused in my garage. There are a few friends in my cycling circle who only have road bikes, and since we have a few regular routes that travel unpaved roads, I thought it would be a good idea to have something on hand to borrow for such occasions.

   The plan wasn't too complicated, and I've experimented a bit with some non-name-brand components, just to keep the costs down. This Giant isn't exactly state-of-the-art and has a good deal of miles on it, so I didn't want to throw a lot of money at the build. The bike originally had a lower-level Shimano 3x7 drivetrain, so I decided to go with simplicity and install a 1x setup.

   Although the long-cage derailleur that came on the mountain bike would take plenty of the chain slack, it wouldn't work like the modern rear derailleurs with a clutch to maintain chain tension, so I was a bit concerned about chain bounce. I installed a narrow/wide chainring to help ensure the chain stays put!

   I had experience with Microshift seven-speed levers from building my friend Kathy's vintage Terry bicycle, and I really liked the way they operated. I found that they had the added plus of a slightly angled brake lever, which keeps the shifting paddle, located behind the lever blade, clear of the bars when applying the brakes. This is important because the Giant came equipped with V-brakes, which require more cable pull to work properly - being able to grab a full squeeze of the lever is a necessity!

   Come one, come all - decorate your bike with lights (not a requirement) and join us for a ride out to Reading and back. In the community of Stowe, we'll meet at the Grosstown Road trailhead of the SRT, right near the Continental Concrete factory. The trail is now almost entirely off-road, and the sections of street we will have to travel are practically traffic-free, as most cars are diverted onto parallel Rt. 724! The majority of the trail is unpaved, so I would suggest bringing a bike with wider tires.