OpenTube

1990's Gary Fisher Gravel Bike

Robert Adair

567,689 views

In this one, I convert a 1990's Gary Fisher into a proper gravel bike. I add hydraulic disc brakes, thru axles, drop bars and tubeless tires. It turns out amazing! If you love ‘90s bikes and you want to see one turned into a gravel bike, the right way, check it out. You won't be disappointed.

Build Details:
Frame: 1998 Gary Fisher Gitche Gumee 17"
Fork: Steel, 700c, 1 1/8 straight steerer, ISO disc mount
Headset: Cane Creek Forty EC34
Bar Tape: Zipp Service Course CX
Bars: Origin8 Flared, 40CM
Stem: Generic, aluminum, 100mm, 7-degree drop
Wheels: Shimano RS thru axle
Tires: American Classic Kimberlite, 700c x 40mm
Shifters: Shimano Ultegra RS-685, 11-speed hydraulic
Seat: Giant Approach
Seatpost: Promax 27.2mm x 400mm
Front Derailleur: Shimano GRX-RX810 for 2X
Crankset: GRX600 Double, 46/30
Bottom Bracket: Shimano Ultegra BBR60
Chain: Shimano Ultegra 11-speed
Cassette: SRAM PG1170
Rear Derailleur: Shimano GRX RD-RX810 11-speed

Music Selection:
Electrodoodle by Kevin MacLeod is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 license. https://creativecommons.org/licenses/...

20 Comments

@RobertAdairWorkshop Creator 2 years ago Pinned

The hardest part of the whole project was getting Winamp to work on that Windows 98 tablet.

@vaulthecreator 1 year ago

The irony in converting a 90's MTB into a gravel bike is that a gravel bike is essentially a 90's MTB.

@FantaconeBoxWorksCBG 2 years ago

The thru axle conversation is brilliant!

@BKyourway95 2 years ago

There’s a certain level of irony in saying “new parts are too expensive”, but using machining a single nut and brake mount with thousands of dollars of tools😂! Great work, very cool bike and insightful build!

@AK-oz4ew 2 years ago

Jeez, what a brilliant upgrade. Steel frames go a long way to allow whatever you want

@mag9792 1 year ago

I’ve seen so many of these “90s MTB to gravel conversion” videos and it’s basically people just adding drop bars and keeping everything else the same.

This was so interesting to watch seeing a cool 90s bike get a full modern upgrade with hydraulic discs and 700c wheels but still keeping the retro aesthetic of the frame. Absolute craftsmanship. That is one awesome bike!

@Josukegaming 2 years ago

This is absolutely incredible. This is the most detailed and creative vintage bike conversion builds I've EVER SEEN. Usually most people just put on a new drivetrain, tires and bars and call it a day.

@detacheddad3396 2 years ago

I got a complete Gary Fischer out of the trash. It’s the coolest bike I’ve ever owned.

@44Paulbowman 2 years ago

I cringe when I hear someone say, "bike build", which usually means they've changed out some functional parts for fancy parts, but this is genius and absolutely amazing! Well, done sir.

@DarinMiller 2 years ago

Major thumbs up for the WinAmp player 😄

@Calatriste54 2 years ago

I've abandoned any idea of paying what Gravel Bikes are going for these days. Rediculous! NO MORE!! This is real inspiration. "Necessity is the mother of invention", all you bike Manufacturers..

@somyar.mohanty5853 2 years ago

Man you just did the entire project a way way way better than anyone online here on youtube, So much precise on the measurement , then the disc mount and finding the used parts with the the frame stretching to fit the through axle, it was amazing.

@Gribbo9999 2 years ago

I have a Gary Fisher L' Aquila mountain bike. I bought it new in 1999 in Sydney. So it's now 25 years old! The front suspension forks gave up a couple of years ago and I replaced them with rigid forks. I've been running it on narrow road tyres for many years and predominantly using it on sealed roads, basically as a road bike. The bike has seen life in Vietnam for two years, Laos, Indonesia for several years, and Malawi, as well as here in New South Wales. It's still in nearly daily use, though I do alternate it with my full suspension bike depending on the ride. Still a lovely bike to ride. At 73, I now think my legs will retire before the bike!

@MCab 10 months ago

I appreciate so much that you included a “mistakes i made” section. There is much to learn

@TrekSLDuraAce 2 years ago

Robert, good video! As a cyclist of 35 years, and a Machinist/Engineer of 45 years, I can appreciate what you've accomplished.
I have an old Stumpjumper with 26" wheels, disc brakes, and Quick Release hubs. I converted the 26ers to thru axles in a similar fashion. I had to custom make the axles, modify the hubs, and modify the dropouts.
Having machine tools is great!