r/restomodbiking

10sp w/Ultegra 6500 derailleurs, Dia Compe ENE ratchet shifters, 46/30 11-36, Innicycle threadless conversion headset, VO tall stack stem, Ritchey Venture Max bars, Origin 8 levers, Thomson seatpost, Fizik saddle, Paul touring rear Neo-Retro front brakes, XTR pedals, titanium bottom bracket spindle, Hi-Fi Mix-tapes wheels w/Challenge 36 Getaways, VO Snake Skin fenders, Nitto rack, Wald 137. I waited a long time to find a frame only 610 to come along that wasn't ridiculously overpriced and in good shape and couldn't be more pleased with how it rides. Just in time for summer! less

Here is my bike that I I retired from my grandpa, it's a 90s Peugeot Touraine Bike Made in France, I had thoughts about stripping it down completely and upgrading almost everything but my budget is kinda short for carbon wheels and a full new groupset 😬.

What do you guys think i should do ?

I had fun making ai simulations with Modern parts, but it will probably be impossible for me to build money wise. Still cool tho.

What do you think and what upgrades should I make (new groupset, brakes)

did buy the bike around 2013 second hand in a pristine condition. Been riding it since than. This years I added new wheels and more comfy saddle ;) Next up is new brakes.

My first bike build. Had to shove a beer can shim in the headset for it to fit…

Picked up my old 2004 (bought it in Poland in '04 but not sure what is exact model year) GT Timberline LTD and somehow it turned into a full little restomod project.

I’m definitely not a bike mechanic. This was my first "real" build, done mostly in the evenings over about two weeks, with a lot of learning, swearing, measuring twice, asking questions and slowly figuring out how everything actually works.

The goal was not to make it modern-modern. I wanted to keep the soul of an early-2000s 26” hardtail, but make it genuinely fun again for city rides, forest paths, gravel, errands and random “I’ll just take the long way home” loops.

Current setup:

• 1x11 drivetrain
• SRAM GX 11s rear derailleur
• SRAM GX Grip Shift
• Shimano CS-M5100 11-42 cassette
• Shimano Deore FC-M5100 32T crank
• Shimano BB-MT800 bottom bracket
• Shimano PD-EF202 pedals
• Schwalbe Smart Sam Plus 26x2.25 tires
• Shimano Deore BR-T610 V-brakes
• Avid Speed Dial 7 levers
• Ergon GP3 grips
• new cables and housing
• wider (780mm), more upright cockpit
• some vinyl details (on a generic bike bag) and 3D-printed valve caps

Then I made the mistake of realizing how good it rides, caught the upgrade bug, and, well… it escalated. The next front-end update is on the way: RST Omega 26” TNL, 100 mm, still with V-brake mounts, plus a full conversion to 1 1/8” threadless/AHEAD with new EC34 headset, spacers and adjustable stem. I’m also starting to think about the seatpost situation. Maybe a dropper, maybe not. That rabbit hole is currently staring at me from across the garage.

What surprised me most as a bike noob: it’s all actually doable if you go slowly. The first ride after finishing the build made all the little garage battles worth it.

Biggest real-world difference so far:

• tires: the Smart Sam Plus 2.25s completely changed the bike’s confidence and comfort
• grips: way more comfort than I expected
• pedals: honestly, good pedals made the bike feel much more “connected”

I’d think of this as a retro-modern ATB / light-trail hardtail. Still simple, still 26”, still V-brake, but now with enough range, comfort and control to actually want to ride it all the time.

About 150 km in the last two weeks already - not finished yet, but already my favorite bike to ride :)

I am planning to make this a steeze commuter/xbike. I already took off the seat and will replace that with a sportier seat, unsure of color. I want to replace the front crankset with a chrome or shiny aluminum set and do the same with the derailleurs. I am getting rid of the hideous stem and bars and will replace those with something better. And of course getting the tanwalls. Any ideas on a good customization route? I might replace the cable housing with a different color as well. Thanks in advance