'92 Ibis SS 18.5 26" conversion; XC Pro, Mavic, Nitto, On One, Sugino, HITE RITE

A lovely treasure I am now parting with. I took a stock 1992 Ibis SS and swapped out the stem for a Nitto 25.4 dirt drop stem with On One Midge bars. Everything else is stock except the addition of fenders (Cascadia ALX) and the handbuilt Panasonic/Tioga front wheel with a B+M Luxos IQ lighting rig (includes rear light with standlight). Full part spec below. Open to negotiation if you don't want the dynamo and lighting. The front Blackburn rack I can take or leave. The original Koski fork is lost to some garage between here and Sebastapol.
Yes, I'm working on getting better photos.
And yes, some of the camping shots show older parts; details shots show current component spec. If it isn't specifically mentioned, it isn't included (bottle cage, bags, etc).
DETAILS:
- Overall condition: this bike has been ridden in its life but not hard. No frame/crash issues. Some rash from chain suck. Decals are cracking but complete with the exception of one of the SS top tube decals. Cosmetically I would give it 7/10. Functionally there are no issues. I chased and cleaned the bottom bracket shell when putting in the new XC Pro bb.
- 1992 Ibis SS 18.5 with custom silver colorway (was not an option in the '92 catalog, dating is based on a serial for an SS hosted on MOMBAT's page before their hosting began to fall through.) Multi-butted size specific tubing throughout. See the '92 Ibis catalog for a full description. Hosted in multiple place online. In short, it looks like someone custom ordered Ibis' most basic frame at the time ($1000 in 1992 dollars), painted it a custom color without any structural additions (the hand job cable stop and reinforced headtube being the most common details seen on these SS models), and had it built up with a then-unusual high end Suntour XC Pro kit. Wheels would’ve been a custom order, and Shimano had just released trigger shifting 8spd XT soon before. Granted most orders from Ibis would’ve been at least semi custom in those days. Mind the 130mm rear spacing limits this bike to a 7-speed freewheel; an 8spd with a spacer might work if you rebuild and redish the wheel. Maybe more is possible.
- Tange Prestige MTB Switchblade fork
- Dropper post: hell yes, an original (NOS) 2.5" long Hite Rite dropper. Should be paired with a brazed collar ideally, works well enough on the included collar. Travel is smoother than any modern seatpost I've installed in the last 7 years. Drops under weight when the collar is opened, springs up when released. One cheat would be to drill and tap the collar and install a small set screw.
- Wheelset: Mavic PSP 231 rims laced to Mavic Paris-Gao-Dakar hubs. Buttery smooth, sealed bearings. True with a great deal of brake track left. 36 spokes per wheel, original wheelset laced with Wheelsmith straight gauge spokes.
- Drivetrain: Suntour XC Pro 3x7 shifters and rear derailleur and XC Ltd front derailleur; XC Ltd crankset with new (~100 miles? maybe less) Sugino 48/38/24 chainrings, Suntour XC Pro bottom bracket (NOS before installation, similar mileage to chainrings), new 14-32t Dimension freewheel that I would recommend replacing with something period correct, ie flat tooth freewheels. The turned teeth on modern freewheels (to aid in shifting and chain retention) cause a bit of clicking in gear 7 even with limits set properly. A max cog of 28t also prevents any cross chaining as it was in a previous build.
- Ritchey headset (new bearings would be a good idea, it works fine but the bearing cage isn't in perfect shape).
- Strong seatpost with WTB Volt saddle and 2.5" NOS Hite Rite
- Lighting: handbuilt (~5000 miles now) Tioga socketed MTB rim to Panasonic dynamo laced with assorted spokes of the proper length Has required one minor re-true after a loaded tour with singletrack. A fellow bike mechanic who has used the Panasonic for years without issue on his Surly cargo commuter/kid van prompted me to check it out. I've had no issues and it's ~7% less efficient than a SON. B+M Luxos system includes a USB port, a 'high beam' mode for 90lux and standard illumination of 70lux (measuring light density, not total output - total output is in the 700 lumen territory), no flicker at all. Excellent for road/rando and sufficient at low speeds for trail; high speed night singletrack I would recommend a secondary beam on a helmet in the 1000+ lumen range. Includes 'Bullet' style rear light, each light has an independent capacitor and the front light can be turned off with the high beam/charge function switch.
- Brakes: Tektro long-pull levers with unbranded 110mm tall forged linear pull calipers. Currently set up with Shimano XT brake pads with light wear.
- Pedals: Suntour XC beartrap style pedals.