Road / gravel bike with flat handlebars

[dannygirl]

Was looking for a cheap 2nd hand road bike to use for CTCT (and getting into road triathlons).  Realised that the very skinny wheels and body position (brake levers on drop bars) are probably not going to work for me, and that I'll probably need something with flat handlebar, a bit wider tires, and disk brakes.  

 

So I have a few questions:

1.  My very first (and only) road bike from way back when, had drop handlebars, but had brake levers both on the curves (as is standard) and on the flat portion of the bar.  Does one still get these?

2.  Gravel bikes are still relatively pricey, and converting the handlebars / brake levers would also add to the bill.  Not that many going 2nd hand.  Given that I was only looking to pick up a cheap road bike for the odd road event - any suggestions on affordable / easy ways forward?

 

I'm basically just not wanting to put slicks on my (tubeless) MTB every time I do a road event... 

 

Any advice appreciated!

 

[David Marshall]

Don't be fooled into thinking that flat bars are more suitable than drops.  If you get a properly fitting road bike you ride most of the time with your hands on top of the STI's and brake from the top. Your whole body position is rotated slightly more forward than on a MTB so your shoulder and hip to body angles are roughly the same.  

 

Also road tyres give more than enough grip in both wet and dry conditions.  It is impossible for the average cyclist to get a road tyre to plane in the wet.  You can slip on paint, gravel, man hole covers etc but you can't plane!  Going wider than 25 mm will just add drag.

 

Disc brakes are great but as you said are expensive and I wouldn't go for them on an entry level purchase.

 

I would recommend going for a road or tri bike and getting a professional bike fit.  Then get used to riding it.

 

As for slicks on a MTB - basically a waste of time.  You are not going to come close to competing with a road bike so why bother.