Road bike: Flatbar vs Drop bar

[Willehond]

Funny, I've just converted my wife's RC3000 to flat bar. She loves her MTB, and was riding the road bike very infrequently because she didn't like 'curly handlebars'.

 

 

Works for her. So I mentioned the style police in passing ... apparently they better watch out - she's not in the mood for any of their lip lol!

 

Now she want's a triple chainring so she's got as much flexibility as her MTB, on the road. So I've ordered a compact road triple - 50-39-30. Anything to be sure she's happy out on the road!

 

A tripple crankset and a flat handlebar. Why didn't you just order a hybrid bike from the start?

[Teardrop]

Here's a pic

 

Hi, just for interest sake what is the price to do the conversion?

[CAAD4]

Guy that is the hottest Raleigh I have seen in a while. Get her a white seat post to match for Xmas. I guess the selection of off the shelf hybrids is still pretty limited here unlike overseas. Those Platinums that I have seen look like they weigh a ton.

[levett]

Hi, just for interest sake what is the price to do the conversion?

If you're on 9-Speed Shimsano, you can use any MTB Shifters (say R250 - Micro-Shift or Deore), R250 for some Bars, R250 if you need a different length Stem, and any old MTB Brake Levers - so, say R1k for the conversion - and then sell the STI's! So pretty much 'cost neutral'

It's more expensive if you're on 10-Speed! Shimano make 'special 10-Speed Trigger Shifters and Brake Levers (check out CRC)

R770 Shifters (around R1,100)

FDR770 or 773 (around R400)

R770 Brake Levers (around R300)

So around R1,800 for 10-Speed Conversion

Edited October 26, 2010 by levett

[GuyP]

A tripple crankset and a flat handlebar. Why didn't you just order a hybrid bike from the start?

 

Would have been nice, but we bought the bike in 2006 and she's just started articulating why she doesn't like riding it after getting an MTB a few months back. It was a simple matter to change most of the stuff with spares in the garage, except the triple and medium cage RD

[GuyP]

Guy that is the hottest Raleigh I have seen in a while. Get her a white seat post to match for Xmas. I guess the selection of off the shelf hybrids is still pretty limited here unlike overseas. Those Platinums that I have seen look like they weigh a ton.

 

Lol.

Especially difficult to find them off-the-shelf in her size, 44cm!

[GuyP]

Hi, just for interest sake what is the price to do the conversion?

 

 

I maintained the 9speed standard of the RC3000, so it was quite cheap. I had a FSA bar, Deore v-brakes, Ergon grips and a Kore stem lying around (couldn't believe it made a different until the missus told me so!), so simply needed Deore shifters at about R400

 

The new crankset, FD and RD as a result of her wanting the triple was about R700 at CRC - I specced Sora rather than Tiagra given her riding style (very fun rider), which was nearly half the price of the equivalent Tiagra

 

So at just over R1000 all in, not too bad.

 

If you had to buy a bar and v-brakes, you could get them for about R400 in total from CRC

 

Total real cost in this case say R1500, including effectively a new drivetrain! Hard to beat!

 

 

[Tumbleweed]

There are some nice flat-bar setups in the new Silverback line-up. I used to own a GT ZUM, one of my favourite bikes ever!

[Remmo]

I say why follow the pack; do what you feel comfortable with and be different!

'Hot-rodding' is not only for cars....

[scott]

Photo of my Flat Bar Giant TCRc 10 sp

[scott]

close up photo of shifter

[CAAD4]

Hey Scott that is hot! Once my 29er is done, a flat bar bike might just be my next project.

[javadude]

Isn't there an issue with using a road FD with MTB trigger shifters? I know Shimano make a special road FD for flatbar shifter use, just not sure what the deal is.

[GuyP]

Isn't there an issue with using a road FD with MTB trigger shifters? I know Shimano make a special road FD for flatbar shifter use, just not sure what the deal is.

 

Velo, that's news to me - I've had no issue with the standard three speed shifter on a two ring FD. The shifter will only shift two rings because the high ratio screw on the FD constrains it from moving further outward to a phantom third ring. Maybe Shimano make a two speed MTB shifter, but there's no issue with the normal three speed

 

 

[javadude]

Velo, that's news to me - I've had no issue with the standard three speed shifter on a two ring FD. The shifter will only shift two rings because the high ratio screw on the FD constrains it from moving further outward to a phantom third ring. Maybe Shimano make a two speed MTB shifter, but there's no issue with the normal three speed

 

Something about the cable pull. Drop bar shifters require alot less cable to shift the FD a certain amount, whereas FB shifters are the opposite. Its probably more critical going the other way round, using an MTB FD with road shifters.

 

Shimano make the 773 and 443 FD's specifically for use with road FB shifters,

Edited October 28, 2010 by velo

[GuyP]

Something about the cable pull. Drop bar shifters require alot less cable to shift the FD a certain amount, whereas FB shifters are the opposite. Its probably more critical going the other way round, using an MTB FD with road shifters.

 

Shimano make the 773 and 443 FD's specifically for use with road FB shifters,

 

 

Ok, haven't done it the other way round, but worth noting for future projects!

 

On cable leverage though, as far as the brakes are concerned - the v-brake levers on road brakes give a fantastic feel, whereas the other way round (road levers on v-brakes or cantilevers) is almost as good as having no brakes without a device called a Travel Agent.