Converting drop bars to flat bar assistance please

[lazeespite]

Morning All

I'm a proud new owner of a racing bike, a Genesis Aether to be exact, which is a 16 speed bike. I've only really riden single speed bikes but thought I'd try a road bike as where I live is hilly and any riding uphill is hard without gears.

Having tried it out yesterday, I found that i can't get on with the drop bars... I have a bad wrist and the posture required to use them is uncomfortable.

I've decided to convert it to a flat bar bike and have asked the local bike shop if they could do it for me and they've told me it'll cost £200ish. I've decided that seems a little steep and have looked at doing it myself.

The first thing I need to do is work out a shopping list, and I was hoping someone more experienced with gears could tell me if I'm on the right track. So here's my list:

1. Flat handlebars!
2. Shifters, I'm looking at the Shimano R221 shifters/brakes as I belive they have them with 2x8
3. New cables

Thanks for your help in advance.

 

[Alun]

You might want to consider this sort of bar first http://www.ribblecycles.co.uk/sp/ro...-Crononero-Handlebars-Low-Profile/DEDAHBAQ210
It would work out a lot cheaper, as you could use the same shifters

 

[fixedfixer]

Hi, those Shifters are for an MTB. You'll need to be sure they work with your existing front and rear mechs. Also they look live 'v' brake levers that prob won't work with road brakes (too much cable pull). Putting flat bars on a road bike is not always straight forward.

 

[lazeespite]

Thanks for the quick reply, the bars look like a good compromise but I've really got my mind set on the flat bars. I've been riding singlespeed bike with flat bars so long now that my body has become accustomed to that posture.

I had a look on the Chainreaction website that have them in stock, apparently they work with calliper brakes as well. How can you tell if they with road bike mechs?

not sure how you do links on this forum but the specs for the shifters are at http://www.chainreactioncycles.com/Models.aspx?ModelID=38724

thanks

 

[cyberknight]

I would look at the bike set up first before spending money on conversion,i found this helpful as i used to suffer with numb hands untill i got the bike set up right as i had to much weigth on my arms and had the wrists at an angle that was uncomfortable.
http://bikedynamics.co.uk/guidelines.htm
http://bikedynamics.co.uk/achesandpains.htm

 

[simon.r]

I had a look on the Chainreaction website that have them in stock, apparently they work with calliper brakes as well. How can you tell if they with road bike mechs?

not sure how you do links on this forum but the specs for the shifters are at http://www.chainreactioncycles.com/Models.aspx?ModelID=38724

thanks

I *think* the issue tends to be with the front mech rather than the shifters. Front mechs have a range - they can only cope with a specified difference between the number of teeth on your front chainrings.

I'd be very surprised if the shifters won't work with a 'normal' double chainset and front mech (and the same at the rear).

I assume there's some sort of adjustment to enable the levers to work with different brakes. When V brakes came out Shimano levers had little plastic inserts that you could remove to increase cable pull.

 

[RecordAceFromNew]

Those R221 levers will work fine with any modern cable operated brake (there is a little plastic tab/switch on each lever), including what the OP has. It will also work fine with any 2x8 Shimano mechs. I have done exactly same on a bike previously.

He just need to make sure the new bars have the same clamp dimension as his existing stem, and some handlebar grips (Ergons are brill). Another suggestion is now is a good time to pick bars with the right rise and width - a drop bar bike might have a shorter top tube than a flat bar bike of the same size so worth working out what suits.

The £200 quote is outrageous!

 

[lazeespite]

Morning All

I found some shifter/brakesa that will work, and a bike shop that would do the work; all in all it's cost me about £100... much better than the original £200 that I was quoted.

I found the bike dynamics article very interesting, I'll have to set the bike up with that in mind. Thanks for all the help guys.

 

[othertim]

Planning same switch - same bike too. Did you go for the R221shifters and are they working ok?

 

[TheDoctor]

When I've used flat bars with road bike gears and brakes, I've fitted gripshifters (£14 a side or so) and canti (NOT v-brake!!) brake levers (about £15 a pair). Cheap, light, works.

 

[cyberknight]

Glad you got it sorted to your liking, if i had some spare cash i wanted to convert my rigid MTB to drops , as its got canti brakes ,7x3 gearing and an old style narrow threaded headset it could be a bit expensive and hard to soruce parts .
If i could do it to my mind it would look sweet and make a great winter commuter.

 

[screenman]

Can I say that very often people do not get on with drops because they have them set up wrong.

 

[TheDoctor]

That's doable. STI levers will work canti brakes, you may need a road front mech as the cable pull is different. A 9 speed cassette will go onto a 7 speed freehub if you lose one cog and spacer. You then use a 9 speed STI but only have 8 gears available.

 

[cyberknight]

That's doable. STI levers will work canti brakes, you may need a road front mech as the cable pull is different. A 9 speed cassette will go onto a 7 speed freehub if you lose one cog and spacer. You then use a 9 speed STI but only have 8 gears available.

Its a freewheel

 

[TheDoctor]

Ah.
You may struggle. Bar end shifters might be your only hope.
Any 7 speed STIs are going to be quite old now.

Hang on though - is that a steel frame?
If so you could get a freehubby back wheel in by cold-setting (bending!) the frame. 8 or 9 speed cassette, STIs to suit and Robert's your aunt's husband.