Drop bars or Bar Ends?

[AndyPeace]

I want to travel a bit further this season and I want a few more options on holding the handlebars. I find I ride sometimes with my palms anchored into the grip with my hand holding on to the ends on the bars. As the title says what should I do drop bars or bar ends?

 

[HovR]

Bar ends will be a far cheaper and easier upgrade. Simple fitting with no other parts needing to be changed.

If you're changing to drop bars, then you'll need new shifters/brake levers (minimum) which can be expensive.

 

[Pottsy]

Flat bars to drops can be a bit more complex/expensive than first consideration due to gear and brake issues. I'l just go for these if you're still happy with the rest of the bike:

http://www.wiggle.co.uk/cane-creek-ergo-grip-ii-bar-end/

 

[MacB]

Depends how much you want to spend:-

cheap - bar ends, maybe some different shaped bars and you can always put some stubby barends inboard of the grips to provide yet another position - or butterfly/trekking bars of some description

expensive - drop bars - none of your controls will fit on drops so you'd need the whole shebang, plus new cable operated road disc brake calipers or an expensive cable to hydraulic converter. RD should be ok but may need to change the FD, plus could need new stem due to the longer reach to the hoods of drops.

I have done the conversion both ways, though not with hydraulics, and wouldn't do it again. For longer rides I ended up going with some On-One Mary bars, so big sweep with the grips at approx 40 degrees, and put some little barends inboard of the grips. That gives me the sideon hand position I prefer, a more stretched out position on the barends(with it being narrow it's also a bit more aero) and a couple of inbetweeny ones. I also use ergo style grips so that the heel of my hand rests on something.

It's easy enough to have a two bar setup using flat bars, especially if you use lockon grips - total spend about £50-100. To go with drops you could easily spend up to £500 and you're then in the might as well get another bike territory.

 

[AndyPeace]

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Depends how much you want to spend:-

cheap - bar ends, maybe some different shaped bars and you can always put some stubby barends inboard of the grips to provide yet another position - or butterfly/trekking bars of some description

expensive - drop bars - none of your controls will fit on drops so you'd need the whole shebang, plus new cable operated road disc brake calipers or an expensive cable to hydraulic converter. RD should be ok but may need to change the FD, plus could need new stem due to the longer reach to the hoods of drops.

I have done the conversion both ways, though not with hydraulics, and wouldn't do it again. For longer rides I ended up going with some On-One Mary bars, so big sweep with the grips at approx 40 degrees, and put some little barends inboard of the grips. That gives me the sideon hand position I prefer, a more stretched out position on the barends(with it being narrow it's also a bit more aero) and a couple of inbetweeny ones. I also use ergo style grips so that the heel of my hand rests on something.

It's easy enough to have a two bar setup using flat bars, especially if you use lockon grips - total spend about £50-100. To go with drops you could easily spend up to £500 and you're then in the might as well get another bike territory.

The brakes are avid bb7 disk and a hayes mx4 on the rear. They are both cable brakes so no problem there , wouldn't I just need new brake cables+levers . Its an eight speed triple drivetrain, so I'd be pretty limited from what I can tell on shifters. still with a drop bar a bit of tape and some new gear and break cables, I think I could do it in under £175, thought this is still slightly steeper than £26.99 for some bar ends...and possibly a tad more work, though I'm not shy of time for this bike. economics says bar ends and save up for a new bike, £175 would add nicley to the pot.

 

[bobcat]

I would spend the money and puts drops on it, they make such a massive difference she will feel like a new bike!

 

[amaferanga]

Hard to tell from the picture, but it looks like you already have a fairly short stem. If you change to drops then you'd probably need to shorten it by at least a couple of cm. Really short stems are not good.

Basically, if you want a road bike then sell it and buy a road bike. Otherwise just put some bar ends on it and save yourself a lot of hassle. Drop bars on that bike won't make you much faster if at all.

 

[MattHB]

Butterfly bars are also an option if all you want are more hand positions. Everything will fit too.

 

[HovR]

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The brakes are avid bb7 disk and a hayes mx4 on the rear. They are both cable brakes so no problem there , wouldn't I just need new brake cables+levers . Its an eight speed triple drivetrain, so I'd be pretty limited from what I can tell on shifters. still with a drop bar a bit of tape and some new gear and break cables, I think I could do it in under £175, thought this is still slightly steeper than £26.99 for some bar ends...and possibly a tad more work, though I'm not shy of time for this bike. economics says bar ends and save up for a new bike, £175 would add nicley to the pot.

You're correct in thinking the brakes should work with any shifter. You'd also need a 8 speed triple brifter or you could go down the bar end shifters and aero lever route.

You'll probably need a new road front derailleur to work with the road shifters as they have different cable pull ratios.

The drop bars will extend your reach fairly significantly unless you spend all your time riding on the flats, so you'll need a new shorter stem if you're not comfortable with that.

Add new bar tape and cables and you're looking at something like £160 with brifters if you do all the fitting work yourself. It could go down to slightly less if you're happy with bar end shifters.

If you're happy doing that there's no reason why you can't, but personally I'd get some bar ends and put the money towards a new bike. (Triban 3?)

 

[AndyPeace]

You're correct in thinking the brakes should work with any shifter. You'd also need a 8 speed triple brifter or you could go down the bar end shifters and aero lever route.

You'll probably need a new road front derailleur to work with the road shifters as they have different cable pull ratios.

The drop bars will extend your reach fairly significantly unless you spend all your time riding on the flats, so you'll need a new shorter stem if you're not comfortable with that.

Add new bar tape and cables and you're looking at something like £160 with brifters if you do all the fitting work yourself. It could go down to slightly less if you're happy with bar end shifters.

If you're happy doing that there's no reason why you can't, but personally I'd get some bar ends and put the money towards a new bike. (Triban 3?)

I'm thinking of getting these http://www.wiggle.co.uk/shimano-2300-sti-triple-8-speed-road-lever-set/, a step down from the model you showed which is discountinued for sale as a set, so it'd cost total of £170 to buy each individually and thats just the shifters.. The r500's look nicer, but I don't think I can strech to that and still carry on my saving. then this http://www.chainreactioncycles.com/Models.aspx?ModelID=24147 maybe and something like this http://www.chainreactioncycles.com/Models.aspx?ModelID=28784, with some cables and tape I'd make my budget. It also uncannily seems that the due stock date for the shifters is around my payday. cheers for the advice and I can still add a little to the pot for my next bike. I'm willing to chance that the front deralillier will work. Is there really a difference? possibly, I'd only need a road front deraillier if I was running road chainrings, which have a bigger diameter.

 

[AndyPeace]

Hard to tell from the picture, but it looks like you already have a fairly short stem. If you change to drops then you'd probably need to shorten it by at least a couple of cm. Really short stems are not good.

Basically, if you want a road bike then sell it and buy a road bike. Otherwise just put some bar ends on it and save yourself a lot of hassle. Drop bars on that bike won't make you much faster if at all.

Sell it! Nah, I hord everything.I still have my bike from when I was 14. I am looking to give the kona a few more hand positions rather than increase its speed. I also wanted a more areo efficient position for longer rides and a better position for descents. It will hold double duty as a dailly commuter and as well as running 60 odd mile lesuire rides over the winter. I'll switch it back to a flat bar if it snows.

The stem is 100mm. I wasn't predicting I'd need to alter its lenght much. Is this to do with the angle of the stem? I'm pretty trim andd flexible. Most road bikes I have looked at have a similar lenght stem for the size of frame I would need (56cm/58cm). This frame is a 58cm.

Even if I do this I predict a new road bike by christmas

 

[HovR]

I'm willing to chance that the front deralillier will work. Is there really a difference? possibly, I'd only need a road front deraillier if I was running road chainrings, which have a bigger diameter.

I believe Shimano road front derailleurs have a different cable pull ratio to their mountain bike range, so in theory you won't get good shifting if you mix a road shifter with mtb front derailleur, if it works at all.

You could try using your current one, but if it doesn't work be prepared to get a new road specific version.

 

[AndyPeace]

It's looking less of an option. If your saying the spacing between the chainrings on road bikes are different to the spacing on mountain bikes am I gonna need a new crank too?
Perphaps a rethink? Anyone any experince of butterfly bars? or maybe bullhorn bars?

 

[mcshroom]

I've used them. I like them but choosing the best position for them can be quite frustrating. I'd certainly go for butterfly bars before converting the bike to drops.

OTOH for the price of a cheap set of bar ends, I'd try them first. I rode Hadrian's cycleway using a hybrid with cheap bar ends from Decathlon, and they are pretty good

 

[RecordAceFromNew]

Are you aware that BB7 comes in two versions - flat and drop bars, they require different amount of cable pulls. Since I am pretty sure Hayes mx4 will not work with drop bar brifters without messing with cable pull, I am nearly 100% sure your bb7 is for flat bars only.

The reason why you need a new front mech (for triple) is not because the chainrings have different spacing/pitch. It is because Shimano road front shifter pulls a different amount of cable compared to flat/mtb bar front shifter.