flat bar to drop query

[jim55]

I wana convert my hybrid with flat bars to drop bars it has trigger shifters in the brake housing ,it has a triple front chain set on it so can I just change them for Brifter types ? I rem somebody said something about the cable pull relating to the brakes ,it's not calipers I know that , it's a kinda cheap land rover so fitted with "v" brakes ( which work very well btw) ,

Anybody know if it's realistic to convert it ? Is it just drops , bar tape and brifters I need?

 

[mjr]

You will need V brake levers for drop bars, which are available (Tektro and maybe others) but I don't know of any brifters for V brakes and MTB.

Although you can convert a flat bar hybrid to drops, it's not straightforward, there's limited choice of parts and it changes the fit of the bike, so most people give up and buy a secondhand road bike as it's probably cheaper in the long run...

As a halfway move, putting North Road or porter bars on can give you a more aero position while using the same levers.

 

[jim55]

That's a great idea , moustache bars look the best I think

 

[cyberknight]

https://www.cyclechat.net/threads/mtb-drop-bar-conversion.197717/

 

[mjr]

https://www.cyclechat.net/threads/mtb-drop-bar-conversion.197717/

So you don't know of any brifters either?

Has it changed the fit a bit?

 

[Ajax Bay]

Anybody know if it's realistic to convert it ?

No, not realistic; don't do it unless you want a project that will go on 'taking'. Too many components to replace. Would be cheaper buying a second hand bike of similar quality with drops.

 

[cyberknight]

So you don't know of any brifters either?

Has it changed the fit a bit?

You can use brifters but you would need to change the front mech to a road version and install travel adaptors to thebrake to get the cable pull to work,, i happened to get a good deal on the bar end shifters so for me it worke out a cheap project , probably cost me £40 for the total conversion using ebay /bike forum classified .
If i was to have bought sti`s and everything else new as mentioned it would have been cheaper jus to buy a CX.
As for reach i ended up with a bit longer stem but only as the drops i got have almost no forward reach from the tops , you would have to work out what reach you want to achieve compared to your road bike , in general mtb/hybrids have a longer top tube so you might need a shorter stem.