Bicycle Mechanics - Convert Hybrid to road, geometry close enough?

Hi everyone, I have an old Cannondale hybrid that I want to convert to a road bike. Judging from these pictures, does it look like the frame geometry of the hybrid is close enough to that of a road's? I don't want to be riding some funky, jerry-rigged, awkward setup. (Been there done that.) I'll be putting on drop-bars with a threadless stem adapter. Thanks.

http://home.comcast.net/~bobble_eric/bikes/sh600.jpg
http://home.comcast.net/~bobble_eric/bikes/allez.jpg

Hi everyone, I have an old Cannondale hybrid that I want to convert to a road bike. Judging from these pictures, does it look like the frame geometry of the hybrid is close enough to that of a road's? I don't want to be riding some funky, jerry-rigged, awkward setup. (Been there done that.) I'll be putting on drop-bars with a threadless stem adapter. Thanks.



The bike doesn't look like a hybrid but like a touring bike from the early 90s that has been converted to a flat bar. There shouldn't be any issues with switching it back. You might want to go with barend shifters which would be more forgiving than STI and would be cheaper. Regular aero levers - not V-brake compatible - would be best. If you want STI, Sora 8 would be a good choice or you can get some Sora 7s for $140 from Harris Cyclery.

I think you're stuck with the cantilever brakes, because there's probably no place to mount calipers. You can put on drop bars, but the geometry is not really road bike geometry. Also, the spread of the rear dropouts is probably 135 mm, so you're stuck with MTB hubs.

I have a somewhat newer C'dale hybrid that I put drop bars on. I used barends instead of STIs, so I didn't have to fiddle with compatibility - mine's 7-speed, and I'll be that one is too.

do it man...the critics be damned...

+1, If people don't like it, let them build/buy you one.

As long as it is esthetically pleasing to the owner and is safe to ride, damn them all!

+1, If people don't like it, let them build/buy you one.

As long as it is esthetically pleasing to the owner and is safe to ride, damn them all!

AMEN

Safety won't be an issue... but by the pics it looks like there's a quite a difference in head tube angle.

do it man...the critics be damned...

Um...what critics?

My Trek 750 hybrid
http://i21.photobucket.com/albums/b289/DDYTDY/NowFG-SSCross.jpg

The chain stays are too short so it's never been a dedicated touring bike. You can put drop bars on it and I have seen quite a few hybrid bikes converted to road and touring bikes with drop bars and they do fine as long as they can live with small panniers if it's a touring bike conversion. Most of these tourists "credit card" tour so no camping equipment is required. As your going for a road bike the ability to fit a rack and panniers is not a concern for you. Drop bars give many more hand positions than straight bars and allow you to drop and fight stiff head winds. There is another option between straight bars and drop bars. There called trekking or touring bars and are available from places like Bike Nashbar. Trekking bars allows reusing your shifters and brake levers saving you money, provide more hand positions than drop bars, and you can mount them so you can drop out of the wind almost as far as drop bars. Trekking bars look good on any type of bike as well. After some of the local riders checked out my bike with trekking bars they fitted them as well and a few of them were on road bikes.

+1, If people don't like it, let them build/buy you one.

As long as it is esthetically pleasing to the owner and is safe to ride, damn them all!


Hell yeah! Ride it, see how it feels, if it feels good, ride it more!

Um...what critics?

I think it was a reference to the guy who posted just after you. Don't worry!

You can put drop bars on it, but you may find that does not make a hybrid into a road bike. For one thing, the cockpit will probably be too long for you once it has drops bars on it unless you use a very short stem (since hybrid frames are designed with mountain bike bars in mind), and just looking at the picture, it will surely handle like a hybrid that just happens to have drop bars on it. No, the "geometries" don't look at all comparable. Just looking at the picture, notice where the tires are in relation to the frame.

That's not to say it won't work well as a bike to ride on... but it won't handle like a true road bike does. What would you really gain from such a conversion? You would be better off just having a flat (not riser) bar on it with bar ends for the extra hand positions. With more road-like tires, you end up with a pretty fast hybrid... as far as hybrids go. I like hybrids, personally. I've had a few, and they are great for what they are. I don't own one now because I live in a small apartment, and if I can only have one bike in it, then it would have to be my road bike. I still have an assortment of handlebars in a box from all the ideas I tried on them :-)

It's hard to tell from the picture itself, but most hybrids also tend to have higher bottom brackets than a road bike does, more like a mountain bike.

Cannondales of that vintage had very responsive, stiff rear triangles, and from the small pic, the setup is of 'sport-touring' geometry...relatively compact axle to BB length, a 73 degree seat tube angle.
But the front half shows a very shallow head tube angle, possibly 70-71 degrees. Also the top tube looks to be shorter, not longer as a previous post mentioned.
The biggest tell tale difference is the fork, note the rake. This is a lot (over 2" ?) compared to a true road bike and will slow the responsiveness of the bike. I don't know what you plan to use the converted bike for, but it won't be optimal for any road racing.

If it's just for the road position, and for non-competitive riding, sure it'll work out fine. The canti-brakes will give it a cyclo-x feel and look.
If the bike feels fine to you now, and you are happy with its dynamics, then it'll feel almost the same after your conversion. Skinnier tires may give it some less rolling resistance.
It won't transform into a responsive road spec bike. You would at least need to swap out the fork for something with less rake. This will be hit or miss, trial and error, as the frame's head tube angle is so shallow. Only a VERY experienced bike mechanic/technician can point out what is a good replacement fork with the specs you need.

Also, from the looks of the pic, the frame may have downtube shifter bosses with cable stops inserted.
You may be able to run downtube shifters, if you like those, and save some cash.
IMHO, I think brifters are too fugly, expensive and overly complicated. Somewhere along the way, the engineers forgot the KISS principle.

I actually like lots of rake. Makes me feel stable. Obviously, I don't race.
If I would, I'd beat everybody and then I wouldn't have friends.

+1, If people don't like it, let them build/buy you one.

As long as it is esthetically pleasing to the owner and is safe to ride, damn them all!Right-on!
Tinkeric, as long as you like how the bike looks and rides, do it.

I think it was a reference to the guy who posted just after you. Don't worry!

You think THAT was criticism? Man, you must have a low threshold! :rolleyes:

EDIT: What you end up with is arguably more broadly useful than a road bike, because it will work offroad better than a road bike would.

Um...what critics? just kidding..I meant no one in particular :p

Actually, more rake => less trail => more responsive bike

kind of counter-intuitive but that's how it works;)

http://www.kreuzotter.de/english/elenk.htm

I still can't see the pixters. :(

Actually, more rake => less trail => more responsive bike

kind of counter-intuitive but that's how it works;)

http://www.kreuzotter.de/english/elenk.htm



You are completely right, more rake = less trail. And yes, less trail = more responsive bicycle = I fall even more often!

Yeah, I'm the kind of guy that just keeps falling. Why do you think I chose this nickname :D

At least I got quite good at falling. Saved my life (perhaps) when that scooter ran right into me.

So, anyhow " I <heart> lots of trail "


EDIT: and exactly because of what you said, forks mounted backwards make for bikes that you almost can't fall from. You can't really steer, either, but...

I still can't see the pixters. :(

Go to the original post, hit 'reply with quote', then cut the picture address (without the [IMG]) and paste it into the browser address. That's how I got them. Otherwise, you have to wait a long time for them to load.

Tinkeric,

Pictures load up quicker from Photobucket.

My Trek 750 hybrid
http://i21.photobucket.com/albums/b289/DDYTDY/NowFG-SSCross.jpg

I see you removed the deraileurs, and made it into a singlespeed? Or is that a gear hub? Either way, very sweet.
How do you keep the chain tensioned? Those are vertical dropouts, no?

Go to the original post, hit 'reply with quote', then cut the picture address (without the [IMG]) and paste it into the browser address. That's how I got them. Otherwise, you have to wait a long time for them to load.

Tinkeric,

Pictures load up quicker from Photobucket.

http://home.comcast.net/~bobble_eric/bikes/sh600.jpg

Hi everyone, I have an old Cannondale hybrid that I want to convert to a road bike. Judging from these pictures, does it look like the frame geometry of the hybrid is close enough to that of a road's? I don't want to be riding some funky, jerry-rigged, awkward setup. (Been there done that.) I'll be putting on drop-bars with a threadless stem adapter. Thanks.

http://home.comcast.net/~bobble_eric/bikes/sh600.jpg
http://home.comcast.net/~bobble_eric/bikes/allez.jpg

You be the judge.

http://xs221.xs.to/xs221/07444/77662KpSOw.jpg

http://i128.photobucket.com/albums/p183/top506/Triplecross2.jpg

Miyata Triplecross hybird set up with drops.
I built this up from a frame and fork to run on dirt roads and carriage trails. I'll admit that it could use a more elegant stem, but aside from that it's perfect for the purpose.
Top

Top506:
Nice setup on that Miyata!
Can you provide some more details on your shifters? That looks pretty interesting.

Top506:
Nice setup on that Miyata!
Can you provide some more details on your shifters? That looks pretty interesting.

Look like Kelly Take Offs. Suntour Command shifters are a more elegant take on the same idea. I'm planning on trying them with a cross bike. Unless I get swept up by Ergo lever lust..

http://home.comcast.net/~bobble_eric/bikes/sh600.jpg

Nope. All I get is a little question mark in a blue box. Just like the original post.

Drop handlebars, cyclocross wheels and tires, and you have a pretty kick ass commuter do-everything bike. I have not read the subsequent posts, but entry level road bikes are pretty cheap. You can also find some great deals on ebay. Maybe its time for a new bike?

acorn_user nailed it, Shimano 500EX downtube shifters on Kelly Take-Off mounts.
Much as I like the Take-Offs, I wish they were an inch closer to the brake hood to compensate for my short badger-paw fingers:D
Sun Tour Command shifters are more elegant in design, but also more limited in application. I would have used them if I also had all the required Sun Tour index bits to match.
Even though this was a dirt road build, it's as close to an all-purpose bike as I've seen. I hope the OPs Cannondale build turns out as well.
Top

Hell yeah! Do it! Cantilevers and drop bars = best of both worlds in my opinion. So far two of my favorite (comfortable!) bikes are a Shogun Alpine GT tourer with a riser stem/drops, and a Specialized hard rock with a horizontal stem and drop bars. I got lucky on both bikes, the experiments worked on the first try. Flat bars are okay for short rides, but I find my hands going numb after a short period of time.,,,,BD


Who cares what it looks like. Comfortable is comfortable.

NICE photoshopping! Did you use masks?


You be the judge.

http://xs221.xs.to/xs221/07444/77662KpSOw.jpg