Bicycle Mechanics - another flat -> drop conversion

Hi,

I pondered this conversion before but decided against it because of the cost, however I rode my flat bar again the other day and I cannot stand flat bars any more - they hurt my wrists! So I decided to once again to think about conversion.

My bike is a Specialized Globe Sport disc http://www.specialized.com/bc/SBCBkModel.jsp?arc=2008&spid=33686 .

FRONT DERAILLEUR
Shimano FD-M310, 31.8mm clamp

REAR DERAILLEUR
Shimano Alivio RD-M410

CASSETTE FREEWHEEL
SRAM PG-830, 8-speed, 11-32t

CRANKSET
Shimano FCM-341, alloy outer ring

CHAINRINGS
48Ax36Sx26S, Super Shifter III, w/ chainguard

I was thinking about putting on some shimano brifters with avid bb7 road disc brakes. The above is what the bike currently has.

My questions:

1) What of the above can I reuse?
2) What tools will I require to do this conversion myself?
3) Will I will need a new stem for the different size handlebar?
4) The bike is a hybrid, will the geometry be ok for use with drop bars?

Thanks

Daven

You should be able to keep the cranks, freewheel (is it a cassette?), chain and rear derailleur. You probably need a new front deraillleur and possibly a different length stem in addition to the bars, shifters and road BB7's you listed.
You should only need basic tools, hex keys, cable tools.
The geometry may not be the best, but it should be OK.
Search around, there are different bars out there that would let you keep your current equipment and still get better hand positions.

thanks, could you elaborate on what you mean by "cable tools"? I can stretch to a new front derailleur, am just glad I won't need new everything!

I know of some other bars, but I also have a road bike and I keep finding myself trying to get low on my hybrid and into the same position as on the road bike, I just feel drops would help with this :)

Thanks again

Cable tools? You are going to need new cables and housings, just the tools you use to cut those.

I pondered this conversion before but decided against it because of the cost, however I rode my flat bar again the other day and I cannot stand flat bars any more - they hurt my wrists! So I decided to once again to think about conversion.

What you are proposing is a kind of high dollar solution.

It's not my bike but, if it was, I'd be looking for something other than a drop bar that would allow me to keep the existing controls. Brifters are a pricy component and they don't last forever so I'd be leery of buying used ones. When you price out new ones, replacing the whole bike begins to sound more reasonable.

Remember to get 8-speed brifters, unless you want to buy a cassette too. Old (~3-4 years old) Tiagra or Sora brifters work well, and are pretty damn cheap these days.

thanks Steev.

Retro Grouch: brifters are quite expensive, but they can be had for around £70 a pair, which isn't TOO bad!

alpacalypse: thanks, will try to find some :)

I'd really consider selling that bike and buying the one you want. With everything it entails, you'll need to spend at least $300. You could easily sell your bike for $150-$200, put that with the $300 you'd otherwise spend, and end up with a far better bike in the end. And that's just the parts, assuming you had the tools and skills. If you need a shop to do it, add on another $100-$200, I'd guess.

Just my opinion. But the drop-bar conversion basically never makes financial sense. Unless you have a serious attachment to the frame (doesn't sound like it), I wouldn't bother.

Like Grouch said, there are other options as well. I have a flat-bar bike and swapped them out for trekking bars which have a lot of hand positions. I also put Serfas grips on (can't remember the model) that are designed to help your wrists and they've been great. That solution cost me $25 and solved problems I was having that sound similar to yours. Another choice would be bar-ends to go on the flat bar, also for $15-$25.

Either way, there are better/cheaper solutions than a full drop bar conversion .

tbh selling the bike would get me about £200-300, plus the £200 odd I'd spend on it, and I'd get basically the same bike but with drop bars. So this way it gives me a little project to do and gets me the bike I want.

Check out the products offered by Ergon: http://www.ergon-bike.com/

They helped my dad's hands immensely.

Another thing that you don't seem to be considering as a source of the problem is the bike fit in general. If the bike is too big, you'll be riding with your arms too stretched out and your elbows locked. You'll also have more weight on your arms (though an improperly adjusted saddle will do the same thing). This could all contribute to your wrists aching. A cheaper solution might just be a shorter/adjustable stem to bring the handlebars higher/closer.

Because of the reach of drop bars, drop bars bikes usually have shorter top tubes than flat bar bikes so you'll need to be compensating for that with your swap anyway. In fact, you might find that if your bike was already too big, adding drop bars will make it unrideable because of how long the reach is even with the shortest possible stem.

well I measured the distance from saddle to hoods on my road bike and it seems to roughly match the distance from saddle to the position of hoods on my hybrid.

I already have those style grips on my bike! Thanks for the suggestion though.

Would any make shifters work as long as they matched the make of derailleur? Also if I got a 9 speed shifter, would I just have to buy a new cassette?

Thanks

Switching to butterfly or trekking bars is the most economical solution. You still get multiple hand positions, and don't have to swap out any components.

they don't seem to provide the same aerodynamic position as drop bars. Also I know it is more economical, but I am a fan of drop bars and the position they provide.

Sorry, but i'm with everyone who said you have the wrong bike...

Drop bars on a Globe, c'mon. Really?
That bike was designed from the ground up as to be the furthest thing in ole' Mr. Sinyards line from a drop bar bike. That's akin to re-inventing the wheel.
Additionally, i've been fitting people for a long time and if you have wrist pain going to a lower handlebar position makes little sense.
Then you wanna talk aerodynamics? On a Globe??!!
Generally aerodynamics only really becomes a factor over 25mph, if your pushing a Globe that fast routinely i commend you, start racing.
Our rule of thumb for aerodynamic considerations is "Under 25 it doesn't matter, over 25 it's the only matter." Can't remember where i heard that first though.

So did you ask your LBS about your wrist problem?

yes I did ask them about it and they weren't very helpful. When I say aerodynamics I mean with respect to a strong headwind which I seem to meet all the time.

I think the pain comes from having the wrist turned horizontally as on my road bike I never get any pain.

! That sucks, on both.
2 Interesting, have you tried bar-ends/bar end grips to turn the wrists? There are a couple versions that would fit your bar (Specialized has some even)and not look too awful. From there drop the bar a little for the wind and you might be golden.. :shrug:

could be worth a try - I do have a mirror at the moment which would have to come off to put bar ends on, and I am a bit wary about not being able to access the brakes from the bar ends.

Thanks

Unless you do not like the BB5s you might get by with using a pair of cable pull increase adapters with the brifters. Never used them but know that they exist and they might save you some money.

I have heard of travel agents but have also heard that they aren't that great. Will try to find some others though as they would indeed save some money :)

Try an Origin8 Space Bar. Upright but not flat bar.

looks nice, however I can't find a supplier in the UK.

Bummer.

I have heard of travel agents but have also heard that they aren't that great. Will try to find some others though as they would indeed save some money :)

I keep hearing that travel agents have problems, but never from a first hand source. I've used them for over a decade on verious tandems with exactly zero issues.

I've had good luck setting up people with these Singletrack solutions ST Lites:
http://www.trails-edge.com/retail/bikeparts/barends/singletrack-blk.jpg
Run backwards these fit a riser-bar nicely and don't hinder braking much..
Cane Creek makes something similar and Specialized has a line of stuff, all except the CC ones can run a mirror.

I have heard of travel agents but have also heard that they aren't that great.
Functionally they deliver just as promised. They take a little more setting up than a straight cable run, I suppose all of 5 minutes more if you stop and consult the instructions frequently. On a MTB they tend to require some maintenance because they're so open to contamination by mud and dirt, but for a road bike that should be a non-issue.

well I measured the distance from saddle to hoods on my road bike and it seems to roughly match the distance from saddle to the position of hoods on my hybrid.

I already have those style grips on my bike! Thanks for the suggestion though.

Would any make shifters work as long as they matched the make of derailleur? Also if I got a 9 speed shifter, would I just have to buy a new cassette?

Thanks

there is an alternative routing method for matching 9sp shifters with 8 sp cassettes. it's toward the bottom of the page
:
http://www.sheldonbrown.com/derailer-adjustment.html

oh that is brilliant, thanks. The 9 speed shifters are quite a bit cheaper than 8 speed ones.

Is it possible to use campy levers, or would I have to use campy derailleurs too?

Thanks

edit: to add what I have just been reading: it seems that campy front shifters can be used with any front derailleur as they provide multiple indexes- is this true? Also if I purchase a JTek model 2 shiftmate, I should be able to use a 9 speed campy shifter with an 8 speed shimano rear derailleur and cassette http://jtekengineering.com/shiftmate.htm .

In essence will it go ok if I purchase:
- campy 9 speed levers - triple crankset compatible
- jtek model 2 shiftmate
- bb7 brakes
or will I also require a campy front derailleur?

Thanks

After a little more thought and seeing the cost mount, I have come up with an alternative: bar end shifters.

How does this parts list sound?

- http://www.sjscycles.co.uk/product-Tektro-Tektro-RL520-Aero-V-Brake-Levers--Black-14956.htm
- http://www.chainreactioncycles.com/Models.aspx?ModelID=22927
- http://www.chainreactioncycles.com/Models.aspx?ModelID=13649
- http://www.chainreactioncycles.com/Models.aspx?ModelID=23047

Thanks

...it seems that campy front shifters can be used with any front derailleur as they provide multiple indexes- is this true?
Well, sort of. The QS version have far fewer ratchets than the older versions.

After a little more thought and seeing the cost mount, I have come up with an alternative: bar end shifters.

How does this parts list sound?

- http://www.sjscycles.co.uk/product-Tektro-Tektro-RL520-Aero-V-Brake-Levers--Black-14956.htm
- http://www.chainreactioncycles.com/Models.aspx?ModelID=22927
- http://www.chainreactioncycles.com/Models.aspx?ModelID=13649
- http://www.chainreactioncycles.com/Models.aspx?ModelID=23047

Thanks

That looks like a great combo. You will love the Shimano bar end shifters. Don't forget new brake cables and housings. The MTB cables have a different end than the road cables and you will need more length on your housings.

Also those are V brake levers, did you scrap the road BB7 idea?

Good luck and have fun with it! Show us your results.

sweet :) thanks

for the cables will any do? For example: http://www.wiggle.co.uk/p/Cycle/7/Shimano_105_Brake_Cable_Set/5300002574/

Try an Origin8 Space Bar. Upright but not flat bar.

Darn, you took the words out of my mouth. I was thinking that or an On-One Mary. Both are very comfortable and a lot less than at new bar and shifters. Great idea.

sweet :) thanks

for the cables will any do? For example: http://www.wiggle.co.uk/p/Cycle/7/Shimano_105_Brake_Cable_Set/5300002574/

Those should work just fine.

thanks :)

will try to order the parts over the next week or so, and then I will bombard you lot with questions about how to fix the bit I have just broken!!

looks nice, however I can't find a supplier in the UK.

It's an On One Mary bar knockoff. Should be able to find them in the UK no problem. As an aside, I love the Space bar.

I have switched to drops and mustache bars on mtbs and it is doable, but gets pricey. For me it involved:

Origin8 Gary bar:$25
New stem:$10
Levers: $40
Canti Brakes: $50
Cables/housing/barrel adjustors: $25
Barcons:$50
Plus labour which was $100, not including the 6 pack tip.

I since swapped the mustache bars in and have the dirt drops on my ss/mtb, but bought v-brake toad levers for $50, and new cables/housing for $20.

Even though you already side lined the notion of butterfly/trekking bars, I suggest thinking about them again before placing your order. Trying them would only set you back about $25 and if you don't like them could get most of that back. With the cost of the drop bar conversion, it might make more sense to get another bike and and sell the Globe.

I ride them on modified mountain bike, and while I like drops more, they do a pretty good job. If I use the front part of them I am about half way or so to the drop bar aero riding position.

I found these handlebars: http://www.sjscycles.co.uk/src/froogle/product-ITM-ITM-Anatomic-Alloy-Drop-Handlebars-Single-Groove--40-cm-c-c--42-cm-Overall-Width--Silver-12540.htm and they say they will fit in 24.5mm stems however I read many posts saying you shouldn't mix sizes. Will these be ok?

If not should I go for oversize (31.8mm) bars or stick with 26mm?

Also will I require new gear cables as I want to route the cables under the bar tape?

Thanks