Tandem Cycling - Trek T900 - need bar/shifter/lever advice

Hello:

We are avid cyclists, in a relaxing, family, leisurely neighborhood trips, kind of way and thus are completely new to the serious cycling world and all the equipment that goes with it. I finally found a very nice Trek T900 which has been highly modified by one of the previous owners. I have attached a list of all the mods, down below.

I have a number of questions regarding this bike and its upgrades but for now I will stick to the most pressing issue. It has drop handlebars on the front which are very nicely equipped but I want something more upright along the lines of the stock T900 MTB bars. I do not want to spend huge amounts of money on the top end, carbon fibre bars etc. However, given I have what I think is a very nice bike I don't want just any old junk on it either. I figure I can probably sell the existing setup to recoup some of the cost for the replacements so I am happy to spend some money, perhaps mid-range, just nothing too crazy and exotic.

Can someone give me a few recommendations as to what to put on here in the way of bars, levers, and shifters? Conversely, if there is something I shouldn't put on here I would like to hear that as well. I am looking for a least a starting point so I can then narrow it down to a few different setups and check those out in more detail. The choice in the aftermarket parts is just overwhelming to a novice. We have had many shimano components on our family bikes over the years and like their equipment, and am happy to stay with them.

Just as a note, if this comes in to it, the front brakes are stock, but the back is an Avid BB7 disc setup.

Thanks and I'm sure many other questions will be popping up!

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Modifications:

RITCHEY Pro Biomax handlebar
CANNONDALE Tandem Fatty R fork
CANNONDALE CrossTop Brake Levers
BONTRAGER RaceXLite stem
AVID BB7 disc brake caliper + 203mm diameter rotor + 203mm bracket
TREK Disc brake mounting kit (includes bracket and thread-on rear hub adaptor)
PROFILE DESIGN Stoker 26 handlebar
SHIMANO ULTEGRA STI levers
SHIMANO inline optical gear indicator (3x9 speed)
SHIMANO ULTEGRA front derailleur
SHIMANO DEORE rear derailleur
SRAM PG980 11-32 teeth
SAN MARCO SKN captain saddle
NOKIAN rollspeed tires
SHIMANO Dura Ace CN7701 9 speed chain

You can just slap Deore stuff on there with a flat bar and you will be good to go.

FWIW I'd hang on the the drop-bar stuff.

FWIW I'd hang on the the drop-bar stuff.

And I'd go one further .... the reason most casual cyclists think they want flat bars is for a more upright position. But in doing so, they lose the multitude of hand postitions available with drops, like riding the brake lever hoods, outside the bends, the flat bar tops, the drops, etc. Once you're accustomed to them, drops are MUCH more comfortable on longer rides.

So if that's the case and you just want to be more upright, buy a stem extender (http://tinyurl.com/qadg4r)for $20 and see if that solves the issue. If drops are still not for you, the extender is a handy item to have in the parts bin anyway.

Notes:
A. You *may* have to also replace cables and housing if the existing ones are not long enough after installing the extender. But you'd have to do that if you change to flat bars anyway.

B. Be sure and get the right size. I believe your tandem would use the 1 1/8" I gave you a link to, but check with your LBS (local bike shop) or the guy who made the upgrades. (Alternatively, TandemGeek could jump in here and tell us out of the 500 terrabyte database of tandem specifications he maintains!) :thumb:

C. Be aware that the Ultegra STI levers you have on the bike currently cost between $250 and $300 retail. So "ditto" MB1's advice and even if you ultimately go with flat bars, keep the drop bar components in case you ever decide to go back! In 6 months you guys could be doing 50 or 100 mile rides and will want those drops back!

Riverdaletandem,
We are in the same boat as you are, similar type of cyclists, and relatively new to tandeming. We too sometimes feel the urge to go and change our tandem drastically, whereas in reality our tandem consists of high quality parts that are better than we may ever need.

As far as the handlebars go, I would second Onegun's remarks. Try to stick with dropbars for a while and see how you like them. If in a few months, you still cannot get used to them, then change them to flatbars. In the meantime look for a higher rise stem. Due to my odd body size, I always end up buying a long stem. I find that Salsa makes a good selection of high rise front stems (MotoAce) at a decent price. Take a look at them here (http://salsacycles.com/stems.html).

We ended up changing only those parts that immediately impact our comfort (saddles, pedals, stems) and a seatpost that turned out to be the wrong diameter for the frame. We plan to keep it like that through the summer season. By that time, I expect to get a better feel for the changes, if any, we want to make.


Duppie

Hello again everybody.

Thanks for all the great advice and suggestions, they are all truly appreciated. Just picked the bike up tonight and the setup on this bike is just amazing. I am definitely going to stick with the drop bars and try them out for a while. The variation in riding positions should turn out to be a big bonus. Even when riding the flat bar tops, the gear shifters are very easy to get to. Plus, there is NO WAY I could ever see myself spending the amount of money for the handlebar/shifter/brake lever setup that is currently on this bike, so best not to be too hasty and get rid of it all.

I also like the idea of trying a $20 stem extender as an option. As an aside, what is with non adjustable handlebars, even my kids $90 Schwinn has non-adjustable handlebars. What ever happened to a quick turn of the allen wrench on top and boom, up or down an inch or two?

So much too learn but it should be lots of fun!

Thanks again.

I also like the idea of trying a $20 stem extender as an option. As an aside, what is with non adjustable handlebars, even my kids $90 Schwinn has non-adjustable handlebars. What ever happened to a quick turn of the allen wrench on top and boom, up or down an inch or two?

So much too learn but it should be lots of fun!

Thanks again.

Yeah, I'm not sure what's up with the whole "threadless stem" thing. Which is what you're looking at there. The "old style" which adjusts with an allen wrench are known as "quill", which I don't fully understand the entomology of either. It may be that the threadless stem approach saves some weight since that nut at the bottom of the stem is gone. To change the height you go out and get a new part, which has a different angle and/or length. The good news is it's relatively easy to change - you don't need to untape the bars, remove the brakes, etc. The bad news is if the height is wrong, you need a new part.

Riverdale, as in east of the Don Valley? Nice neighbourhood.

As far as the stem goes, I guess it somewhat makes sense on the high end serious bike equipment, exact fit, lightweight, etc.

It really seems silly on a kids bike which needs adjusting about every six weeks as they grow in front of your eyes!

Yep, you got it Riverdale, Toronto, east of the Don Valley and you are right, we are very lucky, it is a great neighbourhood.

so when are you going to post the mandatory 'garage door background photo' of your new tandem?

The older quill design with its wedge bolt would not allow for the use of both aluminum and carbon steerer tubes on the forks. A single, ham-fisted overtightening of the bolt and the whole fork was trash. It would bulge or crack the steerer tube.

Secondly, manufacturers previously had to make a different size fork to fit each size bicycle, thread them, and then stock them for replacement parts. No threads now, so all forks are manufactured long and simply whacked off upon assembly.

Cheaper, lighter, faster.

The older quill design with its wedge bolt would not allow for the use of both aluminum and carbon steerer tubes on the forks. A single, ham-fisted overtightening of the bolt and the whole fork was trash. It would bulge or crack the steerer tube.

Secondly, manufacturers previously had to make a different size fork to fit each size bicycle, thread them, and then stock them for replacement parts. No threads now, so all forks are manufactured long and simply whacked off upon assembly.

Cheaper, lighter, faster.

And, if you avoid whacking too much off upon assembly, you can potentially leave yourself some adjustability. If you leave it an inch higher than you think you need, and then put the stem where you think you need it, with an inch of spacers above the stem, then you'll have a butt-ugly setup that has the advantage that if you're halfway through a double century and your shoulders are killing you, then you can move the bars up and the spacers down. You have to make sure that the cable housing runs are long enough to allow this, though.

I much prefer quill stems.

I much prefer quill stems.

The old Cinelli's definitely had style, but ... I much prefer the threadless/Ahead system. I have a drawer full of Campy and Park headset tools that I've used for almost 40 years, but I'm here to tell you a threadless headset is *so* much faster and easier to adjust. Add to that the the ability to change stems without unwrapping bars and removing a brake lever, and the whole system is a winner in my book.

The old Cinelli's definitely had style, but ... I much prefer the threadless/Ahead system. I have a drawer full of Campy and Park headset tools that I've used for almost 40 years, but I'm here to tell you a threadless headset is *so* much faster and easier to adjust. Add to that the the ability to change stems without unwrapping bars and removing a brake lever, and the whole system is a winner in my book.
But you've got to admit that for the kid's bike where it needs to get taller two or three times before you give up and get a new bike, the old quill approach beats it. Besides, how often does the headset of a (8-14 year old) kid's bike get adjusted (if ever?).

But you've got to admit that for the kid's bike where it needs to get taller two or three times before you give up and get a new bike, the old quill approach beats it. Besides, how often does the headset of a (8-14 year old) kid's bike get adjusted (if ever?).

With a growing child, I'd have to concede the quill stem. But as for the headset getting adjusted, they OUGHT to be adjusted about twice as often as someone's who DOESN'T bounce down curbs and steps and ride friends on the handlebars! :rolleyes:

I'll post a pic soon, once I clean the garage door ;)

Seriously though, have to get the "trail a bike" and child seat on there first. Hopefully this won't be seen as a travesty on such a nice set of wheels, but it should be a a nice shot of the family.

I've found a real comfortable position with the steerer tube extender and shallow drop bars (Specialized Roubaix, used on the 'Bay). The bar is just above my saddle height, just right for sight-seeing and watching traffic from the tops and hoods. The drops are low enough to duck the wind effectively yet high enough that I can ride them at least half the time without discomfort. My wife prefers a more upright position so she has cruiser bars in the back. She doesn't like to go over 19 mph; at that speed the wind in my helmet prevents me from hearing what she's saying.

She doesn't like to go over 19 mph; at that speed the wind in my helmet prevents me from hearing what she's saying.

Here's the fix for that!

http://billnmaggi.tandemrides.com/2008/07/13/blueant_interphone/ (http://billnmaggi.tandemrides.com/2008/07/13/blueant_interphone/)