Hybrid Bicycles - Buy hybrid or convert my roadbike???????

Ok, I have tried roadbiking for a few months and my neck is still killing me. I have ridden mountain bikes for years without any complaints.

My question is: Can I convert my raleigh Revenio road bike to a hybrid with flat higher bars to make it as comfortable as my mountain bike? Or should I just buy a hybrid?

Not worried about tires and wheels. In fact I like the idea of keeping the fast tires I just want comfort. Yes, I've tried many different fittings and stems already. Someone save me.

I'm afraid I can't speak to your bike specifically, but I had my Trek 1.2 converted into a flat bar road bike.
I ride a Trek Valencia for most of the year (we don't have a car so I commute all year round) and a Trek Soho S in the winter.
I tried and tried to love my 1.2, had it refit, etc. but just couldn't get used to it.

This past Saturday I rode 114 km's on my flat bar road bike. I like it.

Sure you can convert it. I don't know what version you have or shifters / DR's you are starting with, but you can absolutely do it.

Road bike brakes and shifters are for 26.0 mm bars, and flat bars are 25.4mm. Not interchangeable exactly, but don't know your plan for shifters. Easiest is stem mount friction shifters, next is prolly shimano's flat bar shifters, but those are set up for a special FD (which has another thread going currently for all the inside info). I have heard of folks just mounting their road brifters on flat bars with a shim, but that always struck me as quasi-dangerous, as I want my brake levers to not move when I need them.

If you go to flat bar brake levers, look for short brake pull to go with your caliper brakes. Tektro makes a nice lever that is both short and long.

I don't follow... why is your neck killing you? Because your bars are too low? I guess if using angled stems still doesn't solve the problem then selling the bike is probably the only way to go.

You might ask in the roadie forum btw. I think working on your abdominal endurance makes the position easier.

Thanks. Ya, I think I have a plan for the components if I do switch it to hybrid just wanting to make sure it isn't a dumb thing to do for some reason.

But the thing i don't get is.. how will switching it to a flat bar make it any better? your bars will still be too low to be comfortable - they'll just be flat.

going to flats does change your back angle. Your hands are located at the end of the stem, vs on the hoods or in the drops, so it effectively shortens top tube. By pulling hands closer, shoulders and head rise.

true, I guess the default roadie position is "on the hoods" - roughly equivalent to bar ends on a flatbar.

There are also so many styles of flat bar that you can get riser bars and back swept and many others. They are almost a pain to buy without seeing, in my opinion, cause I sometimes don't get the right mental picture.

I use short bar ends (Ergon GX-2) so even my bar end spot is well back from the hoods.

I'm not sure if this is a hybrid or not but I experimented on my old Cannondale with a homemade set of bull horns doing the chop n flop without the flop. The bike has Sora shifters and the pushbutton could not be used from the drop position and braking was awkward from the hoods. I wanted to try something different and switched out to a upright stem from the number 7 it had and chopped the bars allowing me to turn them up a notch, repositioned the brifters and it is a joy to ride and I haven't got that many looks even. http://inlinethumb03.webshots.com/45954/2136243770037547136S600x600Q85.jpg (http://travel.webshots.com/photo/2136243770037547136CxKtQj)
http://inlinethumb07.webshots.com/46214/2940382950037547136S600x600Q85.jpg (http://travel.webshots.com/photo/2940382950037547136wliKGM)

My tour bike has STI shifters and I do love drop bars as they provide the most hand positions. On that bike and for that style of riding fully loaded I wanted a more upright ride position and set the bars much higher than recommended with a long stem and steep stem angle. There is nothing wrong with running drop bars high. http://inlinethumb49.webshots.com/46192/2854158920037547136S600x600Q85.jpg (http://travel.webshots.com/photo/2854158920037547136yOWBEN)

The closest thing I might have to a hybrid is a mtn bike conversion I did with riser bars and bar ends that I extended a couple inches. Turning the bar ends up a little and adding grips gave a great upright ride position and the risers bars keep me low enough to stay down in the wind if need be. http://inlinethumb41.webshots.com/7528/2163140780037547136S600x600Q85.jpg (http://travel.webshots.com/photo/2163140780037547136siRmWB)

I built this conversion for a girl I know that wanted a more upright ride. the bike started out an old Schwinn le tour (basket case). She loves the upright position these bars give plus the varied hand positions. http://inlinethumb59.webshots.com/49402/2326869210037547136S600x600Q85.jpg (http://travel.webshots.com/photo/2326869210037547136IdJkbX)

Lastly a old Soma conversion I did started life as a road bike 10sp converted to a 3sp and made upright. http://inlinethumb53.webshots.com/49780/2401202640037547136S600x600Q85.jpg (http://travel.webshots.com/photo/2401202640037547136kyTgJB)

These might not be all hybrid conversions of road bikes but hope they give you a idea of some of the bar conversions I have done and maybe something you will like or food for thought.

Also on the topic of the neck pain etc. It sounds like your setup now has you limited to riding mainly in the one position most likely the tops trying to stay most upright. That position or any position for too long will start giving you pain someplace. staying on the tops pushes your hands in and closes the shoulders. I think you should look at becoming more upright and maybe even saddle position. Many trying to get upright start moving saddle forward that position works counter to what you might think and puts weight onto the hands and off the core. hands transfer to arms and into neck. The more you get to switch around how you grip the bike the better IMHO.

The op is right; if the hood position isnt comfortable, nor the low drop position, then drop bars seems useless. But I still wonder if the problem couldnt be solved with a really short stem and raising the bar? Kindly drop us an after pic. And good luck!

thanks for the replies and pictures everyone. I'm going to a heed the advise and go to a shorter stem and raise the bars an inch or 2 if possible.

PLUS instead of a flat bar, buy a riserbar. That'll help get some relief.

thanks for the replies and pictures everyone. I'm going to a heed the advise and go to a shorter stem and raise the bars an inch or 2 if possible.

good move. seems really silly to think flat bars will solve the problem...same position is available on the drops if the stem isn't changed. let us know if this did the trick.

the bar I got is 50mm rise also so that will make a huge difference. My goal is to set it up exactly like my trek liquid mountain bike is set up. It will be close I'm thinking by measurements. I'll post some pics in a couple weeks. Thanks