Bicycle Mechanics - How to convert flat bar brakes to drop bar brakes?

Bikeforums.net is a forum about nothing but bikes. Our community can help you find information about hard-to-find and localized information like bicycle tours, specialties like where in your area to have your recumbent bike serviced, or what are the best bicycle tires and seats for the activities you use your bike for.




lambo2124
01-13-13, 04:48 PM
I converted my mountain bike into a hybrid/road except for one thing.
as you can see here:
http://www.amazon.com/gp/customer-media/product-gallery/B0013G6PB8/ref=cm_ciu_pdp_images_0?ie=UTF8&index=0&isremote=0
Many people changed thier brakes from flat to drop, how do they do that?

I know converting the gears to drop is expensive so I'm ok with that, I just want to do it with the brakes.

Thanks.


HillRider
01-13-13, 04:58 PM
Your photos show your bike currently has V-brakes.

Drop bar road brake levers come in two "cable pull" ranges. Short pull levers work with road calipers, cantilevers and road disc brakes. All brifters (Shimano STI, Campy Ergo, etc.) are of this configuration. They won't work with V-brakes as are now on your bike.

There are long cable pull road drop bar levers that will work with V-brakes and MTB mechanical disc brakes. Tektro's R520 levers are this type but there are a few others and they do not combine shifters with the levers.

onespeedbiker
01-13-13, 05:04 PM
I know converting the gears to drop is expensive so I'm ok with that, I just want to do it with the brakes.

Thanks.You are not real clear what you are planning to do. Brakes and shifters can be different or combined on a drop bar. If you just want to mount some road brake levers and you have V brakes, you will need to remove of cut a section out of the foam and bolt on these drop bar levers that work with V brakes. http://www.jensonusa.com/Brake-Levers/Tektro-RL520-Ergo-Brake-Levers. Other than that there are dozens of possibilities depending on the current set up and how you want it to work.

BTW, if you are going to change the brake levers and shifters, why don't you just go with a regular dropbar?


pierce
01-13-13, 05:08 PM
um, what will you use for gear shifters?

is your mountain bike 3x8 or 3x9 or 2x10 or what sort of gearing?
Does it have threadless or threaded stem and headset?
are your brakes short (cantilever, sidepull) or long pull (vbrake, most mechanical discs) or hydraulic (some discs)

Those bolt-on drops look mighty funky to me. I'd probably go with conventional aluminum drop bars, road brakes, and bar end shifters if I was doing what you're doing. long pull brakes work with CX dropbar brake levers.

lambo2124
01-13-13, 08:11 PM
Well i already purchased it and been using it for a few months now and love them. Regarding my question, to be more specific, i have MTB brake levers and i want to change those levers into road bike levers and somehow attach it to those drop bar ends. Not talking But gear, just the brakes.

http://picturepush.com/public/11956602

pierce
01-13-13, 08:21 PM
mountain brake levers are meant for straight bars, not curved. the mount isn't radiused for going on the curved part of the bars, the actual brake levers are the wrong shape, they don't have hoods for the top riding position, etc. also, I think the bars are different thicknesses, but I dunno about those extenders.

FastJake
01-13-13, 08:29 PM
You have combined shift levers/brake levers. Unfortunately, you cannot mount these on the vast majority of drop bars as they are a different diameter and they will not fit.

Your cheapest option (but still expensive unfortunately) is drop-bar V-brake levers (about $40) and bar-end shifters (about $80.) Plus the cost of the bar, new cables, and probably a stem. Once you price this stuff out, it's probably not worthwhile.

What were you trying to achieve with this conversion? You would probably be better off with an actual road bike.

lambo2124
01-14-13, 05:50 PM
Well thanks anyway. I'll just leave them the way they are.