Road -> MTB conversion?
06-20-13, 03:44 PM
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Road -> MTB conversion?
I have an old road bike (8-9 years) that has 9 speed Shimano Ultegra kit on (it has a braised to the frame attachment for the front derailleur).
It has a double chainset (52/39). It has typical dropped down road handlebars.
What I'm looking to do is change the handlebars to MTB handlebars (wider/straighter).
I'd like the shifters/brakes to be black in color.
What components would work for this setup?
The guy in the shop looked at an Alivio combo shifters - looked good to me.
The mechanics thought that this might cause trouble with the Ultegra chainset being a double as opposed to a triple.
Is this a valid concern or can this be disabled in the shifters?
I have even considered a flat racing bar - but I'd like shifters that are typical MTB style as opposed to road bike style - if you understand what I mean!
Any advice/suggestions gratefully received.
It has a double chainset (52/39). It has typical dropped down road handlebars.
What I'm looking to do is change the handlebars to MTB handlebars (wider/straighter).
I'd like the shifters/brakes to be black in color.
What components would work for this setup?
The guy in the shop looked at an Alivio combo shifters - looked good to me.
The mechanics thought that this might cause trouble with the Ultegra chainset being a double as opposed to a triple.
Is this a valid concern or can this be disabled in the shifters?
I have even considered a flat racing bar - but I'd like shifters that are typical MTB style as opposed to road bike style - if you understand what I mean!
Any advice/suggestions gratefully received.
06-20-13, 04:04 PM
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Hi,
Just convert to bull bars, aka chop and flip, no road bike will take proper
MTB tyres but might take cyclocross tyres if it has built in fender clearance.
rgds, sreten.
Just convert to bull bars, aka chop and flip, no road bike will take proper
MTB tyres but might take cyclocross tyres if it has built in fender clearance.
rgds, sreten.
06-20-13, 04:06 PM
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At least not a road bike as new as his, I've heard of 70's road bikes with accommodation for 29er tires.
06-20-13, 05:07 PM
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06-20-13, 09:05 PM
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I don't see anything in the OP's post that suggested they wanted to put MTB tires on the bike. I think they just want flat bars and mountain shifters. Anyway, mountain bike shifters pull more cable per click and would not likely index properly with a road front derailleur. You could use a grip shifter setup with a micro ratcheting front shifter. The micro front just has a bunch of small clicks, not 3 specific clicks, it's basically a friction shifter and should get the job done. The number on the shifter will probably not correspond to anything, but if you're running a double, who needs a number anyway? Make sure you get a shimano compatible gripshift set and brake levers that work with cantilevers and not V-brakes.
06-20-13, 10:50 PM
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Mountain bike shifters pull more cable per click and would not likely index properly with a road front derailleur.
https://www.bike24.com/p239062.html
https://www.sjscycles.co.uk/shimano-s...bar-prod28790/
Do a search, you might find them cheaper somewhere else.
For a flat bar road brake lever: https://cycle.shimano-eu.com/publish/...ndlebar0.html#
Last edited by cobba; 06-20-13 at 11:25 PM.
06-21-13, 12:31 AM
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Many thanks for that - I think this is exactly what I'm after.
The Sora SL3500DPA + BL3500 look to be just what I need.
The Sora SL3500DPA + BL3500 look to be just what I need.
06-21-13, 06:01 AM
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Back in the 90's a common factory spec for tandems and some hybrids was a road bike crankset and road front derailleur coupled to mountain bike Rapid Fire shifters. I know that it worked back then because my wife had a Specialized hybrid that was equipped that way and my daughter had a Burley tandem that was so equipped. If it was my bike, I'd try it and see if I could make it work.
06-21-13, 07:07 AM
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Back in the 90's a common factory spec for tandems and some hybrids was a road bike crankset and road front derailleur coupled to mountain bike Rapid Fire shifters. I know that it worked back then because my wife had a Specialized hybrid that was equipped that way and my daughter had a Burley tandem that was so equipped. If it was my bike, I'd try it and see if I could make it work.
06-21-13, 07:15 AM
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9-speed rapid fires might be a lot easier to source on the used market.
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