Chr0m0ly 

This looks like the right place to post this, if not let me know.

I have 1990ish Shogun Metro AT hybrid, and I want to put drops on it inexpensively but without using total junk either. So I will need a tapered drop bar, shift and break levers, and cables? anything else? I want to keep the gooseneck, its a good height (and I dig the color matching ).

Where is a good source for parts, and how do I size stuff up right?

Would bar end shifters be a good call?

Any thoughts or advice would be great!

Thanks!

Barrettscv 

What shifters and derailleurs are on the bike now?

MRT2

Sounds like an expensive proposition.

Chr0m0ly 

Shimano SIS with thumb busters, they're indexed...?

Kopsis

Doing a good drop bar conversion is difficult enough without adding constraints. If your stem is a good stack/reach for flat bars, it's probably not what you want for drops. Plus, your stem likely has a 25.4 mm clamp that won't properly fit a 26 mm road bar (if you can even find one since most are now 31.8 mm). Work out what you need for proper fit and then plan on getting a road stem that gives you the stack/reach you need. If you're dead set on having the color match, a local airbrush artist can easily mix a paint match and shoot the new stem.

fietsbob

pick up another bike with the parts you like , cannibalize them and put the bars on your bike ..




Loosen the stem-wedge and all 4 places where the cables are attached to where they make the brakes and shifters work.


then if not scoring a good deal on used stuff.

buy all new stuff .. bar stem brake levers , shift levers
(I'm ok with bar end shifters on my bike).. cables and housing..

Price all that stuff out first,

then decide if it may be a better plan to go N+1, and buy a new road/low end CX bike built as you wish in the 1st place.

lasauge 

I've done that before - putting drops on a hybrid can work, possibly using the old stem if you get lucky (other posters have mentioned the issues already), but it's not something I'd recommend unless you're like me and have lots of parts already at hand or can get them very inexpensively. If you don't already have the shifters, brake levers, bars, etc., you'd be better served by saving your funds for a cheap CX bike or finding an old touring road frame you can use with offroad tires.

Here's a picture of the $50 cross bike I built a couple years ago, it was absurdly heavy and the stock wheels had wimpy single walls rims that required frequent truing, but I had a good time on it anyways and it survived some pretty serious abuse:

Troy Winter

Amazon.com : Origin8 - Pro Pulsion Alloy Gary-2 Handlebar, 530 x 25.4mm, Black : Road Bike Handlebars : Sports & Outdoors

I just put these bars (25.4 mm) on my bike. I got some bar end shifters a nd proper brake levers and had the lbs install everything. Total cost was(with installation) was about $300, $120 being labor, not cheap but I like the results. If you can do the work yourself you could do it reasonably.

bikemig 

What about a trekking bar? They work great and you won't have to change out your shifters or brake levers. It's a pretty common touring bar in Europe. I have one on a specialized mtb. I think the shape works very, very well:

Chr0m0ly 

That looks like a good solution. The main reason I want to switch bars is to be able to have a couple places to move my hands around, and to be able to have an option that lets me drop my elbows in.

I've also bumped into these, dropped bar ends.

Origin8 Drop Ends handlebar extensions & bar ends ergonomic drop ends black

justin1138

You might take a look at these.

On-One Midge Handlebar

They're relatively cheap and take bar-end shifters. I was using a pair on a similar bike project for a while. I will say they were a huge pain to get in the stem. Beyond that they were awesome.

Hornplayer

I recently put the drop bar ends on my hybrid. Did not do a full conversion and move brakes/shifters. The drops are a little wider than a real road bike, but I only wanted additional hand position options for longer rides.

Chr0m0ly 

Could put on the On-One Midge, and keep the current levers and shifters, and swap them out a little at a time? Brakes one week, shifters the next?

justin1138

With that particular bar, you'd be better off doing everything at once. Road drop brake levers, whatever you plan on doing for shifting, etc.

Chr0m0ly 

Thanks for the input guys, I think I'll try the trekking bars, it looks like they are the cleanest and most economic way to get more hand positions.

Chr0m0ly 

I decided to go with the drop bar ends after all. They do look a little funky, but we'll see how they function. They feel wicked bomb proof though, high build quality. Thanks for the picture of your set hornplayer!

Hornplayer

You're welcome. Hope the setup works for you.

dmak_

i used 90s mongoose crossway hybrid frame for my CX bike build. i ride it more on pavement, due to living in the city, so I did the full drop bar conversion.

i built it cheaply, so dropping $$$ on brifters was a no-go. older 7-speed shimano ones are pretty decent in price ($100), however, not very comfortable.

I ended up with Shimano's cheap A050 thumb shifters. They shift just fine and you can have your hand on the bar while shifting so its stable for CX riding.

Sullalto

Post a review of the drop bar bar ends, I'm interested in them.

I'm also considering getting this handlebar to put them on: BikePro.com / Buyer's Guide / Scott Combination Bars - Bicycle Parts at discount prices / the Buyer's Guide / Bicycle Parts at their finest! / Professional Bicycle Source / Bike Pro so I can have pseudo aero bars, too.

Anything to get less upright, tired of a 8+mph headwind every day commuting. Stupid prevailing wind.

(Halfheartedly playing with handlebar options on my comfort bike to avoid n+1)

fietsbob

Thing about Trekking bars, is reaching the forward bend , and bending your elbows works quite well ,

... into headwinds .. your upper body bends over the same as down in the drops,

If that is what you want.