cuenczilla

I want to know if there are any problems with just replacing the drops on my 2008 Salsa Casseroll with some porteur bars, keeping the STI brifters?

I realize I will need a shim to use my current stem.

My goal is to have a more upright bike and use a front cetma rack optimally.

Has anybody ever done this or known anyone that has?

Are there any foreseeable problems?

LarDasse74

I switched the other way... didn't like the porteur bars (mine were an older set that actually said 'North Road' on them, but were identical to the VO porteur). The diameter of my bars was 22.2 but I just tightened the clamps on my old Shimano drop brake levers and they worked OK. I used my Alfine 8 speed rapidfire shift lever. I assume you are getting the 23.8mm versions, which should work well for clamping your brifters, but I am suspicious that the curve of the bars will put brifters at an angle that is not totally comfortable for shifting. But it is certainly worth a try!

rdtompki

We went through this trying to convert my wife's bike from drop bars to something more upright. Brifters don't really lend themselves to mounting on other types of bars; it's not impossible, just very awkward. I'd consider bar ends or some sort of thumb/finger actuated shifters.

fietsbob

NITTO mustache bars let you fit road levers 15/16 tube not 7/8 so they fit,
you can still fit a Porteur rack on the fork..

Nermal

I went a similar route with the moustasch bar. The brifters are installed horizontally instead of vertically. It works finer than frog hair, unless you need to look at the indicator to know which gears you are in. From the OP's image, it looks like the same setup will work there.

cuenczilla

Is there any particular advantage moustache bars have over porteur bars?
It seems like you are more uprght with porteur and have more front rack air space.
I always see brifters on moustache though.
I'm not trying to start a handlebar civil war or anything, I'm just uneducated on this subject.

xenologer

Just where will the brifters fit on porteur bars and still be operable? Out on the fronts just before the sweep-back bends? That will give the levers clearance to fully move, but with your hands stuck on the rear portion (perpendicular to your brifters) how will you comfortably use them?

Mustache bars are slightly better, with a more gradual curve so you can get your hands closer into the brifters. But I find that the shape forces you to keep them near horizontal; whilst my wrists would really prefer to angle down 45* or so (as with flat bars). It didn't work out...

Lauterwassers are like mustache bars, but angle down much more -somewhat inbetween mustache bars and dirt drops. Currently love these setup with ergopowers. The deeper angle reduces the wrist/lever angle problems.

debating dirt drops on the next bike.....

Nermal

I faced the same decision on the similar with the On One Midge. Regretfully, sometimes we just have to choose between pretty good and spending a bunch on something that might be better.

On someone else's question about how upright the riding position will be, I know a rider whose body demands an upright position. He mounted his mustache bars upside down. In both cases, you only have the option of one hand position, but it's a real good position, and somehow (maybe just in my own mind) the moustache bar is a big help on hills.

cuenczilla

I just went on a ride and kept looking down, imagining the bars. I think i might hit the porteur bars with my knees. My bike's geometry might not

The moustache bars sound more sane.

The lauterwassers look awesome too.

I'm going to order the cetma 5-rail and if things get sketchy with my drops I'll order some new bars.

Heatherbikes

I'd like to know if it can be done. It should be noted that the VO porteur bars come in road size and mtb size, so be careful which one you order. I had bought the road size for a bike that came with albatross bars, so had to do some monkey wrenching to get the handlebars to fit. The Grand Bois Elysees bar looks beautiful too. I'm terrible with drop bars, but would like to try campagnolo ergo shifters, and think there might be enough curve on porteur bars to work. Moustache bars are too wide for me, would have to find a tiny tiny size. I have a set of children's bars from France with a similar shape to moustache bars, but no rise and they are quite short in the ends, meaning very little to hold onto.