switching bars?
 

I found a bar similar to the North Road. I am taking the drop bar off my 520 and putting the NR looking bar on. I have all the tape removed but now i cant get the bar end shifters out of the ends and the breaks off the front. I can see what looks like some kind of clamp holding the breaks on the bar but I cant get the black rupper piece out of the way far enough to find any sort of screw? How do you remove the breaks? I cant see any attachment for the bar end shifters but they are in solid as well. Dont want to go forceing things. What am i missing?

Thanks
Coy Boy
BS got my Terry Liberator and rode it about 10 miles yesterday. it was an improvement. Will try it with the briefs I ordered as soon as I get my handlbar switch completed.

OK, I found the allen screws for the brakes. poke the alen wrench into the slot on the brake levers to reach it. Now on the the bar end shifters. any tips on removing these. I'm stumped.

Coy Boy

OJ I got one bar end shifter off. the other one is being sturborn... They are basically friction fit. However, I decided to see if the one I got off would fit inside the tube of the new bar. No dice. I could see it was going to be close so I took off the little spreader looking deal (3 steel wedges) and tapped the center screw section in with the plastic end of a big screwdriver (poor mans mallet). It went in but is crocked now and I can"t twitst it straight. Cant pull it back out either...if and when i get it out I will take a chainsaw file and make a tad more room inside the handlebar. Should be OK as I wont be using that section to support my weight. Just need to get it big enough to hold the bar end shifters. And i thought this was going to be easy...

One more question. Been filing away at the inside of the bar but went ahead and took a brake clamp off to see how it would fit. It is obvious this bar is a lot smaller diameter than the trek drop bar. It is bigger in the middle so it will fit the stem just fine (done tried it). But is there any danger in putting the brake holder clamps on this smaller bar?

Howd that work out...not too good! I got everything switched over in about 4 hours (mostlly filing the inside of the bar) but once I got it I together I never could find a brake position on these bars I liked. Probably need to switch brake control arms to a differend style. Since I had everything apart I flipped the drop bar and tried that. Much better!!! Now I can sit up fialy straight or reach down on the flat center of the bar which is still in the origional position. BTW took me awhile to figure out how to recconect the bar ends. got take them apart and put an alen wrench inside then put the little gear switch leavers back on. All the gears still swap smothly so I rekon I got it all back together properly. But my front brake is now not as tight as before but the back brake is tighter. I kept the brake controls on the same side as origional but somethig is different. Now to go clean the bar real good and put on new tape. One things for sure, If I planed to do this often I'd get a bike stand of somekind. I'm tard but happy...

Cowboy, I just spent five minutes laughing at the conversation you were having with yourself. I do the same thing, only never put it in print! Funny stuff.:roflmao: :roflmao: :roflmao: I'm glad you figured it out.

yeah I was going to interrupt at about post 3 but I thought it would be more fun to leave him to his own devices.

You know, I do that once in a while, and it works.

preciate the silent cheerin and laughin. It was a learnin sperience. I learnt that standing on concrete 4 hours is exaustin...my next task will be changin the rear tire and readjusting tha fender. that should take bout half a day. gota work tomorrow so maybe saturday after mowin and weedeatin. I'll try to post some pics when I'm done.

Coy Boy

I didn't want to say much until I had a chance to try my new setup out. After flipping the bar, installing a new terry liberator seat, new 700 x 35s on the rear and getting some cycling underwear I put in 15 miles. Not a long ride but long enough to tell a differance. The verdict...big improvement. The only problem I encountered was climbing back up the mountian. When I slowed down to around 4 mph I would wobble a little. The right side bar end (for the rear casset) is sticking straight back in low gear and my knee would bump it ocassionally. As i continued the climb I got to thinking it would be no problem to cut about an inch off the bar. I could turn it up a little more but this would move the breaks out of the great position they are in now. BTW I now ride with my hand just behind the breaks (can use them instantly) and my hand is in the shake hand position. Hope these pics come through OK. Oh and check out that profesional bar taping job. I took some of the old wrap and used it under the new. real cushy now.

(wrong thread)

I noticed the OP doesn't know how to spell brakes. But subsequent posters do. I'm disturbed that it's the same person. Nice public thinking, coyboy, it's been quite good :beer:

bar end shifters loosen by turning the bolt inside to the RIGHT. Turn clockwise to loosen the wedge. I ruined a shifter by turning to the left.

Clayton

Why would you do that to a poor bicycle? It's cruel, just cruel.

If you want to raise the bars, just get a stem extension. Effective and humane.