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Old 03-13-14 | 09:27 AM
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Tim_Iowa
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Joined: Jun 2013
Posts: 1,642
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From: Cedar Rapids, IA

Bikes: 1997 Rivendell Road Standard 650b conversion (tourer), 1988 Schwinn Project KOM-10 (gravel/tour), 2013 Foundry Auger disc (CX/gravel), 2016 Cannondale Fat CAAD 2 (MTB/winter), 2011 Cannondale Flash 29er Lefty (trail MTB)

The control levers and shifters for flat bars don't fit on drop bars; they have different diameters. The clamps for your brake levers/shifters are too small (22.2mm or 7/8") where drop bars are 23.8mm or 15/16". They physically won't fit.

So you have two options:
1) Find a versatile handlebar that takes MTB controls. Trekking/butterfly bars, Albatross/Albastache/North Road styles, Bosco/cruiser styles. I use a cheap Wald cruiser bar on my MTB to townie conversion.

2) Change the controls to road/23.8mm to match the new drop bars. You'd still have to get brake levers with the proper pull (for linear-pull or mechanical disc brakes); Tektro RL520's are cheap and popular.
For shifters, you'd have to get 9 speed bar-ends or thumb shifters. You couldn't use STI brifters; I don't think any 9 speed brifters have the proper brake pull for disc brakes.
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