Originally Posted by
shermanbz
but I'm concerned about the geometry not working for me. I like how the Trek roadie fits me, and I'm concerned that putting drops on the GT will force me to bend significantly more than on the Trek. I already feel like I bend a lot on the GT
Important questions are
why you're bending a lot, and how much shorter/taller of a stem you could use.
How does your saddle setup compare between the two bikes, in terms of saddle height and fore-aft position relative to the bottom bracket? What's your stem setup like on the MTB?
As @
Craptacular8 brought up, something like a VO Crazy Bar might be a reasonable alternative if you're not sure that drop bars would work out. Plenty of folks gravel ride on straight bars just fine, and the bullhorns would give the bike a bit of extra road attitude.
Beyond the fit, the GT is 26"... what am I missing by not running 700c?
Some intermediate gravel tire styles, mostly.
26er MTB tire variety has thinned out, but there are still some decent tires available. Interestingly, the selection for slicks is actually pretty good at the moment, if that'll work for your riding.