Originally Posted by lanty
Greetings
I’ve just had delivered a new Trekking handlebar and a pair of shimano 9 speed shifters to replace what came standard on the my Bianchi Volpe ( drop handlebars etc).
I was wondering if changing the set up of the gears to the shimano shifters would be something that I could take on myself ( no funds left) or should I let my LBS tackle the job?
Also any recommendations of books that cover the basics of Bike repair so I can get myself educated before I take a long summer bike trip.
If by "trekking" handlebar you mean what is known as a "butterfly" bar, the controls from your drop bars won't fit. You will need new brake levers and shifters and all new cables.
You would probably be better off sticking with the drop bars for a long trip anyway, but you may need to replace the stem if you currently find them uncomfortable.
See:
http://sheldonbrown.com/handsup
And:
http://sheldonbrown.com/deakins/handlebars.html
Sheldon "Tried Butterfly Bars, Didn't Like 'Em" Brown
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