Converting drop bars to flat
 

Morning All


I'm a proud new owner of a racing bike, a Genesis Aether to be exact, which is a 16 speed bike. I've only really riden single speed bikes but thought I'd try a road bike as where I live is hilly and any riding is hard without gears.


Having tried it out yesterday, I found that i can't get on with the drop bars... I have a bad wrist and the posture required to use them is uncomfortable.


I've decided to convert it to a flat bar bike and have asked the local bike shop if they could do it for me and they've told me it'll cost £200ish... so I thought perhaps i can do it myself. I've decided that seems a little steep and have looked at doing it myself.


The first thing I need to do is work out a shopping list, and I was hoping someone more experienced with gears could tell me if I'm on the right track. So here's my list:


1. Flat handlebars!

2. Shifters, I'm looking at the Shimano R221 shifters/brakes as I belive they have them with 2x8

3. New cables


Thanks for your help in advance.

Before you splash out, figure out where exactly you want your hands to be. Can you get a shorter/higher stem or drop bars with a shorter reach and drop?
Try and borrow an adjustable stem to get the correct position.
If you still want a flat bar:
Note the required stem clamp diameter.
Do you want your flat bars to be straight or swept back. I switched from MTB flats to an On One Mary to get a more neutral wrist position.
You need a front shifter that is road-mech compatible. MTB shifters use different cable pull. The rear shifter is compatible between road/MTB.

I have a single speed with quite short straight bars and I'd like similar kind of positioning with this bike too, as it doesn't feel uncomfortable and it's a posture that I'm used to.

Pull stem and all and start over.

maybe you 2 can swap parts.
http://www.bikeforums.net/showthread...bar-conversion

First, congratulations on your new bike. From the picture of the bike at the link you provided, it appears they have cut the steering tube just as low as it could possibly be cut.

Is your main complaint that the handlebars on this bike are too low? If so, keep in mind that new, flat bars alone will not solve that problem by themselves. That is what MichaelW was asking about when he said - figure out where exactly you want your hands to be.

You might be able to solve your problem with a stem riser/adapter thingy which is not expensive compared to new bars, etc. With the adapter you might have to re-cable.

I heard what you said about your wrist but just want you to check bar height before you begin to spend. Good luck.

Buying a used bike with all the necessary components for the conversion could save you a lot.

If you use an MTB shifter with your road front derailleur and crank it will work if it is a two chainring crank.

If it's a triple chainring crank it will work on two of the chainrings but not all three. You'll have to choose between the inner and middle chainring, or the middle and big chainring.

I once put a flatbar on a road bike and I wasn't pleased with the result. Even with the longest stem I felt cramped. It's because a road bike top tube length is 1-2 inches shorter than a MTB top tube, size for size.

Try a moustache bar.

Just did the same conversion check out my blog for info and pictures http://onespeedbiker.blogspot.com/

It's not the drop bars that are bad, it's the position that they're in. You're trying to fix the wrong problem. A shorter/higher rise stem is the first thing to try, followed by a steerer tube extender if that isn't enough.

You'll need a new stem with flat bars too, unless you want to be in the exact same position you're in now.

What GeoKrpan means is Shimano MTB shifters are not compatible with Shimano road front derailleurs; the cable pull is different. I've heard it can work with a double, but it won't be precise as the cable pull will be off. However, Shimano does make several front derailleurs that work with both the larger road chainrings and MTB shifters; IRD makes one also.

Good luck with this, but you may need a different set of shifter/brakes as the Shimano R221 combo is AFAIK OEM only (at least in the US)..

You heard right, it works with a double AND with no issues, works well.

Exactly. Simply swapping handlebars will result in the new handlebar position being exactly the same as the tops of the current drop bars. I'd start with changing the height and reach of the current bars. Most new bikes come with the bars set very low, which IMO isn't at all practical for everyday riding.