I double wrap Mine .. old tape as a base layer , new on top.

I did a search on the forum and got some tips on cushioning the bars. One person suggested a slice out of a yoga mat. Well, we have plenty of mats so I took off an inch. I put the thin cushion between the two layers of bar tape. Personally, I would find the bars too wide but my husband says it is an improvement, though not as much as he hoped.

Now he is going to ride with the changes I made for a couple of weeks while we are on a trip to Michigan. He will evaluate whether to keep the drops or if I will need do a conversion to trekking bars.

OK, he still is having problems and is thinking that a trekking bar might work best. He said that if he had his choice of shifter he wants grip/twist shifters (my least favorite, but it is his bike :)).

To do a trekking bar on a road set up and using grip shifters, I take it I would need:

1. Grip shifters.
2. Replace the front derailleur with an FD-R443 or, use a microshifter grip shifter that isn't indexed.
3. Brake levers for the V-brakes that are already on the bike.
4. May need a new stem.
5. Grips and bar tape. Maybe cushioning under some areas of the bar tape.
6. Probably need new cable and housing for the brakes.

Am I correct?

Make sure that you get the correct grip shifters. I'm assuming you are running a Shimano 9 speed setup? If that's true, you need a set of grip shifters with a 2:1 ratio like these: http://www.niagaracycle.com/categori...st-shifter-set. I didn't realize, but there are fewer choices out there for 2:1 grip shifters. If you get an "X" series grip shifter, you'll need a Sram rear derailleur to match.

It is an eight speed with a triple.

He is agreeable with a friction/micro shifter.

Can I use any Sram 8 speed for the rear and micro for the front?

These are the highest level, shimano compatible, grip shifters available that I could find new: http://www.niagaracycle.com/categori...st-shifter-set. They are friction front and will work with your current rear derailleur. The MRX series shifters are also compatible/available new, but are lower level. Any of the shifters that have an "X", like X.0 shifters, will not be compatible with your shimano rear derailleur. To use those, you will need an "x" series Sram rear derailleur (the cable pull is different). Also, any ESP series or numbered (i.e. 3.0,4.0,etc.) grip shifter will not work with a Shimano rear derailleur. Just make sure that any set you buy has a 2:1 cable pull ratio.

Thanks so much!

You're welcome. Good luck.

Nashbar was having a sale so I ordered trekking bars, brake levers and bar tape. I still need to order the shifters, which it looks like I will get from Niagara Cycle. The next issue is the stem. We need an extender. It looks like this one is really nice but raises only about three inches. Amazon has a Delta extender which goes up to 4.6 inches.
http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/...ML._SX342_.jpg

It doesn't seem to come with spacers. I assume that I need a bunch of spacers to make this work? Plus, an allen wrench that is extra long? How do you figure out the number and size of the spacers needed?

Typically, when using trekking bars how long of a stem do you use? It would be about perfect to have the part of the bars where the brakes and shifters are to be about where the steerer tube comes up, or maybe an inch forward of that.

You won't need a long wrench, they come with a long screw that will reach down to your existing star nut (the one inside the steerer tube). The Origin 8 came with a stack of spacers for sure and you don't have to have them..

Picture this, you have the extender loose over the existing steerer, as you tension the top cap on the extension it is setting the tension in the stack/headset. The bottom of the extender mates with the top of your steerer spacer stack (leave a slight gap via spacers on your existing steerer) so you are pulling on the whole stack from the top cap of the extender. Once you have the light tension needed to pull the stack together, tighten the bottom clamps on the extender. This locks it all in.

Your stem now has to be adjusted and tightened on the extender.

The main thing is that you have the right stack of spacers on the existing steerer tube to set up the extension properly...you want to find where the extension bottoms out on the steerer, then stack spacers under it so that it doesn't quite hit bottom anymore, like 2mm higher or so. This ensures the top cap of the extender can set tension on the whole headset stack properly.

If all of this is confusing, you may want a shop to lend a hand. The torque values are lighter than you may expect...as I discovered by stripping out my star nut while playing with my extender. Having a shop hand demonstrate how to tension it and show you with a torque wrench what the proper tension is like, is handy.

Oh and where you ultimately place your bars is simply where you find them to be comfortable for the style of riding you do.

OK, I may need help from a bike shop because I am not sure that I am visualizing this correctly. I found a picture. It looks like you first put on spacers that were on your bike, then the extender and then the stem. Are there spacers between the extender and the stem? This one doesn't look like it.

http://t0.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:A...1fwJxzzmFe3ZhA

But this one does:
http://m7.i.pbase.com/g3/53/13853/2/...7.1ZDtA16L.jpg
We do have torque wrenches in the house, which I have used on my bikes in the past.

It's hard to describe but simple in your hands once you "get it".

You don't need the spacers on top, but you do need the right stack under the extender.

The top cap bolt is tying the tubing of the extender and pulling it against the steerer tube. That pull is pulling up on the steerer tube and taking the slack out of the whole mess. It ties the tension on the fork, headset and the stack of spacers and extension that ride over the outside of the steerer tube.

You need a bit of a gap between the bottom of the extension and the steerer tube to allow the pulling up/sleeving action of the whole stack. If it sits flush you are only tensioning the extender against the top of the steerer tube, but not pulling the steerer tube up through the headset.

That's about as good as I can get it in words...it's a lot easier to show you and when you finally see it...you'll see it's simple. If you get it wrong though you can wear your headset, have the stack swing around while moving (dangerous) etc, so be careful.

Thanks.

His trekking bars finally arrived from Nashbar. We spent much of the morning trying the bars in various positions without hooking anything up. He went coasting down the road with only the front brake attached. Finally, I think we have a bar position that might be ok. I don't have a stem extender yet, we are still using the adjustable stem off of another bike. That cannot stay on this bike.

I ordered ESI chunky grips as he likes those on his mountain bike. I put them on the sides of the bars. Boy they were tough to get on! I used the short grips that came with the twist shifters to put next to the shifters. The Sram Centera shifters work really nice but take up a lot of real estate. I just finished cabling things up. I am not sure of my tune job on the front derailleur. It isn't indexed and I am not exactly sure that I got the cable tension right, even following the Park Tool manual. The rear was easy.

The only thing I am not happy about is how to run the cable. I actually ended up with cable running on the riders side of the adjustable stem. Nothing else seem to route right but it looks funny. I used the old housing from the drop bars and most was too long. I cut it off but am not entirely happy. Some likely should be even shorter but I didn't want it too short.

Anyway, time for him to take it for a ride. If thinks work out well I am going to wrap the bars.

We went for a very short ride as the wind is vicious and gusty.

He thinks he may be happy with the bars but won't know until a longer ride. He likes the shifters. And, there is nothing like shiny new shifters and brake levers for ease of operation.

The only issue we had was one he had complained about before the bar switch. Sometimes the chain would jam when shifting gears. I thought that the front derailleur might be a hair too low even though it passed the "penny" test. I raised it up about another half a penny width and the chain grab disappeared. He does have one habit which I think contributes to this issue, he has a tendency to pause pedaling when he shifts. This means that the chain can end up rubbing as it does not smartly move up or down the rings. Am I right?

The stem raiser goes on exactly where the original stem was..

the Zoom one squeezes with 2 wedges across the steerer ,

the other one uses 2 pinch bolts just like the stem that is re installed on top of itself.


1. Grip shifters.
no thumb shifters work fine
2. Replace the front derailleur with an FD-R443 or, use a microshifter grip shifter that isn't indexed.
see above
3. Brake levers for the V-brakes that are already on the bike.
Avid Speed dial are adjustable
4. May need a new stem.
5. Grips and bar tape.
Not necessarily. the tape being thick enough should do,
Maybe cushioning under some areas of the bar tape.
personal choice,
6. Probably need new cable and housing for the brakes.
agree

I used grip shifters because he prefers them over thumb shifters. They work fine using microshift to operate the front derailleur and he still gets index on the rear. I am very happy with their quality as compared to low end grip shifters that I am used to seeing. Thumb shifters or thumbies would have been better in one sense, they take up less bar space.

I got a good deal on Deore V-brake levers and they are working great.

Myself the grip shifter is hooked up to an IGH, a sweet deal , because all gears are in sequence.

Jealous.

If friction is an option, then consider these:

http://www.niagaracycle.com/categori...on-shifter-set

They get a thumbs-up from rivendell too:

http://www.rivbike.com/product-p/sh3.htm

You might also consider stem-mount shifters. There are usually a lot of cheap options for indexed 7sp on fleabay, or you could opt for nice friction like SunTour Power/Racheting. 20 bones for NOS:

http://www.bikestash.com/product_inf...products_id=96

Good additional ideas but the bike is done with the grip shifters. My husband loves the result. Now if it would only warm up. :)