Gooday everyone,

So I've decided I'd rather have flat bars on my bike which is a Schwinn Via. I've got very little, to no experience with working with bikes, and so I was hoping to get some advice and maybe links from you all if possible.

First question is for shifter/brakes, right now the bike has a Shimano 2300 drive train, and promax brakes. I was trying to find a compatible shifter break combo that would work with a flat bar and found the Shimano ST-R225, which seemed like it would work perfectly. However, I can't find them for sale anywhere online. Is there a compatibility list anywhere for flat bar shifters that would work with this drivetrain ? Maybe you could suggest a set that would work, and are easily available, that would be great.

Second, are there any good follow throughs online for setting up brakes/shifters and swaping out bars? I am incredibly green, and don't know if attempting this might be a giant leap into something I know nothing of. I would like to get in and learn, and don't mind spending 5 hours doing this by myself if it means I'll know how to do it in the future. How difficult would you say this conversion would be?

Any advice/help would be appreciated, thanks.

I have twist shifters on my Hybrid, I was considering going to a different shifter, finding combined brake/shifters BOTH right and left, in stock somewhere where it is not being shipped from China was an exercise in futility :-).

Finding brake levers and shifters separate was easier....I finally just left things like they are at present...but that option will not help you :-(.

If your bike is 3 up front and 8 in the back I found a set on Ebay....search for this. That is a different shifter but it came up in a search for the one you posted.

I could not find anything on Schwinn Via to even figure out what it is.

There is one of those rapidfire type shifters that can be converted from V brakes to the other type if need be.

Shimano ST-EF65 3x8 Speed 4-Finger Brake Lever/Shifter Combo

Willbird,

Thank you for the response and time taken to look around for me.

The bike is 3 up front and 8 in the rear. Is that really all I need to worry about for compatibility? Would any shifter/brake combo with those numbers function with everything else perfectly? Forgive the ignorance there, I just don't know what compatibility in parts like this is like.

Un screw all 4 cable fixing bolts/nuts and pull off the stem , bars and all ..

& start over from scratch .. stem length/angle is likely needing to be different anyhow.

8 speed stuff for same brand should be OK, FD may be better with a friction lever .. IMO.

I do that kind of work in the LBS to support my Bar Tab