hankaye

MeatloafOvadose, Howdy;

Thanks for the reply. Thanks also for "the rest of the story". Even if it
does look as good as yours what self-respecting thief (oxymoron???),
would want a rusty old bike ??? ,

hank

Taxi Rob

Been gone from this thread but it's still my fave. Thinking about doing a 650c conversion. Anyone else switch to 650c when doing their drop bar conversions? Any pics/tips to share?

cs1

I don't know how much of an advantage it would be over a 26".

Taxi Rob

I'm thinking about those who prefer narrower, ostensibly faster tires. I've built some 26 x 1.5 conversions and I've thought about going skinnier. Plus, longer spokes=more give. I've seen 650b conversions done on regular 26" mtbs but that's too dependent on unusually long brake reach imo, it seems like 650c would be easier to accomplish.

yangmusa

Narrower tires are not faster. A lot of research has now demonstrated this. They may feel faster because they transmit more high-frequency vibration from the road surface, but controlled tests have shown that wide tires are as fast on smooth surfaces and increasingly faster than narrow tires the more rough the surface is.

A good place to start reading is here: https://janheine.wordpress.com/2012/...ance-of-tires/

Velocivixen

@gugie did this and I believe he used Tektro 720 canti brakes. If it wasn't him (he may have just brazed the canti studs higher), then it was someone else. It depends on the individual frame, but those 720's have a lot of vertical adjustment ability.

Kilroy1988 

The first bicycle I had stolen from me was a green GT mountain bike with a tall frame perfect for my 6'1" build, with Shimano bio-pace crank and XT shifting, if I remember correctly... Looking back, that bike would have made such a wonderful conversion. Every now and then I look on Ebay but I never see those tall frames.

SpEd

Great info and good read.

I wonder if this translates into MTB tires and tire widths? Sounds like this study was done with road tires with widths half of what most MTB tires are.

There is even verbiage at the end that suggests it is not likely a 100mm tire will be faster than a 50mm tire.

If what I remember from my automotive schooling applies to bike tires, there is a balance to be struck with tread pattern, contact surface area and composition of the rubber to match the conditions and use in order to achieve a "fast" tire.

yangmusa

You're quite right, the composition of the tire is very important. Wide hybrid/touring tires or MTB tires have too stiff construction (rolling resistance) so generally don't roll as well. Jan Heine is comparing wide road tires (Compass Bicycles makes up to ~50mm, in 26" too) with narrow road tires, all with thin & supple casings.

I'd really like to try some of those fancy wide tires but they're pretty expensive.. Someday, maybe!

Squeeze

I stumbled across this during my travels around the web and thought I'd share it here, especially after reading the comments about a 650b conversion in recent posts.

It's a video from Paul Components about their cantilever and V-brake conversion parts to let you adjust the brake pad location on a 26" fork to run 26", 650b, or 700c wheels, assuming adequate clearance of your particular fork and tire choice.

https://vimeo.com/158260982

Logan_Wright

Has anyone done a GT Backwoods with a dropbar? I haven't seen one on here yet...

NocoRider

Thinner tires are smaller. Smaller tires have higher rolling resistance - much more so on rougher roads than on smooth roads. A wider 26" tire will get lower rolling resistance (the Schwalbe Big Apple for example) but it'll be much heavier. For a large diameter tire a 650b wheel will be lighter than a 26" wheel - and there is a good selection of 650b tires that are fast and provide good cornering. But in going to a 650b setup you'll give up traction in gravel and the rugged cut resistance of the 26" mountain bike tires. FWIW, I've found the Schwalbe Marathon XR's in a 26x2.5" size to be an incredibly durable and long lasting tire which also rolls surprisingly well. The XR's weigh close to 2 (yes two) pounds each so don't expect to win any KOM sprints! :-)

masterchief

Bought a Specialized HardRock GX Sport two weeks ago, and last night I finished moving the parts form my old commuter to the new frame. I kept the cantilever brakes, the seatpost and the stem and headset, but wheels, drivetrain and everything else is from my previous ride. The size is spot on!

I know it's not actually a drop bar conversion, but I wanted to try out this setup first. I really do like drop bars though, so it will definitely be a thing to try out sometime. I like how the bars are in level with the saddle right now, and I would like to keep it that way with drops.

What I'm thinking is either:
A Nitto Technomic Deluxe with a high rise and 26.0 clamp.
Soma Highway One compact drop bars to get the flat horizontal ramps to the hoods.

or:

The current Specialized stem which has a 25.4 clamp.
Nitto Rando bars (B135).

I might be mistaken, but as far as I understand, Shimano bar end shifters fits in bars with a 26.0 clamp, and not 25.4. Can anyone confirm/deny this?
I have a pair of 105 brake levers, so bar end shifters is the obvious choice for a drop bar setup. I really like the STI shifters on my road bike though, so I might just buy a pair of 3x9 Sora. Then comes the compatibility issue between road STI levers and an MTB triple front derailer that I need to figure out.

Anyway, this is how it looks right now.

wesmamyke

Essentially yes barend shifters are made for road bars, but it's not the outside diameter or clamp size that matters. It's the inside of the bar that needs to fit the barend shifters, and some swept back 25.4mm bars are reamed out to fit barend shifters. In particular the steel NITTO northroad bars Rivendell used to sell although I'm sure others exist or could be reamed out.

Edit: Or do you just mean 25.4 drop bars?

arfrhmn

The 25.4 di Nitto Randonneur bar is compatible with Shimano bar end shifter, thats what my BS MB4 setup with.

masterchief

Okay thanks for the replies. I was actually just talking about drop bars, I was under the impression that drop bars made to fit a 25.4 clamp didn't have the internal diameter required for the bar ends, but I was obviously mistaken.

Would it be wrong to assume all 26.0 clamp drop bars take bar end shifters?

Also, can anyone enlighten me on how to embed the pictures in the post so they don't end up as very small attachments?

himespau 

All (at least all traditional style) drop bars have bars of the same diameter right up until the clamp area. It's only at the clamp area that they are thicker or not (often by adding a sleeve with older bars - though sometimes through changing the bar profile). But the rest of the bar is the same thickness. New style bars can be made with different profiles or flat tops, but even those will be the same diameter on the ends and the hooks where you'd mount the brake levers.

hankaye

Howdy All;

Was just sittin' here sippin my mornin' coffee and readin' a few Blogs,
Ran across this item for these type of builds. A 'new' adapter to help bring the
drop bars closer and elevate them so that we can get a more comfortable 'fit'.
Grand Cru Cigne Stem, Noir
Appears to be a functional bit, the blogger will be posting a 'how it worked for them'
sometime in the near (I hope), future. When it shows up I'll post a link.

hank

himespau 

Oh, did they finally come out with that? I saw it on their blog way back in March or something and had been waiting for it. Came out a bit pricier than I'd hoped. Also, I'd hoped for more extension with as much as the added height is bringing it back. Oh well, still a cool idea.

cs1

It's a copy of the old LD, limp dick, stem from bygone days. Originals cost a fortune.

cs1

The price is way cheap compared to the original or one of Clockwork custom versions. There is a lot of work involved in making one.

hankaye

cs1, Howdy;

That's why I used ' & ' when I said 'new' as it is a reinvention of a past product. Perhaps " & " would have
stood out better, sorry, I'll try harder next time .

hank

kingston 

I would have bought one if it were a quill.

himespau 

Oh, don't get me wrong, I appreciate it and would probably buy it if it came with 120-130 mm extension even at that price and even though I'd need to buy a threaded to threadless adapter. Looks a lot prettier for mtb conversion than a technomic in my opinion and I love the removable faceplate.

Wright Bros

Check out this Sunlite quill stem, kinda similar to the LD. Sunlite Alloy 2-Bolt Stem - 1-1/8" x 80mm, 25.4mm Clamp, 25-Degree, Silver Anodized