Dave Horne

Because of the lockdown, my local bike shop is only open for repairs.

Before I start, I live in the Netherlands, the most advanced bike friendly country in the world.

I own an excellent bike, a Van Nicholas - titanium frame, Pinion 18 speed gearing, disc brakes, and a Gates belt. Since it's an every day bike for me, it has all the typical standard accessories - mud fenders, lights, built in ring lock, along with a more upright handlebar. (I'm 70 and never liked a dropped handlebar, never.)

While my bike is built to last longer than I, there are times when I would want to bike long distances and would rather have a carbon fiber frame but with a typical upright posture.

I also realize I can have a bike built from scratch, but is there a market for a light weight bike with a more upright posture.

Whenever I look at bikes online, the handlebars, if not dropped, are low.

I'm just throwing this out. When the lockdown is behind us I'll see my local bike shop and speak with them.

UniChris

Apart from "why" you seem to have posted in the wrong sub-forum.

A&S is where we argue about who failed to see who first.

icemilkcoffee 

You don't have to build it from scratch. Just buy a drop bar carbon bike and swap out the handlebars and brifters.

70sSanO

I am not that familiar with your current setup, other than it uses an 18 speed Pinion gearbox with a belt drive.

Going to a carbon frame with a similar setup merely requires a frame that has similar geometry, or at least improved, and will accept your drivetrain.

If I understand your question if there is a market for a carbon belt driven bike, that is pretty much based in the area where you live.

My only suggestion for longer distance riding is to look into bar options that will allow more hand positions than a flat bar. You want to have the option to stretch out a bit going into winds, but without having to get a drop bar.

John

Atlas Shrugged

Specialized makes a Diverge Flat bar version.

70sSanO

As far as handlebar height, that will relate to steerer tube length and steerer tube material, carbon/aluminum.

If you are buying a complete bike, you’ll need to know what steerer length options are available.

John

jaxgtr

I converted my drop bar Trek CrossRip cross\road bike to a flat bar 1x commuter. Work like a champ. Just got to find the correct parts to make it all work. I kept the crank and just found a chain ring that would work with it. Otherwise all new drive train.

Dave Horne

When I initially posted, I thought I was in the General section. After I finally located my post back and saw it in the Safety section, I reported my own post.

Sorry.

Germany_chris

Are we talking Koga world traveler type or Randonneur type?

pdlamb

Since we're just talking here, I'm not at all sure replicating your current bike with a carbon frame is going to make much difference. Except for the new bike cachet, of course!

Dave Horne

If I'm not mistaken, they're aluminum, I'm looking for a carbon fiber frame.

Maelochs

Okay .... first off, the only differences between a CF bike and a Ti bike is that the CF will weight a pound less and will break more easily.

Also, bike weight is not a huge issue unless you are racing at an very dedicated level. I can ride most of my routes in almost the same time on my Al endurance-framed Fuji, my steel vintage racer Raleigh, or my full CF Workswell Cervelo clone. The weight differences make pretty much no difference. If I were seriously pushing for maximum speed, yes, the Workswell should be a little quicker, because it is considerably lighter and also has a more aero riding position .... which is great until my lower back gives out and then the other two are faster because they hurt less.

So---What is it you hope to gain?

You want a lighter bike? Why? What do you imagine a lighter bike will do better than your existing bike? What would you Want it to do?

Also ... There are a lot of flat-bar road bikes on the market. Giant makes one a particularly like. (Giant fastroad--https://www.giant-bicycles.com/us/bikes-fastroad-sl) Please note that most of these do not just use a racing frame with upright bars---they have slightly different frame proportions to account for the fact that with a flat-bar bike you are essentially grabbing the tops of the bars, or outboard of where the tops would be, on a drop-bar bike. This means the top tube needs to be a little longer, because your contact point is closer by the length of the hooks in the drop bar .... and sometimes wider too.

Once you get a good flat-bar-geometry frame, you can swap in more upright bars as you like---riser bars, swept bars, whatever. if you buy a bike with enough uncut steerer, you can use a couple inches of spacers as well---or buy a stem riser.

I still don't know why you would want to do all that, but for myself, if i wanted a more upright carbon road frame, I would get something **** the Giant Fastroad and add a more upright stem and a pair of swept riser bars and there i'd be.

That looks like a seven-degree stem. Add a 17-degree stem and riser bars and ride away.

Germany_chris

Never mind..I read that post wrong in every sort of way..

You're just looking for something like the Cube SL Road but CF

Germany_chris

https://www.fahrrad-xxl.de/scott-met...-p00058545m001

mstateglfr 

If a street bike is a road bike and you just want flat bars- then look at anything with a tall stack and short reach in carbon and change the cockpit

Specialized Diverge probably has the talled stack height for production gravel bikes, at least in the largest size. Its a goofy tall stack height. Swap the stem for something 20mm shorter(which will still look normal since the Diverge uses a relatively long stem for modern gravel geo), and your reach will be very short once you put some flat bars on the bike. That stack height and shortened reach will get you sitting vertically.

badger1

Dave Horne Your bike's (Van Nicholas Deveron) geometry does not look particularly 'upright' to me at all. It looks like a properly-designed flat bar touring bike.

Is it that you are looking for a lighter, derailleur-geared(?), carbon equivalent -- i.e. a flat-bar road bike -- that gives you roughly the same fit? If so, there are any number of these available (or not, these days) from the major manufacturers. Those from Giant and Scott have been mentioned; other obvious candidates are the cf Specialized Sirrus and cf Trek FX. Cannondale carbon Quick also comes to mind. Any of these would do the trick, if that's what you are looking for. FWIW, this is the type of bike I ride -- now a cf Sirrus, in my case. I'm 69, and prefer flat bars (w/bar ends) over drop bars for road cycling.

Dave Horne

The bike you Googled is not what I wound up with. The dealer swapped out the handlebar with a more upright version.

I should add that what I'm looking for is the basic simple geometry of a street bike but instead of an aluminum or steel frame, would be carbon.

Whenever I look at carbon bikes online, they always have a low or lower handlebar setup.

For those of us who use bikes for basic transportation, an upright posture is more agreeable.

Sardines

Bad news, if you want a Pinion P1.18 drive, there are only 2 options for CF frames, and all are custom in EU. I looked VERY hard at your VN Deveron setup. It's heavy for a Ti biker because of the touring cred. If you are looking for a under 27lbs Pinion P1.18 bike, you'll need to look at Quantor's Urkraft or Earth Run 9, which is just 5lbs heavier, with a bit of mods, all based on Nicholai frames. Also check out Einhorn, which make very light Ti bikes with Pinion.
If Pinion isn't that important, you can always put spacers on the stem and even change to an adjustable stem like the NVO, which can raise 60°. Combined with a riser style handle bar, I think you'll be comfortable.

subgrade

Maybe compare the geometry figures of your Van Nicholas to some CF flat bar hybrids, like the aforementioned Specialized Cirrus or Diverge, Trek Fx, or Scott Metrix etc. If the figures are close (which I reckon they are, looking at the geometry charts of the Deveron), you'd basically just need to get a similar riser bar or whatever setup you have now.

PeteHski

Sounds perfect to me. I mean how high does the OP want to go? There are plenty of riser bars, angled stems out there to make this pretty high at the front.

sean.hwy

Sirrus X 5.0

Sardines

Hahaha I just realized I replied to an old thread from March. Probably bought the bike and toured the world by now! haha Sorry guys!