Drop Bars for Hybrid
 

I have a Giant Cypress Sport Comfort with 700c wheels with flat bars and grip shifters. I was wondering how much work is involved with switching the flat bars for drop bars to give it a cross bike feel to it. I do quite a bit of riding on the road and kinda miss having a drop bar bike, but I also do a lot of riding on the C&O and crushed limestone bike trails. I'm thinking I would need new drop bars and new shifters is there anything else I would need to do?

You may need a shorter stem too, i.e., to put you in a similar position on the brake hoods as you had on the straight bar.

bar tape too :p

It's a pretty major project.

For sure you are going to need different shifters and brake levers because the ones that you have now won't fit on the slightly larger diameter dropped handlebar. The combination brake/shift levers that most of the road bikes use can get pretty pricy but, if you buy brand new ones, they'll come with the new shifter and brake cables and housings that you are going to need.

You will also probably need a new stem. Flat bar stems have a slightly smaller clamp diameter and won't fit road bars without modification. As the other poster mentioned, you might want a shorter stem to make the new confituration fit right.

I assume you have linear pull brakes. That's going to require some kind of adaptation to make them work. If it was my bike I'd use brifters and travel agents on the brakes but there are some other choices.

What are you using for a crankset and front derailleur? I haven't tried it personally so I can't say from personal experience but I'm told that road brifters and a mountain bike front derailleur doesn't work.

Bar end shifters could work well, i like mine :-)

A cheap and fast alternative would be to mount a set of trekking bars. They'll take your stock controls,give you an aero riding position,allow for all kinds of hand positions,and give lots of room to mount acessories. With your adjustable stem,you'll have a big range of positions to mount the bar. All you'll be out is the cost of the bar plus bar tape/grips.

I was planning to do the same thing with my hybrid. After doing some research and realizing how much work (and $) was involved, I opted for the trekking bars instead. As dynaryder suggested, they really are a great alternative. I just ordered them a few days ago, along with a new stem (I wanted a longer one, and one that was adjustable). $50 all together. Now I just need to stop at the LBS for some tape.

Origin 8 makes a set of drop bar ends for your flat bar. I just googled them and Amazon has a shop advertising them for 16.98

Was going to be suggestion, darn.

Anyways I just flipped my flat bars on my mtb for origin8 gary mtb dirtdrops. It's not that easy a project. I had to get new:
1) Stem
2) Brake levers
3) Cantilever brakes, cables and housing
4) Barcons

All told it was a pricey project with the parts and labour involved. The origin8 drop barends look to a very easy and cheap way to add the option of riding drops without the cost of a new bar project.

+1

I bought a set of returned trekking bars on sale from Nashbar for 12 bucks for my Trek Hybrid & love them. Wrapped them with bar tape & they are oh-so-comfy. Soooooooo many hand positions, great for climbing & you get a real nice stretch in your arms using the very top of the bar. You may have to swap out for a longer stem if you do not want to be in more of an upright position while using the closest part of the bar where you will move your shifter & brake levers to.

Nashbar has them now for $22.99. Definitely get some bar tape if you purchase them.

I agree with everything but needing a new crank. Total cost would probably be between $300 and $400 depending on the shifter system you get. That's a lot to add to a $300 bike. Keep the Cypress and start saving for a dropbar bike.

Picked up a pair of the drop bar attachments @my local LBS. I will give them a try. I like my straight bar bike but sometimes the wind is a killer and being a not small guy it sure feels like I am huge sail. I am hopeful the drop bar attachments will help me out from time to time. I am gonna miss my other bar ends as I like those for climbing hills. I wonder if I could fit both of them on the end? Too much?