Venge Hybrid Project
02-15-16 | 06:43 PM
#26
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Joined: Dec 2014
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From: Seattlish
Bikes: SWorks Stumpy, Haibike Xduro RX, Crave SS
The Paul levers look great and feel great! It is hard to find really nice levers, and these awesome.
02-15-16 | 06:46 PM
#27
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Joined: Feb 2015
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Definitely think the bars look a touch too wide (actually quite a bit too long lol, unless you have shoulders as wide as an NFL linebacker). Are the bars swept back? If so, I would think that combined with your short stem that the cockpit would be cramped, IF the bike fit you well when in wore drop bars. Take it for a longer ride and let us know how it works!
This is a fair point, but the combo works well for some of us. With long legs and short torso, drop bars always provided too much reach for me to get comfortable. A shorter stem would help some, but you can only go so short. A smaller frame wouldn't work either, because then I'd have a foot and a half of seat post and too much saddle to bar drop. I could've run an extended stem or some other goofy thing to "make it work", but I ended up deciding drop bars just weren't that important to me. I can ride for hours on my setups with no problem, and the bars are set low enough to be fairly aero. About the same as most riders on the hoods, as far as I can tell.
Both of the bikes that I presently ride the most are sold by the makers in both drop bar or flat bar configurations, utilizing the same frame. The top tube lengths are proportioned for the drop bars, so pretty much the same thing as what's going on with Kindaslows project here.
Kindaslow: Cool project. What's your first impression of the fancy Paul brake levers? Have you used them before? I've been eyeballing them for my fixed gear bike, but at that price, they gotta be really special.
Both of the bikes that I presently ride the most are sold by the makers in both drop bar or flat bar configurations, utilizing the same frame. The top tube lengths are proportioned for the drop bars, so pretty much the same thing as what's going on with Kindaslows project here.
Kindaslow: Cool project. What's your first impression of the fancy Paul brake levers? Have you used them before? I've been eyeballing them for my fixed gear bike, but at that price, they gotta be really special.
I am a flat bar/ "performance hybrid" fanatic lol. I still keep a single drop bar bike around, but I have 3 flat bar rides (Trek FX 7.9, Giant Rapid 0, Giant RX Composite), and another bike I recently switched from drop bars to a butterfly bar.
As long as you know what fits YOUR body proportions, it only takes a bit of study of a particular bikes geometry chart to determine if it will fit you, even factoring in the type of handlebar/controls, if buying a frame to do a build (as I have done a few times - I learned volumes from my first flat-bar road bike build, as noted above, lol).
What are you riding now? did they come as flat bar hybrid type bikes? or did you convert or build, as the OP has?
02-15-16 | 06:49 PM
#28
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Joined: Dec 2014
Posts: 2,751
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From: Seattlish
Bikes: SWorks Stumpy, Haibike Xduro RX, Crave SS
Sharp looking ride!
Definitely think the bars look a touch too wide (actually quite a bit too long lol, unless you have shoulders as wide as an NFL linebacker). Are the bars swept back? If so, I would think that combined with your short stem that the cockpit would be cramped, IF the bike fit you well when in wore drop bars. Take it for a longer ride and let us know how it works!
Definitely think the bars look a touch too wide (actually quite a bit too long lol, unless you have shoulders as wide as an NFL linebacker). Are the bars swept back? If so, I would think that combined with your short stem that the cockpit would be cramped, IF the bike fit you well when in wore drop bars. Take it for a longer ride and let us know how it works!
02-15-16 | 07:35 PM
#29
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Joined: Aug 2014
Posts: 425
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From: Skien Norway
Bikes: Specialized Sirrus Comp Carbon Disc '14
So, out riding my Venge today and I am finally sick of the neck pain. My neck was fused 18 years ago after breaking it. I cannot ride road bike bars for more than 2-3 hours, depending upon the day.
I got a great deal on my Venge Pro Race about a year ago, and used bikes are never worth much, so here goes a project.
I have ordered the following:
XT Shifters
XT derailleur and cassette
Paul brake levers
Enve DH bars
Ritchey stem
So, this should be interesting. The worst case scenario to me is that I have to take these parts back off and sell the bike (these are all parts that I could use with my other bikes). Best case is that I love it.
Pics to come, eventually...
I got a great deal on my Venge Pro Race about a year ago, and used bikes are never worth much, so here goes a project.
I have ordered the following:
XT Shifters
XT derailleur and cassette
Paul brake levers
Enve DH bars
Ritchey stem
So, this should be interesting. The worst case scenario to me is that I have to take these parts back off and sell the bike (these are all parts that I could use with my other bikes). Best case is that I love it.
Pics to come, eventually...
02-15-16 | 08:04 PM
#30
Tortoise Wins by a Hare!
Joined: Feb 2006
Posts: 7,393
Likes: 945
From: Looney Tunes, IL
Bikes: Wabi Special FG, Raleigh Roper, Nashbar AL-1, Miyata One Hundred, '70 Schwinn Lemonator and More!!
I recently bought this Giant CFR because it's a 53 x 53, (seat tube/top tube) thinking the shorter than usual top tube may work out for me... even if it requires I swap out the bars out for a shorter reach unit. We'll see, I haven't given it much testing yet. And because it's carbon fiber and only fits narrow tires I won't be keeping it. But it was reasonably priced...
02-15-16 | 08:13 PM
#31
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Joined: Oct 2005
Posts: 5,556
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From: Southwestern Ontario
Biggest problem I can foresee is that the frame might be too small. If a bike fits properly with drop bars, when you convert to flat bar, you end up with the primary hand position several inches closer to the seat; i.e., the default "hoods" position is generally a few inches forward of the front of your stem. With a flat bar, the default hand position in in line with the front of your stem. And this distance is often too far to account for with a longer stem, i.e., going from the 100mm stem that is often on road bikes, to even a 130 or 140mm stem, only closes about 1/2 of the distance difference. And if you have an angled stem to raise the bar position, you get even less forward correction, resulting in a cramped cockpit.
Ask me how I know, lol.....
Discovered this the hard way several years ago building a carbon flat bar road bike with a frame and parts off of ebay. Succeeded in building a sub 19lb. bike with very good components, but I didn't correct for frame size, buying the same size frame I would ride with a drop bar, and the cockpit was hopelessly cramped. I put a monstrosity 140mm stem on it and rode it for awhile, but finally admitted defeat and took it apart, sold the frame, and used the components for future builds.
Ask me how I know, lol.....
Discovered this the hard way several years ago building a carbon flat bar road bike with a frame and parts off of ebay. Succeeded in building a sub 19lb. bike with very good components, but I didn't correct for frame size, buying the same size frame I would ride with a drop bar, and the cockpit was hopelessly cramped. I put a monstrosity 140mm stem on it and rode it for awhile, but finally admitted defeat and took it apart, sold the frame, and used the components for future builds.
02-15-16 | 08:22 PM
#32
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Joined: Dec 2014
Posts: 2,751
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From: Seattlish
Bikes: SWorks Stumpy, Haibike Xduro RX, Crave SS
The front is the Ultegra set-up that the bike came with, but now compact. The rear is the XT 8000, with the 10x42 cassette. First real ride tomorrow morning. I am sure I will lose ultimate top speed. But I am also sure that I will not spin out of gearing at a speed that I want to be riding on the flat. My Sirrus has front and rear XT, and I do not spin out with it.
02-16-16 | 12:21 PM
#34
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Joined: Oct 2005
Posts: 5,556
Likes: 1,827
From: Southwestern Ontario
Nice pic! Have to say Project Venge is turning out nicely, Ks. Not something I would do (for one thing, it wouldn't fit me as noted above) but your conversion is looking nice and clean and if it works for you that's absolutely all that matters (kidding aside!) at the end of the day. More pics please!
02-16-16 | 04:48 PM
#35
Thread Starter
Senior Member
Joined: Dec 2014
Posts: 2,751
Likes: 19
From: Seattlish
Bikes: SWorks Stumpy, Haibike Xduro RX, Crave SS
Now that I have ridden it far enough to know I love it, I won't make you suffer through too many more photos.
The braking works well, that is the levers provide enough leverage and feel good to the hands. The shifting works well, but I found myself sticking to about three gears on the ride out and about three on the ride in, given it is a rail/trail. It was a comfortable 13-14 on the ride out and a comfortable 17-19 on the ride in. The bike is very stable. I am going to leave the bars at 760 for now. Once I was riding, they felt very nice. The 28s made for a much softer ride, but still held reasonable speed. The toe overlap is no issue, except Turing around. The only quirk is that standing requires keeping my weight back a bit, not uncomfortably so, but enough to make sure there is not a lot of weight on the front wheel. The frame is stiff enough that energy transfer is great. All in all, the bike rides great, is fun to ride, and works great for me.
The braking works well, that is the levers provide enough leverage and feel good to the hands. The shifting works well, but I found myself sticking to about three gears on the ride out and about three on the ride in, given it is a rail/trail. It was a comfortable 13-14 on the ride out and a comfortable 17-19 on the ride in. The bike is very stable. I am going to leave the bars at 760 for now. Once I was riding, they felt very nice. The 28s made for a much softer ride, but still held reasonable speed. The toe overlap is no issue, except Turing around. The only quirk is that standing requires keeping my weight back a bit, not uncomfortably so, but enough to make sure there is not a lot of weight on the front wheel. The frame is stiff enough that energy transfer is great. All in all, the bike rides great, is fun to ride, and works great for me.
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