I consider "special tools" to be tools that I don't own yet.

Well, when I did mine, I used some Allen wrenches and cable housing cutters. The Park Tool cutters I have also have a spot for crimping the cable end caps.

I think that's it. Oh, and scissors for the bartape.

I think I got the reference.

Posted these before, but this is a 2006 Trek FX 7.3 I converted last year. Bar-end shifters, non-aero brake levers used because I had them already. Much more comfy to me than a flat bar. Actually did a lot more than just the drop bars (new crank, new BB, new wheels, new brakes) because there was a lot of good post-Chirstmas sales last year, and most of the parts on the Trek were worn out after 5 years.

I meant for the WHOLE conversion...but mine has really spun out of control(all new drivetrain), so it's probably time for me to start asking questions in the mech forum

Once I acquired the Moulden the Trek 7500 became redundant and whereas the Trek was an awesome bike, the handbuilt Moulden is even better. The rigid steel Moulden curbs out at 5 pounds less than the Aluminium Trek (also rigid).

Ah, ok --

Well, one tool I forgot to mention is a "third hand" tool. It keeps tension on the derailleur or brake cable when you're tightening its fixing bolt.

Are you replacing the crank, too, then?

It's like an inversion of my old bike colour-wise:



My current main ride has the stem flipped:


Once the new handlebar arrives I might lose a 5mm spacer too.

My faux LHT:

I went from this (1994 Nishiki Sport XRS)


to this


Hint: If you decide to route your shifter cables under the handlebar tape, you may need a tandem shifter cable to get the length you need.

Is(was) that a hybrid!? That looks great! very aggressive looking. Are those ultegra components?

2002 Sirrus A1

$0 drop bars from my old Windsor
$35 shorter stem
$20 Tektro v-brake levers for drop bars
$25 SunTour Command shifters, later changed to $10 modified (so they would work on drop bars) Shimano triggers, them most recently a Command shifter for the FD and a trigger for the RD (see below)

Let's call that $100, with cables and bar tape.





Later, I put fenders on it it, and had to switch the FD from a Shimano MTB model to a Sora, so that the fenders would fit. That meant I couldn't use the modified trigger shifter for the the FD anymore, so I went back to using a Command shifter for it. So adding fenders was:
$40 for the denders
$5 for the FD
$0 shifter

But that doesn't count as part of the drop conversion, really.

Thanks It's a 2010 Stevens Strada 600. Comes stock with a flat handlebar and full Shimano Tiagra drivetrain including Mavic CXP-22 road wheels with Tiagra hubs. The Stevens Strada series could be considered flat bar road bikes in the vein of the Trek FX series, for example.

Shifters, derailleurs and cassete have been replaced with Shimano 105 for the conversion, the rest is stock Tiagra. The only Ultegra component is the chain

It's done!

BEFORE:



AFTER:



All new drivetrain, same old brakes but with travel agents, 105 5603 shifters and crank. Still fine-tuning things, the brakes aren't quite perfect, the front deraileur is a little sticky, and I can't figure out where my seat should be (might need a shorter stem). Overall very happy, noticeable faster on all terrain owing to the aerodynamic improvement and I really think the crank (gearing) and bottom bracket (much smoother).

Did you keep the oem stem???

Whether you like it or not, but theres a lot of great looking conversion here! Maybe a new sticky "Conversions"?

Looks great... also wonder about the change in reach as it looks like you retained the same stem and the hoods on the new levers sit much farther forward than your old bar ends.

yeah...has the old stem and it's LONG. But, I was always pushing the seat back with the flat bars, i'm gonna give it a week and see if the reach is really too far, then will likely get a new shorter stem. Look at how the seat is shifted in synch with the hand position.

just beat my old 10mi time (3 laps around prospect park) by FOUR MINUTES! this feels like a whole new bike

Any problems with the drops hitting the top tube? That is one of the issues I have with my Sirrus DBC.

I cannot imagine any situation that would involve my top tube and handlebars touching...If such a situation DID arise, I think that would be the least of my problems.

so, no.

Seeing these makes me want to find a decent 700c hybrid and refit it with drops and brifters and the biggest tyres I can fit...if I want to go fast on the road I have bikes for that but would like to have an all terrain drop bar hybrid rolling on 29'r wheels.

Ya, I realized my stem was long, but then decided, that it wasn't that bad, and left it. I think, that it will probably make you more aero also.

when i got down in the drops i felt two things i've never felt before on this bike:
1) my knees hitting my belly...dammit....work in progress.
2) the wind petting my back...as it picked up i could hear it get louder, but didn't feel it anywhere except smoothly down my back from my neck to my...shorts. The one thing i DID NOT feel was an increase in resistance. yeah, i think the really low and extended position influenced my ride time in a BIG way.

Hang on, how did you do that? You had a flat bar before right? How did you get hoods, brakes, shifters etc on your new drops without buying them? I want to convert my MTB commuter to use drops.

Yes. I had flat bars. I bought brake levers for cheaper, andthen fitted my shifters to the bars via an adapter I made. I will post some pictures when I get home, because it is kind of difficult to explain.

Cool, thanks. I know regular flat bar shifters won't fit on a drop bar so I'm very curious.

Here are the photos of the whole process, before and after. As is said in an earlier post, I spent $15 for used bars, $25 for brakes levers that work with V brakes, and some money for new brake cables and bar tape. I did the labor myself, and had to create the shims, with some extra pipe I had laying around, although Lowe's or Home Depot probably has some good piping.

Before: The basic stock bike with flat bars.



During: The bars with brakes attached, and the on the stem, and finally with the homemade adapters in place. I had to shim them to make them fit, and drilled through the whole setup to prevent spinning.


After: Drops bars. The shifting is surprisingly easy. I taped over the metal with duck tape to make it appear more professional, and then sanded down bar-caps to fit.


BTW, i taped the bars myself, and had to replace my first attempt, but was fine on round 2. Overall, the labor took maybe three hours, but I had some time in between problem solving. If i did it again, it would take maybe 30mins, since I know what I am doing.