BaseGuy

Okay, thanks for the explanation. It might help me a bit as I plan a road bike purchase myself. I'm vacillating between a plush/comfort drop-bar bike and a race bike (e.g., Specialized Secteur vs. Cannondale CAAD8).

I have a great, old, steel, hybrid bike that's comfortable and pretty quick (with good wheels and 100psi slicks). So your approach has me leaning toward something racier as well... I'm not made of money (have three kids), so this is a one-time deal I've got to get right.

I am generally a purist and don't like compromises ("do it all" sounds to me like "do everything mediocre, and don't do anything exceptionally"). The LAST thing I want is to drop $1200 - $1500 (a lot for me) and end up with something that's a bit soft, and bit dumb, a bit, well, compromised...

Violet

I'm in my 20s, I feel more comfortable with some drop between the bar and the saddle, but I still prefer flatbars + bar ends.

I'm tired of this "drop bars are for crouching and risers are for upright" business. You can have drop bars up really high, like Mr. Petersen, and you can have riser bars really low, like an XC racer.

giantcfr1

This is my friend's hybrid...
Fairly modified MTB (not road sorry) to Hybrid:

Violet

That is gloriously ridiculous

giantcfr1

I agree but it's a work of art. Notice the road calipers on an MTB. Crazy stuff.

fire

Another sharp looking bike. I'm really getting into the idea of converting my old 3700 into a hybrid now, and breathing a new life into it, just to see how it rides as one.
Love those trick wheels, too.

giantcfr1

Thanks, and I think you should give the conversion a go as it gives you a sence of pride during and after the project. I also built up an old Gary Fisher MTB which I ride every day. Sadly the Giant in the pic is no longer with us. I got hit by a motorbike and the forks broke. As the frame was carbon I contacted Giant and they told me under no circumstances to ride it. Off to the dumpster.
That's how I got my Cannondale through insurance. Oh the wheels were Bontrager.

fire

That's sad to hear, it really was a slick looking bike. I guess that's the trouble with carbon frames.. still, I suppose at least you got an insurance payout.

You're right, I really do need to give it a go. I've got it in mind now, and I've been out there looking at it in the garage this morning and sizing things up.
There are 2 questions that I need to try and find the answer to. The first of course, is wheel size. Conversion from the original 26 inch MTB to 700 seems logical, but what's the best way to tackle it? Convert to disc, or redo the cable setup to take 700's? Or is it best to just leave the wheels as is, and put slicks on? It's going to need new cables anyway.
The second thing is the crank. Do I go for a 3 ring (when I hardly ever come off the top ring in normal everyday riding) or just fit a single 48 (or 52) or a 2 ringer, instead? I'm asking, because if I were to keep the 26's, a bigger ring would give me more top speed. I suppose that for turning it into a hybrid, I'd rather go with 700's if at all possible.

Those Bontrager wheels are excellent, I may have to see if I can locate some for my Insight at some point.. or even the Trek if the budget allows for it in its refurb. It could eventually look like the trickest 3700 in the area.

PatrickGSR94

I plan to do this to my KHS some time down the line. I will probably use an Avid BB6 disc setup up front since my fork has disk brake caliper tabs already, and then a road caliper rear brake since there's a hole in the frame that could take the bolt for a caliper brake. Check your front fork and rear seat stays, there may be holes centered somewhere that could take a brake caliper.

fire

BI should have mentioned, I'm planning to get rid of the suspension fork up front, and change it to a rigid.
Point taken though, 700's with disc front, caliper rear, eh?

phillybill

Converting my Havnooian to a flatbar for the winter... I normally do this every year for the winter riding. I keep the stem high to deal with my shoulder problem. As it is in a downtube configuration, it is just a handlebar and lever swap...

https://plus.google.com/u/0/photos/1...KCpw8O58MumvQE


https://plus.google.com/u/0/photos/1...KCpw8O58MumvQE

CharlesP

For my 2 cents worth, I'd keep the drop bars and just get wider tires. I agree that the drop bar are actually MORE comfortable, and have more hand positions, but would add that if you have any issues with arthritis, carpal tunnel, etc. brifters are much easier to shift. I am an older gent and have arthritis and much prefer modern brifters. Grip shifters are downright painful to use, button shifters hurt my thumbs. I have added CX style bar top brake levers as well. Now I have the best of all worlds- Comfy bars, comfy/highest performance shifters, and comfy brakes.
Try a shorter stem as a quick fix if you have neck/shoulder issues.