Currently riding a Specialized Sirrus, and looking to switch to drop bars. LBS said it would cost around $200. Would I be better off buying a new bike, something along the lines of an Allez?

Obviously, it's your call. If all you want is a drop bar road bike, convert your Sirrus. If you have the money and want a whole new ride, go for that. What is you motivation to convert to drop bars? How will you use either the converted bike or new ride?

With the geometry and clearance of the Sirrus frameset, you'll basically end up with something very similar to a cyclocross bike, that is to say, a road bike with slightly more relaxed geometry and clearance for wider tires. If you really feel like you don't need a flat-bar bike, it will be more cost effective to convert the Sirrus than buy an Allez. Ride the Sirrus for awhile, then you could upgrade to something thats better than an Allez.

Years ago I converted a 2001 Sirrus to a road bike. I rode it many thousands of miles, upgrading parts as they were needed until the frame broke. Then I replaced the frame with a Scattante road frame from performancebike.com. The only parts of the original bSirrus left are the Ritchey hubs. I still have that bike, now equipped with a lot of Ultegra parts, and ride it when the weather isn't nice.

Seems like you could do it a lot cheaper if you did the work yourself and scrounged around for parts. You might be able to use bar-end shifters.

My feeling is that flat bars are fine if all you do is short (5 miles or less) rides, like in-town commuting. If you're riding longer distances, you want more hand positions.

$200 isn't a bad deal in terms of bike-store prices., but I agree with big john. You could probably do it cheaper.

I'd vote for leaving it as is.......... saving up and buying a road bike. Keep the Sirrus around for a backup.

you COULD do it cheaper, but here on the verge of 2010, if you are going to have drop bars you really want integrated braking/shifting. 200 sounds like a great price to do that conversion.

You will need cantilever brakes...or "travel agent" adaptors that will allow the road levers to pull the right amount of cable for your V-brakes. Was that included in your estimate? If brakes are included in your estimate, then that is a great price indeed. I paid $300 for the parts for my Sirrus-to-road bike conversion years ago, but I didn't go with the cheapest possible parts.

The upright position is uncomfortable to me. I mean, I feel fine riding it, but I have a need to be lower.

I mainly ride on a bike path, and I was doing around 20+ miles round trip. Only one position did suck.

IIRC, it was for everything.

You could get something like this


I have no experience with a product like that, so it's not a personal endorsement.

Or you could get aerobars if you just want to be low. Ever since I got aerobars I almost never use my drops.

+1

$200 sounds too low to me. The only way to know is to get a list of exactly what you need and price it out. If it was me I'd probably ride the Sirrus as it is and save my money for the road bike you want. When you're ready you could either sell the Sirrus or keep it for a commuter/shopping bike. I think it's a nice design.

I have a future son-in-law who isn't a bike rider. My daughter was brought up on bikes, but settled on a comfort bike as her bike-of-choice. I'd like to buy him a bike so they could ride together, but I worry that he wouldn't want a drop-bar bike initially. I thought a Sirrus would be a great bike for him! If he becomes a cyclist I could always help him get a "real" road bike later.

Flat bar road bikes like the Sirrus generally sell because people assume they will ride sorta like a mountain bike but go fast like a road bike. Also, people usually assume flat bars are more comfortable than a road bike with drops. However none of these assumptions is true.
When people walk into an LBS, their basic reference point for a road bike is usually an aggressively set-up race bike with bars that are positioned way below the saddle. This of course, scares them away from the drops. I believe a properly fitted road bike set up for leisure riding with the bars positioned level with the saddle and 32-35mm tires makes a hell of a lot more sense than a flat-bar road bike with skinny HP tires and uber tall gear ratios. And it will be more adaptable if he gets more serious.

To the OP, I am in the exact same position right now. I have a sirrus and had wanted to convert it over the past year, but I am using my christmas gift coupon to cash in on an 09 Allez for 615 dollars, keo easy pedals, and some cold weather gear. I recommend waiting till you have the money to buy your own bike, I am going to keep the sirrus initially for a back up/commuter bike but may sell it if I would like to spend some money on something else and needed it.

That's what I was thinking too. If STI shifters are a part of your plans, that alone will blow most of your $200.00 budget.

Unless you have a 9-speed drive train and find a good deal on some Tiagras.

Barcons $77
Handlebar $25
Brake levers $15
Cantilever brakes $46

That's $163. Say you sell your extra parts for $50, and you've spent $113. Assuming you have the tools necessary and the know how or willingness to learn how to do this.

I just did that to my Jamis Coda Elite with barend shifters and the whole job cost close to $300. I used the Flak casing for the cables https://www.jensonusa.com/store/produ...ke+Cables.aspx and Nitto Noodle handlebars.

+2. Your shop will not be able to covert to drop with decent shifters for <= $200.

K. Thanks for the advice/info. I'll save up for a new bike. Conversion costing over half the cost of the bike seems a bit absurd.