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I've been riding a cross bike for a couple of years on bridleways etc but I started looking at gravel bikes for a more relaxed ride and 29er tyres. What about sticking a set of drop bars on a rigid 29er? From what I can see the ETT is a bit longer and the HT a bit shorter on a 29er.
Anyone with experience of successfully doing this?
I'm building up my old 29er Inbred with narrowish flat bars and bar ends. I can use my old brakes and shifter. Thinking it'll be just as comfortable as drops.
I did this with my Cube 29er, popped a drop bar and a rigid carbon fork on it. Works really well
I would say that the longer top-tube may get a little uncomfortable for extended rides, gravel/cross bikes generally have top-tubes comparable to road bikes, so shorter than a 29er. Check out the length of the top-tube on the Shand Bahookie drop bar to get an idea, it is 58cm on a medium, the top-tube on the flat bar version is 60.6cm. My size large Cutthroat has a 58cm top-tube, and that is essentially a drop bar 29er.
I did this with my On-One carbon. Added a Niner fork, Drops, Spyre brakes, 10 speed brifters, + shorter stem.
It works well for my needs. Gravel bike routes, backroads and occasional farm track.
However, i didnt really get on with riding drops. So, i have the whole removable set-up for sale if you're interested.
Bars, brifters, calipers, rear mech, all attached with cables. I simply unbolted it and bolted the flat bar version back on.
Took my Yeti Big Top, which has slightly old fashioned geometry (which may help), put on travers forks, double chainring, Salsa Cowchipper bars, Hylex brakes mated with Gevenalle shifters, Schwalbe Big One tyres and I have a very nice bike. I find with a 45mm stem the position is spot on. The Cowchipper bars are really nice, drop is shallow and flare helps get into them. Most ridden bike last year. Commuted to work, took it on holiday to France, great for my local loops. Probably not particularly cheap for a mongrel type spec but its great for proper off road (which a cross bike would not be) and reasonably fast on.
I've tried it a couple of times. There is some difficulty getting sti shifters to work with mtb mechs, and you're limited to cable brakes unless you want to spend big bucks. But the biggest issue I've had is that the two bikes I've tried this on (Felt Nine and Ramin 3) have not handled as well or ridden as comfortably as they did with flats and bar ends! The looked the biz tho...
I've fitted drops to my 29er inbred, so far so good. As already mentioned the top tube is a little longer, and the head tube shorter, I fitted a short high rise stem and fairly wide bars (On One Midge).
It's a blast for an hour or two on the sort of terrain that my proper gravel bike would struggle with on 35c tyres, but I think the position is still a little long & low compared to the "proper" gravel bike, so I can't comment on longer rides.
Just give it a go, do it on the cheap to see how you get on with the position.
I've been singing the praises of this for about 5 years now.
"Gravel" bikes are a step in the right direction, all they now need is to take a wider tyre - 2.35"
(Remember when 2" was wide on an mtb?)
I've got a 3t exploro on the way which I can't wait to put my 27.5 2.1 wheels on it! Hopefully Hope will bring out there inline crosstop Hydro levers
Mountainbike with drops is more or less Monstercross surely? If it works for you, though - fine... 😁
’Brifters’ is a truly horrible term. Admittedly ‘STIs’ isn’t particularly inspiring either, but there’s a special place in hell for whoever coined ‘brifter’ IMO.
I went most of the way with my Superfly, got as far as fitting a really short stem, so that my position on the bars was similar to my position on the tops of my road bike. I had to run quite a short stem, something like a 50 or 60mm, and it did something weird to the handling, it felt like the front hub was way in front of the bars or something, either way it wasn't nice, especially when stood up.
Now I just stick with a longer stem, so the straight handlebars are in the same position as the hoods of my road bike. It feels much better but I miss having different hand positions on longer rides.
Short answer is you can make it work, but the handling could get weird!
I fitted my salsa el mar with drops and uses it for about 18 months like that and two trips round honc.
Worked fine for me with a some flared cx bars. 10speed sti with 9 Speed mtb Rear mech 1x10 and a hope disc set up.
But the current cross bike with ultegra hydro 1-11 is much nicer shift and brake
I was toying with the idea of a 'proper' gravel bike but ended up building a flat bar Singular Swift with 2" tyres (I am a little drop bar curious). It's a lovely bike but 28lbs+ (that would matter to some folk) with rack a mudguards; a proper carbon gravel bike would be a lightweight by comparison.
I've done this for the commuter. On one inbread frame, drop bars, short stem, 10 speed shifters and 9 speed mech to run mtb cassete and mech 1x, exotic cheep rigid forks. Got some big apples on too so not a light weight build.
I prefer the position and ride to a traditional road bike (well pick n flick) for cycle ways etc.
Built up a Cannondale Flash alloy with van Nicholas carbon forks and drops, lovely bike to ride and suited me as I have a very positive ape index 🤔
Built my monster gravel bikepacking rig from my old 26" Inbred
26x2.25 rear, 27.5x2.8 front on Velocity Blunt
Midge bars
Gevenelle brifters (I like the term!)
60mmx35 degree stem gets the bars slighter higher and less reach than my actual CX bike
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Sounds like a good thing to do if you’ve got the frame and bits already. Thanks.
In my experience, if you want a more relaxed ride, don't put drops on it, stick with a flat or even riser bar for a more relaxed position. Bar ends for pretending it's the 1990's and more hand positions...
I was thinking of this for my El Mar but I think it'd be too long. It's got a 60mm stem already with Fleegle high sweep bars.
I'd check out some of the alternative bar options if I were you. Most of them still take MTB shifters and brakes.