[Closed] Converting drop to flat bar

It's going to feel a bit short, but crack on. 🙂

You'll need new levers at least.

If it fits, give it a go with drops, you might like it.

Actually, just to make sure you offend absolutely everyone, put butterfly bars on.
😀

You'll need some flat bar road shifters and brake levers. Cable pull is different for MTB. Shimano SL-RS700 should work, assuming that's 11 speed.

OK the timing of this comment could be better, but, why start with a drop bar bike and make it flat barred, when there's nice fast hybrids out there that are generally inexpensive to buy because they're uncool, and are designed for the job?

(source: had a road bike, sold it and bought a boardman hybrid for peanuts. Discs, mtb standards except the cranks, now it's where cheap uncool mtb stuff goes to die- QR wheels, old brakes and drivetrain, narrow carbon bars, it's perfect)

iirc 9 speed road and mtb stuff was compatible, at least for the rear mech and front could be made to work.

that Giant up there is 10spd so you need:

- SL-R700 shifters
- levers with 'canti' cable pull (non-Vbrake) so Shimano R400/550/780, DiaCompe SS7, SS5, Pauls etc.

I have some shifters you can have cheap. I'm a flat-bar advocate so feel free to pick my brains. Drop bars are a historical accident as I see it.

When I did mine I had to buy: Bars, grips, v-brake levers and some SLX shifters - I then discovered that Shimano 10 speed road and MTB are incompatible, so bought a Deore derailleur as well

Had a few hybrids over the years but always ended up throwing money at them to reduce the weight. I thought this time I'd just buy something light to begin with.

Have you put DX platforms on that?
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Drop bars are a historical accident as I see it.

This sounds interesting! What's the story? 🙂

When I did mine I had to buy: Bars, grips, v-brake levers and some SLX shifters - I then discovered that Shimano 10 speed road and MTB are incompatible, so bought a Deore derailleur as well

Nah you'll just need some roadie flat bar shifters [url= http://www.chainreactioncycles.com/shimano-tiagra-4600-2x10sp-flat-bar-shifter-set/rp-prod145034 ]Like these[/url]...

What about some down tube shifters for old school cool 😀

the cable pull on V brake levers is too much. You end up with a firm lever and no power. You need the canti versions, as said above.

Maybe try setting the stem, bars and levers up properly to start with?

Why what's wrong with them? Serious question as I know little about road bikes.

Do a google image search for Giant road bike and compare the set ups with yours. Your bars look like they are rotated too far forwards with the bottoms parallel to the ground. The tops of the lever hoods should make a smooth transition into the bars, not be anywhere near the angle yours are.

They are also old style road drops, and quite deep, they don't always work well with STis. Might be worth looking at some more modern ergo/shallow drops which are better designed to work with modern shifter/brakes.

[quote="reggiegasket"]Drop bars are a historical accident as I see it.
Care to explain? Without making stuff up?

drop bars are used for racing. some road riders like to imitate racers., Most of the world drop bar bikes are rare.

I was going to do this a few weeks ago with my cross bike (whch I only used to ride to the station and back). Hated the drop bars but would have cost loads to put flats on it when you'd factored in the new shifters and brake levers so sold it and bought a RoadRat. Total cost? Zero.

Mister p is talking shite, bar and lever position is correct

The tops of the lever hoods should make a smooth transition into the bars, not be anywhere near the angle yours are.

This is rubbish. The levers should be positioned wherever they are most comfortable for the rider, and many pros of that era set their Shimano STI levers up just like that because it provides a very comfortable supportive position for the hands and upper body. Rotating them forward would reduce the support and increase the stretch using the hoods.

The disadvantage of Campag levers compared with the Shimano STIs of that era was that they [u]had[/u] to be positioned with the top of the hoods largely horizontal, because a) the top of the hood had a big flat surface which ergonomically necessitated it being horizontal, and b) depending upon the bars' curve, the Campag lever simply could not be rotated back much - if at all - beyond horizontal. Current Shimano STIs have similar ergonomics to the Campag Ergolever, which is a retrograde step in my opinion.

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Well, after a couple of hours ride, I can conclude they are truly hateful horrendous things. I can't think of one single positive thing about them. Flat bars and bar ends for me. Bars and shifter/brake levers coming to a classifieds section near you soon...