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I've finally had it with flat bars and I've tried quite a few weirdy bars to so I want to build an MTB with drops for bikepacking and general trail riding. I've already get a Ritchey Swiss cross so I want something different and very much on the mtb spectrum.
Ideally I would like to run 27.5 x 2.8
Suggestions please?
All I have so far is -
Salsa Fargo (ticks all boxes but quite spendy)
Genesis vagabond (would have to run a 29 rear and 27.5+ front by the looks of it)
Stooge (with a REALLY short stem) but I think it would work as the front is high. I'm 5'8"...oh I'd need a mk1 as I want to run a front mech which means 2nd hand only
I’m using weirdy bars on a Longitude; seems fine to me and I think it should comfortably take the tyres you want (though that’s not what I’m using myself).
Singular Gryphon ..... sad that I sold mine on.
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heres my MK1 stooge
with short stem, (Im 5'6") and shallow drops, might change them for flared drops
[url= https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4552/38141714114_98a3557fd3.jp g" target="_blank">https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4552/38141714114_98a3557fd3.jp g"/> [/img][/url][url= https://flic.kr/p/217sfLA ]IMG_3363[/url] by [url= https://www.flickr.com/photos/158534364@N04/ ]corin tomlinson[/url], on Flickr
or get a genesis vagabond ?
Tried Soma Sparrows? Not drops, but I didn't need to swap brake levers. I find they put my hands in just the right place.
For any of those bikes, try https://www.sjscycles.co.uk/handlebars/440-genetic-digest-drop-handlebars-318mm-clamp-black/
Go for the 48s - pretty wide and flat like the Woodchipper and they're a good compromise between a drop and a swept bar like the Jones.
I've finally had it with flat bars
Why? What sort of "mountain biking" are you doing where normal bars aren't the best tool for the job?
@Bez longitude well kind of long and a bit low at the front, not sure about trying to get drops on one
@cozz that stooge looks exactly right, though I'd use flared drops as I am used to them. The stooge is long but high front and 27.5 x 2.8 is no problem. If I could find a mk1 I think I'd be tempted
@tired it's not just the sweep though, you don't get a hood position unless you change levers
@jameso @bez I'm used to midge bars on the cx, the genetic look a bit ergo without a round bend, will consider
@munrobiker flat bars I just seem to end up with a lot of pain in my hands, after riding the mtb for 6 weeks instead of the cx I am struggling to open jars 🙁 it's taken a couple of weeks to settle down. Rode the cx yesterday for 3 hours no problems. ok the mtb is rigid but my cx is to.
No hoods is a fair point, although I have a cross bike for that. Personally, I don't like the hoods off road, just feels out of control. I raced for an hour yesterday almost entirely on the drops. The Sparrows need a one inch stem too, so not ideal, but I do like them.
The Singular Swift is designed to run drops or flats. It's my next bike.
Don't forget to read [url= http://www.63xc.com/mattc/midge.htm ]Matt Chester's drop bar set-up advice on 63xc.com[/url].
Yeah great article that.
I don't understand how it's designed for drops and flats? I'm 5'8" so lets say I should probably have a medium? ett is 595 and headtube is 100
My swiss cross is 540 ett and 130 headtube.
If I look at the swift figues I might aswell try and work drops on to my inbred 589 ett 105 headtube...though the forks are 440 not the 470 of the swift
i'll take some pics lunchtime
Might be worth seeing a physio/doctor too!
@restlessnative, you won't need to stick to a MK1 stooge to be able to run a front mech, i set up one of my MK2s with a Shimano sidepull front mech with the cable running under the downtube with the other cables, it was a much neater setup than the cable routing on the mk1 and actually worked a lot better. But at 5'8 i reckon you'd be looking at a 60mm stem max, and it'd still be a stretch at that.
If you're judging the height of the bike it's the stack that's key not the head tube length.
Looking at the Longitude v Vagabond their stack is very similar - 3mm difference on the Medium and 12 difference on the Large. The reach is however quite significantly different with the Longitude being 45mm longer. It does typically run a far shorter stem than the Vagabond - 65 against 100 - so it would seem to me that the real world difference is nothing that couldn't be overcome with a short riser stem with flared bars with a short reach on a Longitude. That's if you're desperate to run 650B 2.8 tyres.
When I looked into it a few years ago it wasn't very easy to get hydraulic brakes for off road drop bars, most 'monster cross' are specced with mechanicals, which put me off bothering with this niche. That might have changed of course.
Interestingly there's another thread with someone swapping drops for a flat bar on his adventure bike right now..!
It's funny because I'm considering going the opposite way ,thinking of converting my Giant Revolt CX bike to flat bars . It was pointed out on here that the spare pair of Deore shifters I've got won't work so that's stalled it . It's only Giant Connect bars and stem and Shimano non series brake levers and shifters but maybe something you'd be interested in ?
@dantenspeed thanks yeah I was over simplifying it. Stack is the problem
with trying to get drops on my inbred (26" one ) as it will take a comedy stem to even get the front up to where my cx is and really I wanted higher on an mtb. I suppose sizing down on a flat bar bike makes the reach easier
@oldfart I'm actually sorted with enough bits to make a monster cx work as I have some spare gevenalle shifters but ta. You'll just end up with a hybrid you know 😉
So here is the current offending mtb. For now going to try and get hold of some midge bars and a 60x35degree stem and see how it measures up. All suggestions welcome...well cycling related ones
[url= https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4463/37357356732_9477f9cb83_b.jp g" target="_blank">https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4463/37357356732_9477f9cb83_b.jp g"/> [/img][/url][url= https://flic.kr/p/YV9dDs ]18738950_10213425611654499_7168036404076251744_o[/url] by [url= https://www.flickr.com/photos/152483482@N05/ ]Shawn McFarlane[/url], on Flickr
Have you tried a Jones bar? Lots of lovely sweep and although not hoods, the bend/clamp area works really nicely for a similar feel. I've got a spare if you need one cheapish, also got some Midges.
Did try jones briefly , maybe didn't give them long enough but cost put me off trying again mostly
Will pm you