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I have half a mind to try a drop bar on my Singular Swift which is currently ridden as a flat bar gravel bike (if a bit of a chunky one).
I suppose the first question is whether this would offer me anything over a flat bar (with bar ends); any conversion would be purely on the grounds of being curious rather than deciding that a need a drop bar set up. Being of humble means I'd also want to be doing it on the cheap!
I understand that my SLX callipers will play with Shimano drop bar levers, however I have a 3x10 drivetrain and can't imagine that 3x10 hydraulic brifters exist. I have come across some 3x10 bar end shifters; can I get brake only levers that will work with SLX callipers?
I'm also somewhat vague as to mechs. and am assuming that my mountain bike front and rear mechs. won't work with road shifters; will I need new mechs. to work with the shifters.
It might simply be too costly and too much of a faff to bother but I'm interested in exploring the possibility.
That the top tube is very long for riding on the hoods, I'm running a 40mm stem and it's still a bit long for long rides. Swapping back to flat bars soon
here running shimano 11 sp levers, 32T chainring, 11-42 cassette, GRX rear mech, deore calipers. I found mechanical brakes awful even with compression less outers, the bike gathers a lot of momentum and 180mm avid road mechanicals just didn't slow it down quick enough
currently 32-16 SS, everything else the same
I’d go mechanical disc brakes and bar end shifters. Cheaper and does the job ok. Had the exact same set up on a Swift.
You’ll probably want a shorter stem too (if poss) as it may be a tad long otherwise.
10s mtb is different cable pull no? If that's right then road shifters ain't gonna work, but perhaps a road or 9s mech might at the back.
I've always got on well with mechanical brakes.
I've discovered that road groupsets have different pulls for front mech and for 10sp and 11sp rear.
On a standard flatbar mtb you have a longer TT than you'd have on a dropbar specific one.
I found the combination of the On-One Brian bar which has a shortish reach, and a very short stem made it possible (ie 35mm or thereabouts).
This pic shows the difference. (I put an even shorter stem on after). If the dropbar is narrower than your flatbar, then it can be a bit more forward because as your arms come in towards the centre, your reach is a bit longer.
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