drop bar to replace straight bar

[email hidden] (Kevein B.) wrote in
news:[email hidden]:

Quoted message said:

I was thinking of replacing the straight bar on my Trek 720 with a drop
bar. I am not sure what to do with the 3x7 grip shifters and brake
levers. If I have to buy all these components, what cost will there
be roughly?

Depends on what kind of shifters you want to buy. Those fancy STI systems
are not cheap.

(Kevein B.) said:

Quoted message said:

I was thinking of replacing the straight bar on my Trek 720 with a drop
bar. I am not sure what to do with the 3x7 grip shifters and brake
levers. If I have to buy all these components, what cost will there
be roughly?

Ken said:

Depends on what kind of shifters you want to buy. Those fancy STI systems
are not cheap.

$129.95 for Sora, really not that expensive when you consider it's both
bake levers and shift levers, including all 4 cables, housing and the
housing stops for the down tube.

You'll likely want to replace the stem with one that's a bit taller
and/or has less forward extension.

http://sheldonbrown.com/harris/shifters.html#brifters

I'm assuming that your bike has traditional center-pull cantilever
brakes. If it has "direct-pull" cantilevers (cable comes in from the
side) you'll need additional doodads to match the cable pull of the
brake levers.

Sheldon "Upgrades" Brown
+-------------------------------------+
| Only those who attempt the absurd |
| will achieve the impossible. |
| --Albert Einstein |
+-------------------------------------+
Harris Cyclery, West Newton, Massachusetts
Phone 617-244-9772 FAX 617-244-1041
http://harriscyclery.com
Hard-to-find parts shipped Worldwide
http://captainbike.com http://sheldonbrown.com

Sheldon Brown said:

(Kevein B.) said:

Quoted message said:

I was thinking of replacing the straight bar on my Trek 720 with a drop
bar. I am not sure what to do with the 3x7 grip shifters and brake
levers. If I have to buy all these components, what cost will there be
roughly?

Ken said:

Depends on what kind of shifters you want to buy. Those fancy STI
systems are not cheap.

$129.95 for Sora, really not that expensive when you consider it's both
bake levers and shift levers, including all 4 cables, housing and the
housing stops for the down tube.

You'll likely want to replace the stem with one that's a bit taller and/or
has less forward extension.

http://sheldonbrown.com/harris/shifters.html#brifters

I'm assuming that your bike has traditional center-pull cantilever brakes.
If it has "direct-pull" cantilevers (cable comes in from the side) you'll
need additional doodads to match the cable pull of the brake levers.

Sheldon "Upgrades" Brown

What about some of them fancy Nitto moustache bars like y'all sell online?
They're not drops, but they'd offer a lot more hand positions than crummy
straight bars.

You could mount the grip shifters with regular grips + tape, or just tape
the whole bar. You'd probably want to get some new road brake levers since
they work better with moustache bars. One could even go for some bar-end
shifters,but then things start to get spendy and up towards the price of
going the drop bar/brifter route, unless you get some used and/or friction
jobbers of the net somewhere...

Waddaya think?

[email hidden] (Kevein B.) wrote in message news:<[email hidden]>...

Quoted message said:

Hello group,

I was thinking of replacing the straight bar on my Trek 720 with a drop
bar. I am not sure what to do with the 3x7 grip shifters and brake
levers. If I have to buy all these components, what cost will there
be roughly?

Thanks.

Kevin

You can either go with bar-end shifters and conventional road levers
or STI brake/shift combo levers. On eBay the possibilities are
endless. If you want new parts, probably the most economical route
would be Shimano Sora 8sp STI levers, which are compatible with 7
speed drivetrains (you will just have one unused "click"😉. Sora STI
is about $120 a set. You will new new cables and housings (approx
$20), bar tape ($10) and of course, drop bars ($30-$932,000!). One
thing to watch out for is the clamp size on your current stem and
straight bars. The MTB standard is very slightly smaller than the
road standard, which will usually work. If you have an oversized or
other funky sized stem you will either have to find road bars that
match, or replace the stem.

"Kevein B." <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

Hello group,

I was thinking of replacing the straight bar on my Trek 720 with a drop
bar. I am not sure what to do with the 3x7 grip shifters and brake
levers. If I have to buy all these components, what cost will there
be roughly?

Thanks.

Kevin

if you go to a drop bar i recommend the STI shifter/brake levers. they
enable one to concentrate more on the road and riding. when i first tried
them was a little skeptical but now will never go back!
-alan

maxo said:

What about some of them fancy Nitto moustache bars like y'all sell online?
They're not drops, but they'd offer a lot more hand positions than crummy
straight bars.

I don't think I agree on that. There are surprisingly few usable
positions on Moustache bars. I'd rather have straight bars with bar
ends, and maybe an aerobar if I wanted a lot of positions.

Quoted message said:

You could mount the grip shifters

No, Moustache bars are a fatter diamete, 15/16" (23.8 mm) like drop
bars, so you can't fit standard twist shifters, straight bar brake
levers or handlebar grips on them.

Quoted message said:

with regular grips + tape, or just tape
the whole bar. You'd probably want to get some new road brake levers since
they work better with moustache bars. One could even go for some bar-end
shifters,but then things start to get spendy and up towards the price of
going the drop bar/brifter route, unless you get some used and/or friction
jobbers of the net somewhere...

Waddaya think?

You'd definitely want a MUCH shorter stem extension and probably a
taller stem as well.

In my eperience, Moustache bars are fine for short hops around town, but
the limited range of positions makes them less suitable for longer rides.

However, there are those who disagree with me on this.

Sheldon "No More Mustache, But I've Still Got The Beard" Brown
+-----------------------------------------------------------+
| Sometimes the only thing more dangerous than a question |
| is an answer. --Ferengi Rule of Acquisition #208 |
+-----------------------------------------------------------+
Harris Cyclery, West Newton, Massachusetts
Phone 617-244-9772 FAX 617-244-1041
http://harriscyclery.com
Hard-to-find parts shipped Worldwide
http://captainbike.com http://sheldonbrown.com

Sheldon Brown <[email hidden]> wrote in
news:[email hidden]:

Quoted message said:

maxo said:

What about some of them fancy Nitto moustache bars like y'all sell
online? They're not drops, but they'd offer a lot more hand positions
than crummy straight bars.

I don't think I agree on that. There are surprisingly few usable
positions on Moustache bars. I'd rather have straight bars with bar
ends, and maybe an aerobar if I wanted a lot of positions.

Quoted message said:

You could mount the grip shifters

No, Moustache bars are a fatter diamete, 15/16" (23.8 mm) like drop
bars, so you can't fit standard twist shifters, straight bar brake
levers or handlebar grips on them.

Another option that doesn't get mentioned much is the "trekker" bar design:

http://tinyurl.com/yq6eq

That page is confusing because they show the bar upside-down (from the
rider position). I've been using this for a few months now, as a way to get
more grip positions on a MTB/Commuter bike. I like it better than bar ends.
The side grip position has a hand position that's not much different than
riding on brake hoods with drop bars, and you can stretch out on the far
end of the bar for a semi-aero position. There is also plenty of forward
bar area for mounting accessories like computers or a headlight.

The big drawback is that you'll need a stem that clamps the bar MUCH
further forward and higher than a stock flat or riser MTB handlebar. After
you solve that problem and get enough reach, it's easy to make small
adjustments to raise or lower the main grip area, just by rotating the
handlebar in the clamp.

--
Mike Barrs

Sheldon Brown said:

Quoted message said:

You could mount the grip shifters

No, Moustache bars are a fatter diamete, 15/16" (23.8 mm) like drop bars,
so you can't fit standard twist shifters, straight bar brake levers or
handlebar grips on them.

Whoops. 😄

Hmmm, I thought I'd seen a bike at momovelo with moustache, or was it
albatross, bar with grip shifters. Perhaps I'm just seeing things. That
said, I really don't like grip shift. It saddened me when most nexus city
bikes went from thumbshifter to gripshift.

Too bad those dirtdrops are out of production. :/ There's always the Nitto
Randonneur as well. 🙂

foldedpath said:

Another option that doesn't get mentioned much is the "trekker" bar design:

http://tinyurl.com/yq6eq

That page is confusing because they show the bar upside-down (from the
rider position). I've been using this for a few months now, as a way to get
more grip positions on a MTB/Commuter bike. I like it better than bar ends.
The side grip position has a hand position that's not much different than
riding on brake hoods with drop bars, and you can stretch out on the far
end of the bar for a semi-aero position. There is also plenty of forward
bar area for mounting accessories like computers or a headlight.

The big drawback is that you'll need a stem that clamps the bar MUCH
further forward and higher than a stock flat or riser MTB handlebar. After
you solve that problem and get enough reach, it's easy to make small
adjustments to raise or lower the main grip area, just by rotating the
handlebar in the clamp.

What I'd like to get is this:

http://www.petercrandall.net/biketrip/images/bars.jpg

Unfortunately, I believe, they are no longer made anywhere commercially.

-B

Badger_South <[email hidden]> wrote in
news:[email hidden]:

Quoted message said:

What I'd like to get is this:

http://www.petercrandall.net/biketrip/images/bars.jpg

Unfortunately, I believe, they are no longer made anywhere
commercially.

That's a nice alternative.

One problem with all these non-drop-bar alternatives (including the
"trekker" bar I mentioned) is the location of the brake levers. With a
traditional road drop bar, you can reach the brakes in a fast downhill
descent.

That's the one thing I miss with the "trekker" bar. When you're stretched
out on the outside bar position, it takes a second or two to fall back to
the bar position where you can grab the brake levers.

On the other hand... that position is far back on the handlebar, so it's
good for those "emergency sliding back in the seat to get your CG as far
back as possible during braking" maneuvers. For urban commando commuting,
that's a useful technique.

--
Mike Barrs

foldedpath said:

Badger_South <[email hidden]> wrote in
news:[email hidden]:

Quoted message said:

What I'd like to get is this:

http://www.petercrandall.net/biketrip/images/bars.jpg

Unfortunately, I believe, they are no longer made anywhere
commercially.

That's a nice alternative.

One problem with all these non-drop-bar alternatives (including the
"trekker" bar I mentioned) is the location of the brake levers. With a
traditional road drop bar, you can reach the brakes in a fast downhill
descent.

That's the one thing I miss with the "trekker" bar. When you're stretched
out on the outside bar position, it takes a second or two to fall back to
the bar position where you can grab the brake levers.

On the other hand... that position is far back on the handlebar, so it's
good for those "emergency sliding back in the seat to get your CG as far
back as possible during braking" maneuvers. For urban commando commuting,
that's a useful technique.

Yeah, agree. I was just ignorant when I went for a hybrid, thinking I
needed to sit up more didn't realize that with a less radical/racing
geometry, as on a Trek 1200C, I could easily sit up a little more (I have a
hip injury), plus there are several hand positions, including the
palms-facing position. When I bought my bike I was focussed on other
issues, such as avoiding suspension forks and getting non-knobby tires,
etc., and my riding location had just been paved, but still had some sand
here and there after rains and floods, so I was wrongly, for me, locked
into the idea of a hybrid.

-B

maxo <[email hidden]> wrote in message news:<[email hidden]>...
<snip>

Quoted message said:

What about some of them fancy Nitto moustache bars like y'all sell online?
They're not drops, but they'd offer a lot more hand positions than crummy
straight bars.

You could mount the grip shifters with regular grips + tape, or just tape
the whole bar. You'd probably want to get some new road brake levers since
they work better with moustache bars. One could even go for some bar-end
shifters,but then things start to get spendy and up towards the price of
going the drop bar/brifter route, unless you get some used and/or friction
jobbers of the net somewhere...

Waddaya think?

Grip Shifts will not fit Moustache bars. Moustache bars are 23.8mm
diameter, Grip Shifts fit 22.2mm diameter bars only. Bar-ends are just
about the only choice for Moustache bars.

Jeff

foldedpath said:

Another option that doesn't get mentioned much is the "trekker" bar design:

http://tinyurl.com/yq6eq

That page is confusing because they show the bar upside-down (from the
rider position).

So the open ends are nearest to the toptube while the loops project
forward? If I flip the image on the Nashbar site upside down, That's
what I would see when riding?

Quoted message said:

I've been using this for a few months now, as a way to get
more grip positions on a MTB/Commuter bike. I like it better than bar ends.
The side grip position has a hand position that's not much different than
riding on brake hoods with drop bars, and you can stretch out on the far
end of the bar for a semi-aero position. There is also plenty of forward
bar area for mounting accessories like computers or a headlight.

Are you using this specific model? I'm curious about mounting a
handlebar bag. Any chance that you could measure the opening between
the two loops- the fat area where the clamp attaches? I have a bag
that uses a klickfix and is almost 11 inches/ 27cm wide.

Quoted message said:

The big drawback is that you'll need a stem that clamps the bar MUCH
further forward and higher than a stock flat or riser MTB handlebar.

And while you have the tape measure out, how far back from the stem
mounting area- the flat- are the two bars that will be facing towards
the back? Thanks for any info you can give.

Quoted message said:

After
you solve that problem and get enough reach, it's easy to make small
adjustments to raise or lower the main grip area, just by rotating the
handlebar in the clamp.

foldedpath said:

Quoted message said:

What I'd like to get is this:

http://www.petercrandall.net/biketrip/images/bars.jpg

Unfortunately, I believe, they are no longer made anywhere commercially.

That's a nice alternative.

One problem with all these non-drop-bar alternatives (including the
"trekker" bar I mentioned) is the location of the brake levers. With a
traditional road drop bar, you can reach the brakes in a fast downhill
descent.

how's this for a solution: mount traditional road brake levers on those
drop extensions and put a second set of cyclocross inline levers on the
top flats! You should be able to find both sets for around fifty dollars.

😄

I hope you find those extensions, they're a great idea!

Badger_South said:

(...)
What I'd like to get is this:

http://www.petercrandall.net/biketrip/images/bars.jpg

Unfortunately, I believe, they are no longer made anywhere commercially.

-B

But there is also the question of bar width. Drop bars will typically
come in widths of 40 to 44 cm, which is what you need to steer your bike
on a paved road. Flat bars on mountain bikes are much wider because you
need more leverage to balance your bike on difficult ground. But this
larger width has a price, which is a larger surface exposed to wind,
hence poor aerodynamics.
I have faced the same question Kevein asks. I have first added bar ends.
Then I noticed that I was riding all the time on the bar ends, but
wished that they would be closer to the center of the bar. So I squeezed
brake levers and grips and moved them as close as I could to the stem.
Finally I understood I needed drop bars, did the change, and am happy
with them.

Jacques

Dan Daniel <[email hidden]> wrote in
news:[email hidden]:

Quoted message said:

foldedpath said:

Another option that doesn't get mentioned much is the "trekker" bar
design:

http://tinyurl.com/yq6eq

That page is confusing because they show the bar upside-down (from the
rider position).

So the open ends are nearest to the toptube while the loops project
forward? If I flip the image on the Nashbar site upside down, That's
what I would see when riding?

Right, the open end towards you. Here's what it looks like on my bike:

http://www.nightviewer.com/mb/bike/kmonkey_1.jpg

Eventually I'll saw the bars off closer to the shifters. I'm still
making sure I like this hand spacing. And this was before I added the
end caps. I used the Ritchie grips that were on the original flat bar,
and I covered the rest of the bar with Specialized "Bar Phat" gel pads
and wrap. Here's a photo of the rest of the bike; a Surley Karate Monkey
with 29" (700c) wheels:

http://www.nightviewer.com/mb/bike/kmonkey_2.jpg

Quoted message said:

Are you using this specific model?

Yes, the Nashbar trekker bar, $13.00... such a deal.

Quoted message said:

I'm curious about mounting a
handlebar bag.

The one you see in the photo is a Jandd Mountain Handle Pack I:

http://www.jandd.com/detail.asp?PRODUCT_ID=FMBHP

I use it on the front of the bar like a normal handlebar bag, instead of
the graphic shown on that page. There may be other bags that would fit,
this is just the first one I tried. It's big enough for spare tube,
patch kit, mini-toolkit, banana, wallet, cellphone, and camera. I use
Jannd folding grocery panniers on the rear rack for shopping trips.

Quoted message said:

Any chance that you could measure the opening between
the two loops- the fat area where the clamp attaches? I have a bag
that uses a klickfix and is almost 11 inches/ 27cm wide.

It's about 7" on the straight part of the forward bar, so I don't think
that bag will fit, if you want it snug to the bar.

Quoted message said:

And while you have the tape measure out, how far back from the stem
mounting area- the flat- are the two bars that will be facing towards
the back? Thanks for any info you can give.

It's about 3 1/4" from the forward bar at the stem clamp to the rear
bar/grips (measured center to center). You may not need that much actual
stem extension though, since you'll probaby want to tilt the bars a
little, which effectively brings the rear bar/grips closer to the stem
clamp. And if you do tilt the bar, you'll need a higher stem angle
(maybe even a headset extender). It's not easy finding a stem long
enough to use with this trekker bar. The one I'm using is a Salsa 130
degree, 135mm stem, which could be a little longer for a perfect fit.
I'm still fine-tuning this. It might be smarter to start with a cheap
adjustable stem to figure out what extension/tilt you need, to make this
work.

There is another trekker bar out there made by ITM, which doesn't have
the stem extension problem:

http://www.wallbike.com/oddsnends/synergic.html?id=4420

It looks a bit complicated though, and a half pound heavier than the
Nashbar trekker bar (if that matters to you). I'm not sure the
adjustable angle feature would be useful. Maybe you'd get a sort of drop
bar effect on the side bars by tilting them down (instead of up, as in
the photos). But I'd be worried about my hands sliding off the brake
levers on rough terrain, with the forward bars tilted down. Has anyone
out there tried this version?

--
Mike Barrs

Jacques Moser said:

Badger_South said:

(...)
What I'd like to get is this:

http://www.petercrandall.net/biketrip/images/bars.jpg

Unfortunately, I believe, they are no longer made anywhere
commercially.

-B

But there is also the question of bar width. Drop bars will typically
come in widths of 40 to 44 cm, which is what you need to steer your
bike on a paved road. Flat bars on mountain bikes are much wider
because you need more leverage to balance your bike on difficult
ground. But this larger width has a price, which is a larger surface
exposed to wind, hence poor aerodynamics.
I have faced the same question Kevein asks. I have first added bar
ends. Then I noticed that I was riding all the time on the bar ends,
but wished that they would be closer to the center of the bar. So I
squeezed brake levers and grips and moved them as close as I could to
the stem. Finally I understood I needed drop bars, did the change,
and am happy with them.

Jacques

I've been considering something similar to your idea about using bar ends.
It would be kind of a pain, but how about removing (temporarily) the
shifters, brakes and grips. Put the bar "ends" in towards the middle, and
then replace the components you just removed. The result would be bars where
a road biker could really use them.

Boatman

Jacques Moser said:

Badger_South said:

(...)
What I'd like to get is this:

http://www.petercrandall.net/biketrip/images/bars.jpg

Unfortunately, I believe, they are no longer made anywhere commercially.

-B

But there is also the question of bar width. Drop bars will typically
come in widths of 40 to 44 cm, which is what you need to steer your bike
on a paved road. Flat bars on mountain bikes are much wider because you
need more leverage to balance your bike on difficult ground. But this
larger width has a price, which is a larger surface exposed to wind,
hence poor aerodynamics.
I have faced the same question Kevein asks. I have first added bar ends.
Then I noticed that I was riding all the time on the bar ends, but
wished that they would be closer to the center of the bar. So I squeezed
brake levers and grips and moved them as close as I could to the stem.
Finally I understood I needed drop bars, did the change, and am happy
with them.

Jacques

Ah! OK, didn't exactly realize that width thing. So noted. Thanks! I'm
gonna go measure my bars. ;-)

-B

Sheldon Brown said:

(Kevein B.) said:

Quoted message said:

I was thinking of replacing the straight bar on my Trek 720 with a drop
bar. I am not sure what to do with the 3x7 grip shifters and brake
levers. If I have to buy all these components, what cost will there
be roughly?

Ken said:

Depends on what kind of shifters you want to buy. Those fancy STI systems
are not cheap.

$129.95 for Sora, really not that expensive when you consider it's both
bake levers and shift levers, including all 4 cables, housing and the
housing stops for the down tube.

You'll likely want to replace the stem with one that's a bit taller
and/or has less forward extension.

http://sheldonbrown.com/harris/shifters.html#brifters

I'm assuming that your bike has traditional center-pull cantilever
brakes. If it has "direct-pull" cantilevers (cable comes in from the
side) you'll need additional doodads to match the cable pull of the
brake levers.

Isn't there also a potential problem with the front derailleur
indexing?
--
Typoes are a feature, not a bug.
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