Convert Specialized Sirrus into a road bike

[graememelliott]

Hi everyone, I've signed up to do the London Triatholon but i'm not keen to buy a new bike if i don't have to. I have a specialized sirrus bike and would like to modify it to get it fit for road cycling/triathlon training and wonder if anyone can help me with recommendations for a) whether its possible b) how to go about doing this and c) what parts I might need (bull-horn handle bars, seat post/saddle etc?)?

Cheers for your help.
Graeme

 

[dabac]

..I have a specialized sirrus bike and would like to modify it to get it fit for road cycling/triathlon training

Generally speaking it's a rather questionable endeavor to do those conversions, particluarly if you want to do them "completely". Unless you have a large parts bin and/or is skilled at bargain hunting, count on it being a long and potentially expensive process. And at the end of that you will still have a bike that isn't fully a road bike anyhow. And definitely not a tri bike

Things you can do easily is switch to narrow, high-pressure tires, maybe get a lower stem for a somewhat more aero position. Switching bars would bring with it a switch of shifters, brake levers. Entirely doable, but at a cost.

You might be able to fit tri bars to your current bar with a reasonable effort. For a deeper tuck, take a look at drop bar ends.

 

[alfeng]

It depends on your budget ...

This is what 'I' would get to convert your bike to a "Road" bike ...

For under £200, you can get a pair of 10-speed Campagnolo shifters from Total Cycling (Shift Levers - Road - Total Cycling) ...

If you look for a pair on eBay you should be able to get a pair for less.
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The 10-speed, non-QS Campagnolo shifters will index with what I presume is an 8-speed Shimano drivetrain on your bike.

If you've got a 9-speed, then a little tweaking will be required when you anchor the rear derailleur cable.

Add a pair of Drop handlebars + handlebar tape ... plus, new cables/housing (which may-or-may-not come bundled with the shifters).

Replace the V-brakes with some cantilever brake calipers ...

Narrower tyres/tubes (e.g., 700-28 or 700-25) ...
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Done.

Your cost will be between £200-and-£300 unless you want to spend more.

If you are a really wise shopper, you may be able to do it for under £200!

 

[gtragitt]

I have a Specialized Sirrus. I thought about selling it, but doubt if I will get much for it. I am upgrading the wheels on my road bike. I will probably put the road bike wheels on the Sirrus.

I am planning on buying a new carbon handlebar for my road bike. I was thinking about switching the road bike bar to the Sirrus. I would need to buy brifters and probably a new stem. It would probably not be worth the cost.

Even with these upgrades I don't think the Sirrus would be a good choice for a triathalon.