Converting from drop to flat

[Mike Rocket J. Squirrel Elliott]

The old back is getting too creaky for the drop bars on my road bike.
I'm more comfortable on my beater flat-bar bike and I think I want to
put flats on the road bike. Yeah, I know I lose hand positions, but my
back thanks me. So. Need to lose the brifters, I reckon. Ultegra
sidepull brakes, and Ultegra derailleurs with 9spd on the rear. What's a
nice set of levers/shifters that will work here?
--

Mike "Rocket J Squirrel" Elliott
71 Type 2: the Wonderbus
84 Westfalia: Mellow Yellow ("The Electrical Banana")
KG6RCR

 

[landotter]

Shimano has rapidfire shifters that'll work fine, but why not save some
energy and money and get the bars up to a sane height?

If it's quill, just get a technomic:
http://www.rivendellbicycles.com/webalog/handlebars_stems_tape/16044.html

Threadless extender:
http://www.nashbar.com/profile.cfm?...rand=&sku=4264&storetype=&estoreid=&pagename=

 

[Mike Rocket J. Squirrel Elliott]

On 2/11/2006 3:33 PM landotter wrote:

> Shimano has rapidfire shifters that'll work fine, but why not save some
> energy and money and get the bars up to a sane height?
>
> Threadless extender:
> http://www.nashbar.com/profile.cfm?...rand=&sku=4264&storetype=&estoreid=&pagename=

A useful and intelligent suggestion! It's certainly less hassle (unless
some or all cables need to be lengthened) than new handlebars and
shifters and things.

My bike has a threadless steerer. Is that compatible with the "Ahead
system" that the riser is described as being made for?

--

Mike "Rocket J Squirrel" Elliott
71 Type 2: the Wonderbus
84 Westfalia: Mellow Yellow ("The Electrical Banana")
KG6RCR

 

[Collin O'Neill]

Mike Rocket J. Squirrel Elliott wrote:
> The old back is getting too creaky for the drop bars on my road bike.
> I'm more comfortable on my beater flat-bar bike and I think I want to
> put flats on the road bike. Yeah, I know I lose hand positions, but my
> back thanks me. So. Need to lose the brifters, I reckon. Ultegra
> sidepull brakes, and Ultegra derailleurs with 9spd on the rear. What's a
> nice set of levers/shifters that will work here?

Paul Components Thumbies and Ultegra 9spd thumb shifters. These things
are phenomenal.

http://www.paulcomp.com/thumbmtn.htm

I have a set of Tektro/Nashbar/Forte levers that are supposed to be
adjustable for this kind of thing, but I haven't installed them yet so I
can't recommend them.

Have fun!

 

[landotter]

Mike Rocket J. Squirrel Elliott wrote:
> On 2/11/2006 3:33 PM landotter wrote:
>
> > Shimano has rapidfire shifters that'll work fine, but why not save some
> > energy and money and get the bars up to a sane height?
> >
> > Threadless extender:
> > http://www.nashbar.com/profile.cfm?...rand=&sku=4264&storetype=&estoreid=&pagename=
>
> A useful and intelligent suggestion! It's certainly less hassle (unless
> some or all cables need to be lengthened) than new handlebars and
> shifters and things.

If you jack the bars up a couple inches, I bet you'll need some fresh
cables. I moved my levers from a pretty jacked up position on the bars
to having the blade ends level with the bar flats--about an inch and I
got away with not getting longer cables by having the cable exit the
bar wrap earlier. Worth a shot.

You can also think about getting a stem with more rise in the angle
department, or flip your current stem if that would raise the bars up,
but the extender is the way to really get them up there.
>
> My bike has a threadless steerer. Is that compatible with the "Ahead
> system" that the riser is described as being made for?

yes, just make sure you get the right diameter, most are 1.25" these
days, but some road bikes have 1" steerers.

 

[Charlie Wilson]

"Mike Rocket J. Squirrel Elliott"
<[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> The old back is getting too creaky for the drop bars on my road bike. I'm
> more comfortable on my beater flat-bar bike and I think I want to put
> flats on the road bike. Yeah, I know I lose hand positions, but my back
> thanks me. So. Need to lose the brifters, I reckon. Ultegra sidepull
> brakes, and Ultegra derailleurs with 9spd on the rear. What's a nice set
> of levers/shifters that will work here?

Something like this:
http://www.nashbar.com/profile.cfm?...=12809&storetype=estore&estoreid=540&pagename
oughta get you rolling. I had to ride a similar get-up for several years;
bad backs have an amazing way of getting better for unknown reasons.

 

[Zog The Undeniable]

landotter wrote:

> Mike Rocket J. Squirrel Elliott wrote:

>>My bike has a threadless steerer. Is that compatible with the "Ahead
>>system" that the riser is described as being made for?
>
> yes, just make sure you get the right diameter, most are 1.25" these
> days, but some road bikes have 1" steerers.
>
In fact, nearly all are 1.125", 1" stems going the way of the dodo. Not
a problem, as shims are readily available to make the larger stems fit a
1" steerer. My LBS recommends at least one thin spacer between the stem
and top cap if doing this, to ensure an undersize top cap can press
evenly on the stem.

 

[Simon Cooper]

"Mike Rocket J. Squirrel Elliott"
<[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> The old back is getting too creaky for the drop bars on my road bike.
> I'm more comfortable on my beater flat-bar bike and I think I want to
> put flats on the road bike. Yeah, I know I lose hand positions, but my
> back thanks me. So. Need to lose the brifters, I reckon. Ultegra
> sidepull brakes, and Ultegra derailleurs with 9spd on the rear. What's a
> nice set of levers/shifters that will work here?

I have SRAM Attack gripshifters and some CODA levers I can't identify as
anyone else's knock offs on what used to be a drop bar shimano brifter bike.
It's a great setup, much preferable to any trigger system. Just don't get
too long a stem or too wide a bar.

 

[Mike Rocket J. Squirrel Elliott]

On 2/11/2006 3:58 PM Collin O'Neill wrote:

> Mike Rocket J. Squirrel Elliott wrote:
>> The old back is getting too creaky for the drop bars on my road bike.
>> I'm more comfortable on my beater flat-bar bike and I think I want to
>> put flats on the road bike. Yeah, I know I lose hand positions, but my
>> back thanks me. So. Need to lose the brifters, I reckon. Ultegra
>> sidepull brakes, and Ultegra derailleurs with 9spd on the rear. What's
>> a nice set of levers/shifters that will work here?
>
> Paul Components Thumbies and Ultegra 9spd thumb shifters. These things
> are phenomenal.
>
> http://www.paulcomp.com/thumbmtn.htm

So . . . if I read the blurb for this product correctly, they are a not
inexpensive way to mount bar-end shifters (like I used to have on my
12-spd commuting bike in the '70's) closer to the center of a flat
handlebar so I can flip the shift with my thumbs? I thought the bar-end
shifters I had were pretty clunky -- are they better now?

--

Mike "Rocket J Squirrel" Elliott
71 Type 2: the Wonderbus
84 Westfalia: Mellow Yellow ("The Electrical Banana")
KG6RCR

 

[JeffWills]

Mike Rocket J. Squirrel Elliott wrote:
> > http://www.paulcomp.com/thumbmtn.htm
>
> So . . . if I read the blurb for this product correctly, they are a not
> inexpensive way to mount bar-end shifters (like I used to have on my
> 12-spd commuting bike in the '70's) closer to the center of a flat
> handlebar so I can flip the shift with my thumbs? I thought the bar-end
> shifters I had were pretty clunky -- are they better now?
>

Yep. The Shimano bar-end shifters are smaller than their downtube
shifters. Rather petite, actually- only slightly larger than old-school
Campy friction bar-ends.

Jeff