Flat bar conversion questions

Mike Blake said:

I have a Specialize Allez Sport (2002 vintage I think that I would like to
convert from drop bars to a flat bar configuration. Our riding is all
casual bike path or neighborhood riding and then only 5 to 10 miles a day.

Why the heck do you want to go from multi-position bars to flat bars
that have one very un-ergonomic position? If the bars are too low--
raise them for $20 with a Delta stem extender. Depending on your
existing cable length, you may also need new cables/housings.

http://www.deltacycle.com/product.php?g=9

Mike Blake said:

I have a Specialize Allez Sport (2002 vintage I think that I would like to
convert from drop bars to a flat bar configuration. Our riding is all
casual bike path or neighborhood riding and then only 5 to 10 miles a day.

I would appreciate suggestions on cost effective shifting and brake controls
for the bike's existing Tiagra rim brakes, Tiagra 3 ring front derauiller
and 105 9 speed rear derauiller. The shifters do not have to be indexed...
I suspect that bar end shifters would be appropriate but I am not sure.

Bear in mind that flat bars are wider than drop bars to begin with.
Adding bar end shifters will make them *really* wide, unless you turn
them into thumb shifters with a set of Paul Thumbies.

Road and mountain bike rear derailers use the same cable pull, so
indexed rear shifting is easy. Just get any Shimano compatible 9 speed
shifter. In front, the cable pull is different so if you want indexed
shifting you'll need one of these:
<http://harriscyclery.net/itemdetails.cfm?ID=964>

Alternately, just get an old set of thumbshifters and run them in
friction mode. As for brake levers, anything intended for use with
cantilevers will work with your brakes. Levers for V-brakes won't.

landotter said:

Mike Blake said:

I have a Specialize Allez Sport (2002 vintage I think that I would like to
convert from drop bars to a flat bar configuration. Our riding is all
casual bike path or neighborhood riding and then only 5 to 10 miles a day.

Why the heck do you want to go from multi-position bars to flat bars
that have one very un-ergonomic position? If the bars are too low--
raise them for $20 with a Delta stem extender. Depending on your
existing cable length, you may also need new cables/housings.

http://www.deltacycle.com/product.php?g=9

In addition to a stem raiser--if you use a super flared drop like an
On-One Midge--ya might be really comfy and cookin' with gas!

http://www.roadcyclinguk.com/news/images/midge_side_hi.jpg

Mike Blake said:

I have a Specialize Allez Sport (2002 vintage I think that I would like to
convert from drop bars to a flat bar configuration. Our riding is all
casual bike path or neighborhood riding and then only 5 to 10 miles a day.

I would appreciate suggestions on cost effective shifting and brake controls
for the bike's existing Tiagra rim brakes, Tiagra 3 ring front derauiller
and 105 9 speed rear derauiller. The shifters do not have to be indexed...
I suspect that bar end shifters would be appropriate but I am not sure.

Tools and skills should not be a problem nor should time as I am retired.
It is also to be a fun project and one which will get the Allez back into
action having been all but replaced with a Giant Suede Coasting cruiser that
both my wife and I ride daily. She did not ride at all prior to getting her
Shimano Coasting equipped Suede.

I digress 🙂 Components and good places to purchase them are both welcome.
Responses from vendors would be most welcome as a handful of you seem to
provide many of the valuable responses on RBT

Mike - K9JRI

What are trying to accomplish? Are the drop bars too low or the reach
too far (or both) to be comfy? If so, you *might* be able to find a
solution by simply using a different stem, one that allows the drop
bars to be higher and/or closer. Do you just find the flat bars to be
more comfy for those short rides? If so, than moving to a flat bar
might be the better, albeit most expensive, solution.

In article
<[email hidden]>,

Mike Blake said:

I have a Specialize Allez Sport (2002 vintage I think that I would like to
convert from drop bars to a flat bar configuration. Our riding is all
casual bike path or neighborhood riding and then only 5 to 10 miles a day.

It will not be worth the trouble. Get advice on making
the drop bars work for you. What difficulties do you
encounter with the current configuration. Pain or
numbness in the hands? Pain in the lower back? Pain in
the perineum? Pain in the neck. Can you raise the
bars? Do you feel too stretched out, or scrunched up?
For short and long rides a drop bar configuration can
be made ideal. There are more hand and body positions
possible with drop bars than any other configuration.
Flat bars do not provide a bar section where the bar is
parallel to the bicycle axis. Grabbing transverse bars
is typically harder on the wrists than a parallel bar.

Flat bars are fine for strenuous mountain bicycling,
less good for casual riding. If you really must change
away from drop bars, get north road bars.

Quoted message said:

I would appreciate suggestions on cost effective shifting and brake controls
for the bike's existing Tiagra rim brakes, Tiagra 3 ring front derauiller
and 105 9 speed rear derauiller. The shifters do not have to be indexed...
I suspect that bar end shifters would be appropriate but I am not sure.

Tools and skills should not be a problem nor should time as I am retired.
It is also to be a fun project and one which will get the Allez back into
action having been all but replaced with a Giant Suede Coasting cruiser that
both my wife and I ride daily. She did not ride at all prior to getting her
Shimano Coasting equipped Suede.

I digress 🙂 Components and good places to purchase them are both welcome.
Responses from vendors would be most welcome as a handful of you seem to
provide many of the valuable responses on RBT

Mike - K9JRI

--
Michael Press

Mike Blake said:

I have a Specialize Allez Sport (2002 vintage I think that I would like to
convert from drop bars to a flat bar configuration. Our riding is all
casual bike path or neighborhood riding and then only 5 to 10 miles a day.

I would appreciate suggestions on cost effective shifting and brake controls
for the bike's existing Tiagra rim brakes, Tiagra 3 ring front derauiller
and 105 9 speed rear derauiller. The shifters do not have to be indexed...
I suspect that bar end shifters would be appropriate but I am not sure.

Tools and skills should not be a problem nor should time as I am retired.
It is also to be a fun project and one which will get the Allez back into
action having been all but replaced with a Giant Suede Coasting cruiser that
both my wife and I ride daily. She did not ride at all prior to getting her
Shimano Coasting equipped Suede.

I digress 🙂 Components and good places to purchase them are both welcome.
Responses from vendors would be most welcome as a handful of you seem to
provide many of the valuable responses on RBT

Mike - K9JRI

Friction and 9-speed will not be a very satisying experience. You
pretty much need indexed shifting. Something like these would be good:

http://www.nashbar.com/profile.cfm?sku=21384

And for bars and stem, anything should work fine. Make sure you think
about how your position will end up!

Have fun.

Joseph

aka Joseph Santaniello said:

...
Friction and 9-speed will not be a very satisying experience. You
pretty much need indexed shifting....

I have no problems when I switch my bar end to friction mode (11-32 XT
cassette and Tiagra rear derailer [1]).

[1] Hey, that is what the manufacturer put on.

--
Tom Sherman - Holstein-Friesland Bovinia
Beer - It's not just for breakfast anymore!

On Oct 21, 6:27 pm, "Mike Blake" <[email hidden]> wrote:

(Snipped):

Quoted message said:

I have a Specialize Allez Sport (2002 vintage I think

Tiagra rim brakes, Tiagra 3 ring front derauiller

Quoted message said:

and 105 9 speed rear derauiller.

Quoted message said:

I digress 🙂 Components and good places to purchase them are both welcome.
Responses from vendors would be most welcome as a handful of you seem to
provide many of the valuable responses on RBT

The bike I'd like to convert to flat bar is a mid-eighties Japanese
("Zebra" branded, from South Austin Bikes) (Chalo troll... testing
testing 123 pffft pftttt 12 is this thing on?) 6-sp road bike. Works
fine as is but not for the intended rider.

Suntour 5000 derailleurs. Shortie stem that would be fine if there's a
"flat" bar to fit.

For this application, twister shifters would be desired, as they
(Gripshift 7sp) have been found to be satisfactory on a Specialized
Expedition "comfort" (ha ha) bike, in combination with the long-style
brake levers that bike came with.

The object is a stable hand position and leverage at the brake lever
for a rider with hand difficulties that make drop-bar riding dodgy--
even with a long stem raised up, and brakes "tuned" for max power (new
red pads and close adjustment). Changing hand postions is difficult,
and the "vertical" hand orientation around a drop-bar brake lever and
handle is not good for braking power and hold-on strength compared to
the thumb wrap-around and horizontal hand position with flat bars (I'm
guessing this also an issue with the OP).

Thumb shifters? Probably not.

I got a short distance with this at the FLBS but there seemed to be a
similar bias against this conversion as seen here. "Bring it in", what
they seemed to be saying "We really don't know how to do this but we
might figure it out". More than I want to spend <g>.

IOW, the case for drop bars is well understood but in this
application, moot.

(stating the obvious) I'd like to keep the wheels and derailleurs,
change the handlebar but stem only if necessary, put a 7sp freewheel
on, use 7sp twisters with long pattern brake levers, and perhaps
different brake calipers, to ensure maximum "easy" brake power.

Feasible? Hardware suggestions, please?

BTW: There were good indications for Ergo (Campy) during a brief try-
out on one of my bikes, ridden in a stationary trainer. Fine and
dandy, but maybe for a different bike in the future, after some road
time on a skinny-tire road bike that's easy and safe to ride, i.e.,
lighter/more fun (!) than that bomber Expedition which was bought, and
has served well, as a trailer/solo bike for the local dirt-surface
hike n' bike trail. --D-y

Quoted post said:

On Oct 21, 6:27 pm, "Mike Blake" <[email hidden]> wrote:

(Snipped):

Quoted message said:

I have a Specialize Allez Sport (2002 vintage I think

Tiagra rim brakes, Tiagra 3 ring front derauiller

Quoted message said:

and 105 9 speed rear derauiller.
I digress 🙂 Components and good places to purchase them are both welcome.
Responses from vendors would be most welcome as a handful of you seem to
provide many of the valuable responses on RBT

The bike I'd like to convert to flat bar is a mid-eighties Japanese
("Zebra" branded, from South Austin Bikes) (Chalo troll... testing
testing 123 pffft pftttt 12 is this thing on?) 6-sp road bike. Works
fine as is but not for the intended rider.

Suntour 5000 derailleurs. Shortie stem that would be fine if there's a
"flat" bar to fit.

For this application, twister shifters would be desired, as they
(Gripshift 7sp) have been found to be satisfactory on a Specialized
Expedition "comfort" (ha ha) bike, in combination with the long-style
brake levers that bike came with.

The object is a stable hand position and leverage at the brake lever
for a rider with hand difficulties that make drop-bar riding dodgy--
even with a long stem raised up, and brakes "tuned" for max power (new
red pads and close adjustment). Changing hand postions is difficult,
and the "vertical" hand orientation around a drop-bar brake lever and
handle is not good for braking power and hold-on strength compared to
the thumb wrap-around and horizontal hand position with flat bars (I'm
guessing this also an issue with the OP).

Thumb shifters? Probably not.

I got a short distance with this at the FLBS but there seemed to be a
similar bias against this conversion as seen here. "Bring it in", what
they seemed to be saying "We really don't know how to do this but we
might figure it out". More than I want to spend <g>.

IOW, the case for drop bars is well understood but in this
application, moot.

(stating the obvious) I'd like to keep the wheels and derailleurs,
change the handlebar but stem only if necessary, put a 7sp freewheel
on, use 7sp twisters with long pattern brake levers, and perhaps
different brake calipers, to ensure maximum "easy" brake power.

Feasible? Hardware suggestions, please?

The RD will need to change, as old Suntours aren't compatible with any
twist-grip shifters. Any Shimano with appropriate wrap capacity will
work.

Here's the shifter set I'd use:
http://aebike.com/page.cfm?action=details&PageID=30&SKU=LD4751

Shimano-compatible 7-speed in the rear, micro-indexed in the front, so
your existing FD is sure to work.

As for brake levers, be sure to get ones that aren't for linear-pull
brakes, because their mechanical advantage will be too low, especially
for someone with hand strength issues. Here's Shimano's 105-level FB
road lever:
http://www.qbike.com/cgi-bin/item.cgi?s=5&t=1&st=bl+r550&id=305532

If you want new calipers, figure out the reach you need and get either
the short or long reach dual-pivots at Nashbar.

For a bar, whichever is comfortable will work. If you're keeping the
stem, measure the current bar's stem clamp diameter. If it's 25.4, any
non-OS flat bar will work. If it's 26.0, get a Nitto shim, or make one
out of a few layers of aluminum can. FWIW, I use the Nitto shim on my
cruiser, because being sure it would work was worth the $7 or however
much it cost me.

If the current stem is too low, then just get a Mountain-style riser
stem, and it will already have the right sized clamp for a flat bar.

"Hank Wirtz" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

Quoted post said:

On Oct 21, 6:27 pm, "Mike Blake" <[email hidden]> wrote:

(Snipped):

Quoted message said:

I have a Specialize Allez Sport (2002 vintage I think

Tiagra rim brakes, Tiagra 3 ring front derauiller

Quoted message said:

and 105 9 speed rear derauiller.
I digress 🙂 Components and good places to purchase them are both
welcome.
Responses from vendors would be most welcome as a handful of you seem
to
provide many of the valuable responses on RBT

The bike I'd like to convert to flat bar is a mid-eighties Japanese
("Zebra" branded, from South Austin Bikes) (Chalo troll... testing
testing 123 pffft pftttt 12 is this thing on?) 6-sp road bike. Works
fine as is but not for the intended rider.

Suntour 5000 derailleurs. Shortie stem that would be fine if there's a
"flat" bar to fit.

For this application, twister shifters would be desired, as they
(Gripshift 7sp) have been found to be satisfactory on a Specialized
Expedition "comfort" (ha ha) bike, in combination with the long-style
brake levers that bike came with.

The object is a stable hand position and leverage at the brake lever
for a rider with hand difficulties that make drop-bar riding dodgy--
even with a long stem raised up, and brakes "tuned" for max power (new
red pads and close adjustment). Changing hand postions is difficult,
and the "vertical" hand orientation around a drop-bar brake lever and
handle is not good for braking power and hold-on strength compared to
the thumb wrap-around and horizontal hand position with flat bars (I'm
guessing this also an issue with the OP).

Thumb shifters? Probably not.

I got a short distance with this at the FLBS but there seemed to be a
similar bias against this conversion as seen here. "Bring it in", what
they seemed to be saying "We really don't know how to do this but we
might figure it out". More than I want to spend <g>.

IOW, the case for drop bars is well understood but in this
application, moot.

(stating the obvious) I'd like to keep the wheels and derailleurs,
change the handlebar but stem only if necessary, put a 7sp freewheel
on, use 7sp twisters with long pattern brake levers, and perhaps
different brake calipers, to ensure maximum "easy" brake power.

Feasible? Hardware suggestions, please?

The RD will need to change, as old Suntours aren't compatible with any
twist-grip shifters. Any Shimano with appropriate wrap capacity will
work.

Here's the shifter set I'd use:
http://aebike.com/page.cfm?action=details&PageID=30&SKU=LD4751

Shimano-compatible 7-speed in the rear, micro-indexed in the front, so
your existing FD is sure to work.

As for brake levers, be sure to get ones that aren't for linear-pull
brakes, because their mechanical advantage will be too low, especially
for someone with hand strength issues. Here's Shimano's 105-level FB
road lever:
http://www.qbike.com/cgi-bin/item.cgi?s=5&t=1&st=bl+r550&id=305532

If you want new calipers, figure out the reach you need and get either
the short or long reach dual-pivots at Nashbar.

For a bar, whichever is comfortable will work. If you're keeping the
stem, measure the current bar's stem clamp diameter. If it's 25.4, any
non-OS flat bar will work. If it's 26.0, get a Nitto shim, or make one
out of a few layers of aluminum can. FWIW, I use the Nitto shim on my
cruiser, because being sure it would work was worth the $7 or however
much it cost me.

If the current stem is too low, then just get a Mountain-style riser
stem, and it will already have the right sized clamp for a flat bar.

All good suggestions. Thanks!

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

Quoted message said:

landotter said:

Mike Blake said:

I have a Specialize Allez Sport (2002 vintage I think that I would like
to
convert from drop bars to a flat bar configuration. Our riding is all
casual bike path or neighborhood riding and then only 5 to 10 miles a
day.

Why the heck do you want to go from multi-position bars to flat bars
that have one very un-ergonomic position? If the bars are too low--
raise them for $20 with a Delta stem extender. Depending on your
existing cable length, you may also need new cables/housings.

http://www.deltacycle.com/product.php?g=9

In addition to a stem raiser--if you use a super flared drop like an
On-One Midge--ya might be really comfy and cookin' with gas!

http://www.roadcyclinguk.com/news/images/midge_side_hi.jpg

Thanks but I am looking for flat bars or even better yet, standard upright
cruiser bars. Either will be possible with most of the suggestions I have
already received. It appears the brakes are a non issue and that I really
only need to consider the shifters. The friction shifter suggestions look
really inviting.

Drop bars really suck for neighborhood riding where you want to look around
and talk to your riding partner.

Mike

Quoted message said:

The OP would do well to heed the advice of others and look into a
solution that retains the drop bars. This will be the least expenive
option. Many comfort and fatigue issues can be fixed by raising the
stem and also by moving the hoods higher up (Think Lance pre DA10).
Frankly, this is too nice a bike to be messing up with an oddball
setup. If one is deadset on having flat bars it would be better to
sell it to an owner that appreciates its merits and get something else
to ride on.

If the OP really wants to keep the bike and must have flat bars,
though, Shimano does make 9-speed road compatible flat bar shifters
(SL-R440-9 and SL-R660). They will be a special order from the LBS and
expensive to boot. Another cheaper option would be a MTB 9-speed
shifter (non-STI) for the rear and a thumbie for the front.

Mike Blake said:

Drop bars really suck for neighborhood riding where you want to look
around and talk to your riding partner.

Mike

Quoted message said:

I agree, and so do flat bars. Try them and find out for yourself -- I
think they are worse than drop bars. So I put on a 12" stem, then some
north road bars. But then I needed a saddle designed for upright
seating, so I put an old Brooks B-66 I got of ebay for $10+$10 shipping.

I use indexed twist shifters with this setup and they work okay.

Mike Blake said:

"Hank Wirtz" <[email hidden]> wrote in message

news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

Quoted post said:

On Oct 21, 6:27 pm, "Mike Blake" <[email hidden]> wrote:

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

(Snipped):

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

> I have a Specialize Allez Sport (2002 vintage I think

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

Tiagra rim brakes, Tiagra 3 ring front derauiller

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

> and 105 9 speed rear derauiller.
> I digress 🙂 Components and good places to purchase them are both
> welcome.
> Responses from vendors would be most welcome as a handful of you seem
> to
> provide many of the valuable responses on RBT

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

The bike I'd like to convert to flat bar is a mid-eighties Japanese
("Zebra" branded, from South Austin Bikes) (Chalo troll... testing
testing 123 pffft pftttt 12 is this thing on?) 6-sp road bike. Works
fine as is but not for the intended rider.

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

Suntour 5000 derailleurs. Shortie stem that would be fine if there's a
"flat" bar to fit.

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

For this application, twister shifters would be desired, as they
(Gripshift 7sp) have been found to be satisfactory on a Specialized
Expedition "comfort" (ha ha) bike, in combination with the long-style
brake levers that bike came with.

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

The object is a stable hand position and leverage at the brake lever
for a rider with hand difficulties that make drop-bar riding dodgy--
even with a long stem raised up, and brakes "tuned" for max power (new
red pads and close adjustment). Changing hand postions is difficult,
and the "vertical" hand orientation around a drop-bar brake lever and
handle is not good for braking power and hold-on strength compared to
the thumb wrap-around and horizontal hand position with flat bars (I'm
guessing this also an issue with the OP).

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

Thumb shifters? Probably not.

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

I got a short distance with this at the FLBS but there seemed to be a
similar bias against this conversion as seen here. "Bring it in", what
they seemed to be saying "We really don't know how to do this but we
might figure it out". More than I want to spend <g>.

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

IOW, the case for drop bars is well understood but in this
application, moot.

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

(stating the obvious) I'd like to keep the wheels and derailleurs,
change the handlebar but stem only if necessary, put a 7sp freewheel
on, use 7sp twisters with long pattern brake levers, and perhaps
different brake calipers, to ensure maximum "easy" brake power.

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

Feasible? Hardware suggestions, please?

Quoted message said:

The RD will need to change, as old Suntours aren't compatible with any
twist-grip shifters. Any Shimano with appropriate wrap capacity will
work.

Quoted message said:

Here's the shifter set I'd use:
http://aebike.com/page.cfm?action=details&PageID=30&SKU=LD4751

Quoted message said:

Shimano-compatible 7-speed in the rear, micro-indexed in the front, so
your existing FD is sure to work.

Quoted message said:

As for brake levers, be sure to get ones that aren't for linear-pull
brakes, because their mechanical advantage will be too low, especially
for someone with hand strength issues. Here's Shimano's 105-level FB
road lever:
http://www.qbike.com/cgi-bin/item.cgi?s=5&t=1&st=bl+r550&id=305532

Quoted message said:

If you want new calipers, figure out the reach you need and get either
the short or long reach dual-pivots at Nashbar.

Quoted message said:

For a bar, whichever is comfortable will work. If you're keeping the
stem, measure the current bar's stem clamp diameter. If it's 25.4, any
non-OS flat bar will work. If it's 26.0, get a Nitto shim, or make one
out of a few layers of aluminum can. FWIW, I use the Nitto shim on my
cruiser, because being sure it would work was worth the $7 or however
much it cost me.

Quoted message said:

If the current stem is too low, then just get a Mountain-style riser
stem, and it will already have the right sized clamp for a flat bar.

All good suggestions. Thanks!- Hide quoted text -

- Show quoted text -

Oh, as for the shifter I suggested, that was directed at
Dustoyevsky...If you've got a 9-speed system, you'll need a 9-speed
shifter. I know that SRAM has Centera and Attack twist-shifters that
are Shimano-compatible, but I think only Attack has a micro-indexed
front, and mountain FD indexing isn't compatible with STI road front
indexing.

I _believe_ this is the shifter you'd need, but take no responsibility
for the accuracy of that information 🙂
http://www.qbike.com/cgi-bin/item.cgi?s=4&t=1&st=sram+attack&id=57353

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

Quoted message said:

Mike Blake said:

Drop bars really suck for neighborhood riding where you want to look
around and talk to your riding partner.

Mike

Quoted message said:

I agree, and so do flat bars. Try them and find out for yourself -- I
think they are worse than drop bars. So I put on a 12" stem, then some
north road bars. But then I needed a saddle designed for upright seating,
so I put an old Brooks B-66 I got of ebay for $10+$10 shipping.

I use indexed twist shifters with this setup and they work okay.

Well I agree. Flat bars are not the answer either. I removed the drop bars
from the bike today and put small allen head, setcrew, cable stops on both
shifter cables locking the front chainrins and the rear sprockets in their
middle cogs. That will hold me until I select shifters. I removed the
riser bars from the Giant and put it on the Allez. Both stems have 1"
clamps so that was trivial. It felt pretty good that way... I will
possibly need a slightly higher stem but that will not be a problem. The
North Road bars look very much like the bars on the Giant but it has
slightly less rise. I can get the exact same bar as is on the Giant from my
LBS for about $20.00.

Thanks to everyone for their great suggestions and for those die-hard drop
bar responses I appreciate your perspectives as well. A road bike with
cruiser bars don't look toooo bad🙂 You may have to increase your meds a
bit to recognize the beauty in it though 🙂

Mike

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

Quoted message said:

The OP would do well to heed the advice of others and look into a
solution that retains the drop bars. This will be the least expenive

Good suggestion if that fit the objective. The road bar setup fit me
perfectly... comfort was not an issue. It is just a lousy riding position
for cruising.

Quoted message said:

option. Many comfort and fatigue issues can be fixed by raising the
stem and also by moving the hoods higher up (Think Lance pre DA10).
Frankly, this is too nice a bike to be messing up with an oddball
setup. If one is deadset on having flat bars it would be better to
sell it to an owner that appreciates its merits and get something else
to ride on.

I do have something else to ride on but this is a fun project that will suit
our current riding style as well.

Quoted message said:

If the OP really wants to keep the bike and must have flat bars,
though, Shimano does make 9-speed road compatible flat bar shifters
(SL-R440-9 and SL-R660). They will be a special order from the LBS and
expensive to boot. Another cheaper option would be a MTB 9-speed
shifter (non-STI) for the rear and a thumbie for the front.

Looks like the North Road Bar or similar will be more appropriate. Thanks
for the input on the shifters.

Hank Wirtz said:

Oh, as for the shifter I suggested, that was directed at
Dustoyevsky...If you've got a 9-speed system, you'll need a 9-speed
shifter. I know that SRAM has Centera and Attack twist-shifters that
are Shimano-compatible, but I think only Attack has a micro-indexed
front, and mountain FD indexing isn't compatible with STI road front
indexing.

I _believe_ this is the shifter you'd need, but take no responsibility
for the accuracy of that information 🙂http://www.qbike.com/cgi-bin/item.cgi?s=4&t=1&st=sram+attack&id=57353

OK, and thanks.

When I gain a little on familiarity with this end of the cycling
world, I can ask better questions at purchase points. Not that people
aren't trying to be helpful, but I already ran into "resistance" when
I changed from the stubby brake levers on one of the other bikes to a
longer lever for more um leverage. IOW, helps to know what you
want...

This is a 126mm rear axle, freewheel hub, with some kind of 6sp
freewheel on it. I see twisters that are 7sp, and 7sp freewheels which
might work on this hub-- another complication.

When I needed a 6sp replacement twister for an old bike, I found they
were hard to find <g>.

FWIW, I've been riding drop bars for 40 years, "on and off" (sorry)
and our "family pass-around" comfort bike for about five years, either
with the trailer bike on it or alone with the kids, and I'm with the
OP IRT what he's trying to do. Long distance on flat bars? Probably
not as a regular thing (although I did an 85 mile day on a knobby bike
back in the day). I've seen people do the (Austin Tx) Tuesday Nighter
(road race, 9 mile loops) on flat bar ("mountain"😉 bikes with road
tires instead of knobbies, etc. etc. and do just fine, aside from
making the drop bar people think about the chariot race in Ben Hur.

There's an 8yr old in the house who is used to flat bars, and will
probably inherit this bike too, as has been his fate a couple of times
already.

IMHO flat bars would make a good transitional setup when he's big
enough to ride his mom's old Zebra bike, for the neighborhood riding
he's likely to be doing before (if and when) he gets a real road bike.

Thanks, --D-y

Mike Blake wrote:
The North Road bars look very much like the

Quoted message said:

bars on the Giant but it has slightly less rise. I can get the exact
same bar as is on the Giant from my LBS for about $20.00.

The bars I saw on the Giant at my LBS were a little more flared than
North Road. More like a beach cruiser's. You can get North Road bars by
mail order for $25+ shipping. I got mine from a used bicycle store for
$15 and they are aluminum and I think 22" across.

As I said, I had to change the seat. The "new" seat put me even closer
to the bars and I'm not sure that I like being *that* far forward over
the pedals, but I ticked off 15 miles of quick riding the other day with
no ill effects. Mostly I ride like an old fart and when I have my dog
trotting next me, we go little faster than a brisk walking speed.

But that's the way I ride. Neighborly and for trips to the grocery store.

On Mon, 22 Oct 2007 22:39:39 GMT, "Mike Blake" <[email hidden]>

Quoted message said:

Thanks to everyone for their great suggestions and for those die-hard drop
bar responses I appreciate your perspectives as well. A road bike with
cruiser bars don't look toooo bad🙂 You may have to increase your meds a
bit to recognize the beauty in it though 🙂

Many of us have found that numbness is an issue with flat bars. I did
the same thing as you - changed a road bike to flat. I use it for
short, fast jaunts when I just want to get 45 minutes of exercise. I
always go numb within 5 miles. I don't think it's the hand position as
much as the arm position - but the lack of variation seems to take a
toll. YMMV.