Handlebar conversion

Vince said:

I have a fifteen year old Dawes Horizon with dop handlebars and
gearshifts on the down tube. I rarely use the drop position, so I'm
considering getting the handlebars replaced with 'straight' ones that
include grip shifters.

This immediately throws up a few questions:
1) How easy is this (for a bike shop) to do? (or is it easier to get
a new bike)
2) Is it a reasonable thing to do?
3) What should I look out for?
4) Can anybody recommend any shops in Basingstoke (or maybe Reading)
to do the work?
5) What sort of price would be reasonable (bearing in mind the
original bike is a low/mid price tourer?

Vince.

Butterfly bars are IMHO even better than straight bars - you get a lot
more comfortable positions and modern shifters are fantastic compared to
anything that fits on drops.

--
--

J u l i a n

__o
_`\(,_
(_)/ (_)

in message <[email hidden]>, Vince

(') said:

I have a fifteen year old Dawes Horizon with dop handlebars and
gearshifts on the down tube. I rarely use the drop position, so I'm
considering getting the handlebars replaced with 'straight' ones that
include grip shifters.

This immediately throws up a few questions:
1) How easy is this (for a bike shop) to do? (or is it easier to get
a new bike)

Trivial. It's even trivial to do it yourself.

Quoted message said:

2) Is it a reasonable thing to do?

If it's what you want, yes; and if you really don't use the drops it
sounds as though it is what you want.

Quoted message said:

3) What should I look out for?

I would advise plain straight aluminium bars (not carbon fibre) with
'anatomical' bar ends (like the Cane Creek Ergos which I use
<URL:http://www.wiggle.co.uk/v2_product_detail.asp?ProdID=5220000162>
This gives you two comfortable hand positions and allows you to rest
your wrists. Of course, you can always start with straight bars and at
the barends later. The other thing you might consider is an 'airwing'
style bar like these
<URL:http://www.wiggle.co.uk/?ProductID=5360008179>

They're mostly used by serious roadies and mounted quite low, but
mounted higher they can be comfortable for utility cyclists. You'll
need different brake and gear levers for these.

Quoted message said:

4) Can anybody recommend any shops in Basingstoke (or maybe Reading)
to do the work?

No, but it really is trivial to do yourself.

Quoted message said:

5) What sort of price would be reasonable (bearing in mind the
original bike is a low/mid price tourer?

Bars about £12
Bar ends £30 - a luxury, not strictly needed, but will make life more
comfortable
Grips from about £3 upwards but get ones which are comfortable to your
hands
Brake levers from about £5 a pair upwards
Grip shifters from about £10 each

So all in from £40 upwards, plus probably £15 for fitting if you get
your LBS to do it.

Sandy could doubtless do it cheaper but you'd have to factor in the cost
of the ferry...

--
[email hidden] (Simon Brooke) http://www.jasmine.org.uk/~simon/

[ This .sig subject to change without notice ]

"Vince" <[email hidden]> wrote

Quoted message said:

I have a fifteen year old Dawes Horizon with dop handlebars and
gearshifts on the down tube. I rarely use the drop position, so I'm
considering getting the handlebars replaced with 'straight' ones that
include grip shifters.

Quoted message said:

This immediately throws up a few questions:
1) How easy is this (for a bike shop) to do? (or is it easier to get
a new bike)

It is easy, but... .see below

Quoted message said:

2) Is it a reasonable thing to do?

It is very reasonable to change from drops to flats. I guess you currently
use two positions and have to lean forward to brake. With flats and bar ends
[1] you have the same positions but you don't have to lean forward. Also,
the upward angle of the bar ends are more hand shaped than the
the tops of drop bars [2].

The disadvantage is that without fitting a longer handlebar stem the new
riding position may feel short. A new stem may be required.

[1] Short or cut down bar ends may be better than the usual longer
style.

[2] This is where I need my flame proof suit. There are lots of drop bar
die-hards here.

Quoted message said:

3) What should I look out for?

Listen for air sucking past teeth.

Quoted message said:

4) Can anybody recommend any shops in Basingstoke (or maybe Reading)
to do the work?

There are lots of shops. I do my own tinkering but Halfords is not usually a
good choice.

Quoted message said:

5) What sort of price would be reasonable (bearing in mind the
original bike is a low/mid price tourer?

Minimum -
Handlebar, brake levers, shifters, grips & cables- possibly £80

Budget for
Bar ends & stem
Your current mechs may not be compatible with the new shifters
Your chain may be worn so change the cassette too.
What condition are your tyres & brake blocks in?
- over £200

Add labour rates

In article <[email hidden]>, Simon

Brooke said:

Bars about £12

£ 4-30

Quoted message said:

Bar ends £30 - a luxury, not strictly needed, but
will make life more comfortable

Free - I got some which I cannot sell:-(

Quoted message said:

Grips from about £3 upwards but get ones which are comfortable to
your hands

Nearer to £4-00 for comfortable ones

Quoted message said:

Brake levers from about £5 a pair upwards

I got a box of about 30 in a sale recently for a fiver - it included
two (non matched) hydraulics.

Quoted message said:

Grip shifters from about £10 each

About right but if you want grip shift with attached brake levers
they can be expensive.

Quoted message said:

So all in from £40 upwards, plus probably £15 for fitting if you
get your LBS to do it.

Do your own sums and add a tenner for fitting - you will also need
new cables and bits of outer - add another £4-00

Quoted message said:

Sandy could doubtless do it cheaper but you'd have to factor in the
cost of the ferry...

a bike on the ferry costs £2-00

--
A T (Sandy) Morton
on the Bicycle Island
In the Global Village
http://www.millport.net

Sandy Morton said:

In article <[email hidden]>, Simon

Brooke said:

Bars about £12

£ 4-30

Quoted message said:

Bar ends £30
Grips from about £3 upwards

Nearer to £4-00 for comfortable ones

Quoted message said:

Brake levers from about £5 a pair upwards

Quoted message said:

Grip shifters from about £10 each

About right but if you want grip shift with attached brake levers
they can be expensive.

Quoted message said:

So all in from £40 upwards, plus probably £15 for fitting if you
get your LBS to do it.

Sounds simpler than I anticipated, I take a look into doing it myself,
some time soon.

Vince.

in message <[email hidden]>, DavidR

(') said:

"Vince" <[email hidden]> wrote

Quoted message said:

I have a fifteen year old Dawes Horizon with dop handlebars and
gearshifts on the down tube. I rarely use the drop position, so I'm
considering getting the handlebars replaced with 'straight' ones that
include grip shifters.

Quoted message said:

Budget for
Bar ends & stem
Your current mechs may not be compatible with the new shifters

This is most unlikely to be a problem. SRAM make grip shifters both for
SRAM type and for Shimano type mechs. The only thing is to make sure
you get shifters which match your mechs.

--
[email hidden] (Simon Brooke) http://www.jasmine.org.uk/~simon/

Age equals angst multiplied by the speed of fright squared.
;; the Worlock

[email hidden] schreef ...

Quoted message said:

This is most unlikely to be a problem. SRAM make grip shifters both for
SRAM type and for Shimano type mechs. The only thing is to make sure
you get shifters which match your mechs.

Alas ..... no longer do SRAM make Grip Shift for both Shimano and their
own mechs. They can still be found in shops, of course. You can however
get SRAM's Rocket (trigger-type) shifters to work with Shimano
derailleurs. Also, Shimano themselves make a few rotating shifters as do
Sunrace (for example their M50, to be seen om www.sunrace.com).

--
Regards,
Marten