help getting my bike set up



powskier

New Member
Jul 17, 2012
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New to the forum and fairly new to cycling. Ive been mountain biking for quite some time and recently fell in love with cycling. Currently I own a Novara Express that is more or less a cycle-cross set up (REI calls it a flat bar road bike). I love the frame and feel of this bike, however I would like to get on more of a "road bike".
My question is, is it worth converting this bike into a road bike i.e. drop bars, brake/shifter combo, new tires ect ect ect.
I understand this is a very open ended question and there will be many different answers but I would like to get a little feed back if any one can help.
My other option would be just to buy a road bike. However, money is not unlimited, and im looking to be all said and done for under $500.
Thanks for any and all help.
 
Hi, I am not that familiar with the bike but I would imagine you would need to get new handlebars, and new shifters at the very least. You may need a new FD too (but that's just a guess). The shifters would need to be compatible with the setup of your current bike (someone on this forum would have to chime in on that, but someone at your LBS could be equally helpful). Tires are tires and eventually need to be upgraded on any bike due to wear. A lot of folks like to cut corners on the cost because of the disposable nature of tires but I feel it's the single component that can bring the ride quality of any bike either up or down depending on the choice. IMO it's especially assenine for folks riding uber bikes to skimp on this aspect.

If you like the "ride" of your current bike and just want to get a little more agressive the cockpit change could be just the ticket. The upgrade could be done for far less than $500 so part of the question begs do you really just want a new bike? /img/vbsmilies/smilies/smile.gif
 
FYI. Drop handlebars can be put on almost ANY bike ...

The cost will vary based on how wise a shopper the individual is-or-isn't ...

  • to that end, eBay is a good source for components

As I just stated in another thread, the biggest concern will be determining the shape & width of the handlebar to buy + the stem length ...

  • to that end, I recommend using an online fit calculator to determine the 'ideal' top tube length ... subtract THAT from the current combined top tube + stem length to determine the length of the NEW stem (this is only a starting point)

The shopping lists includes:

  1. handlebar ($10-$100+)
  2. stem ($10-$100+)
  3. 10-speed Campagnolo shifters ($100-$400+)
  4. cables/housing ($10-$60)
  5. handlebar tape ($10+)

  • mini-V-brake calipers OR cantilever brake calipers ($20-60+)

If you are a wise shopper, then you can make the change for under $200.

The Campagnolo shifters will index with Shimano derailleurs/cassettes with littte-or-no effort ...



And, Campagnolo shifters will function with almost any front derailleur.

FWIW. Here, once again, are two MTB Hardtail frames which would normally be set up with Flat bars but which are set up with Drop handlebars + Campagnolo shifters + Shimano derailleurs & Cassettes ... the first is a Mongoose "Switchback" Hardtail w/ 700c wheels and the second is an unfinished NYCBikes "Camelsback" w/ 26" wheels ...