Roadbike w straight handle bar & campy?



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Carsten Beyer

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Here's the plan: build up a road frame with straight handle bars (aka "fitness bike") which both I
could use as a fast city bike and my girlfriend could use to accompany me on my weekend rides with
my race bike. I am looking for a sloping frame in size M (55cm approx.), but am aware that the
handle bars elevation will be pretty awkward if I use the bike (I am 6ft 2", my girlfriend 5ft 6")

I definitely would prefer to put all Campy on the bike, but is there any way to use Campy with
straight handle bars, i.e. without the campy ergopower shifters?

I still have a 10spd Chorus rear derailer which I could use and want to use my 9/10 spd Chorus
wheelset as well (want to get Ksyrium SSC or Cosmic Carbon for my Klein Quantum)

Can I operate the 10spd Chorus derailer (using it for 9spd) with 9spd Sram Grip Shift? 9spd Shimano
MTB levers (XT, LX, Deore..) with the 9spd Shimano Road components offered specifically for
roadbikes with straight handle bars?

If I put a normal MTB levers on the bike, which problems would I have to expect using race brakes
with brake levers made for V-brakes?

Is there any way to build up a 10spd bike with straight handle bars?
 
"Carsten Beyer" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> Here's the plan: build up a road frame with straight handle bars (aka "fitness bike") which both I
> could use as a fast city bike and my girlfriend could use to accompany me on my weekend rides with
> my race bike. I am looking for a sloping frame in size M (55cm approx.), but am aware that the
> handle bars elevation will be pretty awkward if I use the bike (I am 6ft 2", my girlfriend 5ft 6")

That's a pretty huge sizing difference. I don't see how you'll be able to make this work. The top
tube will either be to long for her, or to short for you. There's no happy medium with that large of
a rider height difference. You need a 59cm bike, and she needs a 53cm bike - two full standard frame
sizes difference.

> I definitely would prefer to put all Campy on the bike, but is there any way to use Campy with
> straight handle bars, i.e. without the campy ergopower shifters? Is there any way to build up a
> 10spd bike with straight handle bars?

Friction thumbshifters would work, and they don't care what derailleur you're using or how many
gears you have. As long as the chain and cassette are compatible, friction will work just fine.
Frankly, though, I'm not sure it's a good idea.

Why don't you just skip all of this stuff and buy your girlfriend a good flat-bar road ("fitness")
bike. Check Ebay. I've seen some real nice brand new Fuji "fitness bikes" selling for $500-ish. Good
components, great deal. She'll love it. That's much better than trying to make a single bike fit
both of you. Not gonna happen.

-Barry
 
In article <[email protected]>, Carsten Beyer <[email protected]> wrote:
>Here's the plan: build up a road frame with straight handle bars (aka "fitness bike") which both I
>could use as a fast city bike and my girlfriend could use to accompany me on my weekend rides with
>my race bike. I am looking for a sloping frame in size M (55cm approx.), but am aware that the
>handle bars elevation will be pretty awkward if I use the bike (I am 6ft 2", my girlfriend 5ft 6")

The bike is not going to fit you both. GF needs her own bike. A mens 55cm frame will be too
large/long for many 5'6" women.

>I definitely would prefer to put all Campy on the bike, but is there any way to use Campy with
>straight handle bars, i.e. without the campy ergopower shifters?

Yes, you can get Campy 9s down-tube levers. May be challenging to find a set, but they do exist. You
can use the 10s derailleur with those, and a 9s cogset and chain.

>I still have a 10spd Chorus rear derailer which I could use and want to use my 9/10 spd Chorus
>wheelset as well (want to get Ksyrium SSC or Cosmic Carbon for my Klein Quantum)
>
>Can I operate the 10spd Chorus derailer (using it for 9spd) with 9spd Sram Grip Shift? 9spd Shimano
>MTB levers (XT, LX, Deore..) with the 9spd Shimano Road components offered specifically for
>roadbikes with straight handle bars?

It would be a lot less trouble to just use a Shimano derailleur. I think your plan is misguided and
is going to result in endless tinkering to obtain satisfactory shifting. I would always use Campy by
choice but the bike you're building should just be done with Shimano parts unless you can use Campy
d.t. levers.

>If I put a normal MTB levers on the bike, which problems would I have to expect using race brakes
>with brake levers made for V-brakes?

You can get brake levers that work with cantilevers, that's what you'd want. Don't use
v-brake levers.

--Paul
 
Carsten Beyer <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:<[email protected]>...
>
> I definitely would prefer to put all Campy on the bike, but is there any way to use Campy with
> straight handle bars, i.e. without the campy ergopower shifters?
>

Choice of brakes and levers is up to you, but for gear shifters, Campag still produce separate
down-tube levers (in both 10sp & 9sp formats) if that's of help. Not sure how you'd get round the
matter if you still want shifters located on the bars, though.

David E. Belcher

Dept. of Chemistry, University of York
 
Carsten Beyer wrote:
> Can I operate the 10spd Chorus derailer (using it for 9spd) with 9spd Sram Grip Shift? 9spd
> Shimano MTB levers (XT, LX, Deore..) with the 9spd Shimano Road components offered specifically
> for roadbikes with straight handle bars? If I put a normal MTB levers on the bike, which problems
> would I have to expect using race brakes with brake levers made for V-brakes? Is there any way to
> build up a 10spd bike with straight handle bars?

Last year my LBS had a great deal on a LeMond Zurich, but I wasn't sold on a bike with drops. My
last bike was a hybrid and I enjoyed the comfort and body position the straight bar provided. So,
they traded out the drops for a carbon fiber straight bar and installed rapid fire shifters and
Shimano MTB brake levers. I wasn't the first person that had this procedure done, another guy beat
me to it. Here's a picture of his bike. http://www.bicyclesetc.net/images/Randyraybon.jpg I ran into
him recently, and he's as content with the results as I am. It can be done. In fact, a couple of the
entry level Trek road bikes offer the straight bar option from the factory. Go for it.

Art
 
On Thu, 13 Mar 2003 12:30:40 -0500, Paul Southworth wrote:

> In article <[email protected]>, Carsten Beyer
> <[email protected]> wrote:
>>Here's the plan: build up a road frame with straight handle bars (aka "fitness bike") which both I
>>could use as a fast city bike and my girlfriend could use to accompany me on my weekend rides with
>>my race bike. I am looking for a sloping frame in size M (55cm approx.), but am aware that the
>>handle bars elevation will be pretty awkward if I use the bike (I am 6ft 2", my girlfriend 5ft 6")

I can't see how one bike would adequately fit the two of you.

>>I definitely would prefer to put all Campy on the bike, but is there any way to use Campy with
>>straight handle bars, i.e. without the campy ergopower shifters?

> It would be a lot less trouble to just use a Shimano derailleur. I think your plan is misguided
> and is going to result in endless tinkering to obtain satisfactory shifting. I would always use
> Campy by choice but the bike you're building should just be done with Shimano parts unless you can
> use Campy d.t. levers.

I agree. Rapidfile shifters will work fine for the rear, and can be adjusted for the front, too,
(using a road derailleur). Or, use a Shimano mountain front derailleur and it will all work
perfectly.

My wife wanted cruiser bars on her road bike. Knowing the better part of valor in this instance, I
put them on, along with Rapidfire shifters, and she is quite satisfied with the setup.

>
>>If I put a normal MTB levers on the bike, which problems would I have to expect using race brakes
>>with brake levers made for V-brakes?

They will work OK. Some shimano levers have three positions for the brake cable -- for relative
amounts of "strength", that is, cable pull per given motion of the lever. Putting them on a "strong"
setting will better fit road brakes.

--

David L. Johnson

__o | Enron's slogan: Respect, Communication, Integrity, and _`\(,_ | Excellence. (_)/ (_) |
 
"Carsten Beyer" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> Here's the plan: build up a road frame with straight handle bars (aka "fitness bike") which both I
> could use as a fast city bike and my girlfriend could use to accompany me on my weekend rides with
> my race bike. I am looking for a sloping frame in size M (55cm approx.), but am aware that the
> handle bars elevation will be pretty awkward if I use the bike (I am 6ft 2", my girlfriend 5ft 6")
>
> I definitely would prefer to put all Campy on the bike, but is there any way to use Campy with
> straight handle bars, i.e. without the campy ergopower shifters?
>
> I still have a 10spd Chorus rear derailer which I could use and want to use my 9/10 spd Chorus
> wheelset as well (want to get Ksyrium SSC or Cosmic Carbon for my Klein Quantum)
>
> Can I operate the 10spd Chorus derailer (using it for 9spd) with 9spd Sram Grip Shift? 9spd
> Shimano MTB levers (XT, LX, Deore..) with the 9spd Shimano Road components offered specifically
> for roadbikes with straight handle bars?
>
> If I put a normal MTB levers on the bike, which problems would I have to expect using race brakes
> with brake levers made for V-brakes?
>
> Is there any way to build up a 10spd bike with straight handle bars?
>

You can run Campagnolo BarCon shifters in the end of the handlebar or possibly mount those on Grant
Peterson's Kelly Take Off mounts (as if they were top shifters.)

Regarding brakes - you want to run Campagnolo calipers with flat bars? Get "cantilever type" levers,
not "linear" (vbrake) levers.

Nix on any SRAM product in a Campagnolo gear system. If you delete the Campagnolo rear changer, an
ESP changer with its twist-shifter is as remarkably good shifting setup. Really. You should try one
just for the experience. It's OK with a Campagnolo-9 cassette on a CA hub or a SRAM 9 cassette(or
Shimano for that matter) on a Shimano type hub. Sounds as if you're set on using the Italian stuff
though, right?

Wondering aloud - what about dropping the brake lever arm out of an Ergo, using it with a set of
Tektro or DC levers and a Mafac lever clamp for the smaller handlebar?? It would work but I wonder
how confortable the setup would be. . .

--
Andrew Muzi http://www.yellowjersey.org Open every day since 1 April 1971
 
> "Carsten Beyer" <[email protected]> wrote in message
> news:[email protected]...
> > Here's the plan: build up a road frame with straight handle bars (aka "fitness bike") which both
> > I could use as a fast city bike and my girlfriend could use to accompany me on my weekend rides
> > with my race bike. I am looking for a sloping frame in size M (55cm approx.), but am aware that
> > the handle bars elevation will be pretty awkward if I use the bike (I am 6ft 2", my girlfriend
> > 5ft 6")
-snip component speculation-

"A Muzi" <[email protected]> jumped right in without reading the whole thing and wrote in message
news:[email protected]... -blah blah blah-

I read past your first thoughts about jamming your hapless girlfriend on a too-big bike. This
project is doomed. Why not just buy her a bike that fits?
--
Andrew Muzi http://www.yellowjersey.org Open every day since 1 April 1971
 
A Muzi wrote:
> I read past your first thoughts about jamming your hapless girlfriend on a too-big bike. This
> project is doomed. Why not just buy her a bike that fits?
[her]

Yes and then maybe borrow it occasionally for city rides if they're short. I sometimes borrow bikes
that are far too small for me. I just bung the saddle up and ride. I'm 6' 2" and find small bikes
are great fun, you can really throw them round the corners.

It does help, though, if the small bike has an upright position with straight bars. A too-small road
bike with drop bars would be a different kettle of fish.

~PB
 
I had a pretty major spine injury, and don't bend anymore, and have two bikes setup with flat bars.
One is a Klein, and the other is a Cannonade. Shimano even makes shifters for road bikes with flat
bars now. I have Ultegra brakes, with Shimino mountain levers and everything works fine. "David L.
Johnson >" <David L. Johnson <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> On Thu, 13 Mar 2003 12:30:40 -0500, Paul Southworth wrote:
>
> > In article <[email protected]>, Carsten Beyer <[email protected]>
> > wrote:
> >>Here's the plan: build up a road frame with straight handle bars (aka "fitness bike") which both
> >>I could use as a fast city bike and my girlfriend could use to accompany me on my weekend rides
> >>with my race bike. I am looking for a sloping frame in size M (55cm approx.), but am aware that
> >>the handle bars elevation will be pretty awkward if I use the bike (I am 6ft 2", my girlfriend
> >>5ft 6")
>
> I can't see how one bike would adequately fit the two of you.
>
> >>I definitely would prefer to put all Campy on the bike, but is there any way to use Campy with
> >>straight handle bars, i.e. without the campy ergopower shifters?
>
> > It would be a lot less trouble to just use a Shimano derailleur. I think your plan is misguided
> > and is going to result in endless tinkering to obtain satisfactory shifting. I would always use
> > Campy by choice but the bike you're building should just be done with Shimano parts unless you
> > can use Campy d.t. levers.
>
> I agree. Rapidfile shifters will work fine for the rear, and can be adjusted for the front, too,
> (using a road derailleur). Or, use a Shimano mountain front derailleur and it will all work
> perfectly.
>
> My wife wanted cruiser bars on her road bike. Knowing the better part of valor in this instance, I
> put them on, along with Rapidfire shifters, and she is quite satisfied with the setup.
>
> >
> >>If I put a normal MTB levers on the bike, which problems would I have to expect using race
> >>brakes with brake levers made for V-brakes?
>
> They will work OK. Some shimano levers have three positions for the brake cable -- for relative
> amounts of "strength", that is, cable pull per given motion of the lever. Putting them on a
> "strong" setting will better fit road brakes.
>
> --
>
> David L. Johnson
>
> __o | Enron's slogan: Respect, Communication, Integrity, and _`\(,_ | Excellence. (_)/ (_) |
 
"Carsten Beyer" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> If I put a normal MTB levers on the bike, which problems would I have to expect using race brakes
> with brake levers made for V-brakes?
>
As of last year, the only aero brake levers that worked properly with V brakes were made by
Dia-Compe they were not integrated brake / shift levers

> Is there any way to build up a 10spd bike with straight handle bars?

You could use friction shift levers, either bar end or down tube type.

I think you are getting into more headache and expense than anybody needs. Get your significant
other her own bicycle. There is too much disparity bewteen your body sizes.
 
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