Flat Bar Road Bike

Ian said:

I have an early 90's Trek 2300 Alu / Carbon road bike which I haven't
riden now for a good few years now and want I now want is a flat bar
bike to ride to work, is it worth me converting the Trek from drop to
flat or am I better off selling the Trek (if its still worth anything)
and buying a new bike ?? Any advice and recommendations (components
etc) very much appreciated.

I'd explore other options if you were to keep it. Conversion is
doable, especially if you find shifters on sale, but not the
cheapest---or likely even the most comfy.

I'm guessing the problem is that you don't want to bend over? If you
have a quill stem, then a Nitto Technomic will get your hands up:
lickbike.comproductpage.aspOpen ↗
If you've got a threadless setup, grab a Delta stem extender. I use
one on a bike, and they're solid as a rock. Usually $20, but I think
Nashbar has them for a tenner now. You'll might need longer cables
with either method.

For the bars, you can keep the originals if they're comfy higher, or
when you get the stem, choose a shorter reach and try something like a
moustache bar or On-One midge bar (this will require a mtb sized stem
clamp). Both will let you use your brifters.

If you want flat or riser bars, you'll need a new stem, shifter pods,
and brake levers--make sure to get the ones that are for cantilevers
or calipers, like the Tektro RT354AG, which has adjustable pull.

I've become partial to moustache bars myself over the past few months--
especially as I got them up high enough. Super on the road, and
brilliant on fire roads. Probably not so great for centuries.

Ian said:

I have an early 90's Trek 2300 Alu / Carbon road bike which I haven't
riden now for a good few years now and want I now want is a flat bar
bike to ride to work, is it worth me converting the Trek from drop to
flat or am I better off selling the Trek (if its still worth anything)
and buying a new bike ?? Any advice and recommendations (components
etc) very much appreciated.

Many Thanks

Ian

If the bike is in good enough shape, and you'll be able to get the
positioning you want out of it, and you can do the work, and you can
get the new components together at a price that's alright for you,
then it's worth it and really pretty straightforward. But plan on it
being a pretty significant project to DIY it. Also make sure that the
frame will give you what you need in terms of tire/fender clearance
and carrying capacity, or lack thereof.

If you need to have a shop do it using new components at full retail,
this kind of thing is rarely all that worthwhile.

Ian said:

I have an early 90's Trek 2300 Alu / Carbon road bike which I haven't
riden now for a good few years now and want I now want is a flat bar
bike to ride to work, is it worth me converting the Trek from drop to
flat or am I better off selling the Trek (if its still worth anything)
and buying a new bike ?? Any advice and recommendations (components
etc) very much appreciated.

Many Thanks

Ian

Raise your current drop bar one way or the other and you are done. Flat
bars are less comfortable IMO.

Lou
--
Posted by news://news.nb.nu (http://www.nb.nu)

Lou Holtman said:

Ian said:

I have an early 90's Trek 2300 Alu / Carbon road bike which I haven't
riden now for a good few years now and want I now want is a flat bar
bike to ride to work, is it worth me converting the Trek from drop to
flat or am I better off selling the Trek (if its still worth anything)
and buying a new bike ?? Any advice and recommendations (components
etc) very much appreciated.

Many Thanks

Ian

Raise your current drop bar one way or the other and you are done. Flat
bars are less comfortable IMO.

Lou

I find flat bars are nice for riding in town, my hands are always in
position to stop and shift, which is done more frequently in town. I
don't like riding drop bars in city situations, feel less in control of
making quick turns and such. I have drop bars for touring and road ,
but for my commuter it is a flat bar with a slight curve so the grips
are closer to my body, that reminds me that I am not on my mountain
bike and I can't jump anything, therefore saving my wheelsets.

I have converted several old raod bikes to flat bars, you need the
cable stop thingy on the downtube, if they were downtube shifters.
I never really paid attention to type of mountain bike style brake
lever, they all worked with the road brakes. I also didn't even change
the stem on some. good luck

futrino said:

I find flat bars are nice for riding in town, my hands are always in
position to stop and shift, which is done more frequently in town. I
don't like riding drop bars in city situations, feel less in control of
making quick turns and such.

Your hands shouldn't be on top of the bars if there's any possibility
that you'll need to brake or turn in a hurry. If you're not comfortable
on the hoods indefinitely, you should change their position (raise
the bars, shorten the stem or move the shifters up the bars).

Ian said:

I have an early 90's Trek 2300 Alu / Carbon road bike which I haven't
riden now for a good few years now and want I now want is a flat bar
bike to ride to work, is it worth me converting the Trek from drop to
flat or am I better off selling the Trek (if its still worth anything)
and buying a new bike ?? Any advice and recommendations (components
etc) very much appreciated.

What is uncomfortable for you now about riding with your hands on the
hoods?

On 2007-07-05, landotter <[email hidden]> wrote:

[ flat bar road bike conversion]

Quoted message said:

I'd explore other options if you were to keep it. Conversion is
doable, especially if you find shifters on sale, but not the
cheapest---or likely even the most comfy.

[...]

Quoted message said:

If you want flat or riser bars, you'll need a new stem, shifter pods,
and brake levers--make sure to get the ones that are for cantilevers
or calipers, like the Tektro RT354AG, which has adjustable pull.

The OP will also need a new front derailer if he wants indexed front
shifting, since the cable pull differs.

Steve Gravrock said:

On 2007-07-05, landotter <[email hidden]> wrote:

[ flat bar road bike conversion]

Quoted message said:

I'd explore other options if you were to keep it. Conversion is
doable, especially if you find shifters on sale, but not the
cheapest---or likely even the most comfy.

[...]

Quoted message said:

If you want flat or riser bars, you'll need a new stem, shifter pods,
and brake levers--make sure to get the ones that are for cantilevers
or calipers, like the Tektro RT354AG, which has adjustable pull.

The OP will also need a new front derailer if he wants indexed front
shifting, since the cable pull differs.

Indeed. If the bike is Shimano-equipped (highly likely), it will need
a FD-R443 front derailleur to work with "road" size chainrings and
"mountain" type indexed shifters. I have this setup on a couple of miy
bikes and it works perfectly.

Jeff

Michael Warner said:

Your hands shouldn't be on top of the bars if there's any possibility
that you'll need to brake or turn in a hurry. If you're not comfortable
on the hoods indefinitely, you should change their position (raise
the bars, shorten the stem or move the shifters up the bars).

Unless the bicycle has auxiliary inline brake levers, e.g.
<http://sheldonbrown.com/images/interrupter-levers.jpg>.

--
Tom Sherman - Holstein-Friesland Bovinia
The weather is here, wish you were beautiful

landotter? said:

....
I'm guessing the problem is that you don't want to bend over? If you
have a quill stem, then a Nitto Technomic will get your hands
up: http://www.lickbike.com/productpage.asp?PART_NUM_SUB='1173-10'
If you've got a threadless setup, grab a Delta stem extender. I use
one on a bike, and they're solid as a rock. Usually $20, but I think
Nashbar has them for a tenner now. You'll might need longer cables
with either method....

How about inverting the drop bars "DUI cyclist" style? 😉

--
Tom Sherman - Holstein-Friesland Bovinia
The weather is here, wish you were beautiful

Johnny Sunset aka Tom Sherman said:

Quoted message said:

Your hands shouldn't be on top of the bars if there's any possibility
that you'll need to brake or turn in a hurry. If you're not comfortable
on the hoods indefinitely, you should change their position (raise
the bars, shorten the stem or move the shifters up the bars).

Unless the bicycle has auxiliary inline brake levers, e.g.
<http://sheldonbrown.com/images/interrupter-levers.jpg>.

Cute, although I wouldn't want to brake with my hands so close to the
stem. I have my commuting bike set up with the bars higher and the hoods
closer than my racer.

In article <[email hidden]>,
[email hidden] says...

Quoted message said:

I have an early 90's Trek 2300 Alu / Carbon road bike which I haven't
riden now for a good few years now and want I now want is a flat bar
bike to ride to work, is it worth me converting the Trek from drop to
flat or am I better off selling the Trek (if its still worth anything)
and buying a new bike ?? Any advice and recommendations (components
etc) very much appreciated.

Many Thanks

Ian

I don't think it would be worth the trouble or expense. For the same
money as the conversion parts you could get a decent mountain bike and
just slap some slick tires on it. That's what I do for my commuter.
Another problem is that drop bar bikes have shorter top tubes, which
would make the riding position a little odd after installing a flat bar.

Michael Warner said:

futrino said:

I find flat bars are nice for riding in town, my hands are always in
position to stop and shift, which is done more frequently in town. I
don't like riding drop bars in city situations, feel less in control of
making quick turns and such.

Your hands shouldn't be on top of the bars if there's any possibility
that you'll need to brake or turn in a hurry. If you're not comfortable
on the hoods indefinitely, you should change their position (raise
the bars, shorten the stem or move the shifters up the bars).

ok, during my commute there are sidewalks, backyards, curbs and even
wide open streets. I come from a mountain biking backround and the semi
straight bars feel more confident in these situations, I have drop
bars with sti shifters on my touring bike, my road bike and my
cyclocross bike. I have taken the cyclocross on the mountain trails,
hell I even took my road bike on the mountain trails, and It hurts my
hands on the tops. My hoods are fine when I am out on the open road,
just for city riding, I really like a straight bar. open road drops.

Barnard Frederick said:

In article <[email hidden]>,
[email hidden] says...

Quoted message said:

I have an early 90's Trek 2300 Alu / Carbon road bike which I haven't
riden now for a good few years now and want I now want is a flat bar
bike to ride to work, is it worth me converting the Trek from drop to
flat or am I better off selling the Trek (if its still worth anything)
and buying a new bike ?? Any advice and recommendations (components
etc) very much appreciated.

Quoted message said:

Many Thanks

Quoted message said:

Ian

I don't think it would be worth the trouble or expense. For the same
money as the conversion parts you could get a decent mountain bike and
just slap some slick tires on it.

Delta stem raiser: $20
Shallow drop bar: $50
tape: $10

Under a hundred bucks--but I do agree it's gonna be at least $200 to
convert if you want some nice mtb bars, pod shifters, front mech and
levers. That's the price point that would drive me to craigslist.

That's what I do for my commuter.

Quoted message said:

Another problem is that drop bar bikes have shorter top tubes, which
would make the riding position a little odd after installing a flat bar.

That's sorta why I think a shallow drop, like a Midge or a moustache
bar with a stem raiser would be a nice choice--and a little fun and
funky to boot. Road to flat bar always look a little weird, so why not
just go for full blown weird. ;-D

http://www.pricepoint.com/detail/14502-195_ONOMD5-3-Parts-398-Handlebars/Road/On-One-Midge-Handle-Bar.htm

Why not try bullhorn bars (time trial)? You can make them yourself
from the existing drop bars. They seem quite popular here in
Chicago.
http://commutebybike.com/2006/11/11/how-to-make-your-own-bull-horn-handle-bars/
You can keep the brake levers and/or shifters though you might need to
do some recabling/housing. Do you have STI or Down tube shifters? You
also might prefer the higher stem.

landotter who? said:

Barnard Frederick said:

In article <[email hidden]>,
[email hidden] says...

Quoted message said:

I have an early 90's Trek 2300 Alu / Carbon road bike which I haven't
riden now for a good few years now and want I now want is a flat bar
bike to ride to work, is it worth me converting the Trek from drop to
flat or am I better off selling the Trek (if its still worth anything)
and buying a new bike ?? Any advice and recommendations (components
etc) very much appreciated.
Many Thanks
Ian

I don't think it would be worth the trouble or expense. For the same
money as the conversion parts you could get a decent mountain bike and
just slap some slick tires on it.

Delta stem raiser: $20
Shallow drop bar: $50
tape: $10

Under a hundred bucks--but I do agree it's gonna be at least $200 to
convert if you want some nice mtb bars, pod shifters, front mech and
levers. That's the price point that would drive me to craigslist.

That's what I do for my commuter.

Quoted message said:

Another problem is that drop bar bikes have shorter top tubes, which
would make the riding position a little odd after installing a flat bar.

That's sorta why I think a shallow drop, like a Midge or a moustache
bar with a stem raiser would be a nice choice--and a little fun and
funky to boot. Road to flat bar always look a little weird, so why not
just go for full blown weird....

Why choose between flat and drop bars (speaking of weirdness):
<http://sheldonbrown.org/thorn/images/thorn.jpg>?

--
Tom Sherman - Holstein-Friesland Bovinia
The weather is here, wish you were beautiful

--
Posted via a free Usenet account from http://www.teranews.com

Johnny Sunset aka Tom Sherman said:

landotter who? said:

Barnard Frederick said:

In article <[email hidden]>,
[email hidden] says...

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

> I have an early 90's Trek 2300 Alu / Carbon road bike which I haven't
> riden now for a good few years now and want I now want is a flat bar
> bike to ride to work, is it worth me converting the Trek from drop to
> flat or am I better off selling the Trek (if its still worth anything)
> and buying a new bike ?? Any advice and recommendations (components
> etc) very much appreciated.
> Many Thanks
> Ian
I don't think it would be worth the trouble or expense. For the same
money as the conversion parts you could get a decent mountain bike and
just slap some slick tires on it.

Quoted message said:

Delta stem raiser: $20
Shallow drop bar: $50
tape: $10

Quoted message said:

Under a hundred bucks--but I do agree it's gonna be at least $200 to
convert if you want some nice mtb bars, pod shifters, front mech and
levers. That's the price point that would drive me to craigslist.

Quoted message said:

That's what I do for my commuter.

Quoted message said:

Another problem is that drop bar bikes have shorter top tubes, which
would make the riding position a little odd after installing a flat bar.

Quoted message said:

That's sorta why I think a shallow drop, like a Midge or a moustache
bar with a stem raiser would be a nice choice--and a little fun and
funky to boot. Road to flat bar always look a little weird, so why not
just go for full blown weird....

Why choose between flat and drop bars (speaking of weirdness):
<http://sheldonbrown.org/thorn/images/thorn.jpg>?

Why choose between the YMCA and the road?

http://tinyurl.com/22fpf

Johnny Sunset aka Tom Sherman said:

Why choose between flat and drop bars (speaking of weirdness):
<http://sheldonbrown.org/thorn/images/thorn.jpg>?

He /really/ should install some bar-ends on that flat bar! Big ol' steer
horns...

futrino said:

ok, during my commute there are sidewalks, backyards, curbs and even
wide open streets.

Backyards? Do you get in some snowdropping on the way? :-)