Drop bar conversion on my MTB

[HumpTdumpty]

How easy/hard feasible is it to convert my old GT MTB aggressor 3 (pictured)into a drop bar version ?

As a number of you know my mechanical skill level re my eventual completion of the drive train, brakes etc this past winter project - I wanted again to ask your advice as once again this would be a first attempt job and I have no idea re leavers and linking it all together if I go ahead ?

Any advice much appreciated as ever

 

[figbat]

It’s possible, yes. I turned an old Trek rigid MTB into a drop-barred gravel bike. It depends a lot on your brakes and gears - what brakes do you intend to run? I put cable discs on but they are road-specific ones that work with the Tiagra shifters that I put on. These also work with the 10-speed gears that I also set up. You may need to play with stem length to get a good fit - mine was an old skool MTB with a very long stem; I fitted a shorter one with flared drops and it’s a great fit.

 

[T4tomo]

there are a lot of threads on this you can search for and read.

It can be more complicated than it first looks give compatibility / pull ratio's of shifters to derailleurs and brake levers to calipers.

i.e. you may end up having to replace the latter in each case to accommodate the former, which can be expensive if you go new, or relatively cheap if you buy used (consider a donor bike you can strip for parts) and resell your flat bar compatible bits.

 

[fossyant]

Don't !

Leave is as it is.

 

[All uphill]

I have done this too, and it worked out well.

What are you trying to achieve? I did it in lockdown for a bit of fun and for the learning.

My advice is to spend some time working out exactly what parts you will need - and double check that everything will work together. I simplified everything by using friction bar-end shifters.

Check you will feel comfortable with the reach to the tops.

Look at the cost of the parts and then consider whether you might be better off buying the bike you want this to be.

 

[Cycleops]

Here's RJs guide:

View: https://youtu.be/f1vSHauv1VY

 

[figbat]

I have done this too, and it worked out well.

What are you trying to achieve? I did it in lockdown for a bit of fun and for the learning.

My advice is to spend some time working out exactly what parts you will need - and double check that everything will work together. I simplified everything by using friction bar-end shifters.

Check you will feel comfortable with the reach to the tops.

Look at the cost of the parts and then consider whether you might be better off buying the bike you want this to be.

This. I did mine as a project - I worked out the kinks and it gave me something to do. I tried to do it on the cheap although I imagine it cost me more to do than if I bought an old, used gravel bike. In the end I got a great bike that I know inside out.

 

[bikingdad90]

I converted a Cannondale Trail 7. The main problem I had was chainline. As it was a 29er, it had quite wide chainstays which meant that I needed a long BB to clear them in order to go to a double from a triple but in doing so it created an issue with the front mech not throwing far enough and it grated on the guide as road levers don’t pull as much as MTB levers, I couldn’t get the tension required with a 50/34 chainset.

In the end I dropped on a 34/46 chainset and it’s 1/2mm away from the chainstay but works nicely! It’s a stretched out position so i had to put a short stem on but great for gravel/rough road commuting.

 

[HumpTdumpty]

Thanks everyone lots of things to consider

 

[Seevio]

It's not a law of the universe or anything but I reckon you are going to want to factor in the cost of some non-suspension forks as well.

 

[marzjennings]

Do it, I did and I built up one of the best bikes I’ve ever had. It’s a lot of fun to build such a bike, but it’s just not cheap to do so. You will buy parts that won’t fit and probably have to buy them at least three times.

 

[T4tomo]

Do it, I did and I built up one of the best bikes I’ve ever had. It’s a lot of fun to build such a bike, but it’s just not cheap to do so. You will buy parts that won’t fit and probably have to buy them at least three times.

View attachment 698420

Now beauty is in the eye of the beholder, but that is a special sort of ugly🤣
I assume the parts that didn't fit were the derailleurs!?

 

[marzjennings]

Now beauty is in the eye of the beholder, but that is a special sort of ugly🤣
I assume the parts that didn't fit were the derailleurs!?

Beautiful it isn’t, but it’s comfy as heck, 3” inch tires, 700mm wide bars when in the drops, brooks saddle nicely warped to my sit bones. It’s my go to bike for hours in the saddle.

I started out with a rear mech, bought a set of GRX 810’s brakes and derailleur, but couldn’t get on with the spongy’ness of the brakes and naff shifting so that all went in the parts bin. There are no hills within hundred miles of where I live, so single speed works great for this bike. The TRP brake levers have been great and work really well with the Hopes.

 

[HumpTdumpty]

Thanks everyone I think @ this time it will remain a retirement project type thing for later I love my GT as it is for climbing so maybe a new saddle @ the moment and that’s it.

Incidentally I have a year old Ribble CGR 725 steel version with a 28 on the back so with a bigger climbing cassette and rear mech compatible etc will fix “my itch” to climb on a drop bar I think ?