Drop Bar Conversion on the Cheap...Help

[RGJCPU]

Let me just state for the record I'm relatively new to modern day cycling.

I bought a Vilano Diverse 3.0 for $265.00. Money is tight and I want to get back into shape. I love the bike accept for the flat bar. I grew up with drop bars and I prefer them over flat bars. I have spent well over 40hrs searching for an economical way to convert to drop bars. I have gone to several local shops asking if this can be done for $80 -90.00 and I've been laughed at or told it's impossible. The quotes I've been given would almost cost as much as the bike! Ebay and Amazon are make my head hurt with all the parts, pieces, conflicting titles and complexity.

So, I'm tossing this out to all of you. I'm including hyperlinks of what I have found & need to know if these parts will work:
1. A STEM.EXT-7°) 90mm $9.50
2. Drop Bars (Aluminum) $17.00
3. Drop Bar Brake Levers $17.00
4. 3x8 shifters (Don't know, can't find) Here are my preferences in order:
1. Shimano ST-2203 Dual Control Lever 3x8 - Can't find anywhere, don't know what handle to pair it with
2. Dual Control Break shifters - I don't care make model or weight.
3. Handel-bar Mount Shifters - Can't find for 3x8
4. Down Tube Shifters - Can't find for 3x8 and my Down tube diameter is too big (16cm)
5. Bar-End - Least favorite option but I will go with this if the price point is right.

 

[tincaman]

What you may not have considered is that after the conversion your bike may not fit you anymore. The reach to the handlebars will be further than you have now and you might find the bike is now too big.

 

[RGJCPU]

What you may not have considered is that after the conversion your bike may not fit you anymore. The reach to the handlebars will be further than you have now and you might find the bike is now too big.

I thought about that and dialed back the stem length from 100mm to 90mm....again, I'm kind of shootin in the dark here

 

[cyberknight]

If you wan to use 8 speed triple stis like claris you would need to change your front mech as mtb and road front have different cable pull, the same goes for mtb disc brakes and road brakes, to use the claris 8 speed you would need t change the calipers to road .

I did the same conversion on my rigid mtb and i went for aero brake levers for linear brakes , tektro rl 340 s with bar end shifters to save mucking about with cable pull and it works very nicely and cheaply .
As far as reach goes i was lucky enough to get a short reach bar so i needed a longer stem but thats something you will have to play with.

 

[RGJCPU]

First off, that bike looks awesome! OK, so where can I find 3x8 bar end shifters and a short reach drop bar? I looked at the Tektro RL 340's but I wasn't sure if they would work with the disc breaks...I guess they do.

Thank you for responding

 

[boydj]

Try to find Dia-Compe bar-end shifters - they are friction, so are not sensitive to the number of gears. I used mine for 3x10.

 

[KneesUp]

I've got 8 speed bar ends on my MTB drop bar also.

I ended up with a longer stem than I'd anticipated getting, along with some John Tomac Cinelli drop bars from Planet-X - which seem to be an absolute bargain at the moment.

I started off with a short stem and very shallow bars because that is what everyone told me I'd need, but it was too short in reach for me. I bought an adjustable stem to try out various angles in the end - although it doesn't help with reach.

I have Shimano 8 speed shifters, although my rear hanger is a little out of line at the moment, so I run them on the friction setting, which is easy enough with 8 speed. Most (all?) Shimano shifters that aren't brake levers too have a friction/indexed dial on the shifter for the rear. The front has no indexed option, because it's simple - move it as far as it will go one way and it's on the small front, as far as it will go the other way and it's on the large, and move it halfway inbetween and you're on the middle. And of course you can trim it easily if you need to.

EDIT - There are two very similar Tekro levers, the RL340 (which I have) which work with cantilever brakes, and the RL520, which is for use with V-brakes. The two systems have different cable pulls. I think (and please, please check) that generally speaking if you are using MTB discs you want the 520s, whereas with 'road' discs you want the 340s.

 

[cyberknight]

First off, that bike looks awesome! OK, so where can I find 3x8 bar end shifters and a short reach drop bar? I looked at the Tektro RL 340's but I wasn't sure if they would work with the disc breaks...I guess they do.

Thank you for responding

front mech shifter is a friction shift , you soon get used to it .
i got mine second hand , new
http://www.chainreactioncycles.com/shimano-ultegra-6480-8sp-bar-end-shifter-set/rp-prod13649

Bars ?
depends if you have oversize or standard clamp?
http://www.chainreactioncycles.com/...gclid=CPOuz-Dw-M0CFRUTGwodh9kNMw&gclsrc=aw.ds

 

[Poacher]

Since you quote prices in dollars, as do your ebay links, can I presume you're in Olympia, Washington, rather than Olympia in West London?
While the links to Planet X and Chain Reaction Cycles will be useful in showing what's available, postage and possible import duty charges may make purchase from these sites over your budget. That said, all the advice so far is sound!

 

[Gravity Aided]

I believe there is a Planet X in Portland, Oregon, now.
Chain Reaction has free shipping on orders over $100.00, I believe.

 

[Ajax Bay]

I bought a Vilano Diverse 3.0 for $265.00. Money is tight and I want to get back into shape. I love the bike accept(sic) for the flat bar.

You may not want to hear this but if you want a bike with drop handlebars, sell this and buy one.

 

[fossyant]

Have you thought of bar ends or ergo grips.

 

[Gravity Aided]

Butterfly bars? (image from the web).

 

[KneesUp]

You may not want to hear this but if you want a bike with drop handlebars, sell this and buy one.

It may have escaped your notice, but there is no reason why the same frame can't be used with flat bars or drop bars - it just takes the right stem. There are lots of bikes out there you can buy in either drop bar or flat bar versions with the same frame - the Planet-X London Road being one example.

The conversion cost for my 25 year old fully rigid MTB to drop bar commuter/tourer/utility bike-thing was:

1 x pair of drop bars (£10 from Planet-X at the moment for the ones I have)
1 x 100mm stem with a bit of a rise to get the bars up a bit (£4 I think, Planet X sale)
Pair of Tektro RL340s (£15 - Planet X - I live not far from the Sheffield showroom so it's handy for me - I'm not an employee!)
Pair of Shimano bar end shifters (£20 eBay)
Genetic quill to ahead converter and extension (£12 - SJS)
Some cables and bar tape (£20 max)

And for that (plus the £26 I gave for the bike and replacing a few parts that were wear and tear items anyway) I have a bike that is very comfortable, with a nice frame (Tange Infinity) and that is pretty much indestructible. It's a bottle cage mount and front pannier mounts different from a £1200 Ridgeback Panorama. Except mine has bar end shifters instead of SIS levers, so it's more durable.

 

[Ajax Bay]

It may have escaped your notice, but there is no reason why the same frame can't be used with flat bars or drop bars

Nope - notice not escaped. But since this is a new bike to the OP, any particular affinity is as yet short lived. As a project it's great but value for money it is unlikely to be. I had bar end shifters on my bike at school, in the seventies: they worked well and were unusual (cf downtube levers). I agree they are more durable than STIs. Also worth making sure that the rider is completely comfortable in the drops as the little fingers need to be in range.
To your costs (and thank you for taking the trouble to articulate), worth adding in (assume you judge these 'wear and tear items') complete set of cables, some new bits of outer (maybe all), bar tape: all up say £100 ($140) to convert to drop bars.