Flat bar riding position

[ChrisEyles]

Hi All,

I've been exclusively riding a road bike for the last several years, and love the riding positions available with a set of drop bars (non ergo, straight ones in my case). I use the drops around 1/3 of the time for commuting (more for long rides), and tend to ride on the hoods the rest of the time.

Anyways, I'm now considering a hybrid for a new commuting bike (because my current road bike is a golden oldie with a 53/42 front crankset and 26t biggest back cog, and I'm... ahem... struggling a bit up the 9% average mile long hill on the way into work).

My question is, what riding positions are available with a flat bar hybrid?

I tried one out the other day in my LBS (a specialised sirrus - basically a flat bar road bike with a triple crankset), and it felt a bit like riding a boat - super wide bars and a super high stem. I was thinking about some combination of the following:

1) Get a bigger frame size than usual with a longer top bar to stretch out the riding position

2) Turn the stem upside down to lower the handle bars and get into a slightly more aggressive riding position

3) Put on some bar ends to stretch out the riding position... Since the flat bar is so long I'd be happier with these closer towards the middle of the bar (not as far as a tri bar, but somewhere in between) rather than out at the ends

4) these look somewhat dubious to me, but if anyone has had good experiences with them I'll give it a go:
http://www.sjscycles.co.uk/origin8-pro-pulsion-road-ends-drop-bar-bar-ends-black-prod18606/

Any thoughts?

 

[Peteaud]

Just buy a road bike with better gears.

 

[ChrisEyles]

yep, that's the obvious solution, can totally see where you're coming from!

problem is I'm on a tight budget - let's say £350 including mud guards and rear rack. while it's possible to get a road bike (or a BLO, I'm not quite sure) for this, I'm not atall confident it would stand up to the number of miles I'll be piling on it with my commute, whereas the hybrids I've looked at seem a lot more robust for this price range.

plus, if I'm honest, I love my old Cinelli so much I'm not looking for a replacement, more something a bit different

 

[Peteaud]

You won,t get a better quality bike just going for flat bars, but if you really want flats then i would add bar ends.

 

[ChrisEyles]

is there anything worth getting with drop bars for £300? bearing in mind durability is what I'm going for here. a touring bike with wide ranged gears would be perfect, but well out of my current budget

 

[Peteaud]

The Triban 3 gets rave reviews on here (have a search for posts) last years red version was better than this years, but even so they are very good bikes.

They also do flat bar bikes.

http://www.decathlon.co.uk/triban-3-a-id_8239800.html

 

[ChrisEyles]

I have a friend with one of these (the white model), he gets on with it very well. Do you reckon it would stand up to year round commuting, around 100 miles per week? This was more my worry with the cheaper road bikes.

 

[jowwy]

I have a friend with one of these (the white model), he gets on with it very well. Do you reckon it would stand up to year round commuting, around 100 miles per week? This was more my worry with the cheaper road bikes.

if you clean and maintain it properly i don't see why not - every bike has parts that will wear out at some point and need replacing

 

[Peteaud]

I think there are a few on here who have used them for commutes.

Post the question and i am sure you will get the fan club along.

To be fair any bike of that price is going to have pretty much the same components. Just give it a real good set up check over, grease, lube etc and all should be well.

I know a guy on a Halfords bike who has done some serious miles this year and only needed a chain.

http://www.halfords.com/webapp/wcs/..._productId_888017_langId_-1_categoryId_165710

 

[HLaB]

If you prefer the comfort of your old bike lower its gearing ? Fit a 11-28 cassette and/or swap the inside cog for a 39 (if its a traditional double, which I'd guess it is given its currently a 42/53).

 

[ChrisEyles]

My current bike is an old late 50s/early 60s Cinelli (don't know the model, trying to find out a bit more about it as it may or may not be worth a bit), with all period parts, so I don't really want to switch to a compact/triple crankset - otherwise, good suggestion. Also I love the down tube friction shifters, so don't want to stick on an 8+ speed cassette (currently on 5 speed freewheel).

Parts I would worry about wearing out on a cheap bike would be the bottom bracket and maybe the bearings in the rear wheel. Pretty much everything else I agree you just have to change as and when it wears out.

I'm interested to hear that the halfords carrera zelos is worth considering, I'd kind of written that off after asking some questions in shop and getting a blank face from the staff. Maybe I'll take it for a test spin and see how the geometry compares to my current ride. Would have to check that I can get mudguards and paniers to fit this (or the Triban 3).

Thanks for all the suggestions, people!

 

[ChrisEyles]

Edit: actually I could stick a 39t small cog on the crankset without spoiling the old school looks - but I'm not sure it would give me quite enough to get up the hill in question. Plus I get on really well with the 42t for rolling/flat rides.

 

[Peteaud]

Does not matter the cost of the bike, its all about setting it up.

Either of the above bikes are fine, but to be safe i would re grease the BB and wheels and get it all set up 100%.

Might cost a few £ at the lbs but worth it in the long run.

 

[ChrisEyles]

Nice to hear some advice that doesn't involve a £600+ splurge to get something rideable!

I'll check out the zelos and if it rides nicely, do exactly as you suggest.

 

[vickster]

The red Triban has a triple, carbon fork and will take a rack and guards

I'd buy that over any entry level offering from Halfords