Porsche924
Well-Known Member
- Location
- South Wales
I would like to convert my drop handle bars to a straight one. Can anyone help?
Handle bars.
- Thread starter Porsche924
- Start date
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vickster
Legendary Member
You’ll need a new handlebar, grips, brakes, shifters that are compatible with your mechs and cables. It’s not necessarily a cheap fix (especially if you can’t do the work yourself) and also the geometry can be all wrong. I did it and the bike was too small once converted even with 3cm more stem! I sold to a friend 3 inches shorter than me in the end!
if you search the forum, you’ll find several threads on this subject
if you search the forum, you’ll find several threads on this subject
Ajax Bay
Guru
- Location
- East Devon
Best way is to buy a bike which already has the shape of bar you want (selling current one optional). Even as a 'project' it will, in the end, offer no satisfaction.
Cycleops
Legendary Member
- Location
- Accra, Ghana
Sure it's doable but might be costly if using new components.
Why not try some ,'cross top levers' on the drop bars and see how you get on with them?
View: https://youtu.be/K2ZgNrS7hSc
Why not try some ,'cross top levers' on the drop bars and see how you get on with them?
View: https://youtu.be/K2ZgNrS7hSc
Is it the bike in your avatar picture? If so, then the gears won't be affected.
Where on the drops do you hold for a comfortable position? If on the brake hoods, then you will be about 3" forward of the stem, so to emulate this with straight bars, you would need a longer stem or fit bar ends. But the latter will give a very similar position to using the brake hoods so makes the exercise a bit pointless.
If you go ahead, you will need different brake levers designed for straight bars. The road brakes you have now rely on the curvature of the bars to get required leverage.
If keeping the existing stem, measure the diameter of you current bars before you buy. There are some odd measurements out there.
Good luck
Where on the drops do you hold for a comfortable position? If on the brake hoods, then you will be about 3" forward of the stem, so to emulate this with straight bars, you would need a longer stem or fit bar ends. But the latter will give a very similar position to using the brake hoods so makes the exercise a bit pointless.
If you go ahead, you will need different brake levers designed for straight bars. The road brakes you have now rely on the curvature of the bars to get required leverage.
If keeping the existing stem, measure the diameter of you current bars before you buy. There are some odd measurements out there.
Good luck
DCBassman
Guru
- Location
- The lumpy far South West
Agree with everything so far. However, it CAN work, it depends on your personal geometry. I started with a bike toward the larger end of what fits me. I have short limbs and long torso. That made it do-able, and I'm still riding the bike four years on. If you have long limbs, it will probably be as @vickster says, too small. And if you're not going to do all the work yourself, it'll be cheaper to buy the bike you want, ready to go.
andrew_s
Legendary Member
- Location
- Gloucester
Tiagra 4700 has flat bar shifters and brake levers, so you may not need to change front & rear mechs, brake calipers etc., leaving just the handlebars and stem on top of the levers.
Road bike stem & top tube lengths generally make allowance for the forward throw of the drop section of the drop bars, and if you just put a flat bar in the same stem, you'll effectively move your usual hand position backwards 10 cm or so (from hoods to tops)
Road bike stem & top tube lengths generally make allowance for the forward throw of the drop section of the drop bars, and if you just put a flat bar in the same stem, you'll effectively move your usual hand position backwards 10 cm or so (from hoods to tops)
