how do i Remove drop handlebars

[heather68]

hi, total newbie here, id like to change my drop handlebars to narrower compact bars ive bought for my btwin triban shimano hoods but for the life of me dont know where to start
all advise greatfully received tia

 

[gbb]

You need to break it down into stages heather...
The bar tape needs to come off to allow you to detatch the cables from your original bars.
You can probably remove the shifters from the bars without disconnecting the cables. There's usually a screw under the hood (depending on specific shifter type). Loosen the screw and the shifters will slide off the now untapped bars.
Undo the stem end cap and the bars will come off the bike..
You may, or may not (IMO probably may not) be able to re-use the bartape...its prone to ripping as you remove it.

Re-assembly ?...fit bars to bike, re-fit the shifters, tape bars...taping the bars is probably the hardest bit.

 

[heather68]

i have replaced the stem with a shorter one already really straightforward even for me but cant get the shifters off the old bar not sure how to release as not obvious bolts etc

 

[heather68]

gbb, thanks for the reply, havent taken the tape off yet, once i take it off how do i detatch the cables?, cant see a screw under the hood?

 

[roadrash]

pull the brake lever and look into the gap (from the front of the bike)created when you pull the lever you should see an allen key head,or screw head , loosen this and then slide off the brake levers

 

[smokeysmoo]

Assuming it's a T3 then the shifters are Shimano 2300, and the Shimano Tech document for them is HERE.

roadrash is spot on and gbb says you may be able to do it without removing the cables, although you may need to release the cable tension at the mechs. Try without doing, but if your struggling to get a 5mm allen wrench onto the nut then you may need to.

Take your time, take photos for reference if need be, but rest assured it's not a difficult job. The hardest part IMO is re-aligning the shifters level on the new bars.

 

[heather68]

roadrash, cant see anything at al no allen key or screw head visible!

 

[smokeysmoo]

roadrash, cant see anything at al no allen key or screw head visible!

Have a look at the installation section of the tech doc I linked to in post #7. I'll expand the pic here but all the details are there

 

[heather68]

hi all, managed to locate and loosen the screw finally lol, other half gonna give me a hand tommorow, been reluctant to try remove bar in case i break the bike!, thanks a lot guys!!!

 

[Scoosh]

One of the joys I've found with doing my own stuff on the bike(s) is that there is loads of information out there and on here - and most tasks are actually quite easy !

Very satisfying.

heather for giving it a go !

 

[heather68]

many thanks to all the guys offering advice, with the help of my other half job done this morning....wrapping the bars wasnt as bad as i thought and for a beginner not to bad finish....very satisfying scoosh to have given it a go!!! next step is to start thinking about new brake pads...

 

[zombiemiked]

Swapping out pads will be a doddle compared to swapping bars

 

[beatlejuice]

hi, total newbie here, id like to change my drop handlebars to narrower compact bars ive bought for my btwin triban shimano hoods but for the life of me dont know where to start
all advise greatfully received tia

As a fellow T3 owner what handle bars have you brought?

 

[heather68]

beatlejuice, ive bought eddy meryk finishing kit from planet x, for £40 got 38cm bars, 80cm stem, tape and prolongo saddle....in petite so needed narrow bar and stem....great quality kit for the price...