I have finally got around to converting my subway to drops. Bontrager drop bars off flea bay , less than £10 Tektro rl 520 linear aero brake levers £15.99 8 speed/ friction left bar end shifters second hand £8 Bar tape £6.99 Cables , i had in stock Longer stem as the bars are a really short reach , in stock I might flip the stem yet as this is the initial set up , all indexed and test ridden
Mmmmm, those bar end shifters look like they could be awkward to use on the road, the bike looks a little like a cx.
Tested the shifters on the road , as the drops are really compact so they are easy enough to reach and certainly more comfy for me than flat bars.
This is the old 26 " wheeled one , came with semi knobblies so i would call it a MTB, it doesnt need to be a full suss downhill machine to go of road no matter how much the adverts try to convince us that you need suspension to ride anywhere.
Changed the cassette to an 11-28 today as i found the gaps a bit big on the on 11 -32 , i think i will keep the stem angle because if i drop it lower i might find the shifters harder to reach .
Rode to work yesterday , maybe 2 minutes faster than when it was stock but obviously on the hills is where it struggles due to its weight.
I've been toying with attempting this with my old ridgeback 604 mountain bike as I find the flat bars uncomfortable now. I hadn't considered bar end shifters as I have sti levers from another bike. food for thought, cheers
You could use your sti s , you would need a road front mech and you might get the right cable pull for your v brakes (?) with travel adaptors http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Problem-S...e606535&pid=100011&rk=1&rkt=1&sd=400844182645 I find the bar end shifters easy enough to use but im lucky enough to have picked up really compact set of drops .
thanks for posting the link. I think this may be a long term project so this info is pretty useful. I am actually thinking of new CX wheels to replace the 26 inch so there will be other considerations. cheers.
Update ... Im finding the bars a bit narrow as they are 38s and it looks weird from the cockpit due to the chunkiness of everything else, considering moving to 42s or would bull horns work if i used the shifters ala TT ones at the bul horns ? summat like this with the shifters at the end?
@cyberknight It's been a while since I've been on this thread and my old MTB now looks like this Strong as an Ox and stubborn too. It doesn't matter how many bikes I have, I still really enjoy riding this. The brakes need improving and the drivetrain needs tinkering with but I just can't see past it for everyday use.
