Hello, this year, I’m going to start my passion project of building myself a bike, specificaly semi gravel rando bike. My problem is that twice a year a want different handlebars, sometimes altbars, sometimes drops depends on what I think is looking good and what tickles my pickle that time. My idea is that I first build bike with drop and after some time a buy alts, shifters and brake levers and do the swap. Since I want my bike fully mechanical I thinks its doable.
Adding two pictures just for inspo
Thanks for responses!
by c0bray
5 Comments
whats the question now ? ypu answered everything you asked for.
Depends on what you want to do with the bike and what you like looks wise.
In general drops have more ways to grab them which is nice on long rides so you can variate hand positions. Alt bars are more relaxed and generally give a more upright riding position.
I think you should do exactly that. Chances are, however, that you are just going to stick with drop bars forever. 1. Because they are great. 2. Even though changing the bars is possible, it’s still a hassle (even with everything mechanical. Cables and housing might need different lenghts, etc…)
Russ from Path Less Pedaled has a video with some tips on this exact process:
https://youtu.be/BBuWS1e40F4?si=XjJM68ArhwKNAJky
Can be done, takes some forethought and planning.
Two bikes will be easier than swapping back and forth between two styles…
Have a completely separate set of cables for each bar, and stem if you are not running one with a removable faceplate. You will of course need to make sure the brake levers have the correct pull for the type of mechanical discs you have and compatible gear shifters (if any). I went through a few back and forth swaps with my wife’s bike when we had children as it would get to a point in pregnancy where she needed a more upright position. First time was a good few hours setting everything up but the second time was easier when I could just stick on the previous cockpit.