I have a hybrid bike, a cannnondale Quick CX. I’m super new to cycling and bikes so I’m not really well versed in informed. I’ve been seeing lots of road bikes with dropbars and super thin wheels and my thought was if I could do the same to my current bike. was thinking to get a new road bike completely but my current bike is my first and I’m rlly tight on cash 🙁 so I was asking if i should or not and if I should what are some of the upgrades I should do?
by kazumipro
7 Comments
You get get rid of the triple ring and whatever? It is a road bike already isn’t it? I say…leave it as is.
I would save up for a used road bike, ideally something with a carbon front fork and a compact (2x) chainset. Drop bars do look fast but they’re not the be all and end-all. Enjoy riding what you’ve got for now!
The real question is how you are using your bike, and what about its current state is creating a problem?
The best upgrades are usually the touch points (grips, seat, pedals) to make it more comfortable and inviting to ride. If you need speed, consider better tires to match your terrain, maybe faster rolling slicks for good pavement, or larger knobbier tires for gravel pathways.
Converting it to a road bike is an expensive proposition that is rarely outright worth it, and should only be considered if you are attached to this bike and really want drop bars for some reason. I have a mix of bikes including drop bars, and multiple swept back “alt” bars. If I just want to go out for a recreational ride I will grab the bike with big tires, an upright position, and swept back flat bars. If I want to keep up with the club rides where all the retirees on the ride do nothing but cycle I have to grab my drop bar bike and hold on for dear life.
One of my regrets in this hobby Was trading in my trusty hybrid bike in order to buy my first roadie. I loved my first road bike, but it was quickly upgraded. I wish that I had simply went N +1 because I’d still be riding it on easy days.
you *can* do it, but by the time you replace everything you need to replace, you’re at least half-way to a slightly used road bike. you’re better off saving up for a dedicated road bike. you should go to a shop and get fitted because your position on the bike will be different and so the sizing may be different. also, think about how you use the bike: are you commuting? training for a gran fondo? just going for 20-50 mile rides? bike packing? what you do (and want to do) will inform what kind of bike you use
No
Based on your current setup(where your saddle is and where your bars are, how long your stem is, etc.), I wouldn’t.
If your saddle was . much higher and you had a very long stem, then you’d be good to change it to a drop bar.
But since you have probably a 10cm stem and a low saddle, a drop bar conversion with the same stem would yield you a very long reach to the shifters. You’d need a much shorter stem to have the same effective reach to the brakes/shifters.
If you still want to do it, you’d have to consider the cost. I think the direction depends on the current drivetrain you have and how worn out the components are that you have. If you have to replace a bunch of stuff anyways, I might wait until cues drop bar setup releases in the next few months and go with Shimano cues. If you don’t want to wait, 10 speed tiagra is fantastic and relatively inexpensive. Sora 9 speed is also very good, but I quite like 10 speed.
If you want cheaper, you can get bar end shifters and brake levers. That should also allow you to use the derailleurs you currently have without changing anything else.