TL;DR: It’s hard, expensive, and your bike’s geometry probably isn’t right for them.
youtellmebob on
Surly Corner Bars let the drop-curious experiment but lets you re-use your brake levers and shifters.
CaptainDeathsquirrel on
No
MagicManTX86 on
Get a road bike instead.
No-One1095 on
N + 1 time
Starfield00 on
Get a gravel bike instead. Because the geometry of the bike is different.
anna_or_elsa on
Might help if you say why you want to switch
I considered it, but then decided it’s not worth it. I got some inner bar ends to give me a riding on the drops feeling on a flat bar bike.
Ill_Initiative8574 on
Yes!!!!
I mean no.
swampgooch203 on
It’s heresy to alter the thongnhat
Moof_the_cyclist on
I have done it. As others have said you should NOT for a variety of reasons.
Here is what it took to convert my project bike.
Starting bike: 1995 Cary Fisher Alfresco frame, which started life as a rigid hybrid bike. I came as a rideable bike with a 3×9 mostly late 1990’s Deore LX drivetrain, non-stock wheels, and a quill stem to deal with. I am pretty sure only the frame and seatpost were stock. I have a warm spot for 90’s Gray Fisher’s which is what made me do this.
1. Bought Micronew 3×9 shifters despite some reviews warning against them. Also bought some Litepro brake pull converters to use the stock V-brakes. A quill stem adapter and a 70mm stem got the reach to match my reference road bike fit, something I put a lot of time and knowledge into getting right. I was in for about $150 on top of the original $100 bike cost.
2. Built it up and it was functional. Cranks felt too long (175 mm, I ride 165’s on most of my bikes, including both other drop bar bikes). I also hated the Micronew shifters, too cheap, and the brake actuation felt like garbage (pivot too low). At this point I set the bike aside for a while to ponder how to do it better.
3. A different project freed up a 2×11 M7000 SLX drive train, sadly also with overlong cranks. Some research turned up that Sensah SRX Pro shifters are the right pull ratio for 11 speed Shimano (mostly, sort of, long story…). So I ordered up an SRX Pro right shifter and a Empire 2x left shifter, Tektro mini V-brakes, 165 mm cranks, a 28t/38t set of chainrings, bar tape, a fresh chain, and color coordinated cable housings. I also needed to get a second clamp on cable stop since the front derailleur is front pull, while the bike is bottom pull routed. The frame came with one clamp on cable stop from whoever converted it from cantis to V-brakes. Another ~$250 or so into it.
4. Bike was rebuilt better this time, and instead of just trying to make it functional it finally was turning into something I was excited to finish and ride. Indexing was tricky, and basically it needs a tiny bit more pull than the shifters do (like just a little shy on one end or the other of the cassette). I ended up bending the hanger a tiny bit to compensate (don’t do this). I also ended up swapping the parts bin SRAM 11 speed chain for a matching Shimano one, and that finally got the shifting pretty darn perfect.
So ~$500 into it, not counting significant parts bin raiding for things like the derailleurs, cassette, bars, seat, BB, and pedals. I really like it, but there is no doubt it is a heavy steel bike that I didn’t really need. It clears up to 45mm tires, currently with the 40mm ones that came on it. It slots between my carbon gravel bike that mostly is in road bike duty and my Kona Sutra LTD that is basically a drop bat MTB.
tinhga2805 on
Okay thanks for the answers guys
pelofr on
I wouldn’t. Missing the more useful answer in this thread though:”Add some bar ends”
Something like Ergon GP3 or GP5, for me they make a big difference, I hold the ends 80% of the time.
14 Comments
No. Buy another bike instead
No.
Lots of threads on the subject.
TL;DR: It’s hard, expensive, and your bike’s geometry probably isn’t right for them.
Surly Corner Bars let the drop-curious experiment but lets you re-use your brake levers and shifters.
No
Get a road bike instead.
N + 1 time
Get a gravel bike instead. Because the geometry of the bike is different.
Might help if you say why you want to switch
I considered it, but then decided it’s not worth it. I got some inner bar ends to give me a riding on the drops feeling on a flat bar bike.
Yes!!!!
I mean no.
It’s heresy to alter the thongnhat
I have done it. As others have said you should NOT for a variety of reasons.
Here is what it took to convert my project bike.
Starting bike: 1995 Cary Fisher Alfresco frame, which started life as a rigid hybrid bike. I came as a rideable bike with a 3×9 mostly late 1990’s Deore LX drivetrain, non-stock wheels, and a quill stem to deal with. I am pretty sure only the frame and seatpost were stock. I have a warm spot for 90’s Gray Fisher’s which is what made me do this.
1. Bought Micronew 3×9 shifters despite some reviews warning against them. Also bought some Litepro brake pull converters to use the stock V-brakes. A quill stem adapter and a 70mm stem got the reach to match my reference road bike fit, something I put a lot of time and knowledge into getting right. I was in for about $150 on top of the original $100 bike cost.
2. Built it up and it was functional. Cranks felt too long (175 mm, I ride 165’s on most of my bikes, including both other drop bar bikes). I also hated the Micronew shifters, too cheap, and the brake actuation felt like garbage (pivot too low). At this point I set the bike aside for a while to ponder how to do it better.
3. A different project freed up a 2×11 M7000 SLX drive train, sadly also with overlong cranks. Some research turned up that Sensah SRX Pro shifters are the right pull ratio for 11 speed Shimano (mostly, sort of, long story…). So I ordered up an SRX Pro right shifter and a Empire 2x left shifter, Tektro mini V-brakes, 165 mm cranks, a 28t/38t set of chainrings, bar tape, a fresh chain, and color coordinated cable housings. I also needed to get a second clamp on cable stop since the front derailleur is front pull, while the bike is bottom pull routed. The frame came with one clamp on cable stop from whoever converted it from cantis to V-brakes. Another ~$250 or so into it.
4. Bike was rebuilt better this time, and instead of just trying to make it functional it finally was turning into something I was excited to finish and ride. Indexing was tricky, and basically it needs a tiny bit more pull than the shifters do (like just a little shy on one end or the other of the cassette). I ended up bending the hanger a tiny bit to compensate (don’t do this). I also ended up swapping the parts bin SRAM 11 speed chain for a matching Shimano one, and that finally got the shifting pretty darn perfect.
So ~$500 into it, not counting significant parts bin raiding for things like the derailleurs, cassette, bars, seat, BB, and pedals. I really like it, but there is no doubt it is a heavy steel bike that I didn’t really need. It clears up to 45mm tires, currently with the 40mm ones that came on it. It slots between my carbon gravel bike that mostly is in road bike duty and my Kona Sutra LTD that is basically a drop bat MTB.
Okay thanks for the answers guys
I wouldn’t. Missing the more useful answer in this thread though:”Add some bar ends”
Something like Ergon GP3 or GP5, for me they make a big difference, I hold the ends 80% of the time.
No. Try riding it upside down.