Hey everyone, I need some advice on upgrading my bike. I have an old aluminum-frame Adriatica that I absolutely love—it's been with me through countless trips and is my daily commuter. Since I want to make it more comfortable for bikepacking, I figured now might be a good time for some upgrades.
Recently, the crankset broke, and I had to replace the bottom bracket as well. The left shifter also needs to be replaced. So, instead of just fixing the broken parts, I was considering making some changes to improve the bike overall.
At first, I thought about doing a drop bar conversion, but I'm not sure if it's possible. My bike currently has a 3×7 drivetrain, and I saw that microSHIFT makes 3×7 drop bar shifters. However, I don’t know much about their quality or if they’d be compatible with my existing components. Then I came across the Surly Corner Bar as an alternative to traditional drop bars, but I have the same questions—what kind of shifters and brake levers would work with my current setup?
Since I already have to replace the crankset, I’m also wondering if I should swap it for something different to make the upgrade easier. Right now, I have a SunRace triple (48/38/28), which I love because it gives me good speed on flats and an easy enough gear for climbs. Would it make sense to change it, or should I stick with something similar?
I know this might be a bit of work, and maybe not entirely worth it, but I’d really like to keep using this bike instead of buying a new one. Before I commit, I wanted to get some opinions from people who know more about compatibility and upgrades.
Also, I need to increase the reach, but I already have a longer stem—I just need to swap it.
Any thoughts or advice would be greatly appreciated! Thanks!
by EliaGambelli
1 Comment
If you love it currently, I wouldn’t convert to drop bars. Why mess with success. Instead I would stay 3*7, add some bar inners to add a hand position, and put on wider tires. Maybe add a rear rack. That’s all I would do.