bicycle question - switching handle bars

[howard]

I got a new bike awhile ago, and I like it, Its a straight handle bar road bike. I've been thinking of getting drop bars and wasn't sure if it was possible to buy a drop bar, new drop bar style brakes/gear switcher, and install it.

Is it possible? Any idea how much this would cost? I've been looking at bike parts and the brake/shifters are around $100 and the handle bar would be around 50. Any help is appreciated.

Also, if anyone knows a good bike forum drop a link.

[medea]

yes it is possible. you could also go the route of getting a set of bar ends that happen to have drops or mustache bars and you won't have to change your other components.
the best bike forum is www.bikeforums.net.

[howard]

yes it is possible. you could also go the route of getting a set of bar ends that happen to have drops or mustache bars and you won't have to change your other components.
the best bike forum is www.bikeforums.net.


I have some normal bar ends, and looked at the drop bar bar ends but one thing I don't like about either of these is that I can't have the brakes right under my fingers when I'm using them.

[pseudobrit]

If the bike was under $500 it would be a wiser use of money to upgrade to a bike with drop bars from a local bike shop.

What's the bike?

[howard]

If the bike was under $500 it would be a wiser use of money to upgrade to a bike with drop bars from a local bike shop.

What's the bike?

its a giant fcr-3 2005 model.

thats kinda what i was afraid of. I like the bike as a whole, I just am starting to want the whole drop bar stance. I got the bike in the beginning of the summer and have wondered if I can do a sort of return/trade in upgrade thing, I just don't want to be that guy that tries to return a bike cause he didn't know what he wanted in the first place. and my bike shop has treated me well, i don't want to give them a hassle.

[pseudobrit]

See if they'll let you trade up. You might take a hit on the FCR, but try for a closeout road bike hung with with 105 or Veloce and a decent wheelset.

[medea]

what kind of riding do you do? I doubt you'd even need to spend the money on 105, something with sora or tiagra would be fine for you. if you can't work something out with the bike shop you could probably sell your bike for close to what you paid for it and get a road bike for not much more than the $500 range. The Giant OCR3 has an msrp of $650, if you can find model from last year it will be even cheaper.

[muffinman]

you know, im having the exact same problem.

i have the fuji absolute 3.0 road bike with straight bar handlebars. I want to get drop bars on it. how much will it cost to do it?

and no, i do not want to buy a new bike. I just got this bike, and it serves me well.

[howard]

you know, im having the exact same problem.

i have the fuji absolute 3.0 road bike with straight bar handlebars. I want to get drop bars on it. how much will it cost to do it?

and no, i do not want to buy a new bike. I just got this bike, and it serves me well.

if you happen to find a solution, please let me know!! I'lll do the same.

[Sesshi]

you know, im having the exact same problem.

i have the fuji absolute 3.0 road bike with straight bar handlebars. I want to get drop bars on it. how much will it cost to do it?

and no, i do not want to buy a new bike. I just got this bike, and it serves me well.

I went through the very thing as I was trying to see if the Specialized Sirrus could be made dual-duty. You need new brifters (brake lever + shifter - In your case look up Shimano Tiagra ST-4400 for a 9 x 3 shifter), new stem, new bars. I'm under the impression that the mini-V's need the same cable pull as road callipers so the Tiagra levers should work, but you'll need to check with a bike shop. If this isn't suitable, you'll need to buy a pair of calliper brakes as well. The brifters are $200 to start. Add bar + tape+ aheadset road stem of choice.

[pseudobrit]

I would get bigger tires, throw on a SS or fixie gear in the back and make a city commuter/road warrior out of the flat bar bike. The headaches of up-spec'ing a flat bar bike are just too much.

A nice road bike is going to be much better suited all around for long rides. If you're riding far enough to be bothered by not having the drops, you're riding far enough that the narrower seat, lighter weight, steering, geometry, etc. of a road bike will be very noticeable.

[Sesshi]

True. Not really worth trying to convert a flat into a drop.

I do like the idea of a road bike but I'm in a dilemma for what balance to go for. I sometimes like the idea of a folding bike, at other times I like the speed of a road bike, but at many other times I prefer the general speed+practicality+city usability of a flat bar bike. Which to go for? I'm not going to buy three bikes :confused:

[pseudobrit]

True. Not really worth trying to convert a flat into a drop.

I do like the idea of a road bike but I'm in a dilemma for what balance to go for. I sometimes like the idea of a folding bike, at other times I like the speed of a road bike, but at many other times I prefer the general speed+practicality+city usability of a flat bar bike. Which to go for? I'm not going to buy three bikes :confused:

How are drop bars less usable in the city or less practical than flat bars?

[Sesshi]

How are drop bars less usable in the city or less practical than flat bars?

Less hunched position = better all round visibility and awareness. Flat bars also afford better steering control than drops.

Plus I guess a flat bar on even what is essentially a road bike delays the onset of polka-dot fetishism and a total loss of any sense of colour coordination :p

[pseudobrit]

Less hunched position = better all round visibility and awareness. Flat bars also afford better steering control than drops.

Plus I guess a flat bar on even what is essentially a road bike delays the onset of polka-dot fetishism and a total loss of any sense of colour coordination :p

You can get any position you want with drop bars depending on your frame size, and adjusting your seat post, stem angle/length and stack height.

And I never sacrifice fashion for replica kit. I don't own a single stitch of team gear.

[Mord]

this is a bit OT but can someone tell me what the benefit of bikes that cost over say £200, if you do competition cycleing sure, but i bought my bike for £170 (the cheapest full aluminum bike with disc mounts on the forks), then i put on some decent disc breaks on the front (clarks, i can lock the wheel on a full tug when going full speed, if i want to die) i replaced the crappy cup and axel bottom bracket with a cartridge one, and the crappy plastic pedals with some nice thin steel ones.

now all that kit brought it up to £260 and i have a bike that i would not change anything with and rides exactly like my sisters boyfriends bike which set him back over £800.

this whole bike snobbery thing is just plain annoying makeing out like $500 bikes are worthless.

[drlunanerd]

this is a bit OT but can someone tell me what the benefit of bikes that cost over say £200, if you do competition cycleing sure, but i bought my bike for £170 (the cheapest full aluminum bike with disc mounts on the forks), then i put on some decent disc breaks on the front (clarks, i can lock the wheel on a full tug when going full speed, if i want to die) i replaced the crappy cup and axel bottom bracket with a cartridge one, and the crappy plastic pedals with some nice thin steel ones.

now all that kit brought it up to £260 and i have a bike that i would not change anything with and rides exactly like my sisters boyfriends bike which set him back over £800.

this whole bike snobbery thing is just plain annoying makeing out like $500 bikes are worthless.

It's subjective: if you can't tell the difference between yours and an £800 bike then that's great - you save yourself loads of cash.

In a word though - weight, and the lack of it, is what you pay for with bicycles. Less is more.

Importantly of course it depends what you're using it for - e.g. off or on-road. Hooning around on a flat tarmac road in London you ain't gonna need £800 of bike. You're not going to need optimum tensile frame strength as you won't be able to break it pootling along the flats. But believe me if you're doing cross-country mountain biking you will certainly notice the difference between a £200 and £800 bike. It's so much more enjoyable when you've got a light, nimble and well-handling steed that isn't going to break on you at the first sign of a steep drop-off.

But you can ride any old pile of crap and still have a great time. I completely agree that many people are hoodwinked into thinking they *have* to spend a certain amount.

What makes me chuckle are fashion victims riding full suspension mountain bikes on urban roads. A complete waste of energy and money. Especially when those same people lock their forks out and then wonder why they're completely shagged after a year.

[Mord]

i ride my bike on hampstead heath often, drop off drops and generally throw it about, it's light as hell, for example i can hold it at arms length horizontally for a good 10 seconds and it weighs a little less than my sisters boyfriends bike, every part is made from aluminum bar the wheels (some sort of much harder alloy), the bottom bracket axel and the sprockets.

it's not just mountain bikes but in general, bike snobbery is commonplace and damn annoying.

all my parts perform as well as is physically possible, i did not bother with back disc brakes as in the wet i can lock the back wheels easy with V brakes, the gears are smooth as is the suspension on the front fork everything with it i cant see how one could improve it unless it was made out of titainium or something.

[drlunanerd]

i ride my bike on hampstead heath often, drop off drops and generally throw it about, it's light as hell, for example i can hold it at arms length horizontally for a good 10 seconds and it weighs a little less than my sisters boyfriends bike, every part is made from aluminum bar the wheels (some sort of much harder alloy), the bottom bracket axel and the sprockets.

it's not just mountain bikes but in general, bike snobbery is commonplace and damn annoying.

Cool. Sounds like your sister's boyfriend got ripped off though.

Edit: I'm assuming though that both bikes are the same type, with or without suspension etc. Expensive downhill mountain bikes can be much heavier due to beefy strong frames and long-travel suspension. It's all relative to the intended use.

Out of interest, how much does your bike weigh? Alternatively tell me what model it is, and that of your sister's b/f's (would love to know this one!).

One of my best friends is the most hardcore cyclist I know, yet for years he rode round on an old touring bike held together by various home-made repairs. He did serious distances on it and blew away people with all the gear but no idea. That's the best feeling if you're competitive - beating others riding pricier machinery. Banned substances notwithstanding, ahem!!

I'm into motorbikes, and it's the same thing. The rider makes the most difference (insert bullish anecdotes on winning races on "inferior" bikes here :D )

[Mord]

my own bike was a pretty generic type, i always peel off all the stickers so i couldent say but it's got red forks and a black at the front and white at the back frame the gears are all shimano but not the bottom end crap, 7 speed cassette at the back 3 at the front (no I'm not one of those morons that thinks my bike goes faster because i have more gears, personally i prefer a 15 gear setup).

and my sisters boyfriends bike is has a grey frame, he too takes all the stickers off, it's a very nice bike it's just i cant fault either of them, his disc break discs are bigger and the pads are big and square and his gears look pretty similar and are shimano, probably a bit higher end.

i dont have the kit to weigh my bike but you go and lift your bike at arms length and see how long you can hold it, and have **** all upper body strength.

[drlunanerd]

i dont have the kit to weigh my bike but you go and lift your bike at arms length and see how long you can hold it, and have **** all upper body strength.

Just stand on some bathroom scales holding it, then subtract your own weight.

When I was into mountain bikes the lighter end of the scale was 20lbs/9kgs. That's what I blew my first university grant on - a fanfrickingtastic Orange bike that I still have years on that I can't find anything to replace it with.

[kev0476]

the only problem that i have encountered when changing handle bars is that the brake/shifter cables are to short. if this is the case, (most likely) you will have to re-do all the cables. it can be pretty expensive at a big bike shop, if i were you i would look to a small bike shop, that gets it's advertising word of mouth, that way you know it is good, because people wouldn't be talking about it.

But if you are up to getting new cables and installing them, drop me a pm. i do work as a bicycle repairman (apprentice).

[Mord]

Just stand on some bathroom scales holding it, then subtract your own weight.

When I was into mountain bikes the lighter end of the scale was 20lbs/9kgs. That's what I blew my first university grant on - a fanfrickingtastic Orange bike that I still have years on that I can't find anything to replace it with.


i don't have bathroom scales. though i'd guess it's about 3x the weight of my macbook which would put it at 7-8KG

[Sesshi]

It's subjective: if you can't tell the difference between yours and an £800 bike then that's great - you save yourself loads of cash.

In a word though - weight, and the lack of it, is what you pay for with bicycles. Less is more.

Importantly of course it depends what you're using it for - e.g. off or on-road. Hooning around on a flat tarmac road in London you ain't gonna need £800 of bike. You're not going to need optimum tensile frame strength as you won't be able to break it pootling along the flats. But believe me if you're doing cross-country mountain biking you will certainly notice the difference between a £200 and £800 bike. It's so much more enjoyable when you've got a light, nimble and well-handling steed that isn't going to break on you at the first sign of a steep drop-off.

But you can ride any old pile of crap and still have a great time. I completely agree that many people are hoodwinked into thinking they *have* to spend a certain amount.

What makes me chuckle are fashion victims riding full suspension mountain bikes on urban roads. A complete waste of energy and money. Especially when those same people lock their forks out and then wonder why they're completely shagged after a year.


A light, nimble well handling bike is just as desirable in town. It's got to be configured differently of course but the same holds true. There's a major difference in riding feel for example between a £400 hybrid and a £1000 one.

I occasionally ride a freeride in town since it's my only working bike right now. I don't find it a chore to be honest and I don't lock the suspension out - in London FS is now desirable, what with all the potholes...:mad:

[Mord]

+ i dislike the bollock pain when i go over a curb, 70% of my bike use is road and 30% if heath/countryside.

[kev0476]

just as i think of it, you will need new housing too. bike shops will charge you huge amounts for all this, i don't know how online retailers prices are. but i would recommend NOT doing this. its more work and money then you want to get into.


On the flip side you could be extremely lucky. did they put to much cable/housing in the front of the bike? i would doubt that they put enough extra on to accommodate the length of the cable/housing to make it fit on a drop down handle bar, but you could be lucky.

I recommend waiting a year, if you are still unhappy, then you will have some more money, and you could buy a decent road bike with drop-handle bars.

[drlunanerd]

i don't have bathroom scales. though i'd guess it's about 3x the weight of my macbook which would put it at 7-8KG

If it weighs that little I want to know where you bought it, cos that's bargain of the year for £260 all in with suspension (which at that price is usually rubbish and weighs a ton). In fact I can't believe it if that was a new bike :eek:

[Super Macho Man]

A light, nimble well handling bike is just as desirable in town. It's got to be configured differently of course but the same holds true. There's a major difference in riding feel for example between a £400 hybrid and a £1000 one.
It depends where you live, sometimes the weight savings of a lighter, more expensive bike is offset by the heavier lock you'll need to keep it from getting stolen. The best bike for the city IMO is a decent entry-level mountain bike that is reliable and mechanically sound but looks like crap. 10 pounds is a lot of extra weight on a bike, but most people probably need the exercise. I always try to park mine next to nicer looking bikes for piece of mind.

I park my bike on the same rack every day, and I see a lot of "regulars" that are there every day. One thing I find interesting though is that whenever I see a nicer bike on the rack - anything that would stand out due to its newness or expense - I see it only once, and never again. :cool:

[Mord]

If it weighs that little I want to know where you bought it, cos that's bargain of the year for £260 all in with suspension (which at that price is usually rubbish and weighs a ton). In fact I can't believe it if that was a new bike :eek:

a bike warehouse arround wembly, most of their bikes are rubbish but if you spend a good time looking and go back once a week and you can get a kick ass bike.

they will all have some rubbish components but if you replace them with some decent ones like a cart bottom bracket ISIS cranks and pedals, a decent disc brake on the front (no point in the back, good V brakes will lock the back wheel in the wet) then you can end up with a decent bike for not that much, i've owned three bikes in my whole life, my current and the one i had before it which i had since i was 11 and a kids size bike. this is my first full alu bike, but the previous one was steel but fairly light.

[pseudobrit]

this is a bit OT but can someone tell me what the benefit of bikes that cost over say £200.

Ride 40 miles/day over some nasty climbs and do the occasional 75-100+ miler and see if you notice how ****** a $400 bike becomes. US$1000 is, more or less, the entry price to be comfortable, safe and quick on a nice road bike that you'll be logging serious mileage on. Anything less and you're compromising something that will need replaced very soon.

Of course I'm talking retail new here, as a custom-built-up old school frame can be had for less and be fantastic, but that's another story altogether.

[Mord]

i do about 15m/day longest i've ever done was probably about 50m when i cycled to teddington and spent all day their cycleing.

this does not negate the general bike snobbery seeing as 99% of people don't cycle seriously so why be so rude and consider their $500 investment crap? suggesting everyone spend around $800 is ludicrous, it's far better to spend a third of that and get yourself some mechanical experience.

[muffinman]

yeah i bike commute about 10 miles to my sat prep class.

i figured that doing a complete makeover on my bike and getting drop bars installed for 200+ wasnot the right thing to do. I think bar ends, the ends that you usually put on mountain bikes. This way, I have more hand positions than the flat bar, and when climbing hills, I have more leverage.

Bar ends cost from 10$ to 70$