Convert straight bars to drops

cheaperholidays
cheaperholidays Posts: 151
edited February 2011 in Workshop
Hi Can you recommend decent brake levers that can cope with v brakes please

I am converting my Sirius to Drops
We are an online travel agency.

Specialized Sirrus (converting to road bars) - Honda Fireblade.

Comments

  • dilemna
    dilemna Posts: 2,187
    I think there is more to your conversion than you realise. How about gear shifters? You will need STI/Ergo levers which are ££££. Using rapid fire MTB shifters on drop bars is a bit of a no-no. Also not sure which Shimamo STI units will work with V brakes as the pull is different to cantilever road brakes which is what most Shimano STI units 105 and above use. Ergo is Campag gear/brake shifters which won't work with Shimano V brakes or Shimano transmission. Also you will have to experiment with stems as your current handle bar stem will more than likely need to be changed.

    I thought about switching to drops but abandoned the idea for the above reasons as not only was it economically prohibitve it was proving difficult to match components so brakes and gears worked properly. Why not fit an adjustable stem to alter the handlebar position and bar ends or fit bull handle bars as used in tri-bars but without the middle bars?
    Life is like a roll of toilet paper; long and useful, but always ends at the wrong moment. Anon.
    Think how stupid the average person is.......
    half of them are even more stupid than you first thought.
  • ride_whenever
    ride_whenever Posts: 13,279
    Bar-end shifters and then tektro brake levers that will do v-brakes is probably the cheapest way to do it.

    If you're using sti's then you'll either need new brakes, or a travel adjust otherwise they'll be very very woolly in feel.
  • why not keep the flat bars there lighter and cheaper than chainging them to drops spend the money on new light wheels
    going downhill slowly
  • My idea was to keep the shifters and brakes in the same position on the top bar and fit levers with hoods for about £26.

    Hopefully i can get levers that will work with the v brakes if not change the brakes
    We are an online travel agency.

    Specialized Sirrus (converting to road bars) - Honda Fireblade.
  • bexley5200 wrote:
    why not keep the flat bars there lighter and cheaper than chainging them to drops spend the money on new light wheels

    I like hills and they are not as comfortable as drops for climbing.. When i say i like hills i have no options Wales is all bloody hills :wink:
    We are an online travel agency.

    Specialized Sirrus (converting to road bars) - Honda Fireblade.
  • Monty Dog
    Monty Dog Posts: 20,614
    The bar-clamp diameter for flat bars is 22.2mm whereas drop bars are 23.8mm - you simply won't be able to fit your flat bar levers to drop bars. You'll need either STIs or separate lever / shifters and probably new mini-vees to get it working. The costs will be prohibitive by the time you add-up bars + levers + shifter + cable + bar tape + mini-vees or travel-adusters
    Make mine an Italian, with Campagnolo on the side..
  • I removed the bike stem and reversed it to make it flat, then i am going to get some bar ends to position where the hoods would be, to make climbing more comfortable.

    I would still prefer drops but this is ok for now
    We are an online travel agency.

    Specialized Sirrus (converting to road bars) - Honda Fireblade.
  • desweller
    desweller Posts: 5,175
    How about these?

    Drop bar ends
    - - - - - - - - - -
    On Strava.{/url}
  • DesWeller wrote:
    How about these?

    Drop bar ends

    Hey thanks nice find..
    We are an online travel agency.

    Specialized Sirrus (converting to road bars) - Honda Fireblade.
  • tonye_n
    tonye_n Posts: 832
    Hi Can you recommend decent brake levers that can cope with v brakes please

    I am converting my Sirius to Drops

    Is your Sirrus 9 speed? It's been done before, and apparently Shimano Tiagra ergo levers work well with mini-v brakes
    http://www.cyclechat.net/topic/15681-fl ... rus-elite/

    You have to be a member to view the picks(if they still exist). I did see the picks of this guys bike and I assure you that it looked quite smart with the change. He confirms that the it worked just fine.
  • tonye_n
    tonye_n Posts: 832
    http://www.jensonusa.com/store/product/ ... Agent.aspx

    Travel agent instructions here
    http://www.bikeplus.co.uk/graphics/Trav ... arrell.jpg
    that may be of interest, although a bit fiddly to fit they do exatctky as they say they do, which is enable the use of a "non-linear pull brake lever with any linear pull brake"
  • maddog 2
    maddog 2 Posts: 8,114
    My idea was to keep the shifters and brakes in the same position on the top bar and fit levers with hoods for about £26.

    :shock:

    You want two pairs of brake levers?

    As said flatbar STI/levers won't fit on a drop bar. Wrong diameter tube, and you'd never get them round the bend in the bar.

    If you want drop bars then you can go:

    - road STI and mini-V brakes
    - road STI and V brakes with a Travel Adjuster
    - road STI and cantilever brakes
    - bar end shifters and separate brake levers to work with V brakes


    Or just fit bar ends to your current flatbar setup - cost you £8
    Facts are meaningless, you can use facts to prove anything that's remotely true! - Homer
  • No not 2 but use the second pair just for the hoods just a thought
    We are an online travel agency.

    Specialized Sirrus (converting to road bars) - Honda Fireblade.