Advice on replacing Flat bars with drops

tony_hutchings@btconnect.

I have a Trek 7.6FX 2008 Triple, Flat bar, which I would like to have drop bars on. I would like to use it as a Winter bike or one that I could do most anything on, so I am not looking for super high spec as I have two other high spec Scott road bikes. I am no expert and would welcome advice. I believe I am going to need: New Stem (Ritchey), Drop bars (Ritchey Comp Logic), some Shimano Tiagra Shifters (Triple) and likely some new cables.

I am assuming that I will not have to change my actual brakes or anything else. Am I right?

Looking on various web sites I could possible do this for less that £200 with the shifter being the most expensive part.

Any advice welcome as this would be my first foray into anything approaching self build
.

andrewjoseph

is the rear mech and cassette road or mtb?

Is it shimano, as sram are generally not compatible with shimano.

you'll need bar tape and possibly gel for under the tape.

MadGuern

Hi , great minds and all that I have a 2009 7.5 fx and thought the same the other day to swap out flats for drops, and maybe use as CX bike. So if you find out if possible would love to know. I have a whole sora chainset free after an upgrade to road bike so , can it be done ?

PeterBL

The brakes on a 2008 are v-brakes according to Trek bike archives. So they will not work. You need travel agents or a different brake. The current FX 7.6 has mini-v's, which do work with STI's. So check what you have.

You'd need a new front derailleur as well, a Tiagra triple.

tony_hutchings@btconnect.

PeterBL,

Thanks for this. the Brakes are V Brakes shimano M431w/Tektro alloy levers. The Front derailleur is Shimano Deore so would I still need a new one? The rear Derailleur is a Shimano 105 with a SRAM PG950 9 speed Cassette.
If I need new brakes I assume Tiagra would suffice but are these standard or do they come in different guises?

Andrewjoseph, I hopefully have answered your questions and thanks for reminding me on the bar tape, luckily I have some already so one less expense.

All Thanks for advice so far.

Avoneer

You can use canti lever brakes - may work out cheaper.

If you use road brakes, you'll need to check the drop as you might need long drop road brakes.

Expensive bit will be the shifters - £50 plus 2nd hand - aim for Sora or above.

Rear mech and cassette will be fine.

Front mech may be ok - try it and see - if not, get a road specific front mech.

If you shop around, you could do it under £100.

Pat...

John.T

Check the geometry of your frame. It may well have a longer top tube than the same size road bike which will mean using a much shorter stem than would be ideal. The flat bar to drops conversion has been aired on here many times and the usual concensus is don't do it. It is costly and makes a bike that is neither a good road bike or a good commuter. Better, and often cheaper to sell the old bike and get a proper road bike.
You may not need to change the front mech if it is one of the ones made for flat bar road. They have the same pull as STI ones. Check it's number on the Shimano site.

PeterBL

John.T wrote:

You may not need to change the front mech if it is one of the ones made for flat bar road. They have the same pull as STI ones. Check it's number on the Shimano site.

No they don't. They have MTB-pull, but are made for the shape of bigger chainrings.

Besides, according to the OP, this bike has a Deore mech, which definitely is MTB-style.

Avoneer

RE: Front mech - I'd still say try it.

Is the difference between rings more on an MTB crankset than on a road crankset?

Pat...

andrew_s

tony_hutchings@btconnect. wrote:

Thanks for this. the Brakes are V Brakes shimano M431w/Tektro alloy levers. The Front derailleur is Shimano Deore so would I still need a new one? The rear Derailleur is a Shimano 105 with a SRAM PG950 9 speed Cassette.

You seem to have two main options.
1)
Keep your V-brakes, use Tektro V-brake compatible drop bar brake levers, and bar-end shifters.

2)
Switch your V-brakes for cantilevers (Tektro CR520 or 720), switch your front mech for a road front mech, and use whatever 9 speed STI brake/gear levers your budget runs to.


Front bar end or down tube lever shifting isn't indexed so the mismatch between road and mtb from mech cable pulls doesn't matter. Deore front mechs are all MTB pull - for flat bar road bikes (with caliper brakes) there are flat bar road shifters that match road front mechs. All STI brake/gear levers are road front pull, so you'd need a 105, Tiagra or whatever front mech.
Road front mechs are officially 48T big chainring or larger. Use with smaller big chainrings (eg 44T) will mean shifting isn't as good as it might be, but I wouldn't change rings unless I found it a problem.

tony_hutchings@btconnect.

All, Thanks for your feedback. I am glad I asked as there is a lot more to this than meets the eye. It does make me think that whilst converting to a drop bar is feasible the likely cost means that I may as well keep the flat bar and use it in the winter for training and keep my best bikes clean.

thanks again for all responses.

dilemna

tony_hutchings@btconnect. wrote:

All, Thanks for your feedback. I am glad I asked as there is a lot more to this than meets the eye. It does make me think that whilst converting to a drop bar is feasible the likely cost means that I may as well keep the flat bar and use it in the winter for training and keep my best bikes clean.

thanks again for all responses.

I thought about converting my Trek 7500 to drop bars a few years ago but didn't in the end as t was too complicated and expensive. I bought a road bike instead which was a much better decision. In the end I just fitted bar ends and a Record 53/39 chainset to it with handbuilt wheels on an XT rear hub and a Chorus front. The handbuilt wheels have absolutely transformed the bike. I have been meaning to try a bull handle bar, as in the outer TT bars, which would mean I could keep the rapid fire shifters and brakes roughly where they are. The other thing you could consider fitting is an adjustable stem which I did and means you can get the handle bars at the most comortable height and position. Also you can change the position if you feel like it. If you fit drop bars the angle of the head tube and fork might not be best suited for drops.