Drop Handle Bars on a MTB

logitech208
logitech208 Posts: 167
edited June 2012 in MTB workshop & tech
I have converted my 12 year old Kona into a Fully rigid Single speed bike, I would like to try drop handle bars on it as I my off road days are over and I only use it for road and canal path use.

Has anybody done this pictures would be great, will the brake levers used on drops work ok on V brakes.

Comments

  • Twelly
    Twelly Posts: 1,437
    I'm pretty sure V brakes have a different pull ratio to dual pivots which you would find on a road bike so I doubt the roadie brake levers will work.

    You could always mount V brake levers to the inner flat part of the drop bars.

    Edit: some people who have done this - http://singletrackworld.com/forum/topic ... ars-please

    Looks a bit silly IMO
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  • warpcow
    warpcow Posts: 1,448
    There are several roadie levers that pull enough cable for V-brakes: Cane Creek and Dia Compe, off the top of my head. The problem I've had is getting it comfy. Hands on the levers or in the drops puts you a lot further forward and the (generally) longer top tubes of mtbs don't really help (it probably didn't help that I was trying to do it to a Kona too). A short, high-rise stem seems to be preferable.
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  • nicklouse
    nicklouse Posts: 50,675
    TBH buy a cheap road bike it will cost less and ride better.
    "Do not follow where the path may lead, Go instead where there is no path, and Leave a Trail."
    Parktools :?:SheldonBrown
  • Twelly
    Twelly Posts: 1,437
    nicklouse wrote:
    TBH buy a cheap road bike it will cost less and ride better.

    Yep
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  • sniper68
    sniper68 Posts: 2,910
    I've gone T'other way and put flats on my road bike 8)
    Lynskey R480

  • fivethirtyonepm
    fivethirtyonepm Posts: 165
    i absolutely adore my 1x9 fully-rigid drop bar cannondale.

    it totally flies! it weighs bugger all (thanks to the caad5 frame and carbon forks), is very strong and the on one midge bars are really comfy.

    i am running tektro long-pull levers with avid bb7 mtn discs and it works perfectly. the gearset is a xtr rear mech with dura ace bar-end shifter.

    i use this bike for riding the local trails (around the new forest) and bring out my yeti asr5 for anything technical or rocky (such as afan last weekend). the two compliment each other perfectly and i am not entirely sure which i prefer... a £4.5k yeti or a 'classifieds build special' cannondale!

    anyways... pics below:-

    20120303_175717.jpg

    20120303_175745.jpg

    20120303_175758.jpg

    20120303_175810.jpg

    (btw... the stem in the photos is no longer on the bike... you need something short and steep when riding drop bars, so i picked up a on-one jobby which works perfectly)
  • logitech208
    logitech208 Posts: 167
    I have a road bike already, I just prefer the riding style of drop bars, Thanks fivethirtyonepm for sharing the pictures thats exactly what I want to do to mine, I hadn't considered those type of bars I shall have look at them.

    Your bike looks ace very unique. :mrgreen:
  • nicklouse
    nicklouse Posts: 50,675
    logitech208 wrote:
    I have a road bike already,
    So why did you not say so?

    So you know the cost of STIs then.

    Front mech can be a pain. But generally can be sorted. Worse on a triple than a double.

    But still. The frame is really too long.
    "Do not follow where the path may lead, Go instead where there is no path, and Leave a Trail."
    Parktools :?:SheldonBrown
  • fivethirtyonepm
    fivethirtyonepm Posts: 165
    in terms of the stem choice, i look everywhere for something that would work (ideally, you need to get the bar height above the saddle height).

    in the end, the cheapest option was actually the best option:-

    http://www.on-one.co.uk/i/q/STOO3DF/on_ ... orged_stem

    the version to go for is the 60mm stem with the 25deg rise.

    you then place a couple of spacer beneath the stem (not too many though) and hey presto, you have the right bar position.

    the midge bars should be angled such that the drop section points directly toward the rear dropouts. this is a good starting point.

    probably the most expensive part for me was getting hold of the dura ace bar-end shifter. these come up on fleabay at around £45 a pair.

    the avid discs are absolutely awesome. i went for bb7 mtns as the tektro rl520 levers can handle the cable pull. with decent cables (go for compressionless jobbies... i went for clarkes braided), you can happily lock either wheel whilst riding on the hoods with great modulation (better than hydraulics).

    my final tip for this episode is to buy some gel inserts (http://www.wiggle.co.uk/cinelli-avs-gel ... ampaign=uk) and rather than run them on the insides of the drops, run them on the top of the turn from the brake levers inwards towards the stem. this will give your hands the extra cushioning they need (in addition to using padded bar tape) when riding offroad (especially as i am running a carbon rigid fork).

    the fork on my bike btw is a actually a 29er item as i needed to correct the geometry for the headshock frame.

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