Newbie queries SRAM gears, handlebars, wheels/tyres

Somer_Himpson

I have just purchased a Boardman Team Hybrid (2008 Model) from a chap on Ebay for £190.
It all seems in excellent condition.

I do however, have a few concerns that I am hoping I can get some help with from this forum.

1st off gearing:-
He has replaced aspects of the gearing system and it currently has SRAM shifters on the bars (see pics).
These have 3 gear marks on the left hand shifter and 8 on the right, giving 24 gears.
The problem I have is that this bike only comes with 2 front chainwheels and 9 on the back.
Is there any way to make the 2 'compatible'?
I tried shifting to the 'big' chainwheel on the front but it wouldn't move across and trying to shift it to number '3' was nigh on impossible.
I fully intends on taking it to my LBS for a service but if this setup is impossible to work together, I may as well take them off, sell them and source the 'right' ones for this bike.

Secondly, bars:-
I have a preference for a slightly more upright riding position that this bike affords.
Now I know this may annoy the purists reading this but I prefer this and mainly ride along the Swansea seafront and around the Gower coast up to a max of around 35 miles with usual trips lasting around 15-20 miles.
The other pic here is of my current ride, a Specialized generic hybrid.
Would I be ablee to source a similar set of bars/stem/whatever I need for this bike and would it be too much hassle to fit?

Thirdly, tyres/wheels
These tyres are Kenda 23Cs and are way too thin for the terrain I usually traverse.
I was just wandering what the max the wheels on this bike would take and if anyone has a decent, fairly reasonable cost recommendation for some cyclo cross tyres as these fit the type of ground I cover.
I have read a couple of horror stories of people blowing inntertubes when trying to install wider profile tyres.
http://www.cyclechat.net/threads/boardm ... rds.18209/


As far as I know, the wheels are the ones that came with the bike but I am not sure of make/model

Thanks in advance for any help and advice offered and please excuse my ridiculous lack of knowledge.
(I am 45 and this is my 1st 'real' year back in the saddle and have so far covered 2700 miles on a combination of three heavy hybrids, hence the purchase!)

wishitwasallflat

Don't know about the tyres I'm afraif but any branch of Halfords will be able to tell you what max is for that frame.

That shifter is for a triple chain ring - if you have two then it's the wrong one. I've never tried but it should be possible to set the limit screws on the front mech so that either 2 and 3 or 1 and 2 on the shifter move the mech between the two chainrings. With either 1 or 3 becoming redundant on the shifter - but - you would need to remember not to try to shift into that redundant click setting on the shifter or you would really strain the cable, shifter and mech. On the rear the situation is reversed and you would never be able to get all 9 rings on the cassette so could set it the mech to miss either highest (smallest ring) or lowest gear (biggest ring on the back).

In theory it would work but when cycling I am certain you would forget. Those kind of shifters are neither expensive nor hard to change and I would reccomend trying to sell the set on and getting a double and nine speed to replace them.

The stems and steerer on both bikes look like fairly standard threadless (Ahead type) so it should be simple to swap them out or get an angled stem - but - you do realise the Boardman has an adjustable stem so you can angle it up to get more upright? It's just a matter of loosening off the bolt in the stem angling it up and then resetting the bolts holding the bars to the stem and rotate the bars to angle them correctly.

If you fancy doing it yourself none of this overly difficult - check Park Tools website maintenance, take your time and it's not difficult if you have the tools patience and reasonable level of DIY type skill. Any lbs will do it for you of course but you will pay for their time on a low skill task - also in my experience no one (not even the best mechanic [and they are by no means easy to find]) will be able to invest the time and care in your bike that you will and so it's well well worth learnign these skills.

Now back to imaging myself rolling along the Swansea seafront and around the Gower coast on a lovely warm sunny day - mmm ....

Somer_Himpson

Thanks you very much for the advice.
I shall do what you have advised for the shifters.

Regarding the bars and stem on the Boardman, I think I will just swap them over as I prefer that upright position and even with backward adjustment, the actual width of the bars is a lot shorter as well.
I thought the stem was one I could angle back but when I unscrewed the bolt, it seemed to only 'sit' in the place that it is in now, with a groove to accept where one side of the stem 'cuddled' around the fork and on to the other side of the stem.

I think the Ebay seller did a bit of a number on me!

Somer_Himpson

Could you provide some recommendations as to a decent set of shifters for this 2X9 setup please?

wishitwasallflat

Don't know myself but probably better to post on Road Buying, could try MTB buying and Commuting as well as flat bar shifters are not so Road. State what model front and rear mechs you want them to work with and hopefully someone will know.