converting a drop bar road bike to flat bar

thebigman

Hi folks, I would like to do the above for a friend. Just wondering if a set of xt brake levers would work with 105 road calipers?

thanks

whyamihere

If they're hydraulic brakes then yes, if you get the right hose ends to connect them together. If they're cable brakes then no, because the pull ratio will be wrong. You would need something like this: https://www.wiggle.co.uk/shimano-tiagra-4700-pair-of-brake-levers-for-flat-bars/

arlowood

Have done a drop bar to flat bar conversion on 2 bikes. One with disks (mechanical) and one with rim brakes.

https://forum.bikeradar.com/discussion/comment/20147226#Comment_20147226

https://forum.bikeradar.com/discussion/12991733/genesis-volant-build-for-grandson/p1#p19167998

The older thread has lost its pics so here is one


Converting a hydraulic system from drop to flat bar may give you a few more challenges but should be doable

thebigman

thanks. i knew i needed different levers for the 105 brakes but couldn't find which ones.. now i do.

The Rookie

Wouldn't he be better off selling the complete brakes and just getting some new ones? Otherwise yes, no issue.

One word of warning (I run a dropped bike bars on flats), the frame is shorter for dropped bars as the main hand hold positions on drops are further in front of the steerer, as such you need to look at how you can stretch the cockpit, I went up a frame size, went from inline to a setback post and used a longish stem.

darkhairedlord

don't do it.

undermanager

I did it last year. Here's the thread:

https://forum.bikeradar.com/discussion/13106409/change-to-flat-bar-advice-boardman-carbon-c7-team#latest

The only thing that's not on this thread (it's on another) is that you might want to shorten the stem as well. It was just too long when using a flat bar so my body was in the wrong position all the time = backache. I just this week got round to reducing the stem on this bike from 110mm to 90mm and it's now absolutely perfect. Hope this helps.

:-)