What gears work best with MTB frames and drop bars?

born2beeza
born2beeza Posts: 12
edited April 2010 in MTB workshop & tech
I don't like flat bars. I find them uncomfortable and you can't pull on them.

My muddy bike currently has courier bars and dura ace bar end 9 speed shifters married to Deore LX rear mech. This is OK, but not ideal.

Flat bars have a narrower calibre than drop or courier road bars, so the usual MTB levers won't fit. Has anybody put anything together that matches:
- MTB chainrings,
- long cage rear mech
- STI or bar end shifters?

You might have done it or seen it on a touring bike.

Ta

Nick
Hard tyres and a tailwind

Comments

  • alfablue
    alfablue Posts: 8,497
    I don't quite understand why mtb shifters won't fit a flat bar.

    Anyway, I have Tiagra road shifters (9 speed) on a drop bar, with a Deore mtb chainset and a long cage deore rear mech on my tourer, works fine. Don't know if that helps at all.
  • nicklouse
    nicklouse Posts: 50,675
    so what bars are you using?

    "Courier bars" what are they?

    flat bars are a standard 22.2mm in the controll area so that MTB controls can fit.

    TBH you are not being at all clear.

    anything can be made to work.
    "Do not follow where the path may lead, Go instead where there is no path, and Leave a Trail."
    Parktools :?:SheldonBrown
  • By courier bars I mean low profile aero bars such as these
    http://www.edinburghbicycle.com/ebwPNLq ... 231c003233
    They're not flat bars.
    Tiagra sounds promising.
    Ta
    Hard tyres and a tailwind
  • toasty
    toasty Posts: 2,598
    I take it bar ends on flats wouldn't offer you what you're after? :) Seems like a similar end result.