Quill Vs aheadset converter for IGH drop bar conversion

[alexnharvey]

Hi
I am going to convert my Shimano Nexus 8 hub geared bike to drop bars and I'm slowly accumulating the bits. Having secured the jtek bar end shifter I'm now looking at bars and stems. I think the current steel straight bar is 25.4mm at the clamp and it's a 1" steerer quill stem

Therefore I have a decision to decide between

A) find a 25.4mm at clamp drop bar
B) find a different quill stem
Or
C) fit an aheadset converter

Any thoughts appreciated.

[reohn2]

Quill to Ahead converter and a 31.8mm bar and stem,problem solved

[gregoryoftours]

You'll have more choice of bars and stem with the converter, so unless there is something you definitely know and like available in terms of quill stem and 25.4 or 26 bar it makes sense to go conversion. Plus you get to have a removable face plate on your stem. The only down side is it will look a bit ugly!

[gaz]

Typically a flat to drop conversion will require a shorter stem.

[alexnharvey]

Thanks. The current stem is quite short so that could be an issue. On the other hand the saddle is currently fully back and I am not making any stretch forward to the bars.

[mattsccm]

Should you have to play with the reach and Ahead type stem is so much easier to work with.

[JohnW]

Quill to Ahead converter and a 31.8mm bar and stem,problem solved

+1 - been there, done that and it makes life easier for the future.

[alexnharvey]

To those of you who have done a straight to drop conversion, what did you find was required in terms of stem length adjustment, or moving saddle position or other adjustments?

[the_twin]

Nitto make some nice bars with 25.4 or 26 mm centres. A quill stem also looks much better.

[NetworkMan]

Quill to Ahead converter and a 31.8mm bar and stem,problem solved

+1 - been there, done that and it makes life easier for the future.

Been there didn't do that. I wanted to fit compact bars to my quill stem Dawes Audax and also raise the bars. I wasn't sure that I could get enough height with a converter even when using a riser stem and in any case adjustment would be limited. I decided an extension and a converter would be a bodge too far.
Eventually found a pair of compact bars in 26 mm and a Dia Compe long quill stem.
Certainly there's much choice of compact bars in 31.8 mm and to fit 31.8 mm bars you need a threadless stem.
I suspect that the quill stem is lighter than the converter plus threadless stem if that matters at all. It's also possible that the 26 mm bars offer better vibration cushioning than 31.8 ones.

[Brucey]

one choice can be eliminated from the list; using a 25.4mm clamp dropped bar. If the stem was the right length with flat bars before, it won't be with dropped bars in the same stem.

Because the correct stem length isn't known, I'd probably use an adaptor to start with, and buy a quill later on if that is the look I preferred.

cheers

[NetworkMan]

Just a thought. Is it possible to use another bike with dropped bars to get an idea of required stem length? I've done this in the past. I measured effective top tube length and seat angle making allowance for the way that seat angle modifies reach.

[alexnharvey]

I've got a road bike with drops. I'd want to go shorter and higher than it is setup because I feel it's slightly stretched out, maybe it always was or due to age!

Putting them side by side would probably still be very instructive though.

Test riding a genesis day one would be helpful too since it's the alternative solution.

[NetworkMan]

I've got a road bike with drops. I'd want to go shorter and higher than it is setup because I feel it's slightly stretched out, maybe it always was or due to age!

Putting them side by side would probably still be very instructive though.

Test riding a genesis day one would be helpful too since it's the alternative solution.

Same here. I realised only after some years that the excessive reach of the drops was more of a problem than stem length. It was OK on the tops but a real stretch to the STI lever hoods. Compact bars with more than 3 cm less reach made a dramatic difference. The old bars are 3T ergo but I found them extremely un-ergo!

[JohnW]

Quill to Ahead converter and a 31.8mm bar and stem,problem solved

+1 - been there, done that and it makes life easier for the future.

Been there didn't do that. I wanted to fit compact bars to my quill stem Dawes Audax and also raise the bars. I wasn't sure that I could get enough height with a converter even when using a riser stem and in any case adjustment would be limited. I decided an extension and a converter would be a bodge too far.
Eventually found a pair of compact bars in 26 mm and a Dia Compe long quill stem.
Certainly there's much choice of compact bars in 31.8 mm and to fit 31.8 mm bars you need a threadless stem.
I suspect that the quill stem is lighter than the converter plus threadless stem if that matters at all. It's also possible that the 26 mm bars offer better vibration cushioning than 31.8 ones.

My philosophy was, and still is, that the quill stem was restrictive : to change the quill for whatever reason necessitated removing the bars, which meant removing the brake-levers and bar-tape at least on one side. We lived with it for decades though, didn't we - before the advent of the A-head? Use of a quill adapter and A-head stem allows quick and easy change of stem without all that nuisance-work. To alter the reach of the stem is an easy matter with the an A-head (you just get a new stem, which is cheaper than a safe-quality quill-stem).

I have 31.8mm A-heads on quill adapters on 3 bikes - it doesn't need to be a threadless head-ensemble - the shim came with the quill adapter in each case.

It's true that quill-stems are available with greater height variations than the quill adapter, so if height is the issue then maybe the wrong frame-size is a problem. I've known new/returning cyclists experiencing that problem, with their new bike, and having been sold something for 'wannabee racer' position and not finding success with height converters - in fact I'd concur that height converters can be "a bodge too far".

As for the reach, it's amazing how often, having built up a new bike around a frame, and believed you've got it right, you can find after a few thousand miles that the reach could be better.

Are the compact bars OK? - by "compact" do you mean short reach? I have a pair on one bike, and even for a small bloke with small hands (for a bloke, anyway) I find the reach of the bars just a bit small - it depends also on choice and position of brake levers.