Conversion from drops to flats

[ericonabike]

I'm looking to convert my Specialized Tricross from drop bars to flats. I've grown to hate the canti brakes on it, which I've found far less efficient [when using the hoods anyway] than side-pull brakes. I have a set of V-brakes plus integrated shifters/brakes in the garage. Is it likely to be a straightforward fix? any obvious pitfalls I should be aware of?

[Edwards]

The only pitfall could be if you have a road front mech. The cable pull is different with the MTB pulling approx 19mm and the road 13.5mm. If the front mech matched some STI road levers it is almost certainly wrong.

[neilob]

Actually another pitfall could be the front chainset. If it's a road bike version (typically 50/40/30) it may not be compatible with an MTB front mech.

[mill4six]

I have a flat bar Airnimal because I couldn't afford the drop version so I have a mountain front mech on a triple chainwheel and trigger shifters. If you go ahead we might be able to help eachother out! What sort of shifters are you removing? The Airnimal has Vee brake on the rear and a front cable disc so cable pull will need to be right, some levers have 2 positions. Pm me if you want me to investigate further (bar diameters etc..)

[gbnz]

I've looked at converting my tricross to a flat bar set up. The drop bars that came with the tricross are oversized, adding a few mm's to the diameter, so a new stem might be needed (Though suppose it could be a straight swap with the previous poster).

You could always swap the brakes for deep drop dual calipers. I put a pair of Alhongas on for £26 in 2009, as the tektro oryx were .........

[ericonabike]

Thanks for these tips and suggestions. I'll take a closer look at the components tomorrow and get back to you.

[Mr.Benton]

I did this recently on my Dawes Horizon and ran into all the problems mentioned above.
I started by buying new v brakes, flat STI levers for v-brakes and road front mech. these didn't look right on the bike so took them back and swapped the levers for MTB brake levers and MTB gear levers and a new MTB front mech.
I then fitted these new components and found the MTB front mech didn't fit the chain rings. The front new front mech wanted a difference of 12 teeth and the chain rings only had a difference of 10 see thread http://forum.ctc.org.uk/viewtopic.php?f=5&t=43550 for an explanation.
I then got a front mech that was compatitble with both the mtb levers and the chain rings, this worked.

I thought the job would take an hour, in the end it took two complete weekends! Check, double check and then check again the components you are buying will work with each other is my advice.

[MacBludgeon]

If you have a roadish triple chainset you should be able to use Shimano R440 shifter pod and front mech, the shifter pod, front/silver only, is on offer at CRC for under £10 now, a full set is over £60.

[sea lion]

I have just been through this exercise changing my ultra galaxy drops to butterfly bars. Some of it I learnt the hard way (by msistake). This is what I used:
Shimano R440 shifters
Shimano R443 front derailier (because although the R440 shifters are supposed to be for road bikes, their front mech pull is still different. However, the mech seems exactly the same as the Ultegra mech it replaced, just with a longer pull pivot)
Shimano R770 brake levers to be compatible with my canti brakes

One thing I would advise is an adjustable angle stem, so you can get the position comfortable.

[mill4six]

Hello again, I've been having a closer look. My chainset is 52/42/32 and I have MTB shifters so from what everyone else is saying the front mech must also be MTB. The mech attatches directly to braze ons on the frame, it doesn't clamp around the frame tube. I'm not sure if our mechs would swap directly, I take it yours is for a double chainset. That would also mean your shifters are for a double front mech. Even if we swapped chainsets too (and they fit our BB's) you'd end up with all my low gears that I need for loaded touring We would have to swap stems too as our bars are different diameters, mine are only 25mm. These things are never easy are they, If you'd had triple shifters I'd have said lets try it. Shame!! Thanks for looking into it and hope you work something out.

[iainb]

Hi there

I've recently done the same on a road bike with a Shimano 600 groupset using LX 7 speed rapidfire shifters. On the subject of the front mech, having read previous posts on here I didn't expect the 600 one to work with the LX shifters but I connected it up and it works fine and I didn't have to re route the cable. This a double chainset by the way. Before you change the front mech give it a go as it may work. Hope this helps.

Iain

[matthewn5]

Hi all,

For the record, I converted my Ultegra SL 6600 Planet X from drops to flats using Shimano's SL-R770 10-speed flat bar shifters. Being inherently stingy and skeptical I didn't buy the special FD-R770 front mech that everyone says you MUST use with the SL-R770. Rather, I kept the FD-6600g that came with the bike. The result was that shifting the front both up and down was just as crisp and perfect as it was before.

To be specific, the Sl-R770 flat bar shifters worked perfectly with an FD-6600g using a 53-39 front crankset. I think the hype about the special derailleur must originate with some jobsworth obsessive technician in the Shimano factory who doesn't get out much. Relax! As CJ says, indexing a front double is fairly pointless anyway, as the high and low stops will effectively set the 'indexing' anyway.

Cheers,

Matthew.

[mattsccm]

Check your positions. Flat bar bikes tend to be longer so fitting flats to a drop bar bike ,ight make it a bit short. Of course this may be good.
I would just check which front mech you are using and get shifters to match that.

[Si]

Could always put the V brakes on with your drop bars - replace the levers with the Tektro drop bar V levers (I found this set up the best I've ever had when braking from the hoods) and get some bar end or thumbies or kelly's type shifters (all of which use friction for the front so no changing of mechs). If you then sell your STI/Ergo levers (assuming that's what you have now) you ought to come out of it ahead.

[Vantage]

Have you considered mini V-brakes? Their shorter length allows them to be used with normal Shimano sti units and will save you endless problems with shifters, stem lengths and so on. I'm after some myself as I hate my cantilevers.
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Tektro-926AL-Mi ... m_sbs_sg_4