drop bar to replace straight bar - Cycling Mob: Road Cycling, Mountain Biking and More

09-24-2004, 09:26 PM

Hello group,

I was thinking of replacing the straight bar on my Trek 720 with a drop
bar. I am not sure what to do with the 3x7 grip shifters and brake
levers. If I have to buy all these components, what cost will there
be roughly?

Thanks.

Kevin

09-24-2004, 09:51 PM

[Only registered and activated users can see links. ] (Kevein B.) wrote in
news:90af90c5.0409242026.2eb319dc@posting.google.c om:
> I was thinking of replacing the straight bar on my Trek 720 with a drop
> bar. I am not sure what to do with the 3x7 grip shifters and brake
> levers. If I have to buy all these components, what cost will there
> be roughly?

Depends on what kind of shifters you want to buy. Those fancy STI systems
are not cheap.

09-24-2004, 09:51 PM

[Only registered and activated users can see links. ] (Kevein B.) wrote in
news:90af90c5.0409242026.2eb319dc@posting.google.c om:
> I was thinking of replacing the straight bar on my Trek 720 with a drop
> bar. I am not sure what to do with the 3x7 grip shifters and brake
> levers. If I have to buy all these components, what cost will there
> be roughly?

Depends on what kind of shifters you want to buy. Those fancy STI systems
are not cheap.

09-24-2004, 09:51 PM

[Only registered and activated users can see links. ] (Kevein B.) wrote in
news:90af90c5.0409242026.2eb319dc@posting.google.c om:
> I was thinking of replacing the straight bar on my Trek 720 with a drop
> bar. I am not sure what to do with the 3x7 grip shifters and brake
> levers. If I have to buy all these components, what cost will there
> be roughly?

Depends on what kind of shifters you want to buy. Those fancy STI systems
are not cheap.

09-24-2004, 09:51 PM

[Only registered and activated users can see links. ] (Kevein B.) wrote in
news:90af90c5.0409242026.2eb319dc@posting.google.c om:
> I was thinking of replacing the straight bar on my Trek 720 with a drop
> bar. I am not sure what to do with the 3x7 grip shifters and brake
> levers. If I have to buy all these components, what cost will there
> be roughly?

Depends on what kind of shifters you want to buy. Those fancy STI systems
are not cheap.

09-25-2004, 08:49 AM

(Kevein B.) wrote:

>>I was thinking of replacing the straight bar on my Trek 720 with a drop
>>bar. I am not sure what to do with the 3x7 grip shifters and brake
>>levers. If I have to buy all these components, what cost will there
>>be roughly?
>
"Ken" wrote:
>
> Depends on what kind of shifters you want to buy. Those fancy STI systems
> are not cheap.

$129.95 for Sora, really not that expensive when you consider it's both
bake levers and shift levers, including all 4 cables, housing and the
housing stops for the down tube.

You'll likely want to replace the stem with one that's a bit taller
and/or has less forward extension.

[Only registered and activated users can see links. ]

I'm assuming that your bike has traditional center-pull cantilever
brakes. If it has "direct-pull" cantilevers (cable comes in from the
side) you'll need additional doodads to match the cable pull of the
brake levers.

Sheldon "Upgrades" Brown
+-------------------------------------+
| Only those who attempt the absurd |
| will achieve the impossible. |
| --Albert Einstein |
+-------------------------------------+
Harris Cyclery, West Newton, Massachusetts
Phone 617-244-9772 FAX 617-244-1041
[Only registered and activated users can see links. ]
Hard-to-find parts shipped Worldwide
[Only registered and activated users can see links. ] [Only registered and activated users can see links. ]

09-25-2004, 08:49 AM

(Kevein B.) wrote:

>>I was thinking of replacing the straight bar on my Trek 720 with a drop
>>bar. I am not sure what to do with the 3x7 grip shifters and brake
>>levers. If I have to buy all these components, what cost will there
>>be roughly?
>
"Ken" wrote:
>
> Depends on what kind of shifters you want to buy. Those fancy STI systems
> are not cheap.

$129.95 for Sora, really not that expensive when you consider it's both
bake levers and shift levers, including all 4 cables, housing and the
housing stops for the down tube.

You'll likely want to replace the stem with one that's a bit taller
and/or has less forward extension.

[Only registered and activated users can see links. ]

I'm assuming that your bike has traditional center-pull cantilever
brakes. If it has "direct-pull" cantilevers (cable comes in from the
side) you'll need additional doodads to match the cable pull of the
brake levers.

Sheldon "Upgrades" Brown
+-------------------------------------+
| Only those who attempt the absurd |
| will achieve the impossible. |
| --Albert Einstein |
+-------------------------------------+
Harris Cyclery, West Newton, Massachusetts
Phone 617-244-9772 FAX 617-244-1041
[Only registered and activated users can see links. ]
Hard-to-find parts shipped Worldwide
[Only registered and activated users can see links. ] [Only registered and activated users can see links. ]

09-25-2004, 08:49 AM

(Kevein B.) wrote:

>>I was thinking of replacing the straight bar on my Trek 720 with a drop
>>bar. I am not sure what to do with the 3x7 grip shifters and brake
>>levers. If I have to buy all these components, what cost will there
>>be roughly?
>
"Ken" wrote:
>
> Depends on what kind of shifters you want to buy. Those fancy STI systems
> are not cheap.

$129.95 for Sora, really not that expensive when you consider it's both
bake levers and shift levers, including all 4 cables, housing and the
housing stops for the down tube.

You'll likely want to replace the stem with one that's a bit taller
and/or has less forward extension.

[Only registered and activated users can see links. ]

I'm assuming that your bike has traditional center-pull cantilever
brakes. If it has "direct-pull" cantilevers (cable comes in from the
side) you'll need additional doodads to match the cable pull of the
brake levers.

Sheldon "Upgrades" Brown
+-------------------------------------+
| Only those who attempt the absurd |
| will achieve the impossible. |
| --Albert Einstein |
+-------------------------------------+
Harris Cyclery, West Newton, Massachusetts
Phone 617-244-9772 FAX 617-244-1041
[Only registered and activated users can see links. ]
Hard-to-find parts shipped Worldwide
[Only registered and activated users can see links. ] [Only registered and activated users can see links. ]

09-25-2004, 08:49 AM

(Kevein B.) wrote:

>>I was thinking of replacing the straight bar on my Trek 720 with a drop
>>bar. I am not sure what to do with the 3x7 grip shifters and brake
>>levers. If I have to buy all these components, what cost will there
>>be roughly?
>
"Ken" wrote:
>
> Depends on what kind of shifters you want to buy. Those fancy STI systems
> are not cheap.

$129.95 for Sora, really not that expensive when you consider it's both
bake levers and shift levers, including all 4 cables, housing and the
housing stops for the down tube.

You'll likely want to replace the stem with one that's a bit taller
and/or has less forward extension.

[Only registered and activated users can see links. ]

I'm assuming that your bike has traditional center-pull cantilever
brakes. If it has "direct-pull" cantilevers (cable comes in from the
side) you'll need additional doodads to match the cable pull of the
brake levers.

Sheldon "Upgrades" Brown
+-------------------------------------+
| Only those who attempt the absurd |
| will achieve the impossible. |
| --Albert Einstein |
+-------------------------------------+
Harris Cyclery, West Newton, Massachusetts
Phone 617-244-9772 FAX 617-244-1041
[Only registered and activated users can see links. ]
Hard-to-find parts shipped Worldwide
[Only registered and activated users can see links. ] [Only registered and activated users can see links. ]

09-25-2004, 10:36 AM

On Sat, 25 Sep 2004 11:49:29 -0400, Sheldon Brown wrote:

> (Kevein B.) wrote:
>
>>>I was thinking of replacing the straight bar on my Trek 720 with a drop
>>>bar. I am not sure what to do with the 3x7 grip shifters and brake
>>>levers. If I have to buy all these components, what cost will there be
>>>roughly?
>>
> "Ken" wrote:
>>
>> Depends on what kind of shifters you want to buy. Those fancy STI
>> systems are not cheap.
>
> $129.95 for Sora, really not that expensive when you consider it's both
> bake levers and shift levers, including all 4 cables, housing and the
> housing stops for the down tube.
>
> You'll likely want to replace the stem with one that's a bit taller and/or
> has less forward extension.
>
> [Only registered and activated users can see links. ]
>
> I'm assuming that your bike has traditional center-pull cantilever brakes.
> If it has "direct-pull" cantilevers (cable comes in from the side) you'll
> need additional doodads to match the cable pull of the brake levers.
>
> Sheldon "Upgrades" Brown

What about some of them fancy Nitto moustache bars like y'all sell online?
They're not drops, but they'd offer a lot more hand positions than crummy
straight bars.

You could mount the grip shifters with regular grips + tape, or just tape
the whole bar. You'd probably want to get some new road brake levers since
they work better with moustache bars. One could even go for some bar-end
shifters,but then things start to get spendy and up towards the price of
going the drop bar/brifter route, unless you get some used and/or friction
jobbers of the net somewhere...

Waddaya think?