Converting Road Bike to Flat Bar Bike Help

[Dallez]

Paceline,

I'd like to get your advice on potentially converting my soon to be ex bike (2010 Specialized Allez) to a setup more conducive for my wife.

It currently has a Shimano 105 (5600 series) gruppo installed. She would much prefer to have a flat bar with hybrid/mtb stlye brake levers and shifters.

If we go through with this project, I will need:

1)shorter stem
2)flat bar
3)New Shifters/Levers

I am assuming I can keep all the other drivetrain parts intact. My question for the forum is which Shimano 10sp MTB/Hybrid style shifters/levers would you recommend that would work with 10s 105 derailleurs? I will be looking to do this as economically as possible. Thanks in advance.

[oliver1850]

I think either Tiagra (SL-4600) or SL-R770 levers would work. It might be cheaper to go to 9 speed and use closeout MTB levers if you can't find the road 10s cheap. If you use MTB levers, you'll need to change the FD. I built a road bike using 9 speed M-530 levers, which work fine but required an MTB FD to work. I found the levers for about $20 at the time. They may be gone now, but there are plenty of others around new and cheap. I had no problem using the integrated brake levers with road calipers, but that might not be true in all cases.

[Dallez]

Thanks Oliver for the tips.

I wanted to clarify that I would takeoff the current 105 5600 road levers and use them for another project or sell them. So I would definitely need a 10s (preferably) compatible MTB style.

I was hoping Shimano made one that is compatible with their road offerings, but perhaps that was just wishful thinking.

[oliver1850]

The SL-4600 and SL-R770 are 10 speed and road compatible. They are likely going to cost more than MTB levers that you can buy on close out and do the same thing. That was my point about the M530s, that it was a very cheap way to put a flat bar on a road bike.

[Dallez]

Thanks for the clarification. I get it now.