Flat bar conversion questions

[SteveV0983]

I'm thinking about converting my 1993 Serotta Colorado tg to a commuter because I never ride it as a road bike since I got my Moots. Right now, it is set up with 100% Ultegra 6600 and I'm hoping I can just change the bars, shifters and brake levers. I found Shimano's compatibility chart, but it doesn't go back to 6600. But it does have 6700 which should be the same compatibility. I was looking at Tiagra SL4600/BL4600 which looks like it should be fine with 6700 and, therefore, 6600.
Does anyone have any experience doing this? And any idea if this combo works? Main concerns would be shifting accuracy and whether or not the 6600 brakes work with the 4600 levers.

[loimpact]

I'm thinking about converting my 1993 Serotta Colorado tg to a commuter because I never ride it as a road bike since I got my Moots. Right now, it is set up with 100% Ultegra 6600 and I'm hoping I can just change the bars, shifters and brake levers. I found Shimano's compatibility chart, but it doesn't go back to 6600. But it does have 6700 which should be the same compatibility. I was looking at Tiagra SL4600/BL4600 which looks like it should be fine with 6700 and, therefore, 6600.
Does anyone have any experience doing this? And any idea if this combo works? Main concerns would be shifting accuracy and whether or not the 6600 brakes work with the 4600 levers.

Ya know what's funny? (Or not to some) ;) ......is that I remember a time I used to laugh at roadies and thought I'd NEVER leave the hybrid scene. And now, I recently hopped on my hybrid after several months having not touched it (and riding drop bars exclusively) and that was the most bizarre feeling I'd felt. I couldn't hardly figure out what to do with my hands. Sprinting felt so awkward I thought I was gonna fall off the thing. (flat bar vs drop bar, of course)

I used to read about the flat bar folks wanting to convert theirs to drop bars and I'd roll my eyes. Oh how time changes things, eh?

Whatever you do.....put that puppy to good use!! :beer:

[SteveV0983]

I guess I was hoping that someone actually had experience with this type of conversion and maybe could give me a heads-up of any potential issues.

[PacNW2Ford]

You could use the Shimano "Flat Bar" shifters and front derailleur with 6600/6700. Alternatively, you could mount Shimano 10-speed bar end shifters on Paul Thumbies mounts. Any brake lever designed for cantilever or road caliper brakes will work. Avoid MTB levers designed for MTB V-brakes.

[spacemen3]

I'd go with microSHIFT thumbshifters on a Nitto B2500AA or B2520AA bar with old Ritchey Logic brake levers. The bar might be too narrow a setup for most, but it works nicely on a road frame.

[classtimesailer]

I'm going to do something similar to my daughter's road bike. I'm planning on thumb shifters, North Road style bars and a sprung Brooks. She has DT shifters and I'm going to move those to the thumb shifter positon with something like Paul thumbies. If I were you, I'd get a pair of Shimano 10 speed bar ends and the Thumbies. Or These 1697916005
Dia-Compe makes decent levers.

[v531xc]

The shifter/derailleur and brake lever/caliper combo you've outlined should work.

Shimano likes to make it seem as if parts designed outside of a specific group will not work optimally even though compatibility charts will be state they are compatible.

Personally, I've had no issue mixing and matching the pre-11 series road components with each other and with 8 and 9 speed era MTB series components. I don't see any issue with the components you're selecting. It'll likely build up into a ripper of a commuter bike!

As others mentioned, thumb-mounted bar end shifters work well too. Depends on if you like the way those shift vs. an undermount shifter, but that's preference not to be confused with a Bridgestone catalog.

[SteveV0983]

Thanks for the responses. They give me some other alternatives to look into.