OT: Crazy Idea...possible heresy....Beware

[ti_boi]

I am considering putting flat risers bars on my road bike.



Trying it out...I like the upright ride and feel safer turning my head in traffic to see behind me in that position. It'll still kick tail...I might need to turn in my spandex though. Any thoughts? I have the materials. It is a simple switch from XT shifters to the Dura Ace gears already on there. Am I missing something besides a brain stem?

[maunahaole]

I say do it. Add mtb bar ends if you are feeling extra daring and want another hand position. *** - if you dont like it change it back - it is only a bike, you have parts, you have tools, you have skills. Mess around with it and try stuff out. Screw orthodoxy - if it works out for you, that's good.

[rcnute]

Might not be comfy for long distances but for in-city or short trips seems they'd work fine.

[staggerwing]

Yes you are. :D

How abouts something classy like a Soma Sparrow, mounted as shown (http://store.somafab.com/sosp490bar.html). They come in black or silver, and will work with bar ends, but you would have to use MTB brake levers. Otherwise, there is always the classic moustache bar. Both setups give more hand position possibilities than a typical MTB flatbar.

FWIW, I run a Sparrow, with an iMotion9 rear end and twist shifter, on a flat pedal, fendered, IRO Rob Roy, city beater. Also have a Surly Pacer, with a Nitto moustache bar, and Shimano SIS, 7-speed, downtube shifters, mounted in bar end pods.

[eddief]

I did it once to a plain old ti frameset bike. It looked cool, but I was never at all comfy with straightbars. Bar ends helped a bit, but my experiment lasted about a week. I have also tried Albatross bars and Moustache bars with the same conclusion. I now prefer nice drop bars mounted high coming in somewhere a couple of cm's above saddle height. For me, the combo of positions 1. straight part near stem, 2. on the outside of the tops, or 3. on the hoods is just hard to beat. Especially the outside curve on the tops of Nitto Noodles. With the core somewhat stronger, also getting into the bottom of drops on occasion.

[Dekonick]

I am considering putting flat risers bars on my road bike.



Trying it out...I like the upright ride and feel safer turning my head in traffic to see behind me in that position. It'll still kick tail...I might need to turn in my spandex though. Any thoughts? I have the materials. It is a simple switch from XT shifters to the Dura Ace gears already on there. Am I missing something besides a brain stem?

Something wrong with your fit? I don't see any gain unless your fit is off somehow.

But - try it. If you don't like it you can always revert.

[Steve in SLO]

I am considering putting flat risers bars on my road bike.

I say go for it, especially when comfort and safety outweigh outright speed.

On a separate but somewhat related note, I've been tempted to toss some On-One Midges on my hardtail MTB and see what fun I can have.

[rwsaunders]

Might not be comfy for long distances but for in-city or short trips seems they'd work fine.

+1. I rode two MS150's years go on a roadie with flat bars. My fingers were numb for several weeks due to a lack options for hand position. On 30-40mi rides, no problem.

[SpeedyChix]

I've been tempted to toss some On-One Midges on my hardtail MTB and see what fun I can have.

Can be loads of fun. You'll find that you may want rise on your stem when you make the change.

[Lifelover]

I ride MTB "urban" quite a bit and have always wanted a flat bar road bike. I have always felt like I'm more confident with handling with flats bars. I assume the main reason MTB almost exclusively have flat bars, is because there is some handling advantage.

ATMO, sloped TT bikes look much better with flat bars than level TT bikes.

That being said, I think Jack's Moots is one of my all time favorites!

http://forums.thepaceline.net/attachment.php?attachmentid=17814&stc=1

More pics here Jack's (now Johny's) Moots (http://forums.thepaceline.net/showthread.php?t=22769&highlight=moots)

[mike p]

I just don't see what you gain? Many more hand positions on a regular road bar.

Mike

[woolly]

You'll likely need a longer stem, especially if your most common hand position is on the hoods of your current road bars.

You'll need brake levers that pull the right amount of cable for road calipers. If the XT's you reference are integrated brake/shifters, they're made for V-brakes (i.e. too much cable pull).

[nobrakes]

I had flat bars on my favorite single speed for a while, but eventually went back to drop bars for more hand positions. At first, rides around town with the flat bars seemed more comfortable, but the drop bars prooved more rider friendly, especially after I installed some cyclocross inline brake levers that gave me two braking positions. I keep my flatbars set up and handy for quick changouts, if my mood changes about the drop bars. The same stem works for both bars, and change out simply. Try not to get caught in the traditionalist rut. Experiment.

[palincss]

I assume the main reason MTB almost exclusively have flat bars, is because there is some handling advantage.

That's not necessarily a universally held opinion. http://www.cunninghambikes.com/

http://www.cunninghambikes.com/images/stories/bikes/Otto/compcunningham-sm.jpg

[d_douglas]

My redline ti will have a Surly Torsion bar and a big long cheap ritchey stem in a few hours. I sold the DuraAce STIs to a forumite, so I need to strip them off and ship them!

As I am waiting for a new road bike (coming in a few weeks) I officially have no bike with drop bars. Weird.

[ti_boi]

OK, got one more for you.

What 'IF' I wanted to use the STI shifters.

Can they be used at say an unconventional angle?

I like them the way the are and would rather use them to shift, even if they are mounted on flatter bars...or mustache bars...or bullhorns. Is this possible?

Just an experiment. :beer:

[Dekonick]

Sure - but it would not be easy to shift. Be easier with campy as the cables run underneath the tape...

[tuscanyswe]

Sure - but it would not be easy to shift. Be easier with campy as the cables run underneath the tape...

But how would you upshift with campy ergos on a flatbar?

[Lifelover]

OK, got one more for you.

What 'IF' I wanted to use the STI shifters.

Can they be used at say an unconventional angle?

I like them the way the are and would rather use them to shift, even if they are mounted on flatter bars...or mustache bars...or bullhorns. Is this possible?

Just an experiment. :beer:


Thumb/trigger shifting is to flat bars what ergo is to drop bars.

Don't try to reinvent the wheel. ATMO

[ti_boi]

I call her the Stealth Bomber.... :beer:

[caleb]

That's one of the most expensive coffee shop bikes I've ever seen.

[ti_boi]

That's one of the most expensive coffee shop bikes I've ever seen.


I prefer to think of her as an adrenaline deliver system for the 'middle aged man'...... :cool:

[giordana93]

I prefer to think of her as an adrenaline deliver system for the 'middle aged man'...... :cool:

especially if he locks the front brake while trying to shift.
sorry, I'm not against the straight bar on road bike of the OP. not at all. but that serotta just breaks too many rules of common sense and aesthetics. I can see breaking common sense for aesthetics or vice versa, or either broken for economy, but that bike is three strikes, except for "hey, look at me, I'm different". it's not cheap, has a stack of spacers and an upturned stem, the brake lever/shifters are parallel to the ground so your wrists and forearms are at an uncomfortable angle, you can't rest on the hoods. no reasonable (and safe) cruising position. sorry, no redeeming value for me, except the need to draw attention, and for all the wrong reasons. an expensive beater with less functionality. bravo.
ps I need my second cup of coffee, but that wouldn't change my mind, just probably keep me from posting :beer:

post edit: forgot to complain about the bar tape and especially the cable fraying that's going to occur from the housing coming out of the shifters already going the wrong direction
post, post edit: then again, if it floats your boat, what do I know? didn't recognize this as the original bike destined for surgery. I would still suggest that you try angling the levers down to something more in line with the natural line of your arms (assuming you are sticking with 10 speed so can't use mtb shifter/lever that would yield better ergonomics)

[ti_boi]

Her Formal Portrait after a quick run for espresso..... :banana:

[William]

Cool! :cool:

:beer:



William

[Samster]

Her Formal Portrait after a quick run for espresso..... :banana:that's cool. love the bartape. form over function any day, but this one works imo.

[fiamme red]

Her Formal Portrait after a quick run for espresso..... :banana:Proper garage door! :banana: