Originally Posted by
Korina
Probably geometry. Old mtbs have stupid long top tubes, add drop bars on top of that, and you're riding face down, folded in half. Mine has a short stem and swept bar to compensate.
+1
I recently did a drop bar conversion** on a Trek 970(I need to post some pics here..turned out GREAT..did a 130 mile short tour with it fully loaded and it handled beautifully)..I noted while researching models that the early '90s (1990-1993) 970's had about a 1.5 to 2cm shorter top tube than the mid to late 90s 970's (and presumably the 950's, 990's). Big difference when adding drop bars. I went with Ritchey ErgoMax drop bars..they have a 10mm rise and 4 degree sweep back..both helped in getting the fit right. At this point, the my drop-bar 970 fits very close to my road bikes in terms of reach. Stack is a bit taller..by design.
**I rode the flat OEM bar version of my 970 for 20 miles after I first got it.."folded in half"...like a 4-5 inch drop Yikes. OK-ish for one short ride, but I wouldn't make a habit of it..certainly not touring.