McStumpy

Hi

I have been using a modified hybrid (more mtb oriented than road) for a few years. Front mech trigger shifter is on right hand side of bar, rear mech shifter is grip, and the bike shop rigged up an adapter where both brake cables feed in, with an output cable feeding into one brake lever. Ie one lever pulls both brakes at once.

I wanted a faster road oriented bike for longer rides and sportives, so bought a Btwin Triban 540 flat bar in the summer. Decathlon have set up bike in similar way, both front and rear tiagra trigger shifters are on the right hand side, with (I think they said) a bmx style barrel that both brake cables feed into with the barrel connecting into one brake lever.

As much as I love my new bike and set up, having had a go on a drop bar bike and realised the aero and comfort benefits, I do now wish I'd gone for drop bar.

So, I'm looking to convert to drop bar, buying the bits I need off eBay as I want to do this as economically as possible. I already have a right hand tiagra sti brake / shifter, and I bought a "dummy" brake lever to mount on left side so I can ride on the hoods with my prosthetic left hand.

I was hoping my brake barrel adaptor would work with road sti cables, but on swapping emails with local bike shop they think I need a different adapter at £50.

There's also the question of front mech shifter. I'd be keen to re use the existing trigger shifter but it's mount is too narrow for a drop bar. Somebody else suggested I could install a TT style bar end shifter in the right hand butt of the drop bar.

So.... has anyone else faced a similar scenario or converted a drop bar for one handed operation? While my prosthetic can grip the bar I can't rely on it for braking and shifting.

All advice gratefully received. Thanks.

fietsbob

Dual cable out of the same brake lever are not going to be with the 2 shifters inside as well ..

I would suggest a Pro Shop and have them fit an electronic Di2 drivetrain . (very un Cheap)

then you can mount multiple Buttons for the shifting near By each other
there are Cable doublers to use 1 lever and 2 brakes ..

for the brakes , and T Fittings for Hydraulics ... Hydro discs are the new road thing..

Bezalel

What about a Kelly Take Off for your front shifter? And a Problem Solvers Cable Doubler for your brakes?

Kelly Bike Company
Problem Solvers

McStumpy

Thanks. Phoned Decathlon today as needed to book my free service post purchase and had a chat re the conversion to drop bar. Guy I spoke to confirmed the bmx brake cable splitter wouldn't work on road bike and I'd need the above cable doubler. I asked re fitting current trigger shifter on drop bar, he seemed to think it would fit anywhere but the wide clamp area, but I thought flat bar was a slightly smaller diameter than drop?

McStumpy

Yep, as I thought....Handlebar Diameters

McStumpy

Am now wondering how feasible it would be to operate left STI shifter with my prosthetic hand. I can't pull the brake so would still need doubler for right brake, but can I knock shifter inward? Perhaps hitting the correct part each time would be the issue. Ah, man, this is all messing with my head.

fietsbob

They make remote buttons for aero bars, maybe they can be the primary shifter..

Maybe drop the whole derailleur drivetrain and Go for a Rohloff , they have a 3rd party in Australia Making a servomotor

to roll thru the gears , and a Pair of Buttons, that shift Up and Down through the ratio sequence ..

build it up in a Skinny tire wheel and enjoy the simplicity..


Mechanical,
Kelly Take off Might put the other shifter near the Brake, inside, Gevanalle puts the other On the lever front

https://gevenalle.com/product/audax/ call them maybe they'll sell just one.

Bezalel

Have you bike shop put a bike with the shifter you're considering on a trainer ad give it a try.

I forgot to mention that the right take-off is designed for a right lever so you need to get one that's friction based.

@fietsbob While I'd love to suggest that the OP get Di2 shifters with sequential shifting, such a suggestion doesn't help because it's probably not in the budget.

McStumpy

Thanks for all the good advice.

Di2, would love, but as highlighted I'm doing this on a budget.

I think I'm good now. I've established that I really need to bite the bullet and buy the cable doubler, other than that I've now acquired the following from eBay. ....

Dummy left brake and hood - £4
Tiagra 10sp right hand sti shifter - £5
Microshift 2/3 speed bar end shifter - £12

So now need alu bars (looks like £10 or so from eBay), bar tape, and some cables.

I'll get a mechanic to do the build though. I think I know what to do but not fully confident.

Jeff Wills

One thing you may not have considered: "flat bar" road bikes typically have longer top tubes than "drop bar" bikes. Just bolting on the drop bars will result in a very long reach to the brakes/shifters. (Usually, you place your hand[s] on top of the brake hood.) Consult with a bike shop that does custom fitting- it may cost a bit, but a bike that fits will be much more enjoyable than one that doesn't.

FWIW: the "left" Shimano bar-end shifter can be installed on the right side also, like the Microshift. There's probably a few used ones out there- the right 9-speed indexed shifter was weak and often failed. There's got to be "orphan' bar-ends somewhere.

McStumpy

Thanks, Jeff. The Tribal 540 flat bar is same frame as 540 drop bar so top tube should be fine. I bought large size as medium was too scrunched up and although 5'10" I have long back and short legsI , and even then I soon swapped 100mm stem for 130mm and even then I could do with being more stretched. But I will fit the 100mm stem with the drop bar (eBay purchase of planet X strada arrived today).

McStumpy

Just to update, the upgrade now done, I picked up bike today. Pics below

https://flic.kr/p/DPZAcM

https://flic.kr/p/D1JAi3

https://flic.kr/p/DMPsb9

esther-L

Looks very nice. I like the bar-end shifter.

CliffordK

Nice conversion.

BTW: did you see this thread?
https://www.bikeforums.net/road-cycli...nd-wonder.html

It might give you another person to bounce ideas off of.

McStumpy

Thanks all. I have an advantage over genuine one handed cyclists in that my prosthetic allows me to hold bars with two hands, but controls have to be all right hand.

Jseis 

I converted my flat bar fat bike to Salsa Woodchippers and I'm running a 1 X 10 with right side bar end shifter. Also the upper bar is a triple rap drops are a double wrap... most excellent for grip.

McStumpy

Sweet, if distinctive, looking bike. What prompted the conversion to drops?

Jack_Neil

Sounds cool