switching handlebars between bikes
07-27-19, 09:05 AM
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switching handlebars between bikes
Got a couple cheap bikes off craigslist, one for me and one for my nephew who was visiting. They were larger framed than I'd hoped, and it turned out even the smaller one was too big.
Going to sell one and keep the other for myself, and was I like the smaller frame of the Capitola but the adjustable curvy handlebar doesn't really do it for me. I was thinking of swapping over the straight bar from the Trek 800.
Is this a feasible project? Would I use the existing shifters, or would I keep the shifters with the bars and switch the cables around?
Going to sell one and keep the other for myself, and was I like the smaller frame of the Capitola but the adjustable curvy handlebar doesn't really do it for me. I was thinking of swapping over the straight bar from the Trek 800.
Is this a feasible project? Would I use the existing shifters, or would I keep the shifters with the bars and switch the cables around?
07-30-19, 02:02 AM
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Bikes: Centurion Ironman, Trek 5900, Univega Via Carisma, Globe Carmel
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I've swapped bars and other components between hybrids to suit myself. In particular I have a mid-2000s Globe Carmel that was a little too upright with the original riser bar -- it's like a city rental bike. Fine for flat terrain but a chore on even modest hills.
I swapped bars with an early 1990s Univega that had a flat bar. The flat bar lengthened the reach just a bit on the Globe, and lowered the bar just a little so it's still comfortable but a little more efficient on hills -- I lean forward just a little more so the hip adductor muscles are recruited more efficiently. And the riser bar was good on the Univega, which has a long top tube. It reduced the reach a bit and was more comfortable without reducing efficiency. (Although that Univega now has an albatross swept bar.)
Stems can also fix some minor fit issues. The Globe Carmel has an odd quill stem that's not easily replaced. But the Univega uses a standard quill stem. I've swapped between an upward-angled stem and zero-angle road bike stem, just to vary the fit and reach a bit.
For a cheap bike, a set of SunRace SLM10 friction thumb shifters can replace balky indexed shifters. Costs only $10-$15, includes cables and housings. Good replacement for the common Shimano RevoShift grip shifters that come with many low end hybrids. RevoShift grip shifters are handy but plasticky and tend to break after a couple of years, depending on usage. A replacement set of RevoShift also cost about $10-$15.
I swapped bars with an early 1990s Univega that had a flat bar. The flat bar lengthened the reach just a bit on the Globe, and lowered the bar just a little so it's still comfortable but a little more efficient on hills -- I lean forward just a little more so the hip adductor muscles are recruited more efficiently. And the riser bar was good on the Univega, which has a long top tube. It reduced the reach a bit and was more comfortable without reducing efficiency. (Although that Univega now has an albatross swept bar.)
Stems can also fix some minor fit issues. The Globe Carmel has an odd quill stem that's not easily replaced. But the Univega uses a standard quill stem. I've swapped between an upward-angled stem and zero-angle road bike stem, just to vary the fit and reach a bit.
For a cheap bike, a set of SunRace SLM10 friction thumb shifters can replace balky indexed shifters. Costs only $10-$15, includes cables and housings. Good replacement for the common Shimano RevoShift grip shifters that come with many low end hybrids. RevoShift grip shifters are handy but plasticky and tend to break after a couple of years, depending on usage. A replacement set of RevoShift also cost about $10-$15.
