bnelson

any one using flat bars instead of drops?

UBUvelo

i wasn't the last race...good ole drops....just franken-modified another bike which had flats....too wide, so i cut it to about the length of my other drops.....AND added Origin 8 drop ends....after wrapping them, i have a nice compact flat bar w/drops! works well....i still have that flat bar feel ... they actually stil up and out a bit like regular drops but they feel pretty much like i have nubby jutting mtb end bars...but i think it'll be legal!

so yeah, i am using flats...

meanwhile

I've ridden hybrids that we basically flat barred crossers off road. For everything that a bike with thin tyres should be asked to do I'd rate drops better - more pedalling leverage, less pressure on the carpal tunnel. Flats are better for jumping - definitely not a great idea on thing tyres - and steep technical descents, where it pays to get behind the saddle. But taking a descent like that isn't a great idea without the traction of 2 inch tyres; for the descents a 35mm tyre should be asked to do I think riding in the drops is fine. Otoh, a flat bat with 35mm tyres is definitely a good enough bike to be fun.

acorn_user

Sure, one of my team mates is running a flat bar Lemond Poprad. It works fine and it allows him the luxury of using v-brakes.

wunderkind

as opposed to?

irideacenturion

Cantilever brakes that 99% of cross bikes use. V-brakes don't work with road levers unless you're using a travel agent.

wolfpack 

yes. love my bike now. running sram rd & shifters on it now.

bnelson

nice I am going to have to give it a try.Thanks for all the replies

Chris_W

V-brakes also work with drop bars, without using travel agents, if you use brake levers designed for the purpose (available from Tektro, Cane Creek, or Dia Compe), and then use bar-end or down-tube shift levers.

M_S

Most people race on integrated shifter/brake levers.

wolfpack 

i ain't "most people" and, that shimano stuff just didn't fit my small hands, very hard to shift. this setup is 100x better. for me anyways and YMMV.

cs1

You mean sheeple. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sheeple Just because everyone else is doing it doesn't mean we all have to.

jonestr

There are a lot of good ideas that you dont have to abide by.

M_S

I've used both styles, thanks. My point is that if one prefers integrated shifter/brake levers, as is often the case in racing (i.e., "most people") then using a long pull road lever is not an option. Nowhere in my post do I criticize your personal equipment choice, I was simply pointing out that your suggestion does little good to most people looking to retrofit their cross bikes with v brakes. You like bar-ends, great. I get it. I like being able to shift and brake fromt he same position when racing, as do most people.

meanwhile

The "sheeple" word is not a good one - and often seems to be favoured by people who are rather prone to group-think themselves.

Re shifters and hand size in general:
I like bar end shifters personally. But I like Campag brifters more - if Shimano brifters are too small for your hands then Campag shifters are very worth looking at. I don't think there would be a problem with using them with small hands either. If you've not seen one then it may help to know that Tektro single speed brake hoods are very close to being a copy - although the Campag hoods seem to be made of a slightly grippy and more comfortable plastic. So $25 spent on ebay would give you a very good idea whether you'd get on with the Campags.