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How impractical?

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Old 09-14-07, 03:32 PM
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How impractical?

I have a flat bar road bike, how impractical would it be to convert it to the hook style handlebars?
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Old 09-14-07, 03:37 PM
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No big deal other than that you'd need new levers and shifters. You have some options with bar-end shifters, down-tube shifters, or the integrated brake/shift levers. It kind of depends on your current components and budget.
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Old 09-14-07, 05:52 PM
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It's not impractical but it can be a bit expensive. I did just that converting an old Trek MTB to drop bars and STI shifting at low cost BUT I had all the parts I needed leftover from other bikes. Starting from scratch would have cost a considerable amount.
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Old 09-14-07, 05:58 PM
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Originally Posted by HillRider
It's not impractical but it can be a bit expensive.
The definition of impractical. Especially if the OP has no spare parts or no skills to do the work himself.
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Old 09-14-07, 06:03 PM
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Originally Posted by operator
The definition of impractical. Especially if the OP has no spare parts or no skills to do the work himself.
True. Perhaps I should have said it's not impossible but it can be costly.

Rather like the A.J. Foyt quote: "Speed cost money. How fast do you want to go?"
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Old 09-14-07, 06:14 PM
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Originally Posted by HillRider
Rather like the A.J. Foyt quote: "Speed cost money. How fast do you want to go?"
I like this quote.
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Old 09-14-07, 08:22 PM
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If you want bar-end shifters - probably not a big deal. If you want the newfangled integrated brakes/shifters, it could be better to get an entry level road bike from Craigslist, depending.

For reference, even on eBay the cost for a bar and used (but not abused) Tiagra integrated shifters could easily get over $100-$125. New will probably run you over $200. Add in another $25 for new cables, tape, etc, and you're getting to the point where it might not be worth doing the upgrade
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Old 09-16-07, 07:05 AM
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I'm not really worried about the integrated shifters. So, say I went to a yard-sale and found a bike in decent condition (as in everything working). Could I take the set off of that frame on put it on my better one?
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Old 09-16-07, 07:18 AM
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Originally Posted by Shakedown
I'm not really worried about the integrated shifters. So, say I went to a yard-sale and found a bike in decent condition (as in everything working). Could I take the set off of that frame on put it on my better one?
Probably won't work but you just might get lucky.
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Old 09-16-07, 08:55 AM
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Lurk here until someone posts a "Can I convert drop bars to flat bars???" thread, then offer to make a component (or even complete bike) trade. You won't have to wait long.
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