Hybrid conversion to road(ish) bike

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Permalink Reply by David P. on July 21, 2014 at 4:03pm

I will go on the assumption that the feedback provided to you by the bike shop(s) on fit was good, and the bike is not too small or too large for you.

Putting drop bars on it will indeed give you multiple hand positions, but will not necessarily do anything about the soreness and discomfort that you experience at the end of a long ride. This suggests that you may have more weight on your hands than is ideal, though I don't think there's really enough information in your post to say. If so, this is a separate issue from that of hand positions. Ideally, your weight should be pretty evenly distributed between butt, feet and hands, with more weight coming off the hands as your riding position gets more an more upright. In any case, you ought to be able to lift your hands off the bars while riding without a change in your body position.

Working on your core strength (and developing the ability to use your core to support the weight of your upper body, rather than using your arms and shoulders) can have a significant effect on comfort on long rides.

If the lack of hand positions is your primary problem, you may find this better addressed with butterfly bars (aka trekking bars) than with drops. These bars will also allow you to reuse your existing controls.

David

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Permalink Reply by Tricolor on July 21, 2014 at 4:07pm

Figure a rough estimate for converting to drop bars:

$50 for the bars

$25 for Tektro (or similar) brake levers

$85 or so for bar end shifters (or combine with the above brake levers depending on the drivetrain)  Bar ends will keep everything much simpler, though.

$20 for handlebar tape

$35 for a new stem to make it fit perfectly (back and shoulder pain indicates it's not perfect as is), assuming it's threadless.  Otherwise you'll probably need a new stem anyway for the road bars (but I don't know if that's the case for sure).

$45 new shift/brake cables and housing

? assembly/adjustment labor

Some of that list can be found used for less than the list prices above.  It'll be a sturdy bike good for commuting, shopping and riding at a decent pace, but won't be a speedster.

Or treking bars.  That's actually the easier answer.

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Permalink Reply by Kevin Mulcky on July 21, 2014 at 4:39pm

Treking bars seems like a good idea. Albatross bars are another good upright bar with multiple hand positions. 

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Permalink Reply by Greg Berry on July 21, 2014 at 4:49pm

Thank you both for the replies!

Dave:

I will admit, I bring a half keg to the shirtless party, not a six pack; core exercise is sorely needed!  I had not really thought about the body as much as the ergonomics and "feel" during a ride.  Since I am just getting back into riding I will have to work through the minor aches and get acclimated. 

Tricolor:

I asked the bike shop their opinion with these questions and they said "yes, we can do that easy."  Not really an answer to either question....I appreciate the price up of the parts, and you came back with some better numbers than I was finding! 

Sounds like Butterfly bars or Treking bars are the way to go!

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Permalink Reply by grayn8 on July 21, 2014 at 6:24pm

I have trekking bars were randomly in the bin at working bikes. I kept the shifters and set up from the Mtb bar. The most I rode with this setup is a century with a lot of stops. I still had hand problems, but I am anatomically nightmarishly built to suffer (hip/shoulder mild stuff that becomes problematic with "endurance events". That being said, it was a DPT that suggested the bars and they have done wonders. I have also found when trekking that lighter loads make a huge difference. Panniers loaded to the T's on front and back racks might carry essential growlers and food, but mashing with the feet can lead to over gripping the bar. Ymmv, but, my gripping too hard and shoulder mobility issues played a greater role than core. Grip can be fixed, structural stuff just has to be worked around, right?

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Permalink Reply by Bill Baumgartner on July 21, 2014 at 6:54pm

Greg

I too have the same problems with the flat bars on my hybrid. 

But I had other issues, instead of the half keg, I brought the full keg to the shirtless party. I was pushing 300 lbs and riding 15-20 miles a day on dirt roads and gravel trails. I changed the handlebars over to the Jones H-bar. This helped a great deal. Depending on the shifter and brake set up you have, you shouldn't have to purchase anything new there. I had to extend a couple of cables, but otherwise fits like a champ. See photo below.

However, that did not "fix" the problem. I still had the same issues, but to a lesser extent. Since then I have lost 60 lbs. and started working on core and general exercises. Now I am starting to see and feel the changes. I feel much better on the bike and am no longer thinking I need to tweak something else. 

Wether you go with Drop, Butterfly, Trekking, or H-Bars, I think that is a matter of personal preference. As long as there are multiple options for hand position and the ability to change on the fly without losing control, the options are there. 

bb

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