Annette, our CFO, has made some changes to her bike that I find interesting. Her semi-custom VO rando (frame #2) was set up with drop bars and brifters and a leather saddle, in typical randonneur fashion. But Annette no longer lives in the countryside with endless farm roads around. Now she finds herself riding in a more urban area or on rail-to-trail bike paths. So she decided to rebuilt her bike to match her new riding style.
She switched out the drop bars for VO Milan bars. A new VO chrome stem provides more bar height than the previous Nitto Technomic. The driver train went from Campy 9-speed triple to Shimano 105 10-speed double with flat-bar shifters and a VO compact crank. A new VO Hi-Lo wheelset completes the running gear. Grand Cru caliper brakes provide more stopping power and much better modulation than the previous Tektros. She also switched the saddle from a Brooks B17S to a Terry, which she'd used on another bike and preferred. New dual-sided pedals with SPD on one side, platform on the other side, are on the way and will be the final change. Igor, our new warehouse manager, did the wrenching.
Annette is thrilled with the new setup and can't wait to get some serious riding in. (Note that when the photo was taken the bar and saddle height had not yet been adjusted.)
This really seems like great compromise between an urban bike and a road bike. It's a sort of ultimate hybrid bike. Who else has switched from drop bars to city bars on a road bike and what's your experience been?
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23 comments:
Earlier this year I switched from noodle bars on my VO Rando to Porteur bars with the stem raised quite high, soon craved even more height! so now I'm using the Montmartre bars, and I have to say they are my favorite! my rando is really a porteur with the upright handlebars, and porteur rack. I'll have to email some pictures, esp when I've got my 50lbs Fender guitar amp upfront (I ride to all my gigs with it up front and my guitar on my back)
My experience is that when you go from drops to flats, you need a longer TT or stem to compensate.
Hmm, that almost resembles a Schwinn Suburban. I have been riding an older Jamis Coda flatbar road bike for my 9 mile RT urban commuting lately. It feels plenty fast and lively, though I noticed when I switched out the 23c tires for 35c reflective sidewall ones after a tragic double pinchflat in an alley pothole obscured by leaves last fall. Fender clearance is key and I added some biocork ergo grips to reduce palm pressure. A rear rack and crate complete the picture for now. I may add my VO Porteur Rack on the front soon too. I like that my bike is black, and easy to keep touched up with simple brush-on gloss enamel. One other thing is upright bars give you more real estate for bell and headlight. I got some bar mitts for winter riding, and they do seem to help keep my hands warmer.
In warmer seasons I prefer the simplicity of my french singlespeed conversion with flop-n-chop bars. On really horrible rainy days the upright Panther balloon tire cruiser gets the nod, and snowy days it's the singlespeeded 80's Ross chrome rigid atb icebike with studded tires and bullhorn bar/stem that gets ridden.
Lookin' good! Do I detect the influence of Nick on the handlebars? He sure loves the Milan bars...
I did my tour down the Pacific coast with Nitto Albatross bars, and was so glad I went that route. Have since gone back to my VO Rando's for city riding and shorter weekend tours, but if you're gonna be in the saddle 10 hours a day for weeks on end, something that gets you upright and has some back sweep is the way to go in my humble opinion.
for me I like the same stem and TT length. when riding upright bars I want them high and close, so that my torso is more vertical. I think with something longer you're not really going for upright, but a somewhat in between. I would say keep it closer if you want your weight off the handlebars.
Hi Kyle, I ended up putting Postino bars, much like the Milan, on your old Motobecane.
I swapped drops for north-road-style bars on my shopping/ride with the kids bike. Control and comfort at low speeds is much better.
Much better than flats, which as others note still needs lift and still leaves me leaning forward.
I would say shorter top tube, from my own experiences...for the less agressive posture. Did this to a Panasonic road bike that was too small (just right) for me...trying it now on my proper road size (too long TT) Long Haul Trucker, but having issues getting the extension dialed back, even with short stem/max spacers/Left Bank style bar...I'm definitely going for the upright position, though, y'know...
I swappped some drops for flats on my 80s nishiki rebuild. http://www.flickr.com/photos/mralistair/6159707736/in/set-72157627439986477 I really like it, but need a slightly higher stem.
One problem I had was finding bull horm bars that would accept mountain bike style shifters (in this case sram rockets) in the end i gave up, any thoughts?
I've done the same thing with two bikes for my wife and I. They startd life as better quality 12 speeds from the early 70's and now have 700C wheels with wide tires, generator hubs, Honjo fenders, VO chainguard, VO Dajia stailess rear racks, 7 speed hubs (We're real fans of internal gearing), Brooks B-66, Brompton saddle clamps (these are fabuous), and upright bars and stems. These bikes are ideal for up to 30 or so miles in a day or a quick trip to the grocery store. Totally comfortable. The final mechanical configuration was finally arrived at last year and now the frames are at Bilenky's for some added braze-ons and matching paint. Can't wait....
Several years ago I noticed I was riding almost exclusively on the hoods and the flats of my drop bars when I rode my old Trek 310 around town. Gilbert at the (now gone) North Road bike shop suggested switching to Nitto Moustache bars. They've been fantastic. Soon I'm going to be adding a pair to my camping bike.
About a year after I switched to the moustache bars, I also switched the gearing to a 7-speed Nexus IGH. It's not the fastest bike in the world, but it's great for stop-and-go traffic where you may not have enough time or foresight to fully downshift before you stop.
This is almost exactly what I have arrived at for my riding. Perfect for blending into one's routine, and for riding every day. The double actually decreases the need to shift, ironically enough, at least up front. I'd venture to say that this is what bikes gravitate toward when the sport element of the industry doesn't have a stranglehold on things: responsive and efficient transportation that's fun to ride.
When I built up my Peugeot Triathlon from scratch, I found alloy 3 speed bars in my stash that fit the bike perfectly. The bike is my lightest bike with 12 speeds and 23mm tires but with an upright position that lets me see where I am going while cutting through traffic.
I have a flat 30 mile a day commute in SoCal. My ride has been a crapy old ten speed to single speed conversion. I went for near a year with the original SA Rando drops. The advantage being able to get down when it blows. Just to try something different I put on VO porteur bars. These are very comfortable. I ride them taped, shellacked, and with Cane Creek aero type brakes mounted out on the front of the bend making for an extra hand position. here is a link to some pictures and stuff.
http://thebikedork.blogspot.com/2010/06/bike-dork-behind-bars.html
A few years ago, I took my old 70's Schwinn Super LeTour 12.2 and changed it into an upright, commuter style bike by switching the bars to VO Tourist bars and a VO model 8 saddle. The bike has the Schwinn approved front and rear racks. On the front rack I put a medium Wald basket with a Sackville Shopsack. I also, changed the wheels from 27 inch to 700c. I've taken off the front derailleur and large chain ring to make it an easy cruising five-speed. Finally, I've purchased a VO chain guard to install this spring. Funny thing is, I don't live in a city but in a rural area surrounded by country roads! I've also got a drop bar Bridgestone 400 with several VO parts as my "country bike" but that's another story. I like what Annette's done with her bike.
I have the VO Montmartre on my Raleigh Twenty, and I like them, but Nitto North Roads are by far my favorite upright bars - hand position vs sweep is just right for me. They've moved from my 3-speed commuter to my 8 spd NEXUS tootling-around bike. Only problem is fitting that ridiculously large grip shift on there with grips as well.
I put on a Nitto "Dove" handlebar on my wife's Trek 728 steel touring bike, which would normally be too small for me, put on a single speed freewheel, a Brooks model 67 seat and 35c tires and it has been one of my favorite rides for the last four years. I can use it to go the store or on 30 mile rides with a few short hills thrown in. It's totally comfortable, even my teenage son likes to borrow it to get around town.
At my wife's request, I converted her '84 Lotus Excelle to upright city bars, cushy upright saddle, etc. about 2 years ago, after which I began searching for a way to make one for my own use. Problem was, I loved my upgraded '83 Lotus Classique way too much to convert it. So I searched for and found a similarly framed Lotus Classique on Craigslist and got the seller to ship it to me. Now I have my favorite bike frame of all time built up in both a drop-bar and city-bike version and I can jump on and ride whichever version suits my fancy any time I want.
Original equipment on the '83 included a short in height but very long-extension stem with drop bars that were much lower and deeper in the drops than anything made nowadays. Presumably the designers expected long-legged riders of 25" frames to also be long in the arms and torso. I ain't built that way and I eventually got tired of the stretch and replaced them with a much taller and shorter Nitto Technomic stem and smaller noodle bars.
The '84 came with a shorter stem and the mystery-maker bars I found deep in the vaults at my LBS were swept back and uplifted more than enough. Sitting up made the original seat even more uncomfortable than it already was, but the VO Model 8 saddle proved to be extremely comfortable for upright riding. To ride comfortably, I think converting to full upright bars automatically requires switching to a saddle designed for upright riding. I jettisoned the front derailleurs in both city-bike conversions which also allowed me to split an old set of Suntour bar-end shifters between mine and my wife's city bikes. I covered the teeth on the outside chain-wheels with a plastic grommeting material from an electronic supply house that effectively made them function as chain guards.
I'm very delighted with my city-bike conversion. The city-bike still feels extremely light and zippy, but my posture and sight lines are hugely improved for riding in traffic. And even without traffic, although I still love riding my original Classique from time to time. The only thing I'm thinking of changing is swapping out the freewheel gear cluster for something closer to the same cluster I use on my '83.
I sort of did a conversion.
I had a built up MAP rando frame and a not built Johnny Coast rando frame. I was not using the MAP, so I sold the frame but kept most of the parts.
Then I built up the Coast with upright bars, 1x7 gearing, and platform pedals. I think, but cannot say for certain I bought the MaxiCar hubs from VO way back when there was a one time only NOS sale.
Link to pictures - if interested, you can root around and find a picture of the MAP and my Kellogg 30th Anniversary that made the MAP redundant.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/57976152@N07/6905090661/in/photostream
Where are my manners?!?
Annette's bike is a beauty. I hope she has many happy miles on it.
Once when I turned 50 I thought I should convert a Fuji touring bike with drops into an upright bike. My urban commute was literaly a pain in the neck. Big mistake to add the flat riser because all of a sudden I felt like an old man. No performance to speak of now that I was strapped into a static position with one hand grip. So I converted the upright to moustache bars. I thought the best option was always something I had never tried until one day I traded the Fuji bike for a fast skinny tired flat bar Masi. All this in the name of comfort and performance. But as time passed the fast flat bar just didn't cut it. Symptoms crept back with rides over 15 miles. Was there not a handlebar that could do it all and where could I find one? Rummaging through my garage I came upon an old Raleigh Gran Prix someone had given me. By the looks of it the bike was on it's last leg, and on top of that it was one size too large. TT and stem with drops was not going to work for me unless I took drastic measures. First was chop the handlebar end. Then flop and reverse the handlebar. No, not a bullhorn, reverse the bar. Then I added a modification to the bar end so I could use reverse brake levers or finger levers and have a grip area. Then I wrote a patent for the handlebar. The prototype handlebar has been field tested for thousands of miles on my commuter Raleigh, my touring/ commuter Bridgestone XO-4, the Masi Speciale Primio and a single speed Rollo. The simple fact is that the reverse drop/flop raises the bar, brings the rider closer to the bars,provides multiple hand grips, multiple postures,mulitple component iterations, and confounds single hand grip fashion and drop bar functionality in an urban situation. Go to domotion2011.wordrpress or google domotion2011 Detroit Bar
For me, converting from country to city riding introduced the idea of a bullhorn bar. Boston is FULL of them. Since my work commute is now less than 5 miles (used to be 35 each way), my Nitto bullhorn provides a nice clean look. I also no longer need all the hand position options. At least, not on THIS bike. :-)
I gave up on drop bars over 20 years ago while living in Key West Florida. Had my beautiful Fuji Del Rey converted to upright riding style with nice bullhorn type handlebars. Since then I've converted three more old school high end steel bikes to bullhorn handlebars. It's made a big difference in the amount of time and pleasure I get out of riding. My usual technique is to discard old stem & handlebars. Install new "comfort" type stem. Select 27" bull horn handlebars with about a 2.5" to 5" rise. Install foam grips. New brake handles & cables. And, last but not least install a nice SunTour stem shifter. Done deal. I still have my 1986 Del Rey. It is one of the smoothest fastest most comfortable bikes I've ever riden
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