Dirt drops?

[Pat]

I've been wanting to try some dirt drops on one of my bikes for a long time, but don't want to have 'road' levers and/or barcons....I basically want shallow drops, with a 22.2mm grip area to mount my existing brakes and levers....
I've found a Soma pair called Gators....does anyone know where these might be bought in the UK? Or any other drops with MTB sized diameter grip area?

[voodoo_simon]

Do you mean you'll be using mountain bike brake levers? If so, you'll always be riding on the drops, which I can't see being comfortable on long rides.

Road levers will be nicer with drops as they give a better riding position

[Pat]

Yeah, that's what I want, but I'll sort of angle the brakes on the hook of the drops....I sort of can visualise it! I tried some flipped marys, but they weren't quite right.....

[TheBrownDog]

On One Midge bars? I think the diameter would work but as above you'd be on the drops all the time, which will put a lot of strain on your wrists and shoulders, neck etc. though you could use them with a high rise stem to get you upright, and you could also put some interrupter levers on too so you can ride on the tops.

[Pat]

Midges are for road levers.....as are all the others, apart from gators, as far as I can tell.
My aim would be to adjust them so that they are about the same bar to saddle drop as my normal bars....I just want a more aero position, that I struggle to get with bar ends/aero bars.

[Nevis]

Are you sticking with your current levers to reuse existing kit or is there a particular reason you don't want to use road levers?

[Pat]

I'm comfortable with the brakes and shifters that I already use, and just want to use them on drops......there must be a reason no one really makes them, but I can't see it!
Look at a bike like the salsa Fargo.....it's a great bike, but in my opinion, it would be better with MTB controls......some days you might want a flat bar, others, the drops.....with modern MTB stuff with hinged clamps and I-spec mounts, you could swap a stem/bar combo out in minutes, and adapt your bike for the type of ride you will be doing that day....long, flattish xc? Dirt drops, for the aeros! Plugging through the gloop? Flat bars! Etc......

Does that make sense? Am I looking for something that isn't worth looking for?

[restlessshawn]

You could try http://mosquito-bikes.co.uk/shop/ they are a UK Soma dealer.

I got some Soma Portola for my old road bike from here http://www.singlespeed.nl/catalog/index ... =2a&page=3 as I could not find them in the UK.

I tried flipped Marys before when I was trying to cx the mtb a bit and thought they were pretty good but then bought another cx bike so put flats back on the mtb. They were a bit narrow though. I'd be more likely to try flipped OG bars or Jones bends than the gators though as they still have quite a drop really.

Just coz no one really makes it doesn't mean it's not right for you, maybe

[Pat]

Thanks fella!
Single speed.nl is where I've spotted the gators, but I wanted to buy from Britain if possible... :0)
I'm going to look at the the OG's now.

[jameso]

there must be a reason no one really makes them

I think it's simply that they don't work well. Someone on STW did post pics years back of a croix de fer with mtb hydro levers on drop bars, with lots of bar tape and the right drop bar it's a workable bodge. But it seems almost a fact that if you want the hood+drops 2 positions of a drop bar of most shapes you're better using a road STI or brake lever, if you want MTB controls then ime you're better off with something swept like an H-bar set at the right height.

I've tried a lot of bars, cut and shutsome even to try some ideas, but there's no way to get MTB controls to work well with the high+low position of a drop or any way to get the level of control you get from a swept MTB bar and MTB controls from a drop bar without losing the main 2-position advantage of drops (imo/ime anyway). ie, you can use something like a Woodchipper or Luxy set so that the drop/hook is well positioned for tech control and descending but I find the hoods position is then not much use, too high, levers too flared/angled - may as well have an H/swept bar with MTB controls, no need for a longer HT or very high stem either. I want a descending/cruising position and a drop/low position, but descending on the hoods of a drop set up isn't great when it gets tricky. Flare drops also create a narrower width at the hood than at the drop, I prefer them to both be a similar width if I'm using both positions usefully. Foreward or lower = narrower; rearward or higher = wider. I suppose if just the hook/drop area is ok and you like the security the hook gives, and you're happy to 'loose' the hoods grip or juts not bothered by it so much, then a flare-drop is a perfectly good answer. Shim the MTB controls to fit?
What I like about the H-bar is there's a cross-piece weld join that gives a hoods-like climbing grip and you can get further forward and narrower for a bit of road efficiency, further back and wider for tech ability, you just don't get that lower drop position into the wind. One day someone clever will crack this without using some bolt on bits and 2 sets of levers but it seems we need to decide what is more important, off-road control or road/headwind efficiency at times, and that's really what dictates bar choice. Bit like road/off-road tyre choices. The great mix of both is an irresistable challenge to find though.

Maybe there's something in those old Kona Dr Dew MTB lever ends or the brake lever extensions from 10-speed racers.

[jameso]

[Nevis]

I've used mtb shifters with road levers on a couple of bikes and I quite like the setup. Yes you have to shift your hand to change gear but that's never bothered me.
You have to remove some material from the shifter collar to get it to fit but it's easy to do with a dremmel

This is my do it all bike with some on one midge bars.

[restlessshawn]

Yeah what James said! *

When I did run flipped mary bars I had the brakes set very near the bend and the bars fully taped like drops so you sort of got a forward ish position with your hands in the bends and a further back position for technical stuff. It was just for one duathlon where a cx bike would have been best...I should probably confess I crashed on a bend though I don't think this was bar related.

Basically get a CX / gravel bike too, I'm too lazy to change tyres for a ride let alone bars / stem!

Loving Nevis' setup


*mostly, I use midge bars set quite high on the cx, hoods for comfort, cruise, drops for technical / more aero. I don't mind the hoods being a bit high thing as it gives my ageing joints a rest and the sight of too many spacers is also good for upsetting roadies.

[rando nomad]

Ahem,

http://bearbonesbikepacking.blogspot.co ... dness.html

Takes mtb levers and shifters and also lets you stretch out for an aero position

[Bearbonesnorm]

Ahem,

http://bearbonesbikepacking.blogspot.co ... dness.html

Takes mtb levers and shifters and also lets you stretch out for an aero position

17,000 people a month read it ... just no one here.

[Mariner]

17,000 people a month read it ... just no one here.

Ahem could this be why

Sorry, the website bearbonesbikepacking.blogspot.co cannot be found.

[jameso]

The Casey's bar could be good, similar to an H in good ways. I've used stubby bar ends in-board of the MTB levers on straight MTB bars before, you can get a nice hooked/hood grip for road use while still being able to access the brake lever with your ring and pinky fingers. One of my (highly unsafe and not ridden extensively) cut n shuts was trying more of that position, like the OPs bar on the Transition, just with the brake and bar-end being closer to each other. I expect you could get a good set up like that with the angles of the Casey bar, plus a comfier swept rear section.

[Bearbonesnorm]

bearbonesbikepacking.blogspot.co

If that's the web address you've typed in, I'm not surprised. An additional dot, a u and a k should do the trick.

[whitestone]

17,000 people a month read it ... just no one here.

Ahem could this be why

Sorry, the website bearbonesbikepacking.blogspot.co cannot be found.

For some reason, Stuart's quote of the post has cut down the URI so it doesn't work, the link in the original post is fine.

[Pat]

We're on the same song sheet though!
Currently I have some H bars on one bicycle and some titec J bars on another. I've had various bar ends mounted to both of them, ranging from stubby little buggers, to straight longer ones, to long ones with elbow bends in.....I've even tried some bastardized time trial aeros , as well as the flipped marys....I've tried to bend some old risers too. Nothing works! I don't want to start dremmeling my controls either.....I'll try some gators (or the sparrows seem to be ok), to satisfy my enquiring mind!

[Trail-rat]

My set up seems to be a hate/hate set up for most people. as in everyone that sees it says take off them tri bars.....

I love em for long distance stuff where there might be a decent road/fireroad section or a strong headwind.

I cant see any advantage to drops over tri bars as frontal area is as much to blame as height for your "aero"

The mistake most folk make with their tri bars is to try and get too low for max aero and then their lower backs done in and their breathing constricted - for me the aero is secondary to the further position they offer on long rides and the ability to stretch out - the fact its aero is a bonus.

[Trail-rat]

oh and you remind me of these and they might be good for you to play with if you insist :D ....



sjs cycles

http://www.sjscycles.co.uk/origin8-pro- ... prod18606/

[jameso]

I cant see any advantage to drops over tri bars as frontal area is as much to blame as height for your "aero"

True, similar effect in headwinds. I do like descending or the general control I get in the drops for road or riding on really easy tracks.

Scott AT4s, they were a good bar : ) With I'd kept mine.

[ScotRoutes]

, you can use something like a Woodchipper or Luxy set so that the drop/hook is well positioned for tech control and descending but I find the hoods position is then not much use, too high, levers too flared/angled - may as well have an H/swept bar with MTB controls, no need for a longer HT or very high stem either. I want a descending/cruising position and a drop/low position, but descending on the hoods of a drop set up isn't great when it gets tricky. Flare drops also create a narrower width at the hood than at the drop, I prefer them to both be a similar width if I'm using both positions usefully. Foreward or lower = narrower; rearward or higher = wider. I suppose if just the hook/drop area is ok and you like the security the hook gives, and you're happy to 'loose' the hoods grip or juts not bothered by it so much, then a flare-drop is a perfectly good answer..

Conversely, I found the Woodchippers good for road and rough stuff as the narrower "hoods" position is a bit more aero while still providing some braking and the ability to change gear, while the wider flared-drop position lets me use my arms as a bit of suspension (think of the classic attack position) and I can get better braking.

I've also used tri-bars on mixed road/off-road trips. They do work well, especially into a headwind. The only disadvantage really is lack of access to the controls. Perhaps once we have electronic gears and brakes building a second set of controls in will be simple

[Trail-rat]

i want to bludgeon* the woodchippers designer with my woodchippers every time i ride with them i HATE them with a passion.... just dont like the angle on the lower section falling away - just feels totally un natural - ive had them on various bikes - mtb , cross and my commuter they aint working for me

do fancy a set of cow chippers though thye look like they sort out the issues i have with woodchippers.(so if anyone wants to swap )

my new bike comes with a kona "wet" bar which looks like a cowchipper with slight flare but nearly flat bottoms to the drops.


*by bludgeon i mean shout and scream.