Rivendell Drop Bar Conversion - Which is Better?

[danielcox]

Stem length plays such a important role. Talk about hoarding bike parts I'm beginning to get more stems than I know what to do with. Someone should create a stem co-op and we could all just pass them around till we find the right one!

[CaptainShiny]

Damn, those shifters are an awesome option for a conversion like this. With this I feel almost tempted to convert my trekking bike to road bars! Great setup!

[thomasfunck]

Thinking of converting my Kona Rove, which is a size too large for me, to swept back alt bars (maybe with Jones bars), so this video came at just the right time! Thanks for the super informative content.

[kevinryan]

I’ve had a Sam for 12 years. Drop bars, bar end shifters. Use my Sam as a touring bike. 600 miles this summer going from Boston Ma to Buffalo NY. Will finish Buffalo to Astoria OR next Spring and Summer - 🦠 virus permitting. Love this bike for sure. Great site Russ. Thanks

[chesterthomas]

“Finger yoga” has become one of my fave cycling terms. Thank you!

[kimkrimson]

"varying degrees of politeness" 🤣 very diplomatic
Thank you for the fun tinkering video

[bryannoguchi]

I've run the Nitto Noodle bars on my 48cm Sam from day 1 and love it. I put IRD thumb shifters right on top on either side of the stem and have been really happy with that set up, but I did go through a couple of stems before I found that shorter was definitely better for me. Thanks for doing this video!

[panurgist]

Those Billi-bars looked extreme. Definitely play around with your setup. I have a Sam with Albatross and bar end shifters. It works beautifully for me. With the quill stem adjusting the height is trivial, I usually start the year with it a little higher than the seat and then drop it down as I loosen up. The small frame is what I would want for off roading but for on-road use with upright bars would want a larger frame or least less swept back bars.

[trajtemberg]

The stock handlebar is super comfortable, unless you gotta go fast and/or have to face heavy winds, in which case you'll turn into a proper parachute.

[TheRickurb]

After watching this I think I’m going to try some droppers on my Romulus. Thanks for the push

[MrGND]

I ran Albatross bars on both of my Hillborne's for a couple years, on 120mm stems. But I'm back to drops as of several years ago. Nitto Noodle 46cm drops on the 58cm double top tube 2014 All-road/loaded road touring model and Soma Portola 56cm dirt drops on the 60cm single top tube 2009 model set up monstercross. It was great to see hear your thoughts on the two setups, Russ.

[timearly]

Im a proud owner of a 1996 all rounder and its been through its share of bar changes but I still keep coming back to nitto drop bars. Just feels right for me. Such a beautiful bike from a wonderful company. Thanks for all your informative content. My wife has become interested in biking after she started watching your videos with me. Now we are waiting for the next batch of black mountain cycles frames due shortly so she can get her first road + bike.

[toddschinell]

Yay! ENE Wing shifters! My favorite do-it-all easy shifter solution. I hope these become more popular, they are so useful. I actually like the way they look compared to brifters.

[moustachemark]

I've occasionally been tempted to try some Albatross bars on my Hillborne, but I have a hard time believing anything can feel better than the Noodles I've currently got on it. Just a perfect setup for me.

[MelvinHughesatp]

I used Bosco, Bull Moose, and Albatross bars on my 2011 57cm Hillborne but kept coming back to the Noodles that it came with. In the past few months, I have started using wide Spank Flare 25 degree bars with an Analog 50mm Discord Fingerling Stem (I've also used one of their 30mm w(Right) Stems.) I find drops on the Hillborne to feel more natural and comfortable, giving me more options for hand positions. The shorter Analog Stems put me a touch more upright than using a 70mm Nitto stem. But I find that with the shorter stem and wider, shallower bars, I am much more comfortable in the drops than I have been in years...

Thanks for the comments on the Dia-Comp Wing shifters. Although I love friction shifting with Dura-Ace 9-speed barcons, with wider bars, they start being a hazard getting in out of the doorways in my house! I'm always looking for good alternatives just in case I decide to move away from the 1 x 11 I'm currently using.

[johnnydoe]

With the drop bars the Rivendell looks like a good old classic ten speed of the 70's I had as a kid. Granted it was way to big for me, but it opened the door for my love of long distance rides.

[paultaylorbikes]

I am honestly not ur biggest fan, but ur info is so useful. Much respect 😎

[SeanKeesler]

I switched from albatross to noodles to make my Sam a groovy random/light tourer. I agree that the ease of experimenting with stem length makes the threadless option appealing, but I just love the classic looks of a quill stem on this frame. I found that running a short stem (70 mm) with drops on this bike made me comfy for all day rides... But I tend to spend less time on the hoods and more on the ramps.

[bjmihovk]

I JUST got an Atlantis on Tuesday built up by Riv with Choco bars and love it. I've never ridden a bike with drops, though, so I can't really say what I think about it. My other bike came with flat bars and a trigger index shifter, but I Riv'd it up by putting on swept back bars, cork grips, and a friction thumbie shifter...and on that particular bike (geometry is more similar to a Sam or Homer than the Atlantis) I did feel the steering to be a little jittery. But the Atlantis is such a longer bike that even with swept back bars for me steers like a Cadillac in a very good way (though I did hit a curb with my pedal in a parking lot yesterday as I was fine tuning the setup and positions!).

[kylehoover]

I was alt bar elitist, I finally switched to drop bars, I finally decided on a crust Lightning bolt, just an excuse to buy another bike and I love it