There are some drop bar bikes that are set up really well and some that aren't. I'm hoping the ones that are set up really well predominate in this thread. I see some bikes posted in other forums that are really bad and it would be nice for folks to be able to find properly set up drop bar bikes in one place as a reference of sorts. VRCers seem to have the hang of setting up dirt drops. I know there are a few styles of offroad drop bars, and people have different preferences, but generally proper dirt drop bar setup fall in a pretty narrow range.
Enough people ask about this topic in this forum, and you see plenty of people using drops these days on new bikes, how about nice repository for properly set up bikes, vintage or otherwise, with drop bars. Let's include links to external resources like Shiggy's and Guitar Ted's, good photos of 'proper' setup, philosophy, anything that will help the newb when they decide to try drop bars offroad.
Personaly I was admiring how each bike so far has a little different variable to the cable routing......
Yeah, pretty much, but it is kind of hard to get a really good idea of setup with just a snap of the bars. That picture of the Ritchey with the saddle visible is nice because it shows the bar to saddle relationship.
It seems like a lot of folks when they first try to set up a drop bar bike wind up with the bars too low and with too long a stem. My first attemptin the early 90s was like that. I could barely reach the hoods and felt like my nose was on the stem bolt because the drops were so low.
The RM-2s felt instantly comfortable and familiar even after riding some 20+ yrs with the RM-3s. At first I was worried about the increased width of the RM-2s on tight trails, but that doesn't seem to be an issue. My RM-2s had been cut down an inch to accommodate barcons which helps a bit.
the ibis is so hot. it's my fave bike in this forum.
The guys at Ibis were sure doing some nice work in those days. This bike was from the time when it was still a three man operation - Scot, Wes Williams, and the painter Lawrence. Although Scot painted this one himself.
I second the petition for this as a sticky, but IF--why not edit your first post into a compendium of the collective wisdom regarding fit and drop bar mtbs, some links to the previous threads, and other such business?
I meant all of it
Sort of like the other stickies, this thread could be a crash course for drop bars. Grab the links to the other threads, maybe write a short primer (or pull one from the other other threads) explaining the reasoning behind offroad drop bar fit. Your second paragraph in the post above sound like a good intro.
Might be worth tossing in some other links from around the web. Then perhaps this thread CAN act as a consolidated drop bar thread and serve as a resource to people who google themselves to the VRC.
Sorry, flashback to a less militant time.
No idea on history of this bike+how it ended up w the current parts buildup. Got it from a friend in a trade.
But, it really rides nice, has an almost plush give to it , especially descending.....I was pleasantly surprised....Comfy climber also, very peppy(even when I'm not)
Timber Comp Model, Ser# 1B480
I have photo's of many little dirt drop related jewel's (and a few dirt clods) from the VRC coffers. Admittedly I have stolen a ton of dirt drop related photo's from this site during my personal quest to learn about and then apply the whole theory.......
I really dig researching old VRC threads...
With a little filtering, there really is a lot to learn here.......
Thanks,
T
Seek: Koski Trailmaster. Breezer Series 2 or 3. Cunningham Racer.
But if there already some original threads about this, would that make this thread a reproduction?
Yes, but that's why eric mentioned having MCS merge and sticky them. There are already threads that are just picture threads, and there is the one I started a few years ago asking for advice on setup, but there isn't one good consolidated thread on the generally accepted best practice of drop bar setup. I see a lot of posts where people set there bikes up with drops, but have them set up like a road bike. Then when they finally ride them offroad, they state they hate how the bike rode. Really good pictures, like some in this thread so far, and explanation like G-Teds might induce an 'oh, duh' moment.
I had ridden drop bar bikes like the Rock Combo and liked them, but the first time I tried to set one up myself I really didn't think about bar height and reach and wound up with it set up like a road bike and it sucked, so I gave up on the idea. Then I found this forum and it sparked my interest to try it again, properly, and I really like it. Now that is how my 29er is set up.
I was also spurred to try out a drop bar mtb build after reading threads here. I spent a while searching for the right stem, but finally decided to get a custom one made for my Monster Fat at Winter Cycles. I've been really happy with the Salsa Woodchipper bars. For what it's worth, here's the link and a couple pictures!
Still dunno what to do, maybe I'll go for 26x1.15 or 700x23. Also about the brake, I don't know if V-brake would fit with roadbike levers.
The only real issue is cable pull. With regular road brake levers, you'd need to either use cantis, or you could add "Travel Agents," to work with V-brakes (they have a little "gearing" system that increases the cable pull). http://www.universalcycles.com/shopp...ls.php?id=6361
I'm not sure what you're aiming for, but maybe compare how your bars are set up currently to how all the other bars in this thread so far are set up. Also maybe take a peek at some of the other links in this thread.
I'm not sure what you're aiming for, but maybe compare how your bars are set up currently to how all the other bars in this thread so far are set up. Also maybe take a peek at some of the other links in this thread.
....except for that Litespeed
Get yourselves some stems with rise, gentlemen!
And BP---that is super sweet. Still a big fan of the saddle-included fade.
That Litespeed is my ride, I come from a road background but have been racing off-road since 1987. It gets kinda hairy on drop-offs but it's awesome for downhills. Check out early pics of Tomac on his drop bar Yeti & you can see the road influence.
JT was kind of the exception, I think, to typical bar setup. He wanted his mtn and road bike to have identical setup so he could comfortable switch from one to the other throughout the season. I think for anybody who wants to try drops offroad but hasn't yet, the majority of the examples in the thread so far are a better guide than Tomac's setup. Besides, I think his setup was closer to the bridgestone than to yours.
Agreed, riding drops set up for road for the first time off-road is not for the faint of heart. I get some looks as I pass people in tight twisty single track.
Pretty much all our riding in the heady days before bikes w slashes through them decorated our dirt paths here in the S Bay region were dominated by the "Goat Horn" bars....
Agreed, riding drops set up for road for the first time off-road is not for the faint of heart. I get some looks as I pass people in tight twisty single track.
Allard- what frame is that? Love the brakes.
These enormously tall stems always look scary to me. How do they hold up under long-term off-road abuse? Are they flexy?
undefined Absolutely must have: Black Machine Tech Zeroflex brake levers (the ones with the rotating leverage adjuster)
The frame is a Specialized S-Works steel frame from '93/'94. I had it refinished so any rust would be treated the inside is treated with J.P. Weigles frame saver. The brakes are IRD (Interloc Racing Design) Widget's. I bought them back in the day ('94) directly from Rod after extensive emailing (!). They took for ever to come across the pond and came with catalogs, stickers and a Rocketboy inc T-shirt (Which i do not have anymore, wore it to pieces). They work perfectly and are very strong!
The stem is a bit flexy, but that makes for a very comfortable ride. The best i have ever had!
I use the bike around 3 times a week and is fitted now with Tom Slicks 26"x1" for road use. The chainring i use is the 40 teeth one.
Specs:
Frame: Specialized S-Works
Fork: NOS Tange from the beginning of the '90's
Headset: Specialized steel (!) just beautifull and solid
Stem: Nitto Dirt Drop
Handlebar: On One Midge (it just feels so right!) deannodized
Tape: Cinelli
Levers: Shimano Sora/Tiagra combo
Brakes: IRD Widget
Seatpost: Nitto Specialized S-Works
Seat: SDG Bell Air titanium
Seatbolt: Odyssey Svelte titanium
Cranks: Shimano Deore XT 180mm
Pedals: Crank Bros Candy SL
Bracket: Specialized titanium
Chainring: Surly stainless 34/36/38/40 depending on use
Chain: Shimano HG-70
Cassette: Shimano HG-70 8-speed
Hubset: White Industries Tracker
Skewers: Salsa titanium
Rims: Araya RM-14
Spokes: DT Competition DB
Nipples: DT brass
Tires: Panaracer Smoke and Dart
#7 cunningham, cinellis with superbe levers and suntour barcons. #C 'ham,same setup. both bars were flaired and spread. willits 29"er, salsa bell lap bars with shimano STI and interupters.
#7 cunningham, cinellis with superbe levers and suntour barcons. #C 'ham,same setup. both bars were flaired and spread. willits 29"er, salsa bell lap bars with shimano STI and interupters.
i still have #7, although i'm restoring it to it's original glory, including the clampon bullmoose bars. they have downtube shifters brazed on top. and the willits was made custom for me, so it'll never go away. did you notice the dettos in the top pic?
i still have #7, although i'm restoring it to it's original glory, including the clampon bullmoose bars. they have downtube shifters brazed on top. and the willits was made custom for me, so it'll never go away. did you notice the dettos in the top pic?
Great action photo....
The mud buildup on the cams reminds me of some past wet days from around here......
Seek: Koski Trailmaster. Breezer Series 2 or 3. Cunningham Racer.
It's got drops again! My DeKerf Mountain, as set up for cyclocross:
Bars have to come up a bit, it's about 3/4" lower than my road position which doesn't allow me to use the drops and is a bit uncomfy for rides longer than a cross race.
Where do you guys get the 1" threaded stems that large? Best I got was a Nashbar 130mm 70deg rise (I think) and that did not do much.
1. There are several lower end bikes from the threaded era that came with stems promoting upright handlebars.
2. Salsa P10, P7.
3. WTB, Cunningham, Potts, Ibis etc. LD Style stem.
4. Nitto Dirt drop
5. Custom stem builders.
To keep the price in check and acquire a vintage style stem, I would suggest checking Rivendell's site for a Nitto Dirt Drop, or Bens on the bay. If perfect fit is more important than price or vintage, go custom. If you want to hang out with the really cool people, plan on spending a year or two searching and dropping close to a half a grand for the whatever size is available when it finally comes up LD. I believe someone here on the forum sold a stylin Salsa P10 for a couple of bennies two weeks ago on the bay.
All the above is just my opinion and fun rambling. In all reality, owning an LD is not an invitation to hang out with the cool people. I am still here with the geeks.
Cheers,
T
Last edited by tductape; 02-04-2015 at 11:21 PM.
Seek: Koski Trailmaster. Breezer Series 2 or 3. Cunningham Racer.
Thanks for the info Aemmer and style is not as important to me as a ok fit. I do have an adapter on their now to use a 1 1/8 stem but even a 130mm seems a bit cramped. The bike might be just too small.
It's a 15.5 I believe and I got it when I was 12 yrs old (NO RUST!)
Mr. Krabs: Is it true, Squidward? Is it hilarious?
Excellent thread. The Phelan shots I haven't seen on the net ever (Rock Shox drop bar competition bike)
Thought I'd add a few modern monstercross, stemming from John Tomac's Yeti drop bar thrasher with the Tioga rear disc to Cunningham's aluminum swan neck drop bar to Singular UK's do-it-all. I remember seeing the Peregrine a few years ago and thought - WOW! - that's how a drop bar monstercross bike is done. It helps that the guy that runs singular knows how to dress up a bike, too! Almost pulled the trigger but had a jones' for aerospace titanium. Below are some shots from the collection I amassed from MTBR forums over the years, the Amaro ti is an instant classic, and the Japanese-boutique lugged steel fixie with front hub brake on 2.3 Exiwolf's got me good. Enjoi.
Nice.
I really like the idea of a monstercross bike. With the popularity of rigid 29ers, I'm surprised so many are going for the suspension corrected mtb 29er frames and fugly suspension corrected rigid forks, rather than a much more elegant monstercross setup.
Warning: may contain sarcasm and/or crap made up in an attempt to feel important.
Just built this up before Christmas! The bars are Salsa woodchippers, and with barend shifiters, they keep hitting my legs in tight turns. Ghost shifting is not cool!
I've always liked Drops, and the Merlin I've recently purchased lent itself to a drop approach. Being its top tube a tad short for me, I thought it would have been a perfect occasion to mount my Specy drop bar using a longer stem. I tried with a Girvin stem (see in the first pic), but couldn't manage to get a properly comfortable position with my hands on the drops.
The Nitto Moustache bar, similar to the on one Midge, has made a world of difference. The grip on the drops is very comfortable and offers perfect pedaling efficiency, so much that I'm thinking of adopting the bars for my racing 29er too. Magura brakes help a lot, since being able to stop the bike using one finger only is important when you ride on a rigid fork. Just remember that moustache bars require a much shorter stem. To get the best position I had to use a 90 mm stem (I used a 120mm Flexstem with my Specy drops)
The Nitto Moustache bar, similar to the on one Midge, has made a world of difference. The grip on the drops is very comfortable and offers perfect pedaling efficiency, so much that I'm thinking of adopting the bars for my racing 29er too. Magura brakes help a lot, since being able to stop the bike using one finger only is important when you ride on a rigid fork. Just remember that moustache bars require a much shorter stem. To get the best position I had to use a 90 mm stem (I used a 120mm Flexstem with my Specy drops)
Did you know the moustache bar was originally developed for use off road? Waaay back when I was a kid I remember Gene Opperpillar (sp?) of Bridgestone (later Bianchi) fame testing the bars at local races. We're talking 1990-1991. He'd eventually win the Chequamegon 40 on a set with a Softride stem for suspension. So yeah...try it. I personally had a set once, didn't work for the riding I did, but could see how they could.
What do you think of the Magura brakes vs V's? I found a set of the drop levers and canti's a year ago. Building a custom monster cross frame and brakes I've been debating on Cane Creek's, Avid Ultimate's, and Paul's Motolite's.
In the immortal words of Socrates..."I drank what?"
I've always like Drops, and the Merlin I recently purchased lent itself to a drop approach. Being its top tube a tad short for me, I thought it would have been a perfect occasion to mount my Specy drop bar using a longer stem. I tried with a Girvin stem (see in the first pic), but couldn't manage to get a properly comfortable position with my hands on the drops.
The Nitto Moustache bar, similar to the on one Midge, has made a world of difference. The grip on the drops is very comfortable and offers perfect pedaling efficiency, so much that I'm thinking of adopting the bars for my racing 29er too. Magura brakes help a lot, since being able to stop the bike using one finger only is important when you ride on a rigid fork. Just remember that moustache bars require a much shorter stem. To get the best position I had to use a 90 mm stem (I used a 120mm Flexstem with my Specy drops)
why didn't you try the normal dirt drop bar with the 90mm stem. could have done the trick...
No, the normal drop .. well ... drops too much... this Nitto is just perfect. I've also found thet the control while downhilling is better, but that might be due to the better position.
Maguras, in comparison with vees, are much more comfortable, being the effort at the lever near to zero. One finger braking is possible, and this allows better control. Vbrakes would be lighter, tho, and even nicer if you chose a cool pair. I don't know...
The only thing is that Maguras are so hard to find...
Nothing elaborate - in fact down right bottom of the barrel Trek 800 Antelope. Converted to be an on road touring rig and also off road machine to take my son and I camping next summer.
Another 'bare-bones' type build, a 1988 Stumpjumper Comp. There is a lot of corrosive salt used here in New England and I didn't want to worry about ruining anything, so I just hung a bunch of old parts on it so I could ride. The stem is deliberately short on reach, I don't like being too far out over the front wheel in the snow. It works great as-is, but I think a setback seatpost would make it 'just right' for my long arms and legs. 2.25's in back are a tight fit....
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Drop Bar Monstercross
Almost pulled the trigger but had a jones' for aerospace titanium. Below are some shots from the collection I amassed from MTBR forums over the years, the Amaro ti is an instant classic, and the Japanese-boutique lugged steel fixie with front hub brake on 2.3 Exiwolf's got me good. Enjoi.
