Flat-bar road bikes...?

[kimikaw]

I'm actually considering selling my traditional road bike and getting a flat bar bike. Due to shifting and braking as others have mentioned. My bike is a Specialized Dolce, and I have the second set of brake levers on the flat part. I find use those brakes 90% of the time. Have never felt comfortable riding the drops on any road bike. And while I may ride some with hands on the hoods, I seem to reach back to the other brake levers to stop.

Plus reaching around the levers to shift has never been comfortable. We've adjusted them and adjusted them, changed stems. The whole gamut. Two different fitters have said the bike is right for me. And it is very comfortable to ride, but mentally I'm just note comfortable on it anywhere but up on hoods or flat bar.

I've also rented a couple of other road bikes, and really dislike not having the flat bar brake option. I have mountain bike and a hybrid (more of a mountain hybrid than road, has front suspension) I use as a commuter. I bought the hybrid due to the wider wheels and front suspension thinking I'd like that better commuting. Now wonder if I got a higher end flat bar road bike, put 25-28cc tires, if I wouldn't need both the road bike and the second commuter.

Esp. as I just bought a new MTB.

[Catrin]

Kimikaw - how about having your LBS convert it from road bars to flat bars with appropriate shifters and brakes? I did that to my LHT last year - and while it isn't an inexpensive conversion - if you like the bike outside of the shifters and brake levers it might be a viable option for you.

[kimikaw]

Hey Catrin,

Considered having an LBS swap her out to flat bar, but on a bike that was barely above entry level road just doesn't make sense to spend a couple hundred (or more) bucks to change a bike which was $975 new. She's pretty pristine, so I'm at least going to clean her up and list her on Craigslist (she's a 2010 Specialized Dolce Sport compact), see if I can get a decent return, and then look at options for flat bar bikes.

[Catrin]

Hey Catrin,

Considered having an LBS swap her out to flat bar, but on a bike that was barely above entry level road just doesn't make sense to spend a couple hundred (or more) bucks to change a bike which was $975 new. She's pretty pristine, so I'm at least going to clean her up and list her on Craigslist (she's a 2010 Specialized Dolce Sport compact), see if I can get a decent return, and then look at options for flat bar bikes.

Sounds like you have already considered it, and it cost quite a bit more than that to do it on my LHT... I paid at least half of what it cost me new. I love that bike though so it was worth it, even if I am not riding it right now.

Good luck, and have fun shopping