I'm thinking I need to make a change on my bike. I ride exclusively on roads. My bike is a late-80's Schwinn Probe mountain bike with road slicks. And it's fine. Except for sometimes I really feel like getting down out of the wind and the mountain bike bars don't make that any fun. Can anyone suggest a solution? I'm guessing I'll need to do something with the shifters too.
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Jan. 24, 2012 1:16 p.m. 1988RedT2 SuperDork
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Jan. 24, 2012 1:26 p.m. integraguy SuperDork
When i bought my Panasonic road bike 22 years ago it was setup for triathelons(sp?) tho I didn't know it. I just figured it had crazy looking handlebars and had the shop replace them with more normal bars. The bike also had little shift levers on the very ends of the handlebars (they looked like plastic "thumbs" jammed into the ends of the handlebars). I had those replaced with more "normal" stem mounted shift levers. Man, am I a know nothing.
Since I don't know what your shift levers look like, it's hard to say whether you can reuse them or just mount them elsewhere.
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Jan. 24, 2012 1:45 p.m. Grtechguy SuperDork
I had aero bars on my mtn bike when I did tours. they clip on to your existing mtn bars
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Jan. 24, 2012 1:47 p.m. Ian F SuperDork
Well... um... the easiest thing to do woud be to sell it and buy a road bike?
Barring that, do a search for Scott AT-4 Pro handlebars. These were sold back in the early-mid 90's and have integrated aero-bar extensions. Basically, the ends of the bars curve around and meet in a loop. While they won't give you the drops of a road bar, they do provide a number of different hand positions and use standard mtn bike controls. Grips are usually the foam type or road bar tape.
Here's one: http://www.ebay.com/itm/NEW-OLD-STOCK-at-4-SCOTT-HANDLE-BARS-MULTIPLE-HAND-POSITIO...
I had one a touring bike ages ago. Works well.
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Jan. 24, 2012 2:09 p.m. 1988RedT2 SuperDork
Grtechguy wrote:
I had aero bars on my mtn bike when I did tours. they clip on to your existing mtn bars
That might just be the ticket, although I think it's gonna look funny. Like I care.
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Jan. 24, 2012 2:09 p.m. 1988RedT2 SuperDork
Ian F wrote:
Well... um... the easiest thing to do woud be to sell it and buy a road bike?
Barring that, do a search for Scott AT-4 Pro handlebars. These were sold back in the early-mid 90's and have integrated aero-bar extensions. Basically, the ends of the bars curve around and meet in a loop. While they won't give you the drops of a road bar, they do provide a number of different hand positions and use standard mtn bike controls. Grips are usually the foam type or road bar tape.
Here's one: http://www.ebay.com/itm/NEW-OLD-STOCK-at-4-SCOTT-HANDLE-BARS-MULTIPLE-HAND-POSITIO...
I had one a touring bike ages ago. Works well.
Wow. As cheap as those are, that might be better.
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Jan. 24, 2012 2:14 p.m. 4cylndrfury SuperDork
bullhorn handlebars
Aerobars make an excellent option as well
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Jan. 24, 2012 2:16 p.m. 1988RedT2 SuperDork
integraguy wrote:
Since I don't know what your shift levers look like, it's hard to say whether you can reuse them or just mount them elsewhere.
Shifters are the original Shimano SIS thumb shifters.
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Jan. 24, 2012 3:21 p.m. donalson SuperDork
Ian F wrote:
Well... um... the easiest thing to do woud be to sell it and buy a road bike?
Barring that, do a search for Scott AT-4 Pro handlebars. These were sold back in the early-mid 90's and have integrated aero-bar extensions. Basically, the ends of the bars curve around and meet in a loop. While they won't give you the drops of a road bar, they do provide a number of different hand positions and use standard mtn bike controls. Grips are usually the foam type or road bar tape.
Here's one: http://www.ebay.com/itm/NEW-OLD-STOCK-at-4-SCOTT-HANDLE-BARS-MULTIPLE-HAND-POSITIO...
I had one a touring bike ages ago. Works well.
lol I got a set of those with an '88 GT avalanche... gave them to my LBS who helps me out all the time to complete one of his retro restorations... they are VERY narrow bars (coming from a guy who likes narrow bars)
anyway... being that you are using SIS thumbies you are pretty open for what you can use... but you may have to change the stem...
on my last MTB that I used as a commuter I used titec H bars... lots of hand positions and could lean forward enough that it gave a decent tuck... putting gears on them is problematic but I like em...
another option that is not uncommon are "Butterfly Trekking Bar"
there are TONS of "alt bars" out these days
mostache bars are another
I had these on-one mary bars (well knock offs but identical design) and was quite comfy for a commuter... could slide your hands up into the crook of the bend and get pretty low
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Jan. 24, 2012 3:36 p.m. Ian F SuperDork
Yes, they are narrow. Way too narrow for my tastes on a mtn bike, but still wider than the brake hoods on my road bike, so probably fine for road use.
$15 is the current bid. Apparently, these are somewhat sought after since they've been out of production for a long time (and had a limited market to begin with), so it could be interesting to see what the final price is.
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Jan. 24, 2012 4:02 p.m. ultraclyde HalfDork
1988RedT2 wrote:
Grtechguy wrote:
I had aero bars on my mtn bike when I did tours. they clip on to your existing mtn bars
That might just be the ticket, although I think it's gonna look funny. Like I care.
I think I've got a set of clip-on TT bars similar to that but they're individuals instead of one unit. I'll check in the shop tonight. If I can find them, they're yours for shipping cost. Someone gave them to me and I don't use them. My gut's too big to get that low and aero!
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Jan. 24, 2012 4:46 p.m. 02Pilot Reader
I've tried aero bars and the make the bike feel way too unstable, and that was on a road bike; maybe I'm just a lousy rider. Personally, I'd go for bullhorns or chop a bit off the bar you have and stick some long barends on almost parallel to the ground. I don't like them, but have you considered standard drop bars?
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Jan. 26, 2012 2:55 p.m. 1988RedT2 SuperDork
Ian F wrote:
Yes, they are narrow. Way too narrow for my tastes on a mtn bike, but still wider than the brake hoods on my road bike, so probably fine for road use.
$15 is the current bid. Apparently, these are somewhat sought after since they've been out of production for a long time (and had a limited market to begin with), so it could be interesting to see what the final price is.
Shoot! Up to 43 bucks and still almost three days left!
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Jan. 26, 2012 2:56 p.m. 1988RedT2 SuperDork
ultraclyde wrote:
I think I've got a set of clip-on TT bars similar to that but they're individuals instead of one unit. I'll check in the shop tonight. If I can find them, they're yours for shipping cost. Someone gave them to me and I don't use them. My gut's too big to get that low and aero!
That's great and thanks. Not sure what I'm gonna do yet.
