[superj]

If you ever come to south Texas, you'll get used to it. Our week with no wind has already passed for this year so I got till thanksgiving to enjoy the wind again

[kneedrachen]

Frankenbikes for the win!


Trying to get SWMBO/Santa to get some some Innov-8 drop bar, bar ends for the hybrid to make it a bit more commuter friendly. I hate taking the TCR in on the roads we have here.

[superj]

i am trying to get some 3.2mm bar tape in the stocking for mine. and those tektra brake handles. then i will be flying on the long rides.


the local riding group here in town is going to start really hitting the pavement after christmas. lots of events coming up, i hear.

jalapeño hundred
something in victoria
something in austin
something else somewhere else

[kneedrachen]

Hood, Bliss or Houston?

[superj]

i think it was one in houston. something about 200 miles and you get 20 hours to do it.

i think i would be ok for the first 50 miles, maybe

[superj]

ok, got some more adjusting done. now it feels like a road bike. i changed the angle on the neck and adjusted the bars to a nicer angle for my wrists. i also, found out i am going to have to pull the crank and clean the bearings because they have some kind of grit in them that is making a horrible noise when pedaling. that is the thing i was feeling while pedaling the other day. hopefully the bearings are not trashed but i have little faith that are good.



see how i adjusted the angles

[superj]

oh ya, time for new tires. these are original 2000 model tires, i believe. they are starting to get dry rot cracks. i can see some smoother tires coming my way now

[DELTUFFO]

That stem.

Oh, my.

Anyway, you need specific levers to run v brakes and road bars.

Like this:

http://www.paulcomp.com/crosslever.html

Or, some MTB bars that would allow more hand positions, that way you could use the levers and shifters you have.

Like this:

http://www.jonesbikes.com/h-bar.html

There are other ways, but for an inexperienced fellow those are the simplest options.

Good luck.


Tom

[superj]

those are cool bars!!

i found those levers and considered getting them but i found some others that are actual road bike brakes made for the brakes i have.

thanks for posting more options though, hopefully future people can use this stuff for when they need information

[MNRider]

Ugly is in the eye of the beholder. I like well thought out modifications as long as they make sense and function as intended. My own road bike started as an older Trek 1400 that has been modified with a Profile Design MTB stem which fits me better than the original slammed stem, the 105 7x2 drivetrain has been replaced with a NOS DuraAce triple and Deore derailleurs. The 105 single pivot brakes were replaced with older, heavier, and stiffer RX100 dual pivots and the wheels are handbuilt on the RX100 hubs with newer Alex rims. Almost everything on it was used from other bikes I've had, the local bike co-op, or a nice older guy in the area who fixes up bikes as retirement income. It's a Frankenbike and looks it but like you said about yours, it runs sweet.

Here are a couple of suggestions:

There are a couple of companies that make adapters to allow you to use downtube shifters on the handlebars, giving you the convenience of a friction shifter with the option of indexed shifting.

With all your available hand positions, you might want to consider cyclocross style interupter levers on the tops in addition to good road bike levers you can reach from the drops.