Hi all!
I have an old Giant Prodigy bike that I want to convert to a drop bar tourer for my father. It currently runs a flat bar setup with Shimano 400cx components and cantilever brakes. My thoughts are to put in Sora STI 3x8. As the frame seems to have a MTB legacy, all the wirings goes along the top tube. Hence the front derailleur is a top pull. I have heard that still can be used with MTB front mech with an adjuster. Question - will it work with the top pull mech? Also, would it make sense to swap the rest of the drivetrain to Sora that I have handy?
Appreciate your thoughts and advice!
Need help - touring conversion
-
- Posts: 56
- Joined: Sun Jul 10, 2016 9:50 pm
- Thoglette
- Posts: 6619
- Joined: Thu Feb 19, 2009 1:01 pm
Re: Need help - touring conversion
Postby Thoglette » Mon Feb 19, 2018 2:34 pm
Eight speed shimano shifting is all the same in terms of pull, (IIRC), even top pull.
You're going to want to run 32 cog cassettes and one weeny ring at the front, so keep the current derailleurs if possible.
What tyre size (currently) fits the frame?
You're going to want to run 32 cog cassettes and one weeny ring at the front, so keep the current derailleurs if possible.
What tyre size (currently) fits the frame?
Stop handing them the stick! - Dave Moulton
"People are worthy of respect, ideas are not." Peter Ellerton, UQ
"People are worthy of respect, ideas are not." Peter Ellerton, UQ
- RonK
- Posts: 11508
- Joined: Mon Aug 24, 2009 2:08 pm
- Location: If you need to know, ask me
- Contact:
Re: Need help - touring conversion
Postby RonK » Mon Feb 19, 2018 3:26 pm
Drop bar levers are not compatible with the pull ratio of MTB front derailleurs. You will have to use bar end shifters, in friction mode for the front derailleur.Mickey1980 wrote:Hi all!
I have an old Giant Prodigy bike that I want to convert to a drop bar tourer for my father. It currently runs a flat bar setup with Shimano 400cx components and cantilever brakes. My thoughts are to put in Sora STI 3x8. As the frame seems to have a MTB legacy, all the wirings goes along the top tube. Hence the front derailleur is a top pull. I have heard that still can be used with MTB front mech with an adjuster. Question - will it work with the top pull mech? Also, would it make sense to swap the rest of the drivetrain to Sora that I have handy?
Appreciate your thoughts and advice!
Luckily 8-sp bar end shifters are still readily available.
Converting a flat bar bike to drop bars is going to result an long reach since flat bar bikes generally have a longer top tube. It's possible a comfortable reach could be achieved with a shorter stem, but this is something you should consider before committing.
If you choose to continue with the drop bar and bar end shifters, I have available a brand new in box set of Tektro RL520 linear pull drop bar brake levers which will work with v-brakes.
Cycle touring blog and tour journals: whispering wheels...
-
- Posts: 1878
- Joined: Sat Nov 08, 2008 10:46 am
- Location: Southeast Tasmania
Re: Need help - touring conversion
Postby LG » Tue Feb 20, 2018 9:17 pm
Not sure if I've just got lucky, but have been able to match shimano 7 speed MTB shifters and road front derailleurs. Might have just been ignorance and good luck! The RD should be fine, if you can't get the FD to work with the shifters, see what bodge option you can sort for routing the cable under the bottom bracket and swap to the sora.RonK wrote:Drop bar levers are not compatible with the pull ratio of MTB front derailleurs. You will have to use bar end shifters, in friction mode for the front derailleur.Mickey1980 wrote:Hi all!
I have an old Giant Prodigy bike that I want to convert to a drop bar tourer for my father. It currently runs a flat bar setup with Shimano 400cx components and cantilever brakes. My thoughts are to put in Sora STI 3x8. As the frame seems to have a MTB legacy, all the wirings goes along the top tube. Hence the front derailleur is a top pull. I have heard that still can be used with MTB front mech with an adjuster. Question - will it work with the top pull mech? Also, would it make sense to swap the rest of the drivetrain to Sora that I have handy?
Appreciate your thoughts and advice!
Luckily 8-sp bar end shifters are still readily available.
LG = Low Gear
- singlespeedscott
- Posts: 5510
- Joined: Sun Jan 20, 2008 4:35 pm
- Location: Elimbah, Queensland
Re: Need help - touring conversion
Postby singlespeedscott » Tue Feb 20, 2018 9:45 pm
Up to 9 speed sti levers will play with MTB derailleurs, From 10 speed onwards things get a little funky.
-
- Posts: 56
- Joined: Sun Jul 10, 2016 9:50 pm
Re: Need help - touring conversion
Postby Mickey1980 » Wed Feb 21, 2018 12:50 pm
It currently runs on 700c 32mm. I might need to swap them, as they have a 7 speed freewheel to be able to utilise the 8/3 drivetrain. Interestingly, the freewheel cogs are rather small by todays hybrid standard, but it has a pretty small chainrings at the front too. Hope to keep the cranks, as I doubt my father would often go beyond 30 kmh on a tourer.Thoglette wrote:What tyre size (currently) fits the frame?
-
- Posts: 56
- Joined: Sun Jul 10, 2016 9:50 pm
Re: Need help - touring conversion
Postby Mickey1980 » Wed Feb 21, 2018 12:54 pm
Thanks! Never heard of this, but worth trying.singlespeedscott wrote:Up to 9 speed sti levers will play with MTB derailleurs, From 10 speed onwards things get a little funky.
-
- Posts: 56
- Joined: Sun Jul 10, 2016 9:50 pm
Re: Need help - touring conversion
Postby Mickey1980 » Wed Feb 21, 2018 12:56 pm
It appears the earlier versions might be interchangeable between road and MTB. Will testLG wrote: Not sure if I've just got lucky, but have been able to match shimano 7 speed MTB shifters and road front derailleurs. Might have just been ignorance and good luck! The RD should be fine, if you can't get the FD to work with the shifters, see what bodge option you can sort for routing the cable under the bottom bracket and swap to the sora.
-
- Posts: 56
- Joined: Sun Jul 10, 2016 9:50 pm
Re: Need help - touring conversion
Postby Mickey1980 » Wed Feb 21, 2018 1:01 pm
I was thinking of bar end shifters for this project as I have the tlTektro brake levers (non-briefters). Though I have a set is Sora STUs that just been fully dis-assembled and serviced (credit to the how to post on this forum), so hoped to use them. Also wanted to keep the cantilevers to have that old school touring aesthetics rather than more modern v-brakesRonK wrote:If you choose to continue with the drop bar and bar end shifters, I have available a brand new in box set of Tektro RL520 linear pull drop bar brake levers which will work with v-brakes.
-
- Posts: 56
- Joined: Sun Jul 10, 2016 9:50 pm
Re: Need help - touring conversion
Postby Mickey1980 » Wed Feb 21, 2018 1:46 pm
Interestingly, Sheldon Brown did not distinguish the pull ratio difference between MTB and Road FDs of different speeds. I guess I will test his empirically.
Jump to
- General Australian Cycling Topics
- Info / announcements
- Buying a bike / parts
- General Cycling Discussion
- The Bike Shed
- Cycling Health
- Cycling Safety and Advocacy
- Women's Cycling
- Bike & Gear Reviews
- Cycling Trade
- Stolen Bikes
- Bicycle FAQs
- The Market Place
- Member to Member Bike and Gear Sales
- Want to Buy, Group Buy, Swap
- My Bikes or Gear Elsewhere
- Serious Biking
- Audax / Randonneuring
- Retro biking
- Commuting
- MTB
- Recumbents
- Fixed Gear/ Single Speed
- Track
- Electric Bicycles
- Cyclocross and Gravel Grinding
- Dragsters / Lowriders / Cruisers
- Children's Bikes
- Cargo Bikes and Utility Cycling
- Road Racing
- Road Biking
- Training
- Time Trial
- Triathlon
- International and National Tours and Events
- Cycle Touring
- Touring Australia
- Touring Overseas
- Touring Bikes and Equipment
- Australia
- Western Australia
- New South Wales
- Queensland
- South Australia
- Victoria
- ACT
- Tasmania
- Northern Territory
- Country & Regional
Who is online
Users browsing this forum: No registered users
- All times are UTC+10:00
- Top
- Delete cookies
About the Australian Cycling Forums
The Australian Cycling Forums is a welcoming community where you can ask questions and talk about the type of bikes and cycling topics you like.
Bicycles Network Australia
Forum Information
Connect with BNA
Brought to you by Bicycles Network Australia | © 1999 - 2024 | Powered by phpBB ®
This website uses affiliate links to retail platforms including ebay, amazon, proviz and ribble.
This website uses affiliate links to retail platforms including ebay, amazon, proviz and ribble.