# Ridged 29 with drop bars?



## JUNGLEKID5 (May 1, 2006)

Has any one taken there ridged 29 and put drop bars and road shifters on it? Thinking it would make a fun monster cross comutter. Would the geo be all out of wack? Any one with input? I do have spare parts kicking around.


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## wschruba (Apr 13, 2012)

If you've got the parts, throw them on and see if you like it. You'll probably need a fairly high rise stem, unless you've got a ton of steer tube. There's a couple of pics floating around here, or you can check Surly's image dump for inspiration.

You'll likely need a friction shifter for the front to get it to work well, so that means bar end shifters.


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## newfangled (Sep 13, 2010)

Haven't done it with road shifters, but otherwise:


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https://flic.kr/p/gsgNYQ


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https://flic.kr/p/gsgV6E

And I used a ghetto-shifter for winter, rather than STIs or barcons:


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https://flic.kr/p/hYAmvJ

I liked it a lot, but after a year and a bit the long reach was killing my back. So I just swapped all the parts over to a drop-bar specific frame with a short toptube:


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https://flic.kr/p/qjcEKE

Plenty more examples here: http://forums.mtbr.com/29er-bikes/bored-post-your-drop-bar-29er-462507-13.html


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## CommuterBoy (Oct 4, 2007)

I've done it with two. Currently riding a Surly Ogre with road drops and bar end shifters, and prior to that I did it with an Access XCL 9r with a Soul Cycles steel fork. Both bikes with "suspension corrected" rigid forks, and a comfortable effective top tube length... I use a short DH stem and an oversized road bar with a 31.8mm clamp.









edit: Camera angle makes that seat/bar height relationship look wacky. My seat is almost even with the top of the bar, maybe 1/2 inch higher. I spend 90% of the time on the hoods, and get into the drops on more technical trail stuff or in serious headwind.


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## big_papa_nuts (Mar 29, 2010)

I have done, and helped with, this conversion a few times and one thing to pay attention to is top tube length. Bikes designed for a traditional drop bar setup will have a substantially shorter top tube to compensate for the reach to the hoods. You may need a super short stem to make the fit work.

There is also the DIRT drop setup, where you ride in the drops primarily. In theory this should work with your normal MTB top tube length, but you may need to use a TALL stem or long fork which may bring about some other fit issues.


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## SimpleJon (Mar 28, 2011)

What shifters do you want to use? Bar end or down tube friction shifters are fine but if you are talking about using STI's you start running into issues with MTB frames. Roadie FD's don't generally play with MTB cranks and MTB FD's don't play with STI shifters. You can solve the brake cable pull issue with BB7 road calipers these days.
If your frame has a 68mm BB shell, you may be able to use a 50T or smaller compact roadie crank and get chainstay clearance, then it can be done fairly easily.
Personally I think it is easier to take a CX bike (something like a Cross Check, straggler or Soma double cross) and squeeze the thickest tires you can in, than start with a 29er frame.
I ran 700 x 38c CX Comp tires (I could have gone 40 or 42 I reckon but couldn't find the tires). This was paired with a 10 speed 11/36 cassette, a 9 speed M772 RD and everything else Ultegra 6700 on my Soma double cross frame and fork for a while, it was a great monstercross type of set up.


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## jrm (Jan 12, 2004)

A on one mungo bar with STI shifters & BB7s is totally doable.


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## JUNGLEKID5 (May 1, 2006)

I am running an xxix from 2011. And would do u single upfront and a 10 speed 105 in the rear


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## CommuterBoy (Oct 4, 2007)

What brakes? I have used "mountain" BB7's with road levers for years with no issues.


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## JUNGLEKID5 (May 1, 2006)

Bb7 brakes


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## Bokchoicowboy (Aug 7, 2007)

I have had a couple of mountain bikes set up with with drop-bars for several years now. My favorite bar is the off-road specific Origin-8 Gary-II. I have used Ultegra 8 and 9 speed bar-end shifters, as well as older Suntour friction bar-ends. My brakes are BB-7's with Tektro RL-520 linear-compatible drop bar brake levers and Tektro RL-741 in-line "cross" levers. I have had to use 40 degree rise stems to get my bars up where I want them, since I have converted frames meant for flat or riser bars.

You may want to look for further info on running drop bars on your mountain bike, good sources are Shiggy here on MTBR (his webpage on why he rides dropbars offroad here) and Guitar Ted (post on drop bars...).

Alternatives to brifters and bar-ends for your shifting duties are:

Gevenalle (Retroshift)

Paul Components Thumbies (26.0 and 31.8 available, mounts on bar next to stem/bar clamp)


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## JUNGLEKID5 (May 1, 2006)

Thanks guys this will be more of a committee set up


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## bgenesis12 (Jul 11, 2014)

I'd like to see more of these rigid 29ers with normal road drop bars.Most people who do the rigid 29 with drop bars end up putting the flared bars on them.


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## life behind bars (May 24, 2014)

Shimano 9 speed mountain drive train with Shimano 9 speed road brake/shifters. Front shifters were available in double and triple versions. I have run the double shifter with Shimano double mountain cranksets, works like factory.


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## Bokchoicowboy (Aug 7, 2007)

bgenesis12 said:


> I'd like to see more of these rigid 29ers with normal road drop bars.Most people who do the rigid 29 with drop bars end up putting the flared bars on them.


I had a 26'er with a regular road bar on it. It did have a slight flare, as it was an old 1980's Sakae Randonneur bar. Worked just fine on the kludge/built-from-spare-parts bike I put it on.


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## JUNGLEKID5 (May 1, 2006)

Thanks again


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## Texico (Feb 23, 2009)

My newly drop bar converted Novara Buzz. Not technically a 29'er (it's really a 700c) but it can fit up to a 29x1.9" so it kind of fits. I just have some issues with the chainline to fix.


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## CommuterBoy (Oct 4, 2007)

bgenesis12 said:


> I'd like to see more of these rigid 29ers with normal road drop bars.Most people who do the rigid 29 with drop bars end up putting the flared bars on them.


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## mack_turtle (Jan 6, 2009)

Texico said:


> View attachment 950980
> 
> My newly drop bar converted Novara Buzz. Not technically a 29'er (it's really a 700c) but it can fit up to a 29x1.9" so it kind of fits. I just have some issues with the chainline to fix.


I have been eyeing the Buzz for a long time with plans to do something like that. too bad they put hydro brakes and Microshift bits on the new one.


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## Texico (Feb 23, 2009)

mack_turtle said:


> I have been eyeing the Buzz for a long time with plans to do something like that. too bad they put hydro brakes and Microshift bits on the new one.


Yeah, it's a fun bike. I've had mine since Feb. of last year and decided I wanted the more hand positions that a drop bar provides. It's a work in progress getting it dialled in. Since the pic posted I've changed from a 50t to a 46t large chainring and added six links to the chain in order to get it shifting into all gear combos, just to be on the safe side. Now I'm starting to play around with hood position on the bars.

I also agree about the new one. I prefer mechanical brakes for a bike like this, and the microshifts are ok, but just don't have the same feel as the X-4's that mine came with.


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## NDD (Jul 22, 2013)

CommuterBoy said:


> View attachment 946810


Man, I never thought I'd like a bike with camo bar tape, but that's a pretty sexy bike.


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## CommuterBoy (Oct 4, 2007)

Thanks. It's workin' for me. And it allows you to sneak up on wild beasts undetected


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## Calvin27 (Mar 25, 2014)

Built mine here:

29er Build + Poll: To monstercross or not?

It ended up being a front suspension for a number of reasons here are my experiences:
- I have weak legs and so had to go for sram because their 10 speed stuff works across mtb and road. so running apex with type 2 rd and 11-36 at the back. 
- Your question about geometry. Depends on the frame. If you're using a frame that has a suspension fork, you need at least 490mm axle to crown - MINIMUM. More if you're running dirt drops. There will be no slamming of the stem unless you want to be in constant fear of OTB. Most of the forks will be roughly 450mm a2c so careful with this. It does mess up you geometry and riding position badly. 
- Frame - i went size down because of the added length of the drop bars, but this mean that I had to have quite a long seatpost (once again used a 29er frame with low standover). That's running a 50mm stem too. You would not want to go any less considering the lack of rake for most rigid forks. 
- Brakes BB7 road works fine. 
- Cables: Here is where it get tricky. You will need inline adjusters which are a pain. Road generally has adjustment at the derailleur/brake and mtb has it at the lever/shifter. Mix them up and there is no adjustment so you will need barrel adjusters.


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## JUNGLEKID5 (May 1, 2006)

Thanks again


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## Asmodeus2112 (Jan 4, 2008)

mack_turtle said:


> I have been eyeing the Buzz for a long time with plans to do something like that. too bad they put hydro brakes and Microshift bits on the new one.





Texico said:


> View attachment 950980
> 
> My newly drop bar converted Novara Buzz. Not technically a 29'er (it's really a 700c) but it can fit up to a 29x1.9" so it kind of fits. I just have some issues with the chainline to fix.


Nice. I have a Big Buzz and want to get away from the flat bars too. Would love this bike 1X Gravel Setup - wolftoothcomponents.com but since I have my Big Buzz I'm going to try to adjust it.


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## Texico (Feb 23, 2009)

Asmodeus2112 said:


> Nice. I have a Big Buzz and want to get away from the flat bars too. Would love this bike 1X Gravel Setup - wolftoothcomponents.com but since I have my Big Buzz I'm going to try to adjust it.


That's a very neat Salsa bike. I actually used the Cowbell 2's on my Buzz conversion.

I wanted my bike to be set up for touring as well as commuting, so I have SRAM Apex shifters and front derailleur along with an X-7 rear derailleur. The bike has 34/46t chainrings and a Shimano SLX 11-36t cassette. I just upgraded to Avid BB7 Road calipers from the stock Tektro's as well. It's riding very well at the moment, but I'm still not 100% sure about the hood placement. I'm about 350 miles into this conversion.


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