* I suppose this isn’t technically a new build more a new iteration 😆

I have had my Fortitude for about a year now. Its my most frequently ridden bike.

Its had hardly any love or attention this winter and had just worked on every occasion from uber muddy rides to monsoon conditions and snow.

➡ Before:

With a lot of my local riding being very claggy and interspersed with road sections I thought a cross bike might be fun but sadly no room or ££ for a complete build.

Sooo … a rummage around in the spares bin I had most of the parts.

All I needed were some calipers (BB7 from HK) and a handle bar extension unit (see pics)

So its built 🙂

I’ve not ridden it yet so I’m sure there is some tinkering to be done.

The plan was minimal cost as TBH I don’t know how I will get on with drops off road 😕

If the conversion works I will look into a bar end shifter for the Alfine to tidy up the cockpit.

That said whilst unsightly I can change up and down in a reasonably comfortable fashion 😆

➡ Pics: Snapped rather hastily last night!

Thoughts?

Looks good! Would be keen to hear how you get on with the drops though. Not sure I could contemplate any off-road.

Looks to me like those bars are very low and very far away, but if you’re comfy with them then that’s fine.

What BB7s are they? (I ask as you’re using road levers y’see).
Also, link to seller if possible please – I can only find MTN ones on eBay)

DrP

scotroutes – Member

Looks to me like those bars are very low and very far away, but if you’re comfy with them then that’s fine.

I guess they are 😕

Its only a 80mm stem and on the hoods I am a little stretched.

That said I need to get out and have a play on it 🙂

DrP they are std MTN ones as the plan was to a) use the levers I already had (Tektro RL520s) and b) easy to revert back to a std flat bar and speed dials.

They were from Fibica.

Looks lovely but as above, my guess is you’re suddenly going to find that bike a good size or two too big and in need of a very sticky up stem :-/

Ah – just googles your levers – I see they pull more cable than ‘normal’ drops…

DrP

@Gary – Too big in what way?

<<Simpleton mode>> Being a bit dim but the bar position doesn’t look that “different” to say this build:

Drops off road are ace.
2 Fargos here and my most ridden bikes.
I like what you’ve done shifter wise, I tried a few combos and ended up going SRAM as their drop STis work with mountain stuff, but that’s a neat solution to use Shimano flat bar shifters, what’s the bracket/where from?
Ta

You have effectively lengthened your top tube by a few cm. If there was a stock Fortitude drop bar bike the top tube would be shorter than the current frame to compensate for the extra length of the bars compared to a flat bar.

Drops off road are certainly ace.
Unless you have a Fargo which is short and tall, you will need a stem with a lot of ride to get a position where the drops are attainable offroad.

Does look rather low and long, I got on well with a similar set up, albeit smaller frame and higher stem.

Ahhh.

Its simple now someone has pointed it out 😳

The short stem currently on the bike is to compensate for the 762mm wide flat bar run in the first pic.

Normally I would run a longer stem than 80mm on this arrangement so maybe I have escaped the effective lengthening 😕 May need to look at adding some rise.

@ commander … The device was from eBay. The idea was from Stoner of this parish.

Sine the pics above were taken I have shifted (no pun intended) the extension a little so I now have less on the right of the shifter and more on the left of the clamp. This gives me something to clamp my light to without obstructing the bars further.

What length stem were you running in flat bar mode?

Quick mock up of light fitting:

I ran/run an 80mm stem with the uber wide bar.

looks like a massive compromise

That’s a hell of a saddle to bar drop you’ve got going on, doesn’t look comfy to me and might put too much weight on your hands so not great for control either – but if you’ve tested it and it works then that’s what matters. Personally I’d have just stuck cross disc wheels on and kept the flat bar, you don’t automatically have to get a drop bar (or semi drop as you’ve fitted) just because you switch to narrow tyres.

Like it!

timc – Member

looks like a massive compromise

In what way?

FuzzyWuzzy – Member

That’s a hell of a saddle to bar drop you’ve got going on

To the drops yes. To the flat bar bit its actually higher as I have moved the spacers about. To the hoods … they are actually about the same height as the bar.

As I said above its all a bit experimental 🙂

“Quick mock up of light fitting:”

I Like the bracket even more now, I’m off to find one on Ebay.

Cheers

@Commander: Apologies I should have added a link earlier.

Its one of these.

The frame matches the weeds perfectly 😉

+35 deg stem

Your body will thank you for it.

@ Alb. Thank you.

May give one a bash.

Now would it be best to stick with the same length as I’m currently running?

3cm shorter in the TT is the average between road and mtbs – horizontally of course – may be a good guide.

Or you could try it and see.

I’d go for a 100mm x 35deg on the Fortitude if it’s a 19″ frame (maybe 80mm x 35deg if it’s a 17.5″) in a bid to try and get the HB to the desired height. Would look a bit fugly but would be loads comfier.

Don’t forget the higher the actual HB position, the shorter the overall reach. With a 35deg rise (x100mm length) you’re actually not going to be increasing reach all that much (vs. height).

That said, it’s a long ol’ TT ont he Fortitude…

I’ve got a similar setup on an old Tassajara frame, but with Ultegra bar-end shifters. Had to buy a higher angle stem (Uno +35° one) as the drops were far too low for comfort riding normally. Love it though!

Thats nice, a picture of my Gryphon for comparison – the seat and the top of the bars are pretty much level. Love drops off road and sti shifters also work well off road,

phone 035 by jamesanderson2010, on Flickr