[Closed] Go On, Show Me Your Drop Bar MTBs*

Here's me on mine:*

[img] [/img]

*technically not really true.

Just building mine at the mo,

Singular Swift,
On one midges
Campag centaur.

Can't wait

Pics when you're done Shep please.

It seems to me that the biggest hindrance (aside from making the bike look terrible, mostly) is that you can't run hydraulic brakes without a stem-mounted adaptor. And they're not widely available yet.

I like the idea of them as I like the hand position on my road bike because it feels more natural.

It's all academic really as I can't afford a complete new bike and don't want to take a punt on swapping over on my MTB just yet.

Wouldn't it be easier to put a 29er fork on a cx bike and just have cable discs? HT only obviously.

CX / MTB cross over.

[img] ?attachauth=ANoY7coVfdeeK1z3NvpS19q01fi0aE-Vh37k6GujRg4R3-Vs3jXp7Gh_ayj0Kpun-BNNC0wl0b_698vo6Q7uVw10lJUnT5fvgV7ST-2UuuWQ_4BqTfoNeCzRp-MIQaZGWyOWUUnIT49Apkv9l2JbEzzChZXM5FvioWb2h2zeXEDsBxD-SmcpixbQYOhncpMX7a9SYd7R-tCZO4OqkDKLbgYo983ahS5-kQ%3D%3D&attredirects=0[/img]

Is there a drop bar MTB that doesn't have a ridiculous stack of spacers under the stem?

It was a bit long and low and eventually I swapped to Jones bars instead. Now got the Midges on a Roadrat:

[url= http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3148/5850417978_4fba8a04ea_z.jp g" target="_blank">http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3148/5850417978_4fba8a04ea_z.jp g"/> [/img][/url]

More of a 29er hybrid than a true mountain bike, but it's pretty capable, if it's wheels mainly on the ground stuff:

[img] [/img]

[url= http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2150/2505996223_92fa11e00a.jp g" target="_blank">http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2150/2505996223_92fa11e00a.jp g"/> [/img][/url]
[url= http://www.flickr.com/photos/mike_mc/2505996223/ ]2008_05_19_Solitude 001[/url] by [url= http://www.flickr.com/people/mike_mc/ ]miketually[/url], on Flickr

Had Midge bars on my Solitude for a few years. I really liked them, but I currently have flipped Mary bars which look loads better and give a very similar position.

It's still not a pretty bike, though I think a Salsa fork would fix a lot of the ugliness and it looks better with MTB tyres.

[url= http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4151/4982530686_04881b4176.jp g" target="_blank">http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4151/4982530686_04881b4176.jp g"/> [/img][/url]
[url= http://www.flickr.com/photos/mike_mc/4982530686/ ]Solitude - now with flipped Mary bars[/url] by [url= http://www.flickr.com/people/mike_mc/ ]miketually[/url], on Flickr

I have recently been riding a Singular Gryphon which I am liking quite a lot. Whether that is the novelty of the new or a permanent preference I am not sure.

Sadly I have borked my access to the one place I can use from work to host photos so either look on Singular's site or just engage your fetid imagination 😉

Does this count?

[url= http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3006/5807245351_e1a81dcd24_b.jp g" target="_blank">http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3006/5807245351_e1a81dcd24_b.jp g"/> [/img][/url]
[url= http://www.flickr.com/photos/ir_bandito/5807245351/ ]Singular_brown[/url] by [url= http://www.flickr.com/people/ir_bandito/ ]ir_bandito[/url], on Flickr

Bazz, maybe, but what about having sus on it? That'd be my aim - more natural hand position but without sacrificing the comforts I've become used too...

Like the Inbred actually, and the Singular Peregrine (is that what that is?)

Looks like you compressed the pics on the Solitude Mike! Too short and tall for my taste.

that road rat is the only pic so far that hasnt made me want to rip out my eyes and stamp on them.

oh the sheer horror

when you're on the drops and your sus compresses at the bottom of a slope.. well i wouldn't want it to be me! balance over the front is always the problem when i go downhill on my cx.. and that's where the brakes are.

Gryphon.
[img] [/img]
Peregrine.
[img] [/img]

Not a MTB by any stretch, but kinda just sayin' the right bike is at least [i]sometimes[/i] the one you are on ... Condor Fratello.
[img] [/img]

All on Midge bars, and all Cane-Creek cross-top lever'd too - The Jones bars feel a good alternative to Midge - I can get a great level of comfort from both / each - way more so than on anything else I've ridden on (and I'm super picky over bike ergonomics).

Looks like you compressed the pics on the Solitude Mike! Too short and tall for my taste.

In the drops, my feet, arse and hands end up in pretty much the same position as my mid-90s flat-barred Kona.

Mike, I just mean that the pics look a little squashed... 🙂

I thought the whole point of dirt drops was not to be any lower than a straight bar, but to have a more ergonomic position, hence the tall front end, so there shouldn't be any extra weight over the front end over and above a "normal" setup.

I do like that Peregrine... <counts spare kidneys>

Mike, I just mean that the pics look a little squashed...

It is impossible to take a photo of the bike where it doesn't look especially odd. In the 'flesh' it looks surprisingly normal, especially if I've got the big tyres on.

Un-borked the hosting, so (those of a delicate constitution should look away now):

[img] [/img]

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A mate recommended one when I was looking for a commuter sort of thing. I admit my first impression was "bleurgh!" but then I become clown-bike-curious. Priced it up but couldn't do it.

Met Sam at last year's Weekender. Tried one around a couple of bits of Lee Quarry. It managed the PT fine, in it's fashion (note to Mark - it wasn't a CX you heckled ;-P). It rode over, around and up some stoney bits quite enjoyably. I tapped Sam up and he did me a deal 😎

Other stuff happened including a crank fitting/buying debacle that stopped me getting it built but I finally wrapped the bars and rode it in early June.

I like it and being lucky enough to have a few bikes I like it even more because it's different (to ride) in a good way. It's nice that one of the several isn't just differentiated (if they are at all) by some minor variation on the theme of Long Travel Hardtail.

omg, worst set of photos stw has ever seen... haha

Singular Sam posted a pic of my Ti Gryphon on his Flickr page.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/singularcycles/5641266663/in/photostream/

Anyone now how to post the picture on here as i'm loving the bike and want to show it off! 😆

I don't get it but I'm open to new ideas.

What's the benefits?

The perfect fire road bike?

Was that Ti Gryphon a one off? And what bars are they?

For pictures, right click over the image, select Properties and then copy the url address address shown in the pop up box. Paste this between the {img}{/img} tags and it should show the picture in your post. The brackets on the tags need to be square ones, not what I've typed.

NB: there maybe quicker and easier ways but it's the only one I know 😎

Billy: as usual it's easier if you ride one than trying to exxplain it IMO, plus different strokes for different folks and all that. Certainly the Gryphon is sufficiently good (and I'm sufficiently carp) to ride the singletrack around me. It probably wouldn't be first choice for Stainburn but it's great for lots of other stuff.

My prototype Gryphon.

Great bike for all sorts of riding.

[url= http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3611/3469384340_1a4eb3884d_z.jp g" target="_blank">http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3611/3469384340_1a4eb3884d_z.jp g"/> [/img][/url]
[url= http://www.flickr.com/photos/stu-b/3469384340/ ]2009_0423clent0036[/url] by [url= http://www.flickr.com/people/stu-b/ ]singlespeedstu[/url], on Flickr

[url= http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3144/3083218444_afce122168_z.jp g" target="_blank">http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3144/3083218444_afce122168_z.jp g"/> [/img][/url]
[url= http://www.flickr.com/photos/stu-b/3083218444/ ]2008_1102penmachno0026[/url] by [url= http://www.flickr.com/people/stu-b/ ]singlespeedstu[/url], on Flickr

[b]nedrapier[/b] - love that. Looks ace. Makes me want one.

cheers omitn, similar pictures made me want one!

You'll probably like this too:

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This thread has made me a little bit sick in the mouth 😯

Feel free to vomit getony but I have to agree that some of ^^ are definitely function over aesthetics 😉

Redline Monocog 29'er f+f
.
[img] [/img]

some lovely lookin bikes. SSstu that video is obviously faked as everyone knows that you can't ride a "trail" on anything other than a 6" travel skill compensator in full storm trooper attire

I'm currently umming and arrring over a Salsa Fargo... anyone got any experience of them?

You can ride what you like on drops, perhaps not as fast on everything, but probably in more comfort and style 😉

[url= http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4078/4894673936_a9bee4a182.jp g" target="_blank">http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4078/4894673936_a9bee4a182.jp g"/> [/img][/url]

[url= http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4132/4846711323_f85b2af833.jp g" target="_blank">http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4132/4846711323_f85b2af833.jp g"/> [/img][/url]

[url= http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5205/5257369042_4a5c5e2e30.jp g" target="_blank">http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5205/5257369042_4a5c5e2e30.jp g"/> [/img][/url]

[url= http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5213/5450813548_042cf855c0.jp g" target="_blank">http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5213/5450813548_042cf855c0.jp g"/> [/img][/url]
[url= http://www.flickr.com/photos/singularcycles/5450813548/ ]Mini Monstercross - 650b XS Peregrine[/url] by [url= http://www.flickr.com/people/singularcycles/ ]Singular Cycles[/url], on Flickr

Oh, and here's the TiGryphon

[url= http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5305/5641266663_02eb5a0b96.jp g" target="_blank">http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5305/5641266663_02eb5a0b96.jp g"/> [/img][/url]
[url= http://www.flickr.com/photos/singularcycles/5641266663/ ]Chris' Ti Gryphon[/url]

Was a one off at this stage, hope to do more in future but I have currently put further Ti work on hold.

that gryphon is lush!

Cheekymonkey: the bars are ragley Luxy bars. Really nice to ride with. Plenty wide enough at the ends and they have a fare bit of flex in them which is nice on long rides. They suit the bike well as it's being used for some long distance off road touring.

Sam: cheers for posting the pic. Must get back in touch about that hummingbird...

Chris

Ooh dear, I should have gone to bed. Those Singulars look perfect for my commute. Bugger...

Luckily I'm a short-ass and won't find a 700c-wheeled bike to fit me 🙂

Glad I started this. 🙂

I love that people are looking at the pics despite hating the concept and still being disgusted!

I still want a bit of reassurance on the drops and suspension combo tho...

One from a while back long gone now, but I did race at Trentham on it.

[img] ?t=1241886372[/img]

Some ugly things above.

The arm flab wobble in singlespeedstu's video just made me a little sick in my mouth........

Ain't no flab on my arms.

You try riding a rigid bike fast offroad and see what your arms look like. 😉

hairy, you'll want that 650b xs Peregrine, then!

I'm just building a Salsa Fargo up, Nick.

Umming and erring over medium or large, went with the latter which means no doubt I'll be selling it for a medium in a few weeks... 🙂

Was planning on making it a cheap build and then before I know it I've bought a Rasta King headset, some Crossmax 29ers and other inappropriate bits. I'll never learn. Pictures some time next week before taking it to the Lakes for a week once it's finished.

[img][url= http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3498/3846011368_a0a1a00c0c.jp g" target="_blank">http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3498/3846011368_a0a1a00c0c.jp g"/> [/img][/url] [url= http://www.flickr.com/photos/mhampshire/3846011368/ ]swift bull [/url] by [url= http://www.flickr.com/people/mhampshire/ ]matt hampshire[/url], on Flickr[/img]

[url= http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4049/4696031934_3a018c28eb.jp g" target="_blank">http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4049/4696031934_3a018c28eb.jp g"/> [/img][/url]
[url= http://www.flickr.com/photos/mhampshire/4696031934/ ]swift with woodchippers[/url] by [url= http://www.flickr.com/people/mhampshire/ ]matt hampshire[/url], on Flickr

Almost forgot I had this for a while too.

[url= http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3128/2750617436_5f627e9789_z.jp g" target="_blank">http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3128/2750617436_5f627e9789_z.jp g"/> [/img][/url]
[url= http://www.flickr.com/photos/stu-b/2750617436/ ]2008_0810fodniche0056[/url] by [url= http://www.flickr.com/people/stu-b/ ]singlespeedstu[/url], on Flickr

There's an article on the web that often gets quoted whenever someone asks "why drop bars". IIRC the guy who wrote it was advocating them on Sus-forked and FS bikes.

TBH I'd just do it, the bike is so rarely the limiting factor for most people IMO 😎

drop-bars and a lefty just looks plain odd (from that angle)

I'm going to regret this, but....

Purely out of academic interest what's the cheapest you reckon I could build up a Singular Griffin with gears? Never done a build but somehow have become strangely captivated by these funny looking things and quite fancy something that I could use for a mixed on-road/off-road commute.

Was thinking about Boardman CX but these just look so much more interesting... Loving the pictures!

Umming and erring over medium or large, went with the latter which means no doubt I'll be selling it for a medium in a few weeks...

Well I'm def after a large so if you find you want to sell it then let me know 🙂

what a bunch of munters.

Build cost of a Gryphon - not sure but a few hundred more than a regular 26" frame build as the particular components are in less supply and tend to be a touch more.

Careful secondhand and classifieds buys would make a big saving. But, again, the stuff you'd need comes up a bit less often.

Superstar do some of the cheapest (and so far fine) 29er wheelsets that I found.

STI's are rather expensive and their cable pull means you either have to buy road cable disc brakes (IIRC Tektro or Avids). Alternatively any old road brake levels and go SS (not for me) or bar end shifters (cheaper than STIs).

Normal MTB cranks, rings, cassettes and BB's all work

At least you're saving money on the build (compared to a 26") by not needing suspension forks.

Factor in funny bars as well like Luxy's or Woodchippers.

There's secondhand 29er tyres to be had as well. Plus tubes, bar tape etc.

Don't let it put you off. So far mine's been great fun. It is handy to give it a long build time to source the best and cheapest bits though. Otherwise buying new, off the peg stuff would probably be (guessing wildly) £1,200.

Cheeky's assessment is probably pretty accurate. If you wanted to work through me or one of my dealers I'd also be happy to put together a quote on a full build for you. Around £1000 should be achievable, but would mean some pretty basic lower end parts for things like stem saddle and seatpost, as well as entry level drivetrain and groupset components. If you are interested drop me a line, I may also have some lightly used or shop soiled bits floating around I can do at a good price.

Sam, is there a frame suitable for a 5'7" shortie? Just curious at present but as the future seems much brighter than ever before... I have the vast majority of bits (wheels, brakes, chainset etc) so it's just a frame I would be looking for (hypothetical only at present).

Hairy, yes, an S Peregrine would likely work, certainly an XS but that may even be too small. You may well squeeze on to an M Gryphon as well.

Thanks, Gryphon seems ugly as hell, Peregrine looks nicer IMHO but is so much more expensive 🙄
Back to considering what should happen were I able to...

Why would you want one of these??

they look great 8)

Perhaps my not being British makes me understand the word "great" somewhat differently to you. Each to their own, I suppose 😀
They're dog ugly in most cases on those pictures but they might be night club girl-like (once you hop on you don't notice the looks).

Those bikes look awesome!

^ NOT ^

Don't know if a Roadrat counts a a MTB
but here it is anyway

[url= http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2744/5764509642_3caedec28b_b.jp g" target="_blank">http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2744/5764509642_3caedec28b_b.jp g"/> [/img][/url]
[url= http://www.flickr.com/photos/17059060@N00/5764509642/ ]P1030654[/url] by [url= http://www.flickr.com/people/17059060@N00/ ]eastham_david[/url], on Flickr

[IMG] [/IMG]

My Pug wearing drops and skinny slicks(2.5 hookworms)for summer 😀

^^^ Almost a racer 😀 ^^^

Nice Pug Ferrit - a bike for all seasons 😉

weirdos

Funny how appearance is so important to the posturing fashion following pseudo XC trail park racers. You think they would be more concerned with function.

If you haven't ridden a properly setup dropbar bike offroad you don't know what you are talking about.

I won't enumerate the advantages myself because it has been said better by [u][b][url= http://mtbtires.com/site2/features/37-bikes/85-why-i-ride-dropbars ]Shiggy[/url][/b][/u].

And here's mine just before the 12 hour StrathPuffer Lite. The dropbars made the fast descents on corrugated singletrack a lot more secure and I didn't get sore wrists either. Vomit away 🙂

[url= http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3096/5815152683_07401f76ea_b.jp g" target="_blank">http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3096/5815152683_07401f76ea_b.jp g"/> [/img][/url]

needs a gold front hub and brown bar-tape all the way down. 😉
but I do like the drop-bar fat-bikes.

ir_bandito - Member
needs a gold front hub and brown bar-tape all the way down...

It's got a gold hub on its normal wheel 🙂 (The fat front was an experiment for the race)

The black grip on the bars is nice and thick - need it for a 12 hour race with no suspension. I normally don't tape the top, it's just to keep the cables tidy.

Although the Singular Swift, Gryphon and Peregrine are all lovely (IMO, of course), that's my favourite so far Epicyclo. What is it? Can I have a go please?!

To all - how are the cable discs?

And I still need to know how drops handle on a hardtail.

Cable discs are fine. They're not as good as hydro's (at least the ones I've set up aren't 😉 However, they stop the bike and I haven't clattered into anything yet so, IMO, a success.

And I still need to know how drops handle on a hardtail.

Err, not sure what you mean? Lots of the stuff above are drops on HTs. Unless you mean on a sus' forked HT. If so have you read the article by some bloke called "Shiggy" that's linked above. He seems to have managed riding in the latter case fine.

veedubba - Member
Although the Singular Swift, Gryphon and Peregrine are all lovely (IMO, of course), that's my favourite so far Epicyclo. What is it? Can I have a go please?!
To all - how are the cable discs?
And I still need to know how drops handle on a hardtail.

*Edit: just thinking about it. I'm not a fast rider, but on the View Rock long descent at the 'Puffer I was only passed about 3 or 4 times in the race. I put that down to the control the bars give me, rather than skill.

If you're thinking of getting a bike for dropbars, then you won't go wrong with the Gryphon which is designed for that use - a lovely bike.

I only use BB7's and set up properly on decent rotors, they are great.
I use LBS cable inners (Jagwire probably), and Goodrich cable outers which can make for slightly unconventional routing given their stiffness, but it gives great breaking.

Avid have not long changed the rotors they ship with BB7's, and the new ones look/feel more substantial, plus the steel appears to be a 'better' steel (it feels like there is a better grain structure / and better HT'ing).

I could of course be talking rubbish, but they do feel 'better' rotors - so much so I'll perhaps actually try them on my next build, not just put them in the spares cupboard without them ever going near a bike). 🙄

EPICYCLO your bike is awesome dude the dogs nutts 😀

Yeah, I meant HT vs fully rigid as most drop barred bikes seem to have rigid forks. There are some lovely bikes on this thread, and lots of good examples of the possibilities.

I'll have a look at Shiggy's article.

Bear in mind one of the advantages of dropbars is that you have less need for suspension.

Lighter bike, and avoid the need to spend several hundred £ on a fork that won't improve your performance by much. (There's no point in getting a cheap fork.) You may even be faster with the rigid - I am. What I may lose on the downhills I more than gain on the climbs.

epicyclo, are they the luxy bars?

they look like midge bars to me but I can be wrong sometimes. The ones on my Pug are Luxys

Why oh why are drop bar 29ers sized with stupid short seat tubes and stupid long head tubes?

You may even be faster with the rigid - I am. What I may lose on the downhills I more than gain on the climbs.

Have you proof of that? If so, I reckon you need to look at your riding, or the trails simply don't need suspension!

I'm liking the idea of trying this on my rigid bike, I did after all start off road riding on a dropped bar bike. I've got a v rake at the back and a BB7 up front but will that work with drop levers or am I looking at having to get the road version of the BB7?

I've not tried a drop-bar lever on a mtb caliper, I suspect it will stop you but will rub and be spongey.

avdave, there are a couple of road levers that have a v-brake pull. I've got MTB BB7s with Tektro RL520 levers, which do the job quite nicely.

The hoods are just a little baggy on mine though, not a problem with medium thick tape, but might leave you with a small gap if you like thin tape. which you might ot care about.