Swapping Drop Bars to Flats on Camino Sram Rival

look up the price of rival levers to start with, not a small cost in itself

also consider that  the bike could end up too short for you with flat bars

although, it sounds like you'd make some cash back on the fancy bars you've bought already

Would it be worth a bike fit? I am aware that my Merlin is really too short for me, and has a lowish front. I find that on long rides I am getting wrist pain. I plan on having a bike fit with the replacement...

also consider that the bike could end up too short for you with flat bars

I never understand this idea that flat bars will suddenly make a road bike horribly unrideable.
It's just another hand position ,and is close to riding on top of the bars or the hoods.
Honestly,not trying to be arseyabout this,but I have ridden and commuted on lots of different bar setups without any problems.
😃

I bought a camino V4 with flat bar. Not the one you can get 'standard' but ordered the drop bar GRX and then spoke to Sonder about converting to flatbar with new shifter, brakes etc which they did as a custom (Sonder were great!) Main reasons for me... Well I'd owned a Gravel bike (Camino V1!) for 4 years previously and I just found the drop bars too much of a compromise, especially for bike packing - having the 780 width gives much better control all round and gives me extra real estate to hang a large bar bag (20l +) without cramping your hands on the hoods.  On the rough stuff the additional width is so much better for control, to the point where I charge into stuff full on before realising that the lack of squidge and tyre width is about to kill me. The only possible downside is the aero argument, however given it's 1x, you run out of gears on the flat before that becomes an issue.  The bike is still as fast as anything on the smooth trails and road.

You should be quids in doing it, the Rival shifters/brakes will be worth a small fortune.  You just need a cheap under bar shiftier and the right levers (not sure on SRAM compatibility.) When I did it with GRX it shaved nearly £300 off the price!

I ride a flat bar tourer, bought it for shopping and gym duties, but now upping the mileage.  I do notice my wrists start to hurt after a while.  I do a fair amount of canal towpath which isn't tarmacced, the jarring on my wrists takes it's toll.  V happy with it, just a bit frustrating the lack of riding positions, in a strong headwind it's a good workout.

Have you tried using a wide front tyre close to fork clearance limits and then playing about with pressure?

I’ve just done this on my Camino. Turned the stem upside down (not worried about words the wrong way round!) and had a spare set of flat bars lying around. I then managed to get a SRAM GX gripshift for CRC for £11 (works better than I feared as you’re not doing anything too gnarly) and got some second hand MTB disc brakes for £50 and a rotor for £9 (rotors have a greater depth contact point than the roadie type ones) so I make that £70. Given I should be able to sell the 1x SRAM shifters/discs for more than that I reckon I’ll actually make money doing it. Man Maths at its finest!

+1 for bikefit. I gave up on two drop bar bikes because of wrist/hand pain, Third time I had a fit, got the saddle in the correct position/angle and got my hand position right with shortened stem and correct angle/height. I can ride 100km now with no pain.

Thanks all for the replies.

All food for thought, certainly raising the bars and altering the shifters angle has helped. Awaiting to see the GP to see if I do have Carpal Tunnel, and if its the bike or its hereditary (mother suffered from it)

Wasnt aware there was actually value in the present sram shifters

Tried lowering the tyre pressure, but running the stock 42cc tyres with mudguards so limited to go bigger?

Love the bike, but perhaps I need to look to change for a larger tyred flat bar bike.

Looking at bikes struggling to find a lighter weight high volume tired bike which I could run with mudguards