# Converting Roubaix to Flatbar



## Berkeley Michael (Jul 21, 2002)

No more long road rides on the Roubaix for me. I am commuting on a Sirrus Expert and it just isn't as nice a bike. The 2005 Roubaix will become my commuter and flatbar works better. I can manage the quickness and geometry, it just is not that much different.

The current shifter is DuraAce STI with a triple. It uses 4 positions: one for the granny, one for the middle ring & lower gears, one for the middle ring & higher gears, and one for the big ring.

So...

Will the Tiagra flatbar shifters handle this?


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## Lombard (May 8, 2014)

I am assuming you want to change to a flatbar for a more upright position? If so, before you spend $$ on a new bar, shifters and brake levers, you could try a few things to make your road bars more usable.

1) Tilt the bars upward so your hands are higher up when they rest on the hoods.

2) Change your stem to a higher angled or shorter stem.

3) If 1 and 2 don't relax your position enough, there are steerer extensions you can buy to raise your bars even more. If you go this route, first find out what your steerer is made out of. I'm not sure this is the best idea if you have a carbon steerer. If it's aluminum or steel, it will work fine. If you're not mechanically inclined, best to have your LBS do this as it is very important to have the screws torqued evenly and properly.

Hope this helps.


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## crossracer (Jun 21, 2004)

I like the flat bar for commuting because it gives better control. The tiagra should handle it fine, its what they are designed for. 

I also like bar ends because of the extra hand position. That and ergon grips are way awesome. 

Good luck, enjoy your commute. 

Bill


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## Berkeley Michael (Jul 21, 2002)

Lombard said:


> I am assuming you want to change to a flatbar for a more upright position? If so, before you spend $$ on a new bar, shifters and brake levers, you could try a few things to make your road bars more usable.
> 
> 1) Tilt the bars upward so your hands are higher up when they rest on the hoods.
> 
> ...


Nice assessment! Thanks for the thoughts but this is already sussed out and I'm fit pretty well on my other 5 bikes. I ride a more attack-oriented position on mtb and am more comfortable on urban streets for handling in that fashion.

I have built dozens of mountain bikes, fit untold numbers of riders and have thousands of road miles. I just can't seem to get my head around the current Dura-Ace STI Shifter/Ultegra front der vs Tiagra for flat bar applicability and can't seem to get a straight answer anywhere.


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## redlude97 (Jun 29, 2010)

Why not just sell it and buy a flat bat road bike? Conversions usually result in poor geometry and fitting compromises.


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## Berkeley Michael (Jul 21, 2002)

Preaching to the choir, but there is a difference between the new $3000 carbon commuter and the $200 conversion of a carbon bike I already own. I have 3 bars I can use and any number of stems. I just spent $5000 on the Anthem Advance Carbon so compromise is not going to kill me.

Fitting is not absolute unless you are just grinding down the road. My 6 bikes (2 road, 1 commuter, 1 race HT, 1 Carbon dual suspended, 1 Classic mtb from the 80s) are all a bit different as I ride them all differently. In addition the fit changes depending upon my conditioning. I manage pretty well.


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## redlude97 (Jun 29, 2010)

huh? Why would you need a $3000 flat bar commuter? Shouldn't you be able to buy a decent commuter with whatever you could sell a dura ace equipped roubaix for?


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## Berkeley Michael (Jul 21, 2002)

As I indicatd in my original post, I already have a commuter, a Sirrus Expert, which has carbon forks and seatstays and 105 components. Decent bike but it is nowhere near as nice as the Roubaix. My riding is no longer long road stuff and the classic drop-bar road set-up doesn work for me in urban riding. I like the ride of the Roubaix so want to modify it to us it as a commuter.

It was suggest that I just buy a commuter with what I get selling the Roubaix. Selling the Roubaix isn't working dollar-wise. The Roubaix is not even getting bids of $900. The Sirrus went for $1200 so buying at that level again doesn't make sense? I want the qulity of the Roubaix. Hence the priciness.


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## Berkeley Michael (Jul 21, 2002)

I'm going with Tiagra flat bar shifters and levers.

Thank you all for your thoughts.


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## MMsRepBike (Apr 1, 2014)

Was just going to say that the Tiagra should handle it no problem.

I just did this yesterday to a Pinarello Quattro. Sad if you ask me but whatever the customer wants.


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## Berkeley Michael (Jul 21, 2002)

I hear you. Really I do. At the same time the bike industry is learning that all riders don't fit the standard model of riders on the standard bike. That has been what has driven the growth of the sport with new riders and kept more people involved.

And, yeah, it is a bit sad but for different reasons. It is sad to see curb-feelers on a Maserati. It is an offense to design and intent. Yet it also seems sad that it makes a change in the way that the sport is being experienced. I am not the 30, 40, 50, or even 60 year old rider that I was. It is a matter of vigor, choice, style, and away one spends time. I am not sad about it; nostalgic perhaps but not sad.

For me staying on the bike is the most important thing. Using it for transportation makes transportation more interesting and gives me another opportunity to ride, not limiting myself to the week-end warrior mode with the mirror clipped to a helmet.

For the rest, I live 300 yards from a dirt trailhead of 23 miles. I ride 3 times a week on a carbon dual suspended with 27.5 carbon wheels. Now _that's_ entertainment and style.


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## Lombard (May 8, 2014)

Berkeley,

Your point is well taken about flat bars giving you more control in an urban setting. I myself have converted a road bike to mountain bars and it wasn't that difficult. My reason was that I just could not deal with the hunched over position. Nowadays, many road bikes are more relaxed and there are all the options I mentioned before to give a little more hight in front. Your reason is different, understood.

I did not know the Tiagra model had shifters for flat/riser bars so you're one up on my there. I always figured you had to go with mountain components for that. I went with SRAM Attack grip shifters that work with Shimano derailleurs. Not a bad thing, it just is what it is.


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## Berkeley Michael (Jul 21, 2002)

*Roubaix to Floubaix; done!*

So I put the Tiagra shifters and brake levers on the Roubaix, changing from the 90mm 10º stem to my Thompson 120mm 15º and the Salsa Pro Moto carbon bar. Just as I figured, the fit will not be a problem. The Pro Moto bars aren't right but they got me rolling and dialing-in. 

I swapped the Kyserium wheels with my White Industries/DTSwiss Cyclemonkey wheels. The Tiagra conversion is spot-on with trim adjustment positions for the middle and big-ring chainlines. I changed to an old carbon Monkey Bar low-riser I had lying around and the position is better. 

Handling is very quick. My old "on the hoods" position was a resting position. My town riding is more of dynamic than the road style and both the Sirrus and the Roubaix are treated like full rigid mountain bikes so being a bit forward has more attack. The Sirrus was more of a crate; true, stable, weighty, longer, but its geometry and my position was so much like that of my Bontrager Race Lite so it was not bad. The Flobaix is quicker, though, with a shorter wheelbase.

The bike won't change much from here. Tweaking the hand position will happen over time. Not crazy about the Monkeybar looks: in the sun it has a brown sheen. On a rig of true neutral hues...not so nice. I’ll use it for while to see where I want to go. The bar is a 26" and the road bike was 18" so I'm narrowing the grip & controls position on the bars. I have never been a fan of mountain bike wide bars and the "extra control" that is supposed to give you. There just isn't that much effort needed to steer a bike, especially on pave. I will proceed accordingly. Once that is dialed I will hit up my Syntace rep for some nice carbon bars and it will be sweet.

Jeez, this is one quick bike, racy; a gas to ride in town but 40 miles was very pleasant, too. The Tiagra conversion is solid, the bike handles well. I was charmed carrying the Floubaix up the stairs; light at about 19 lbs. This has been a very satisfying conversion for about $100. I am confidently moving forward and have prepped the Sirrus for sale.

Thanks for all of your support.


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## juno (Jul 18, 2008)

Hey Michael!

It is funny how things work out! I also have a Sirrus Sport (2007 version which is the current Expert)
It's a gas to ride in the streets, commute and light off road bike paths and such. Fits some pretty big tires!
Fast flatbar bikes are a blast to ride! Folks don't know what they are missing. I was looking to get a full carbon flat bar bike. No one carries one around here, its all elitist drop bar bikies who look at me like I have three heads. One shop understood and had an 7.7 fx but I didn't like the idea of 2k for low end components. It was a gas to ride though. So I picked up an 08 Roubaix Comp compact that still had the original rubber, less then 1000 miles on the bike. 900 shipped. It has Ultegra 6700 Sti shifters and rear D with 105 brakes and front D. 105 compact crank. 
So I do some searching and come across your threads here and on MTB. Ha. Same bikes, same idea. Haven't pulled the trigger on the Tiagra shifters yet. Put a 120 mm 30 degree ritchies stem on for now and running the bars tilted up a little until I get the shifters and pick a bar.
How is the Floubaix 3 months down the road now? What tires are you running on her? Did you pick a permanent bar yet?

PS, thinking about putting an Alfine 11 on the Sirrus and dropping the triple to a single. I really like the bike, I have some 35's I can toss on there and do some light off road. 

Even thinking of going to a flat bar on my Ti cyclocross bike, but that is 11 speed 6800. Hate to give up a gear!!!


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## Berkeley Michael (Jul 21, 2002)

The Floubaix is total win. The Tiagra is crisp and clean. I have not changed bars yet as the Monkeylite is fine, just not as pretty as I would like. I do miss the rack mounts and the nice bags I had for locks/cables, and stuff. I use a camelback without a bladder. I do not miss the weight in the back at all, though.

The tires are some 32 Conti's with gum walls I won somewhere and they are fine.

As for the Sirrus? The Floubaix redefines the street experience and the Sirrus is not even close. The Sirrus has been put up for sale 2 times but I get nothing but $400 offers, which I consider a low-ball for an essentially perfect bike.


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## juno (Jul 18, 2008)

Thanks for the update!
Sorry to hear you cant get a decent price for the Sirrus. I will likely keep mine. I am pretty fond of it and get a sentimental attachment for bikes! Looking forward to transitioning to Floubaix!

You should trademark that BTW!


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## Lombard (May 8, 2014)

Berkeley Michael said:


> I do miss the rack mounts and the nice bags I had for locks/cables, and stuff.


This may solve your problem:

http://www.amazon.com/Topeak-Beam-R...d=1407761631&sr=1-3&keywords=topeak+beam+rack

Amazon.com : MTX Trunk Bag EX with rigid molded panels : Bike Panniers And Rack Trunks : Sports & Outdoors

The Topeak Beam Rack system is attached entirely to your seat post. It will work as long as your seat post isn't carbon. I use this for all my bikes.


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## juno (Jul 18, 2008)

Berkeley Michael said:


> I do miss the rack mounts and the nice bags I had for locks/cables, and stuff.


Michael,

Axiom makes a rack which uses the axle and the rear brake mount if you are interested. I picked up one for mine. Pretty light, a little narrow.

Axiom Streamliner Road DLX Rack - Racks


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