ForkinGreat
Knows his Brassica oleracea
Well, it's an anomaly... A Banshee anomaly.
(from Banshee's FB page)
(from Banshee's FB page)
Banshee Gravel bike!
- Thread starter ForkinGreat
- Start date
Stredda
Runs naked through virgin scrub
I know that this isn't the first MTB with drop bars but how are they really? Does the different geometry like the reach make it difficult to get right when fitting drop bars?
Stredda
Runs naked through virgin scrub
I haven't seen anyone at Unbound, but I have seen Dylan Johnson and Keegan Swenson have drop bars at the Leadville 100, which traditionally was a MTB race but because a large part is either paved or decent gravel, that gravel bikes have taken over. So, it's a small rough section that is pretty sketchy on a gravel bike where they guys have been experimenting with drop bars on mountain bikes.
I have a feeling it's not as simple as just swapping bars, as I would think that you would need to play with drop bar width/sweep, stem lengths and stack heights to get the fit right.
teK--
Wheel size expert
Yeah this.
The reach on a frame designed for drop bars is generally shorter to an MTB frame as the hand positions are a lot different.
Hambo
"I did a lot of very fat people"
The Curve Walmer bars are comfy as fuck and you can get them relatively wide too -
www.curvecycling.com
Walmer Bar | Gravel Bike Drop Handlebar
Walmer Bars are designed to service the rigours and demands of rugged gravel and off-road bikepacking. No handlebar on the market was the right width or shape, so we decided to create our own.
www.curvecycling.com
ForkinGreat
Knows his Brassica oleracea
Also, did everyone see the bar end friction(?) shifter? Woah, that guy's so interesting.... 
Calvin27
Eats Squid
You used to be able to do this without too many problems, Maybe half size down and a slightly shorter stem.
These days harder given the geometries have gone longer and the stems are short as they can be. Also the trail is a bit munted too. Maybe with a long travel you get a bit more stack but you'd have to find a corresponding longer fork a2c which is hard. You could probably get around it with a whole or more size down frame but then it's seatposts to heaven look.
ozzybmx
taking a shit with my boobs out
This ^
Posted this a few times, the reach of a set of drop bars is around 70mm, then 30mm for the hoods. Putting your hands around 100mm further forward than when running flat bars.
Definitely factor this in if buying a modern MTB frame for drop bars as it will make the fit impossible. I run a 32mm stem on mine to bring the bars to where they were needed but that is a 2012 frame with shorter reach overall back then, the 32mm is a perfect fit for riding on the hoods.
Not my bike, just a random internet picture.
ozzybmx
taking a shit with my boobs out
I still keep an eye out for Niner One9, MCR9 or Air9. All in the Reynolds steel from circa 2010-2013, a Singular or Spot would be good buy from that era too. Basically a modern gravel/adventure bike geo, but fits 2.4 x 29 rear... only downside is getting a good straight steer fork and 142mm QR rear spacing.
Saying that, a few years earlier they were riding DH with QR's so its plenty for gravel.
silentbutdeadly
has some good things to say
If ever there was a bike that fitted the use case for a pair of Gevanelle shifters (Tektro brake levers with Microsoft thumb shifters added in front of the hoods) then it's this one.
I run them on the Niner RLT9 roadie and if I was ever dumb enough to put a drop bar on the Twinzer (it would definitely work with one) then I'd run them there as well.
If I want an aero position on the 'Twinzer' gravel bike then I move my hands inboard on the bar to either side of the stem...
Labcanary
One potato, two potato, click
Yeah, I was chatting to @Tubbsy about my gravel bike last weekend and it got me to thinking about putting straight bars on my gravel ride. Then I rode it and got up out of the saddle. What you say above became really apparent. With the shorter reach on that bike running flat bars would make pedaling out of the saddle very awkward, even if I added another 50mm onto the stem.
I just can't get on with drop bars. I never go down there on my roadie commuter, and if I ever replaced it I'd want a flat bar gravel bike.
Maybe flat bar gravel bike could be a new product category? Maybe make the tyres slightly fatter as well? People would buy that shit I reckon.
birddog69
Likes Bikes and Dirt
I think they are called hard tails. You should try it sometime. They're a hoot!
You say what now??
ozzybmx
taking a shit with my boobs out
Thanks @Labcanary
Sent him a quick query, nek minnit I own a what will be a singlespeed.
Rigid fork, new brakes, bars and it will be sweet.
Just trying to get rid of some bikes out of here too.