Can I make an MTB into a road racing bike?

[Beans]

Im 5'8" and apparently have odd body proportions as I cannot manage to get even small (700c) road frames to fit me right. They put my body in an umcomfortable and extremely innefficient position where I can never manage to sit comfortable on the saddle and I always have too much weight on my hands yet am painfully outstretched. Etc..

I have never had a problem with sizing on any MTB's before, I have found most of them (even several sizes too big) to be very tolerable, confortable and decently efficient.

Ive considered a 650c frame but cannot afford one. I also have lots of spare MTB & 26" wheel parts, plus I have always likes canti brakes.

So Does it sound like a silly idea to get an 80's steel rigid MTB and put drop handle bars and good quality slicks on it?

Might it be good enough for keeping up with people on 700c racers on the road?

 

[merckx]

give it a crack, may as well. try and put the skinniest slicks you can possibly find on it, and at the very least, a road cluster, ie 12-23 or so. ideally, two chainrings somewhat in the vicinity of 39 / 53 are also going to be a big help.


putting drops on it would be fine, but then you'll need levers and shifters, Shimano STI would be the way to go. bear in mind they generally don't work too well with cantilever brakes. they do work, just not all that well.

it won't be as fast or as easy to pedal as a normal road bike, but it will be close.

 

[andrewl]

A small road frame is going to have a shorter effective top tube than a small mtb frame so I doubt going down this route is going to help you much especially if you run drop bars.

You may be better off getting a 700C frame/bike and running flat bars on it rather than going the other way round, and getting a proper fit from someone who knows how to fit people to bikes sounds like the best option before you do anything.

 

[john]

A small road frame is going to have a shorter effective top tube than a small mtb frame so I doubt going down this route is going to help you much especially if you run drop bars.

You may be better off getting a 700C frame/bike and running flat bars on it rather than going the other way round, and getting a proper fit from someone who knows how to fit people to bikes sounds like the best option before you do anything.

That is sound advice.

Although there was an old (circa 1991?) MBUK article where they did a mtb out as a road bike with tri bars.

 

[oldave]

"So Does it sound like a silly idea to get an 80's steel rigid MTB and put drop handle bars and good quality slicks on it?"

There was a phase of "R(oad)TBs" 15-20 years ago that were pretty much as you envisage - though tending to light tourers rather than "racers". As others, I don't see how drops will mesh with your top tube length dilemma. Why not as a first trial just lighten a well-fitting older atb (tyres, cassette etc) and flat bars with ergo bar ends?

 

[Radar]

A small road frame is going to have a shorter effective top tube than a small mtb frame so I doubt going down this route is going to help you much especially if you run drop bars.

You may be better off getting a 700C frame/bike and running flat bars on it rather than going the other way round, and getting a proper fit from someone who knows how to fit people to bikes sounds like the best option before you do anything.

That is sound advice.

Although there was an old (circa 1991?) MBUK article where they did a mtb out as a road bike with tri bars.

That was a very tidy build they did. Not so sure they did full tri bars though, think they put road bars on upside down and chopped em





I'm a funny shape, long body with short legs. Visit a good road shop and they will measure you up and make suggestions. Emma Pooley is knee high to a grasshopper and she has a road bike off the peg (she is rather efficient on it too!). Cavendish aint exactly the jolly green giant either! Neither have custom frames - standard sizes with custom bits

 

[mikee]

anyone got a scan of that article ?
wouldn't mind seeing it


my advice would be to try it and see , might work , might be fun

 

[Tazio]

Sounds like a perfect excuse to spend money on a cross frame.

 

[Iwasgoodonce]

I remember it. It written by Zak Somebody and ended with a line about, "Next week we will show you how to turn your Colnago(?) Lo Pro into a downhill rig."

Haven't got the article just a weird memory.

A converted MTB will not be as good as a proper bike. As said you need to get along to somewhere that offers a proper fitting service.

 

[Beans]

Im the same height as cavendish, 5'8". But I have t-rex proportions. Longish legs, short arms. So Im WELL stretched out front on most road setups, even with the bars cranked up high.

having to bend forward so much crushes my balls too, only way to avoid it is sitting more upright, for which I need the handlebars closer.

On even smallish road frames I just cant get a comfy & efficient position. If I slide the seat forward to bring me closer to the bars, it puts my hips on top/in front of the bottom bracket. And it feels appalling in terms of pedalling efficiently, just cannot use any leg strength at all unless my hips are well behind the bottom bracket.

I didnt realise that MTB frames have longer top tubes.