Choosing a frame for drop bar / gravel bike conversion

[ultrazenith]

I've done a bit of 'gravel' riding on my MTB lately and it would be cool to try a drop bar conversion on a retro MTB, just for fun and because I'm not rich enough to shell out a grand on marketing hype.

What should I look for when choosing a frame for a drop bar conversion? I'm 6'3" so the bars can't be too low or too far forward.

Am I right in thinking old school MTBs have short top tubes, which should make the drop bar conversion a bit simpler?

 

[The History Man]

If you want twitchy go old school mtb.

 

[ultrazenith]

Have you got any close up photos of your gravel bike?

 

[The History Man]

See above. And click sig relic overbury.

 

[ultrazenith]

Thanks - it looks great by the way. Those are 26" wheels, right?

 

[The History Man]

Yep. Standard 9 speed rear. Bar end indexed shifters. Full Deore group. Works really well. Smooth and silent.

 

[Frankenorange]

I put drops on a 1997(or is it 98?) Orange O2 with a Mosso fork(mine is 405mm axle to crown) The setup is more like a cx bike regarding the difference in height betwen the saddle and bars with a few degress rise on a 90mm stem, about an inch of spacers and Sakae Road Champion England(randonneur bend and 420mm on the drops) bars that have about 100mm of reach. Im a 6ft ex-roadie who went to mtbs and now i am somewhere inbetween i guess. i tried wider drops but it didnt feel right on or off road. Different strokes and different folks and all that.

Carl

.forgot to say that i think my frame is 18-19 inches. Tbh i never measured it. I put the saddle at the height i needed and lucked in with top tube length and headtube height with the mosso fork. Tried a few mixes of bar/stem combo but seem happy in back and wrists now.

 

[mrkawasaki]

Something with a long head and/or slopey top tube tube keeps the aesthetics in check for larger frames eg. early 90's Cannondale/larger Kona...

 

[Woz]

I wish there was an easy answer. Sadly, I can't think of very many frames that were designed for DB,
but ideally something with a short(er) top-tube, reasonable angles in the 72 degree ball park. If say
originally it had a 130mm stem with 3 or 5 degree sweep flat bars and felt comfortable, then it
is promising for a DB conversion.

You will need a short but steep rise stem around 40 / 45 degrees, and if Ahead something with
plenty of fork column. Bar choice will depend on your style.

Personally I try to make a DB using 46cm wide short drop short reach road bars and set
them up where the hoods are in a similar position to bar ends on a flat bar. I'd stay clear
of most old world retro road bars; generally too narrow and too deep drops and too long reach;
plus there is a right faff with 26mm or 25.8mm diameters - of course there are exceptions but
thin on the ground.

 

[Frankenorange]

old world retro road bars; generally too narrow and too deep drops and too long reach;
plus there is a right faff with 26mm or 25.8mm diameters - of course there are exceptions but
thin on the ground.

26mm or 25.8mm are the ones that thin on the ground. Older road bars are more commonly 25.4mm and there are plenty of them about in plenty of different configurations of bend, drop, width and reach with lots of stems to choose from.

Carl