The big challenge - or expense - with swapping to flat bars is replacing the drivetrain and brakes.
So while the geo might work, it's gonna be expensive. Also the 1.25" steerer here means you're much more limited on stem choices, so geo may be harder to adjust especially if you're looking to go short. I tried (admittedly not THAT hard to source a shorter stem to try and came up blank).
My personal gravel bike geo is designed so you can run flats or drops; when I built it up I waffled which way to go. I'm glad I went drops, and would encourage others to go that way or try it even if you're like me and primarily a mountain biker. I'm a proponent of having more separation between bikes, if you have multiple bikes. It just makes it more obvious which bike you're taking on a particular ride, and what terrain you're riding on that ride.
June 10, 2022, 7:30 a.m. - Cooper Quinn
The big challenge - or expense - with swapping to flat bars is replacing the drivetrain and brakes. So while the geo might work, it's gonna be expensive. Also the 1.25" steerer here means you're much more limited on stem choices, so geo may be harder to adjust especially if you're looking to go short. I tried (admittedly not THAT hard to source a shorter stem to try and came up blank). My personal gravel bike geo is designed so you can run flats or drops; when I built it up I waffled which way to go. I'm glad I went drops, and would encourage others to go that way or try it even if you're like me and primarily a mountain biker. I'm a proponent of having more separation between bikes, if you have multiple bikes. It just makes it more obvious which bike you're taking on a particular ride, and what terrain you're riding on that ride.