Drop Bar Slingshot Farmboy
March 7th, 2007 by Guitar Ted
From time to time manufacturers will send us photos of new models, or proto type frame sets, but today we have an example of an unusual 29″er. A Sling Shot Farm Boy 29″er that is outfitted with a drop bar set up.
We are noticing more and more “monster cross” and mountain drop bar set ups on 29″ers lately. It just goes to show you how versatile the wheel format can be and also how individualistic and personalized a mountain bike can be. Is it just me, or are 29″er nutcases more inclined to experiment like this?
I’m not sure what the answer is, but you can bet that there are not too many 29″ers out there quite like this one!
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That looks like it would be might uncomfortable to ride in my opinion. Seems to me that it would be more comfortable if a stem with much more rise were used - no?
Anyone got suggestions on what road brake lever/disc brake combos work for 29ers? I’d prefer integrated shifters/brake levers, but it ain’t essential. Should I just use road disc brakes with possibly larger rotors? I’ve never used discs before, so any info you’ve got will help.
I’m with MMCG on this, looks like it’d be mighty “ass up/heads down” for a guy like me, but “cest la vie” eh?
Big wheel, long fork, long head tube, the bars aren’t all that low. A stretched out fit unless you’re all-torso perhaps. I sure have a hard time fitting a drop bar to an MTB frame.
Any shimano lever above Tiagra will work well with Avid BB7 road disc brakes. Make sure you get the ROAD version of the brakes, though. The packaging looks exactly the same as the MTN version.
This drop bar set up reminds me of others that I have seen recently on some Willits models and other “monster cross” bikes.
It’s okay if all you ever do off road is ride on the hoods.However; it’s not the most excellent way to use off road drop bars.
Shiggy, (screen name on mtbr.com and a Super Moderator there) has an excellent resource on off road drop bar set up which is linked in his signature on every post he makes. Worth it to check out if you are interested in drop bar for off road.
Essentially, you always want to be in the drops off road, for several good reasons, which I don’t have the space for here. This “usually” requires a high rise stem, like a 40 degree rise. The goal being to get the drop posistion at the same height and reach as you would your riser bar or flat bar.
Using this criteria, the above bike would seem to be wrong for most folks off roading posistion, but I don’t know the particulars behind this bike. It certainly looks “cool”, while a traditional set up for off road drop bars looks a bit “dorky” to the uninitiated. To each his own!
The link to my “Why Dropbars” http://mtbtires.com/features/bikes/why_dropbars.html
I need to shot some new pics of my dropbar 29er SlingShot.
Road STI levers work great with Avid Road discs. You can use any Avid rotor size you want. I am running Ultegra STI with 203/185 rotors on my Coiler DL and DuraAce STI with 185/160 on a hardtail
shiggy: Thanks for dropping that link here. It’s really good stuff!
Also, I wasn’t aware that the bigger rotor sizes worked with the road version of the BB-7’s, but when you think about it, why wouldn’t they? Hmm….one of those, “doh!” moments! Thanks!
Thanks for the info shiggy. I’ve got a Karate Monkey frame on the way and I’m dying to use some mountain drops on it.
My brother is interested in giving a drop bar 29er a rip. It’s been a long while since he has gotten down and dirty on a mountain bike. He recently piloted my ‘cross bike, and he really loved the hand position and grip the STI levers provided. Do you think he will have a hard time reacclaimating himself with a drop-bar setup? Also, what seems to be everyone’s favorite bar for a singlespeed set-up?
leven, If you mean trouble just re-learning to ride mtbs, no. If he finds dropbars more corfortable it will make it easier, provided the bars are setup properly.
BTW the On-One Midge bars are designed (partly by me) specifically for mtb use and are my favorite for all my bikes.