[bauerb]

seems logical to make the mtb the exact same as my road bike, and since my road racing bike has been properly setup by my LBS with all my measurements, shouldn't I take my road bike to the LBS to have them measure it to get the exact same setup on my mtb? also, the new mtb(rush 800) has these crazy wide riser bars. I'm thinking of dumping them and getting straight bars cut down to the same width as my road bars. make sense?

thanks

 

[bg.]

seems logical to make the mtb the exact same as my road bike, and since my road racing bike has been properly setup by my LBS with all my measurements, shouldn't I take my road bike to the LBS to have them measure it to get the exact same setup on my mtb? also, the new mtb(rush 800) has these crazy wide riser bars. I'm thinking of dumping them and getting straight bars cut down to the same width as my road bars. make sense?

thanks

No!

Test ride the bike first before altering it. The Rush is a trailbike, they're designed to have a more upright ride and to use wider bars. Don't worry, you'll probably prefer the different position.

 

[wasserbox]

seems logical to make the mtb the exact same as my road bike, and since my road racing bike has been properly setup by my LBS with all my measurements, shouldn't I take my road bike to the LBS to have them measure it to get the exact same setup on my mtb? also, the new mtb(rush 800) has these crazy wide riser bars. I'm thinking of dumping them and getting straight bars cut down to the same width as my road bars. make sense?

thanks

Sort of - your saddle to pedal and setback should be the same. Your seat to handlebar should be almost the same.

You want your handlebar higher than a road bike though - Either level with the seat, or at the most a 1" drop. Any more than that and you won't have the leverage to move it up over obstacles.

My MTB handlebars are pretty close to the width of my road handlebars. You should try moving all your controls inboard before you do any cutting. You can't un-cut a handlebar.

 

[perttime]

Mountain bike bars are wider for a reason: they give you more leverage to stay in control among the roots and rocks.

Flat bars and different heights of riser bars are a matter of taste. In any case, you are likely to end up in a more upright position on a mountain bike. On a mountain bike you have more need for control and less need for aerodynamics.

In most cases, where your seat is and how long your cockpit is remain roughly constant between a road bike and a mountain bike.

 

[cyclist_ca]

The terrain around here is pretty steep. I tried setting my mountain bike seat height the same as my road bike. I keep catching my short on my seat when getting on and off the saddle. I brought the seat down about 1 cm. Works great.

 

[Mark McM]

MTB postion vs. Road

seems logical to make the mtb the exact same as my road bike, and since my road racing bike has been properly setup by my LBS with all my measurements, shouldn't I take my road bike to the LBS to have them measure it to get the exact same setup on my mtb? also, the new mtb(rush 800) has these crazy wide riser bars. I'm thinking of dumping them and getting straight bars cut down to the same width as my road bars. make sense?

Do you ride your mountain bike in the exact same terrain as your road bike? A lot of mountain bike positioning is set up for handling in the terrain that you ride in. For example, if you do a lot of downhilling, you'll want a more upright position, with the handlebars not too far forward so you can get your off the back of the saddle.

A few rules of thumb for typical MTB position, compared to road position:

Seat height: For cross-country, riders typically like their saddle to be the same height to up to 1cm lower than their road bike. Free-ride and downhillers might want to drop their saddle even lower still (dual slalom riders probably want it lower still).

Seat set-back: For cross-country, riders typically like their saddle with the same set-back to up to 1cm futher back than their road bike. Free-ride and downhillers - it generally depends on the geometry of the rest of the bike.

Handlebar height: For cross-country, riders typically have a little less drop from the saddle to the handlebars than for road bikes. Free-riders often like their handlebars a little above the saddle. Downhillers often like their handlebars higher still.

Handlebar reach: For cross-country, riders tend to prefer a slightly more upright position then their road bike, so the reach is often a few centimeters less than a road bike. Free-riders reach will probably be a few centimeters smaller still, and downhillers usually want their handlebars even further back (helps getting weight back).

Handlebar width: As others have said, you almost definitely don't want mtb handlebars as narrow as your road bars - you want maximum control over the front wheel, and longer handlebars make it easier to control steering torques. For cross-country, handlebar width is typically about 22-23", free-riders might want an inch or so more, and even wider for downhillers.

 

[Henry Chinaski]

If you're just cruising fire roads your mtb bars can be almost as low and seat almost as high. For technical stuff the bars go up and the seat down.

 

[Bikinfoolferlife]

Yes, that makes a lot of sense...make my road bike like my mountain bike. What a maroon.

 

[bauerb]

and the answer is....

seems like:
1. seat position over the bottom bracket should be basically the same as road bike
2. seat height will be the same, as long as it causes no issues getting on/off on varied terrain
3. handlebar width, will be similiar to road bike, with bar ends adding about an extra inch on both sides
4. stem length/bar height - whatever is comfortable for my riding conditions - less drop than road bike, slightly less reach
5. seat angle the same

with the new bike I will ride xc and semi-tech single track. I have a DH race bike with a small frame that I use to get crazy

 

[MShaw]

I must be built funny 'cause all my bikes usually end up about the same! If it ain't the same, it feels wierd...

Road, mtn, AND cross!

M

 

[Mark McM]

BB height and handlebar width

seems like:

2. seat height will be the same, as long as it causes no issues getting on/off on varied terrain

This leads to another thing which you may not accounted for. Ground clearance for chainrings and pedals is more of a concern when riding off-road, so MTBs generally have a higher BB than road bikes. A hardtail MTB might have an extra 1" of BB height, while a full suspension bike, especially one with a longer travel, may have an even higher BB. So if you set your seat height the same as your road bike, you'll already be an inch or more higher off the ground than your road bike. It can be hard enough to put a foot down on the ground while in the saddle of a road bike, so it can be harder still on an MTB. If you will be riding in terrain where you will be dabbing a lot (i.e. dabbing the ground with your foot), that might be a consideration in setting seat height.

3. handlebar width, will be similiar to road bike, with bar ends adding about an extra inch on both sides

Doubtful. A "wide" road handlebar might be 46cm (18"), whereas a "narrow" MTB bar might be 21". It is likely that your MTB handbars will 3" or more wider than your road bars (I've tried using 20" MTB handlebars, and it was no fun.)

 

[perttime]

Also, if you cut the bar too much, you might not have enough space to mount your brake and gear levers. Just something to watch out for.

 

[MShaw]

Also, if you cut the bar too much, you might not have enough space to mount your brake and gear levers. Just something to watch out for.

yup.. DAMHIK

Short bars are nice for getting between trees, but make for a little twitchier handling 'cause smaller movements make bigger differences at the wheel.

M

 

[bauerb]

whats done is done

spent an hour and hafl at the LBS last night doing setup. did all the basics: 30 degree knee angle at bottom of pedal position, knee plumb with crank arm, etc. measured my shoulders at 46cm, stock bars at 66cm, cut an inch off each side of the bar. given the flare of the FSA bar, this was as much as we could cut off the bar. just enough room for controls. feels great.

 

[perttime]

So, you still have about 61 cm. That is not even narrow: pretty close to my Bontrager Crow Bar (with 25 mm rise).

Now get on that trail

 

[Zaurusman]

Did you leave room for barends? A good pair regular length (not the current "aero" stub-like) barends are like going from a road bar's flats to the brake hoods if you mount them at a shallow angle. Good idea for the non-technical parts of the trail where you want to get lower and faster, and give you a little better leverage on the technical stuff when you don't need instant access to brakes. Before I put drop bars on my hybrid, I spent most of my time on the bar ends both on and off road.

 

[bauerb]

yup

I installed cane creek bar ends

 

[Zaurusman]

Those won't get you as low, but they do look darned comfy. I got their brake levers to go with my new drop bars and like them. Enjoy the bike!