[saddle tramp]

I'm real close to pulling the trigger on a Jamis Coda Elite. It has the flatbar but my thinking is I can convert to a road bar and Ultegra STI later on and the pull on the brakes will be fine. Is this true?

Thanks,

Jeff

 

[macming]

I'm real close to pulling the trigger on a Jamis Coda Elite. It has the flatbar but my thinking is I can convert to a road bar and Ultegra STI later on and the pull on the brakes will be fine. Is this true?

Thanks,

Jeff

Just make sure you have disc mounts, and the rims has disc hubs. Otherwise, it's an EXPENSIVE upgrade. Also, make sure your fork is strong enough to take the force from disc brakes as well.

The brake levers on the other hand will work just fine.

Ming

 

[saddle tramp]

Thanks, I wonder about the carbon fork handling the stress of the disc braking too...

 

[TurboTurtle]

I'm real close to pulling the trigger on a Jamis Coda Elite. It has the flatbar but my thinking is I can convert to a road bar and Ultegra STI later on and the pull on the brakes will be fine. Is this true?

Thanks,

Jeff

No, you need the road Avids for the road levers. - TF

 

[Anti-gravity]

Thanks, I wonder about the carbon fork handling the stress of the disc braking too...

The fork should be fine, otherwise Jamis was never spec the bike with it. If you're looking for a road bike with disc brakes, I would recommend looking into a cyclocross bike from Cannondale, Redline, Kona, etc. that comes equipped with discs already. A lot of the flatbar hybrids are built on the respective company's cyclocross frame or a variant of one of their MTB hardtail frames, and so have similar geometry and fit. If you're looking for bike to tour on specifically, a lot of these cross frames actually have rack mounts and are sturdy enough for most touring.

Converting any flatbar bike to drops and STIs is notoriously expensive. Along with the shifters, you'll need new cables/housing, bar tape, new handle bar, a new stem (unless you can track down a 25.4 h-bar that you like, I think Bontrager still makes one) and Travel Agent in-line cable leverage adjusters to make the brakes compatible with the levers. Not a cheap "upgrade" by any means. The labor will also be costly if you plan on having a shop do it and all of the above aftermarket parts will come out much more expensive than buying a complete bike with the parts.

It doesn't appear that Jamis makes a disc-equipped crosser, so you may have to look to another shop to get what you want. Decide on exactly what you want before you buy; big changes and upgrades will be much more costly later on after you've already made the purchase. Also keep in mind a shop will most likely be reluctant to do component swaps of this scale at the time of purchase; they'll probably do it for you, provided you are willing to fork over the money. Hope that helps.

 

[macming]

No, you need the road Avids for the road levers. - TF

Oh I didn't know you needed special levers to run the Avid BB5s. Can't you just adjust the pad alignment to get the correct cable pull with the STIs?

I'll admit I'm not very knowledgeable in this area.

Ming

 

[TurboTurtle]

Oh I didn't know you needed special levers to run the Avid BB5s. Can't you just adjust the pad alignment to get the correct cable pull with the STIs?

I'll admit I'm not very knowledgeable in this area.

Ming

I saw one post where he used the MTB calipers with road levers, but most agree it doesn't work very well. You would really have to adjust the pads close since road levers pull so little cable.

I have two bikes (every day and CX) with road calipers and levers and love them.

It also makes things a lot easier to have a frame that is made for 135mm rear hubs since almost all (all??) disc hubs are 135. There are a couple of 130 disc wheel sets, but expensive.

In my 200 lb experience, nothing comes close to stopping like discs.

TF

 

[Mark McM]

Road and MTB levers and calipers

Oh I didn't know you needed special levers to run the Avid BB5s. Can't you just adjust the pad alignment to get the correct cable pull with the STIs?

It's not a matter of needing special levers for the Avid BB5s - it's a matter of needing special brake calipers for road levers.

Flat bar brake levers use a different cable pull than road brake levers. Flat bar brake levers are designed to use linear pull brakes (a.k. "V-brakes"), and these levers have a longer cable travel and lower leverage. Most cable actuated disc brakes are intended to use flat bar levers. Road levers (for drop bars) are designed to use sidepull brakes, and these levers have a shorter cable travel and higher leverage. There are special disc brake calipers that are made to use road levers. Trying to mix and match road and MTB levers and calipers will result in poor braking - either too much lever travel (and poor brake modulation), or too little power.

As others have said, switching from a flat bar to a drop bar requires many costly components. When all is said and done, swapping from MTB to road calipers may only be a fraction of the total cost.

 

[Becky Thatcher]

I've been a bit of a lurker, since I completed the build on my first road bike, but after a nice ride in Sugar Land Texas on Saturday and since the discussion is on disks I decided I would out myself. Hi.

The bike pictured is my road machine and I love it. The brakes are Avid Juicy 5s. Fair warning though if you have the traction the front brake will lift the rear wheel rather easily.

The carbon fork, handle bars, seat post, and seat stays provide a great deal of dampening. The CK wheelset was built by MeanTodd at webcyclery.

I enjoy it.

 

[Dave Hickey]

That is one beautiful bike...Congratulations on an excellent build.

 

[Becky Thatcher]

Thanks

Thanks to ebay, the internet in general, and a very understanding wife, I am able to indulge myself. I was formerly a mountain bike only rider but now I spend a lot more time on the road than off.