Drops conversion on a Giant Rapid 2

StaggerLee

Hi All,

I recently got a Giant Rapid for commuting, now I have changed jobs and will no longer be communiting on it, so I want to start using it for longer spins and possibly joining a club.

Is it worth getting this converted or would I be better off selling it and getting a road bike?

all advice appreciated.

Carpenter

I got mine done 2 weeks ago 204 euro in joe dalys in Dundrum and have to say its great what did the bike cost you

Vélo

How long will your new commute be?

StaggerLee

I wont be commuting much, my current commute is 15k each way, it will go up to 20k each way, I will still commute the odd day but I will proably start going for longer spins at the weekend to make up for reduced activity during the week.

The Rapid 2 was about €800. I love the bike too, just wondering will a conversion ruin it. Its got decent enough components for what I need, the equivalent on a new road bike is at least €1000.

Carpenter

StaggerLee wrote: »

I wont be commuting much, my current commute is 15k each way, it will go up to 20k each way, I will still commute the odd day but I will proably start going for longer spins at the weekend to make up for reduced activity during the week.

The Rapid 2 was about €800. I love the bike too, just wondering will a conversion ruin it. Its got decent enough components for what I need, the equivalent on a new road bike is at least €1000.

What you are taking off you can sell and that would get you back a few euro

Vélo

I'd stick with what you have. 5 km extra isn't that much extra but if you really want to change you could. My commute is 25km and I use flat handlebars and it's fine.

I'd try the commute a few times and see how you're managing first.

As for joining a club, I'm sure no one would mind you using flat handlebars but if you're doing longer spins you would appreciate the different hand positions using drops.

at1withmyself

Vélo wrote: »

I'd stick with what you have. 5 km extra isn't that much extra but if you really want to change you could. My commute is 25km and I use flat handlebars and it's fine.

I'd try the commute a few times and see how you're managing first.

As for joining a club, I'm sure no one would mind you using flat handlebars but if you're doing longer spins you would appreciate the different hand positions using drops.

You might need to do some scanning but I have some pictures in the images of beauty thread around Jan this year when I changed a giant rapid and used ribble cycles to get all the parts. Without looking through the thread I think it worked out less then 200 euro but done all the work myself. Getting it done in a local bike shop I'm imagine could be 300 euro but best to enquire first as they may have specials.

Actually after re reading the responses that's a great deal carpenter got so would look into that

StaggerLee

Seen the Rapid 3 conversion in Images of beauty, nice job.

LBS have advised that a conversion would cost roughly €250 (sora components) to €350(tiagra). Thats with them doing the work.

cdaly_

I'd suggest going for tiagra to match the presumably tiagra groupset alread on the bike. If it's already a 9sp then it's just the levers that you need.

If you're anyway handy, the conversion is pretty easy. You need:

• Handlebars
• Levers
• Brake cables (different ends on those)
• Cable 'barrel' adjusters for gear cables (these don't come on drops shifters)
• Cable sleeve (different lengths of cable run)
• Bar tape

If you're not so handy, you can still do most of it and just pay the lbs to adjust the gearing.

I built up a stock of components second-hand over a month or two, bought new tape and cables and did the whole thing myself for around €100-120...

Vélo

I think his bike is 8 speed but if not


Ahem

I have drop handlebars I'd throw in for an extra €20.

mrbike

cdaly_ wrote: »

• Cable 'barrel' adjusters for gear cables (these don't come on drops shifters)

It depends. They do come with the full boxed version of the shifters. If you get the OEM version, then they don't. Check before you order online.

cdaly_

Vélo wrote: »

I think his bike is 8 speed but if not

Ahem

Mine was an 8sp before the conversion. I did the Sheldon Brown Alternate Cable Routing on my rear mech so the 9sp shifter would shift correctly on the 8sp cassette. When I replaced the cassette, I got a 9sp and routed the cable normally.

streacy

Something to keep an eye on if doing a conversion might be the stem length. The flat-barred racers have a top tube a bit longer than the drop-barred version because of the different hand positions (mainly on the hoods on the drop-barred bike).

Looking at the Giant website it seems the Rapid has a top-tube about 20mm longer than the comparable Defy road bike.... point being you might need to use a shorter stem to avoid feeling too stretched out. And if you already have a very short stem, you may have a problem! Just worth looking at... like as not you'll get used to the new position quick enough.

Dord

I got my Rapid 3 converted a few weeks ago by an LBS. They did it for a very good price and gave a few quid off for the old flatbars with brake levers and shifters. It's worth asking the shop about that!



Here's mine. Sadly it no longer looks this nice.... but that's a whole other story.

mgmt

You could just leave the old gear shifters on the new drop handlebars and then have simple drop brake levers installed. Cheapest way of doing it.

cdaly_

Won't work. Old shifters are brake levers too and would get in the way. You would also end up with a pair of brake levers that dont do anything which would be dangerous when you grab them by mistake. It would also look horrible..

mgmt

I don't see the problem.


Even if the brakes are integrated into the same unit as the gears, they still have two cables running into them. Remove the brake cable and take off the brake lever. Install the drop handle bars and attach the new drop brakes, keeping the gear shifters off the old bike. You will then only have one set of brake levers installed.

Installing the proper shimano STI's would cost nearly the price of the bike. This method allows you to keep the same groupset for nothing.



^^
about 30euro

and you could get drop handlebars for less then 40euro.

cdaly_

mgmt wrote: »

I don't see the problem.


Even if the brakes are integrated into the same unit as the gears, they still have two cables running into them. Remove the brake cable and take off the brake lever. Install the drop handle bars and attach the new drop brakes, keeping the gear shifters off the old bike. You will then only have one set of brake levers installed.

Installing the proper shimano STI's would cost nearly the price of the bike. This method allows you to keep the same groupset for nothing.


and you could get drop handlebars for less then 40euro.

This is what second-hand is for. Your method leaves the rider having to change hand position for every gear change. The whole advantage of STIs is being able to change gears from most hand positions.

While I'm all for a bit of hardware hacking so as to save expense, I don't see this one as worth the effort...

Doc Daneeka

Hey, thinking of doing the same as OP but with a Rapid 3. Bought the bike thinking I'd use it for commuting but ended up using it more for weekend spins and the like and now fancy having drops. Thought about trading the bike but would rather do a conversion now and maybe spend a bit more down the road on a decent road bike.

Groupset is an 8sp sora I think but I would like to upgrade to a 9sp Tiagra or the like. This seems that it should be pretty straight forward but just wondering if there any pitfalls I should be watching out for? Thinking I need;

- new cassette
- shifters (hopefully pick up a decent second hand set)
- front and rear derailleur
- cables
- drop bars and tape

Seems the shifters would be the priciest item but if they can be picked up second hand then the whole thing could be done for well under €200.

cdaly_

Doc Daneeka wrote: »

Hey, thinking of doing the same as OP but with a Rapid 3. Bought the bike thinking I'd use it for commuting but ended up using it more for weekend spins and the like and now fancy having drops. Thought about trading the bike but would rather do a conversion now and maybe spend a bit more down the road on a decent road bike.

Groupset is an 8sp sora I think but I would like to upgrade to a 9sp Tiagra or the like. This seems that it should be pretty straight forward but just wondering if there any pitfalls I should be watching out for? Thinking I need;

- new cassette
- shifters (hopefully pick up a decent second hand set)
- front and rear derailleur
- cables
- drop bars and tape

Seems the shifters would be the priciest item but if they can be picked up second hand then the whole thing could be done for well under €200.

You don't need the derailleurs as the sora ones will work fine on a 9sp setup. You can upgrade them later when they're worn out. Replace the chain at the same time as the cassette but you can get away without either if you use the alternate cable routing with the 9sp shifters. When it comes time to replace the cassette you can get the 9sp then.

Doc Daneeka

Doc Daneeka wrote: »

Hey, thinking of doing the same as OP but with a Rapid 3. Bought the bike thinking I'd use it for commuting but ended up using it more for weekend spins and the like and now fancy having drops. Thought about trading the bike but would rather do a conversion now and maybe spend a bit more down the road on a decent road bike.

Groupset is an 8sp sora I think but I would like to upgrade to a 9sp Tiagra or the like. This seems that it should be pretty straight forward but just wondering if there any pitfalls I should be watching out for? Thinking I need;

- new cassette
- shifters (hopefully pick up a decent second hand set)
- front and rear derailleur
- cables
- drop bars and tape

Seems the shifters would be the priciest item but if they can be picked up second hand then the whole thing could be done for well under €200.

Doing some research on this, I gather a new chain would be needed with the 9sp cassette? This would have no problem integrating with the existing triple?

Doc Daneeka

Thanks cdaly.

So the Sora will work for both an 8sp or an 9sp? That would certainly help keep the cost down to start. Would like to upgrade to a 9sp so might get the cassette, chain and shifters and see how i go.

Am I right so in assuming a Tiagra shifter will work with a Sora derailleur?

Side Show Bob

I did the same to a Rapid 3, I never had the straight bar shifters before and didn’t really like them but mostly I hated the triple, so I have had it converted it to a 10 speed double,

Since the picture, I have added a carbon fork and shorter stem

cdaly_

Doc Daneeka wrote: »

Doing some research on this, I gather a new chain would be needed with the 9sp cassette? This would have no problem integrating with the existing triple?

Doc Daneeka wrote: »

Am I right so in assuming a Tiagra shifter will work with a Sora derailleur?

Yep, no probs...

Doc Daneeka

Now to find a decent set of Tiagra shifters... slim pickings on Ebay. Ordered the drop bars earlier while all full of enthusiasm for the the project!

TinyExplosions

Doc Daneeka wrote: »

Now to find a decent set of Tiagra shifters... slim pickings on Ebay. Ordered the drop bars earlier while all full of enthusiasm for the the project!

I think Velo on here may have a set for sale -might be worth a PM

Doc Daneeka

Side Show Bob wrote: »

I did the same to a Rapid 3, I never had the straight bar shifters before and didn’t really like them but mostly I hated the triple, so I have had it converted it to a 10 speed double,

Since the picture, I have added a carbon fork and shorter stem

Nice looking job Side Show. Think I want a compact now too after seeing that!

Is that the original stem in the photo? You just reverse the angle with the drops?

Side Show Bob

Doc Daneeka wrote: »

Is that the original stem in the photo? You just reverse the angle with the drops?

It's origina stem is reversed in that picture, but I since used a shorter stem 100mm and it's much better for me.

Doc Daneeka

Side Show, where you pick up all the parts? New or second hand? Having a bit of trouble coming across a reasonably priced set of shifters.

The Tiagra seem very pricey even second hand. Anybody recommend an alternative that would work with a Sora / Tiagra derailleur?

Jk_Eire

Nice conversion on the Rapid 2.
I've a Rapid 4 which I've inquired about converting with a couple of bike shops. The general consensus was that it's not worth the money on a lower spec bike. Shimano 2300s.
I'd consider it for less than 150e though.

Nhudgell

Hi guys, new to the forum and found this thread as it's exactly what I want to do.

Bought a rapid 3 a while ago and want to convert it to a road bike.

@side show bob and Dord, can you detail what you did? Also where did you buy your components? How much did it cost? Any advice?

Thanks!

Side Show Bob

Nhudgell wrote: »

Hi guys, new to the forum and found this thread as it's exactly what I want to do.

Bought a rapid 3 a while ago and want to convert it to a road bike.

@side show bob and Dord, can you detail what you did? Also where did you buy your components? How much did it cost? Any advice?

Thanks!

I took off all of the groupset, and replaced it with Ultegra 6600 (shifters, front and rear mech) that I got from eBay, I used a controol tech carbon double compact crankset (also from eBay).

The rapid has fairly crap brakes and because the frame is designed for mudguards you need deep drop brakes which are difficult to get in any better quality than the oned fitted, so probably best left alone.

The bars I fitted cost €15 and I got them from the adverts forum here,

I have used my own wheels on it and sold all of the parts I removed and the wheels to cover some of the cost,

I recently found a very cheep set of carbon forks and have fitted them too which makes it a completely different and more comfortable bike,

Over all it was not a huge spend and it's a much nicer bike than some of the much more expensive bike that I have bought in the past

Hope this helps, if you want I can look back trough paypal and find the exact cost of the conversion.

Nhudgell

Thanks!

I'm thinking of keeping it quite simple for the time being, could I get away with just getting:

Drop handlebars
Shorter stem
2nd hand Shimano 8 speed, triple STI road shifters (would work with current group set right?)
Tape

Anything else? Or am I being naive?!

Thx

cdaly_

Nhudgell wrote: »

Thanks!

I'm thinking of keeping it quite simple for the time being, could I get away with just getting:

Drop handlebars
Shorter stem
2nd hand Shimano 8 speed, triple STI road shifters (would work with current group set right?)
Tape

Anything else? Or am I being naive?!

Thx

Get 9 speed shifters. There's an alternate cable routing that will allow you to use these with an 8 speed cassette. Then, when the cassette wears out, you can fit a 9 speed...

Nhudgell

Why couldn't I just get some 8-speed shifters (Shimano STI 2300) - that would work perfectly wouldn't they?

9-speed shifters would 'work' but not perfectly!

That way I wouldn't need anything else would I?

cdaly_

Oh you could. It's just that things tend to move towards more gears over time and 8 speed gear will become harder to get. It means that a (possibly desireable) future upgrade to 9 speed would be just a matter of a new cassette and chain rather than having to replace your shifters as well.

Nhudgell

Hmm - I see your point, but just trying to keep it relatively simple at this point!

wersal gummage

Have been thinking about this for a while myself. Have a giant rapid 1 from last year. It needs new chain and sprockets so was thinking if I got 10spd shifters can I just replace the rear block with a 10 spd while I'm at it ???

Am seeing some wildly varying prices for new shifters. What do I need to get? 10 spd shimano sti shifters? Sora, tiagra or 105 - whatever I can find ?

Crc has 105 5600 sti levers for 104 euro, seems good value no?

Thanks.


http://www.giant-bicycles.com/en-gb/bikes/model/rapid.1/4866/38970/

Doc Daneeka

Did this conversion... you'll see me asking the same questions a few pages back!

Shifters is the trickiest thing to get hold of at a good price. After some looking I found a great set of Tiagras second hand on Ebay. It is worth considering at this stage though whether you think you might want to go from a 8 sprocket to 9 at some stage in the future or indeed whether you might want to change from a triple to a double crankset. The choice of shifters will dictate you're options for future conversion.

Besides all that, really easy to do and am very happy I did mine.

Doc

Doc Daneeka

Nhudgell wrote: »

Thanks!

I'm thinking of keeping it quite simple for the time being, could I get away with just getting:

Drop handlebars
Shorter stem
2nd hand Shimano 8 speed, triple STI road shifters (would work with current group set right?)
Tape

Anything else? Or am I being naive?!

Thx

You'll also need new cable and housing. You don't necessarily need a new stem, the one you have should be fine unless you don't feel comfortable on new set up.

-K2-

The stem on a Rapid is (on mine anyway) a 100mm long +8 degree which will give a very high position for road cycling. See how the position feels before deciding if you need to change it.

I swapped mine to a 110mm +/-6 degree and ran it at positive angle for a while before flipping it to give a lower position. This is comfortable for me on long spins.

Doc Daneeka

The rapid stem would be positive as standard I guess. I flipped it and it seems fine. Can't see 10mm or 2deg making that much difference.

Nhudgell

Thanks all - great feedback.

So far I've picked up a looked after pair of Shimano R500 shifters, for more than half the RRP - and now just need some new cable & housing, plus a bar and tape.

For the bar - what's people preference? Compact? And how about classic (trad. bend) vs the more ergo shaped drops. What's the difference really? How about width? The Giant 3 bars are WIDE - would you advise just going for the widest drops you can get - as that's still much less wide than the current Giant flat bar.

For the stem - I'll reverse for the time being (as long as I get a compatible bar right?) and see how that feels.

Any tips on the actual conversion - what's the hardest bit?

cdaly_

Just thinking about this, the stem on the rapid is probably a 25.4mm while drops come in either 26mm or 32mm. You might need to replace the stem also.

Having broken my handlebars recently, I replaced them with these bars and this stem.

-K2-

Nhudgell wrote: »

Any tips on the actual conversion - what's the hardest bit?

Make sure you know how the cables and housings are correctly wired up before you start.

Adjusting the brakes and gears is straightforward and useful to know for the future: saves on servicing costs.

Wrapping the bar tape may take some time, especially if you want it to look good.

There's lots of useful tips here and here.

-K2-

cdaly_ wrote: »

Just thinking about this, the stem on the rapid is probably a 25.4mm while drops come in either 26mm or 32mm. You might need to replace the stem also.

Having broken my handlebars recently, I replaced them with these bars and this stem.

2010 Giant Rapid 2 has 31.8mm bars.

blorg

You should get drops the same width as your shoulders. If you aren't sure get 42cm.

Shape is personal preference. I like the compact drop and it is good for beginners too. Ergo is a gamble, could be great could be dreadful. Classic is probably too much drop for a beginner and I don't like the shape either.

Nhudgell

cdaly_ - that's one of the bars I was looking at. Good?

I'm 6ft4 and quite broad shouldered so I'm going to look for a 44" - probably a compact and will go from there!

Don't think I need a new stem as I think the 2010 Giant Rapid 3 I have, has a 31.8mm stem. Will check later though.

Cheers for all the advice guys - going to be a good changeover once everything arrives! Will post up some pics during conversion!

blorg

6ft4 sounds like 44cm all right. I am 6ft and use 42cm.

Nhudgell

It's become a toss up between the following bars:

http://www.wiggle.co.uk/ritchey-comp-streem-handlebar/

http://www.wiggle.co.uk/ritchey-comp-logic-ii-road-handlebar

http://www.wiggle.co.uk/easton-ea50-ergo-road-handlebar/

Price is all roughly the same - both the ritchley comp logic II and easton ea50 seem to have a bit more above the drops to support the hands when riding on the top of the shifters?

wersal gummage

http://www.chainreactioncycles.com/Models.aspx?ModelID=41423

Ordered these yesterday for same purpose, just another option for you.