BMC Streetfire SS02 (4) - Alt Bar upgrade

(continued from Part 3)

As mentioned, I have another light road or racing bike, based on my Fastrax Scandium frame. While this built is light and nimble, the BMC is, possibly due to it's larger size, a little bit more sluggish, no matter what kind of rim/tire combination I put on the bike.

Even though both bike the complement each other, I somehow decided to build this BMC with a different setup with a straight handlebar, to make it more comfortable and more versatile.

My small 'M' Handlebar Setup

Steering (Handlebar, Stem, Bar Ends, Grips)

-Handlebar

My first and obvious idea was to purchase a straight MTB handlebar, which is cheap (USD 10.00) and widely available. I mounted it without problems on my original 120mm/31.8 dia. stem. With a grin, I was pleased that everything worked out this well, and the next thing to do was go out to try it!

Unfortunately, for me as a roadie, the straight handlebar caused much more ergonomic trouble than I expected. The unnatural elbow-out mountain bike position caused not only some pain in my elbows but real pain in my wrists - after only about 10 km into the ride. While some might say that I am not 'man enough' to endure pain, I personally would more lean more towards solving problems than enduring them.

On my third transport bike, I added bar ends near the stem, aiding me to adopt a lower, more aerodynamic position. I wanted to replicate this experience with a better setup on this 'flat bar bike'. So, my search for a more ergonomic bar should include the possibility to attach these 22mm inner diameter bar ends in a position I would personally prefer.

The search came out difficult due to the different market in Taiwan. There are so-called standard bars, but those with my preferences are a few. While on the hunt, I recalled an old student or ladies handlebar in my parts cabinet. I cleaned it and inspected it - to my surprise, it was the bar I had been searching for; it had the correct diameter/s, the perfect grip angle, and the exact black color.

-Stem

I only had a standard stem with a 31.8mm bar clamp for my 1/8' steerer. I considered buying 25.4-31.8- shims, but I chose to go with a new old stock (NOS) GT stem at roughly the same price. At that time, I heard that the bike manufacturer GT might go out of business, so I thought having a stem with prominent GT markings would be a fitting tribute to the iconic company.

My frame is on the longer side, so I opted for a 10mm shorter 110mm stem. During my time trying a 'real' aero bar, I've learned that a shorter stem could benefit the balance while riding on them. And I intended to used the bar ends as aero bar substitution...

Bar ends

I had previously used short, stubby CNC bar ends on my transport bike and had good experiences using them. However, I sought longer ones to improve handling and allow for different grip variations on the bike. I found very basic ones for USD3.00 in black at my friend's store.

The handlebar's shape made attaching the bar ends a task that required time and some basic skill. To install the new bar ends over the curves, I took my shorter CNC bar end clamps as an example. I needed to

- trim the clamp edges into a V-shape using a manual handsaw

- smooth the inner clamps with rolled fine sandpaper

This task appeared more dramatic than it actually was; I completed it in my living room using a chair, working freehand without a vice. The fact that the clamps were made from an inexpensive cast alloy made them easy to work with.

After these modifications and with the help of some grease, the bar ends smoothly went over the curves, allowing me to adjust their positions on the bars. Once I ensured they were tightened to 5NM, they felt extremely sturdy. Riding on and off the bar ends, I did not feel any negative effect in ride quality, even in a forward position - mission accomplished!

Grips

I purchased some black hard rubber grips with red alloy ends online. These grips are fixed with two small screws on the handlebar. I found them convenient without the hassles and power efforts on traditional full rubber grips.

Controls (shifters, brake levers)

-Shifters: Microshift Centos Xpress Plus Shifters 2×11, SL-R861-2

From a past project, I had a set of Taiwan-made Microshift Centos SL-R861-2 road flat bar shifters in my parts bin. They worked previously perfect with my Shimano R7000 GS long-caged rear derailleur, so I didn't see a reason to buy new ones.

Installation

Installing them was simple due to the forged alloy clamps designed for flat bars. My shifters came with cable included, the shorter one for the front derailleur, the longer one for the rear one. The cables are safeguarded by a rubber piece to prevent water from entering the internal mechanism and, once removed, are easy to replace.

The rear derailleur worked fine, but I found, that the downshifting to the smaller chainring on the front derailleur made a big clunking noise. This disappeared after I loosened the cable by one turn.

Ergonomics

While my SRAM X7 mountain bike shifters use both thumb triggers for shifting up and down, the Centos divides the shifting between the index fingers and thumbs. This setup is easy to learn and became so intuitive that I had to rethink shifting when riding my older mountain bike.

Price

Originally, I bought the Centos for about USD54.00/pair

Weight

In my excitement, I did not weight them. But the seller claimed a reasonable 206g/pair.

Microshift Centos SL-R861-2

Brake Levers, Tektro FL540

I had some MTB levers in my parts bin, but they looked too bulky and were too heavy for this project. I looked online and came across some lightweight, road-style two-finger brakes, weigh 120g per pair, the Tektro FL540, in matte black. I paid USD12.00/pair including freight!

Tektro FL-540 Brake Lever

While the company's homepage claims that 'they can be used for caliper or canti brakes', in reality,

-with Canti brakes on my MTB, they feel 'under-dimensioned', soft, or mushy when braking hard.

-when used with my Ultegra caliper brakes, they feel and operate completely different, being crisp and sharp with minimal effort. A mere 3-4 mm pull can bring my bike to a halt faster than a motorscooter braking for a red light at the same speed!

Assembling

One reason I highly regard Shimano is that they not only revolutionized the bike industry but many other manufacturers adopt their standards for compatible products. This allows me to use numerous items not offered by the Japanese manufacturer, some of which not only match in quality and functionality but are generally more affordable. The assembly of original and compatible parts are roughly the same and use, in my experience, the same tools.

My Bike on the Road

From the technical point of view, the Tektro FL-540 brake levers work well with the Shimano Ultegra BR-R8000 dual pivot caliper brakes and give a solid, reassuring feedback; the Microshift Microshift Centos SL-R861-2 shifters work flawlessly with the rear Shimano R7000 derailleurs for up- and downshifts.

For me, as a rider, the new alt bar setup works so well that it has become my current favorite bike. As I set it up and use it, I can either ride in a stretched racing position by moving forward on my saddle and holding on to the bar ends. Or I can ride it in a more comfortable upright position easily trough corners and I can see further with much less effort than on my race bike. The higher position makes it easier to grasp my water bottle for a drink or reach out for some snacks.

It is difficult to believe, but these positives lead to a higher average speed than my traditional road bike, even though it is one kilogram lighter than this BMC Streetfire SS02 with Alt Bars.