You'd be much smarter to go the other way - get a road bike and adapt it for tris. The problem with the tri bike is usually a short head tube. If you add drop bars to this, you will be too low and uncomfortable when on the drops. Plus you'll have an unblanced bike if you use it for group rides, etc.

It can be done. I saw it done on a Cervelo P2K. Why I don't know. The guy would have been further ahead to get a Soloist.

I ride a Felt S22 right now (about 1.5 months) and absolutely love the bike (fit, feel, ride)...That being said, if I were to want to use drop bars with STI on this bike here are the considerations:

1- I'd need a longer stem for proper fit and comfort...The cowhorns are a little longer than standard bars (has to do with fit and geometry of TT bikes), so with standard bars you'd be cramped and not so efficient while either on the hoods or on the drops.

2- Maybe use a "set back" seat post rather than the straight post that is supplied with the bike from Felt...That would allow a more relaxed position and again a better fit with the road bars.

3- I tried those "shorty" aero bars before and found that my wrists couldn't hold up with the amount of load on them and the lack of a decent pad...I'd use a set of the shortes Syntace aerobars I could get (the pads sit about 1-2" behind the base bar) which allow for much more comfort.

Just my two-cents...........

Actually I've always wondered about taking a tri bike, switching to drop bars and a set back seat-post. It may not be all that comfy or efficiant, but boy, just think how you'd freak out the roadies.




-The only thing worse than my equipment, is my sense of style.

Here is a link to a review of the 2001 QR Kilo from the Bikesport Michigan site. In this article, Tom Demerly discusses building up Kilos with drop bars and STI's. He even shows a photo of this set up. So it can be done; however, it is a compromise, and Demerly states why. If you want a bike to flip back and forth between road and tri configuration, something like a Cervelo Soloist is the way to go.

http://www.bikesportmichigan.com/reviews/qrkilo.shtml

RP

Well, I did just that. I used to have a road bike, sold it and got a QR. Long story short I switched out the built in aero bars for the gear shift levers I loved. Then added lighter(than the original) aero bars. I did this all in the name of body fit for me. I have a fused spine and certain adjustments just needed to be higher, lower etc... I am very comfortable now with what I have. Plus now, my back does not hurt so much. Let me know and I can take a digital shot of my bike.

-Trisha