I have a 2008 Kuota kfactor that I am thinking about converting into a road bike. Would that work and what all would I need to do? Thanks for any help.
I’ll be doing the same with my Felt S32 after this season. From what I’ve read so far it’s not ideal because it’ll put you in an aggressive position on the drops. If you’re not a flexible rider you may or may not be able to handle this geometry change. For me it’s not a deal breaker because I am used to riding aggressively anyway but it’s something to consider. Also if you can sell the bike on local classifieds you’ll probably be able to take that + the funds you would have spent on Gearshifters/brake levers, handlebars, tape, cabling etc and get a decent road bike. If you’re like me and have the parts laying around it’s “good enough” for a training bike.
I’m no expert so hopefully other people can chime in … fitters and mechanics especially would be great to hear from.
In the case of the k-factor, not a problem. The seat tube angle is already slack for a TT bike, so not crazy for a road bike. Stack and reach are probably not crazy either. Has two water bottle spots.
Just put drop bars on it and go!
Like others said, should be no problem, unless you’re worried about frame stiffness and weight. But then ST will burn you for worrying about these stupid things.
Just FYI, there can be more differences than just effective seat tube angle. The steering geometry and wheelbase can be different as well. E.g road bikes tend to have more rake, giving a more “stable” steering feel.
You can definitely end up with a nice, rideable road bike, I just wouldn’t necessarily expect to end up with one that’s going to be your first choice in a crit or bombing down a mountain at 45MPH.
Wait I thought road bikes had quicker more lively steering feel so you could make those imaginary super fast moves in crits?
=)
You can definitely end up with a nice, rideable road bike, I just wouldn’t necessarily expect to end up with one that’s going to be your first choice in a crit or bombing down a mountain at 45MPH.
I converted an aluminum transition this winter. I first measured the angles and distances from photos (composited in photoshop from me on a road bike) in AutoCAD for feasibility. Not perfect, but I knew I was in the ballpark.
I got an aluminum 3t Palladio seat post for the setback. FSA has one with an extra 5 degrees of set back but that only came out to about 1/4" difference, its more expensive, and I was on a tight budget.
Also check the stack and reach. In my case, the transition is slammed with a negative stem in tri mode but I put all the spacers with a 0 degree stem in road setup. I’m long in the arms so reach was fine but you may also need a shorter stem.