I am going to switch my tri bars and add road bars with sti .
Those of you who have done this, did you need to change stem length. If so did you notice that you had to go shorter or longer?
Also were you able to go more slack on the seat angle because you were using a road bar instead of the tri bar.
I ride a cannondale ironman 2000 and I can not get comfortable on it. I live in the hills of PA so I thought I would be better off with switching out the bars.
i like to ride pretty stretched out on my bikes. but if i put on most of the typical clip-ons on, they end up being too long for me. but when i set up my P2K, i compromised with just a slightly shorter stem than optimal, and clip-on aerobars that have an adjustment that allows me to get the elbow supports a little further back.
so, yes, if you typically use a long stem, you could try going just a little shorter (1-1.5 cm shorter might be enough) with the stem.
yes, you can go more slack with the seat angle if you want, but i still prefer to be in a more forward (steeper) position, especially on the P2K. it gives me the best position for most types of riding. so, depending on your frame geometry, you could try a zero setback seatpost (like a straight thomson post) and then slide your seat forward a little, or a lot on the rails. note: get your seat fore-aft position mostly set up before you select your final stem length (and aerobar size too), otherwise, moving the seat back or forward more than a few mm will make you have to switch stems again.
using drop bars in hilly or mountainous areas gives some big advantages: sti shifting which allows you to shift while standing during climbs, and the lower parts of the drop bars which allow you to descend with greater speeds, a much lower center of gravity, and higher confidence since your hands are “hooked in” to the forward bends, with your fingertips even touching the brake levers if necessary.