22mm drops?

[Jono Bolton]

Hi there

I've got a Phillips Phantom road bike that I'm converting to single speed, and I was going to put cross top brake levers on to replace the crappy drop levers with 'turkey wing' extensions. However I've just taken the tape off my drop bars and measure across the end of the bars and it measures 22mm across. Is this right? Most bars I've seen tend to start from 25.4pm up to the oversize 31.8mm. Perhaps I'm measuring incorrectly? If that measurement is correct does anyone know of any levers that would fit, or would it just be a case of having to put in a shim?

 

[legrandefromage]

you should be able to use the original 22.2mm clamps with new levers - try it. I do this often when I cant be bothered to change the bar tape.

 

[one-eyed_jim]

It's not unusual for steel drop bars to be 7/8" (22.2mm) in diameter at the ends. Many are 1" at the stem.

If you're set on using cross-top levers you could shim them, but most levers designed for flat-bar use will fit a 7/8" handlebar. You might need to open up the clamps a little to get them around the bends of the bar. Take care to buy levers designed for caliper or cantilever brakes, not V-brakes.

 

[Jonny69]

I think it's normal for the older size. All my 25.4mm bars are 25.4mm at the clam and either taper or step down to 22mm where the brakes go on. Same goes for the 25.4mm flat bars I've had.

 

[one-eyed_jim]

I think it's normal for the older size. All my 25.4mm bars are 25.4mm at the clam and either taper or step down to 22mm where the brakes go on. Same goes for the 25.4mm flat bars I've had.

I think it's a bit more complicated. There are plenty of Japanese drop bars around that are 25.4mm at the clamp, narrowing to 23.8mm (15/16"). There are also alloy all-rounder (flattish, swept) bars with the same dimensions. I own a GB pair. When 15/16" alloy bars were becoming more common, cheaper steel bars were normally still 7/8" at the ends.

 

[Jono Bolton]

Thanks for your replies, I was really just checking to make sure my measurements were correct because I'd never heard of bars being that size before. I did some digging on the internet and discovered that some older bikes used 22.2mm bars, like Jonny69 said, it appears to be 25.4mm in the middle and then a step down either side of the clamp to 22.2mm. I managed to find some Alhonga cross-top levers in chrome that will suit nicely what I'm looking to do and have a 22.2mm clamp. That's the joy of old bikes isn't it? Just when you think you've got it sussed it throws something new at you