The previous setup was straight handle bars. Its great for handling and control because of the wider width.
After reading into hand positions, i believe the bull horn would be a good choice.
I didn't have any sti levers then, so the previous brake levers and trigger shifters were mounted onto the bull horn.
The Shimano shifters were a bit costly, so the search yielded a pair of Microshift SB-R472 from Aliexpress for USD 45.24
At the same time, to continue using the existing V brakes, a Travel Agent or Problem Solver was needed to exploit the mechanical advantage as the STI style shifters didn't have a large cable pull distance.
Problems faced:
The threading of the cable into the travel agent is tedious. When it does not fit, i had to use the older cables to expand the hole via friction rubbing to create a larger hole. It is easy since the wheel is made of aluminium, a softer material.
While changing the cables and cabe housing, initially i used the housing purchased from Lazada. Oh, those chinese made cable housing were horrid to use. Cable wise, they were the Decathlon branded Btwin French made cables. There was so much friction on the housing that the rear brake running a longer length of cable had trouble retracting after squeezing.
Hence, i decided to go after brand named Shimano's Standard Brake Cable set.
The quality of cable is different and can be felt when i tried to cut the cable. Its very difficult to cut compared to the normal cables. Also I observed that the cables do not collapse after repeated tightening of the brake nut. It is of good material. More importantly, the cable slides easily in the housing.
I would have opted the caliper brake, unfortunately the frame does not allow the proper clearances.
Lastly, i upgraded the rear derailleur from the Shimano Sora to Shimano Claris, as the stock one came without the B screw.
The shifter cables were renewed as well.
So, here is the final look of the bike after a round of trial ride before my longer ride.
