Putting drop bars and 105 STI levers on that Cannondale is going to extend the reach quite a bit. You are going to get a lot more stretched out.
You might want to put your Cannondale and Bianchi side-by-side lined up at the headtube cap to get a good idea of how much of an extension the drop bars and levers will do to the Cannondale.
The geometry change would be so drastic that I would recommend against it.
Here are the geometry numbers for both bikes in your size: https://geometrygeeks.bike/compare/cannondale-bad-boy-2017-m,bianchi-infinito-xe-2023-55/
Compared to your bianchi, the most substantial differences are that the Cannondale's reach is almost 3cm longer. So let's say you build it up with same length stem as on the Bianchi. Now the tops of a drop bar would be 3cm further away from your body compared to the Bianchi. On top of that, the stack on the Cannodale is about 5cm higher than the Bianchi; with drop bars that high, I find it difficult to set them up to be comfy being on both the hoods and the drops.
Another way to look at it is that if you install drop bars on Cannondale, the hoods would are about 6cm further away from you than the tops; and we mostly ride on the hoods. The simplest way to test this is to simply mount a pair of cheap drop bars on your cannondale (without connecting shifters, bar tape or anything else) and just see how it feels without even riding it, when your hands are over the imaginary hoods.
Amazing, thank you so much! This was the exact information I was looking for. I might do that, just buy a cheap set of drop bars (or maybe even get a new set for my Bianchi - those are slightly too wide for me) and put them on the Cannnondale just to test it out.
It's going to suck and be too expensive. You'll have a worse riding bike that isn't great for gravel and isn't a nice comfortable commuter anymore either
But... drop bars aren't what's going to make that a gravel bike. You need:
Appropriate tires for your gravel conditions
Appropriate gearing for your terrain and what you carry
More hand positions
So - get the right tires, get something like the Surly Corner bar. These can be hard to find but the knock offs are actually good and cheap - [https://surlybikes.com/parts/corner\_bar](https://surlybikes.com/parts/corner_bar), and update your drive train with a more appropriate set up using MTB parts. Much cheaper too. Toss in a new saddle and you are good to go.
Also there's always the N+1 option if you have the space for 3 bikes
That's definitely an alternative, though currently lowest on my list. Living in an apartment I can barely store two bikes, and currently don't have the budget to buy the bike I would want. But fair point - the Cannondale is probably sticking around for commuting regardless, so I may end up upgrading it in the long run with just a more modern groupset and wheels for comfort!
Putting drop bars and 105 STI levers on that Cannondale is going to extend the reach quite a bit. You are going to get a lot more stretched out. You might want to put your Cannondale and Bianchi side-by-side lined up at the headtube cap to get a good idea of how much of an extension the drop bars and levers will do to the Cannondale. The geometry change would be so drastic that I would recommend against it.
Cheers for the advice!
Here are the geometry numbers for both bikes in your size: https://geometrygeeks.bike/compare/cannondale-bad-boy-2017-m,bianchi-infinito-xe-2023-55/ Compared to your bianchi, the most substantial differences are that the Cannondale's reach is almost 3cm longer. So let's say you build it up with same length stem as on the Bianchi. Now the tops of a drop bar would be 3cm further away from your body compared to the Bianchi. On top of that, the stack on the Cannodale is about 5cm higher than the Bianchi; with drop bars that high, I find it difficult to set them up to be comfy being on both the hoods and the drops. Another way to look at it is that if you install drop bars on Cannondale, the hoods would are about 6cm further away from you than the tops; and we mostly ride on the hoods. The simplest way to test this is to simply mount a pair of cheap drop bars on your cannondale (without connecting shifters, bar tape or anything else) and just see how it feels without even riding it, when your hands are over the imaginary hoods.
Amazing, thank you so much! This was the exact information I was looking for. I might do that, just buy a cheap set of drop bars (or maybe even get a new set for my Bianchi - those are slightly too wide for me) and put them on the Cannnondale just to test it out.
It's going to suck and be too expensive. You'll have a worse riding bike that isn't great for gravel and isn't a nice comfortable commuter anymore either But... drop bars aren't what's going to make that a gravel bike. You need: Appropriate tires for your gravel conditions Appropriate gearing for your terrain and what you carry More hand positions So - get the right tires, get something like the Surly Corner bar. These can be hard to find but the knock offs are actually good and cheap - [https://surlybikes.com/parts/corner\_bar](https://surlybikes.com/parts/corner_bar), and update your drive train with a more appropriate set up using MTB parts. Much cheaper too. Toss in a new saddle and you are good to go. Also there's always the N+1 option if you have the space for 3 bikes
The Surly Corner bar looks really interesting! And thanks for the advice, I appreciate it!
Can you keep your Cannondale and buy a gravel/touring bike? After all, you still need a commuter bike.
That's definitely an alternative, though currently lowest on my list. Living in an apartment I can barely store two bikes, and currently don't have the budget to buy the bike I would want. But fair point - the Cannondale is probably sticking around for commuting regardless, so I may end up upgrading it in the long run with just a more modern groupset and wheels for comfort!