BIKE VIDEO | Priority Apollo Drops to Flatbar Conversion - VO CRAZY BARS

This video is about my recent bicycle purchase, the Priority Apollo, and how I got the wrong bike. I really like the Apollo and think it's a great bike, but it's not quite the bike I needed. However, I'm stuck so this video is about how I'm trying to make it work.
Sorry for those expecting more house videos. I'll some more up soon, but for now this has been my main project.
‪@PriorityBicyclesNYC‬ thanks for the rad bike!
‪@duzer‬ thanks for the endless inspiration!
‪@PathLessPedaledTV‬ thanks for the cool sticker!

[@mattedj]

I rode the 600 when it first came out and enjoyed it, but found it much too biased to the low end, many of the low gears I'd rarely used, though they could be handy occasionally when confronting extreme hills...but it topped out too fast when on the flat and downhill terrain. In the end, gave the 600 to my wife who is a hill hater and likes the low gears. Replaced the 600 with the Onyx, have been riding it hard for several years, and have huge confidence in the reliability of the Enviolo hub...it's not quite low enough or high enough so I wouldn't recommend to people who like hills or speed, it really is an urban biased design. Just moved on to the Apollo, bought used with a flat bar conversion...I really like the gear range and I'm quite happy with its first gear. Now praying that the Alfine 11 is solid after reading the complaints. Thanks for the Crazy Bar suggestion, I'm leaning on grabbing one.

[@YoureNowOnTV]

Nice video, thanks for sharing 😁👍 🚴

[@stoutdog56]

Good video and information. I agree with you about the 600. I chose it over the Apollo.

[@nomadicyoutube]

Informative and interesting, indeed - THANKS for sharing the evolution of your Priority Apollo. I'm thinking of ordering the Apollo but setting it up with a flatbar setup as well since I plan to ride it on some relatively technical offroad trails. I appreciate the detailed coverage of your upgrades.

[@AsthmaticInJapan]

That's great to hear. Glad the video was useful. Hope you enjoy it! It's a great bike.

[@DouglasDeck]

Good, on point, information. I own a 600 and went back and forth between the Apollo or the 600. Your video confirms what I was thinking. I needed a bike that could handle hills and I didn't want to lean over with drop bars (getting older). The 600 was a better fit but in my mind paying 2400 dollars for a bike was nuts. I've had it for about 9 months and 1000 miles, looking back on it, it was well worth it. Too bad you can't trade up with Priority - the "granny" gear is really nice for the 10 -12% grades. Hope your gear changes make the difference. -Enjoy!

[@AsthmaticInJapan]

Thanks for the comment! Glad you're happy with your 600. I may yet upgrade to that or the 600x at some point. We'll see how this year goes and what solutions I end up figuring out. Cheers!

[@albertomontero9809]

Thank you so much. A very informative video. You just answered all the questions I had about it. I’m going for the 600. 10:35

[@justwhenithought]

Thanks for sharing. I look at the Effective Top Tube length for this bike on Priority's geo chart, and found it to be surprisingly too long for the size of bike I'd order (medium). Looks like they spec it too long for your size too.

[@daveferrier723]

Thanks for the insight on all your concerns with the Apollo. I've been thinking about an Apollo for a while. I currently own a 600X with the stock flat bars and love it. I have about 1800 miles on it. About 30%/70%. Road/Trails. I ride road to get to the trails near my home in eastern US. However, I wanted more hand hold areas like you described. I recently purchased a Moloko bar and love it. I also just purchased a Jones H-Bar and love it too. I too was seduced by the Ryan 600x videos. Good marketing I guess. 8)

[@AsthmaticInJapan]

Thanks for the comment! Glad the video was helpful. At some point I do want to get a 600x still, but I'm not sure I'd be able to use it well enough here.

[@brianyoung9892]

Thanks for the great video. My experience mirrors yours to the tee. I'm going to flat bar and need the lower gearing for my Washington state rides. Thanks for the confirmation. I wish I could have seen this prior to getting mine as I would have at least gotten the lower gearing from Priority on purchase. Anyways thanks again.

[@AsthmaticInJapan]

Hey, thanks for the comment. Yea, the lower gearing is a must if you're tackling any hills. I hope the flat bars and lower gearing work out for you when you switch them.

[@nikki-nikky2861]

nice bike!

[@Regantdarcy]

I was thinking the Priority 600 with it’s flat bars, pinion & super wide gear range would’ve been better for that terrain, until I got to the end of your video, and looks like you came to the same conclusion. But it’s cool that you’re taking apart & transforming the Apollo to suit your needs. That’s a great way to get to know your bike, and in the end you just might create the perfect bike. Like Duzer helped create the 600x. Perhaps you & Priority can call this one the ApolloX! 😂 By the way, I lived in Taiwan for awhile & visited Japan a few times. Loved it there. What a beautiful country. 🇯🇵 👍🏼

[@AsthmaticInJapan]

Yea, it's a journey for sure! The Apollo wasn't quite right for me, but I certainly tried to make it fit.

[@willreasoner4384]

Priority is coming out with a new bike.. with the pinion drive electric shift... like the 600... it's got 600% gear range. Don't know the cost it will be announced the 28th April 2024. I have the regular Apolo... I'm flat everywhere mostly.. and I'm just a neighborhood rider... so it's fine for me.... but.... whew, I'd like to have the new bike coming out... I fear it's gonna be in the $3500 dollar range. :( Good video

[@findtherightbeat]

Do you have GPS coordinates to the campsite? Thanks for sharing your ride

[@robinmacandrew103]

Thanks for sharing. How are you finding the bar? I’ve just ordered the Koga Denham. Im expecting it to help with longer rides but I’m worried about the compromises in technical handling on the tougher stuff.

[@brianhill6041]

I just got a Apollo Gravel bike. I plan to ditch the drop bars and get Crazy bars. What brake levers will work with that setup??

[@AsthmaticInJapan]

Sorry for not getting back sooner. I think most MTB levers for 22.2mm bars will work. Pretty sure i used a Tektro set I got off an old bike.

[@stoxe5715]

It’s surprising for me to see Mitsukijima in your bike tour in Ishikawa-ken looking for reviews of the Apollo. Lived there for a few years nearly two decades ago. Would it have helped if you can have a pro bike fitting properly before changing handlebars?

[@AsthmaticInJapan]

Oh that's cool! Yea I don't live too far from there so that's one of my favorite areas to cycle. Nice and quiet up there around Noto. But I looked into getting a bike fitting and the only places I found were in Tokyo or Osaka. And they were more into using shims and adapters. Maybe there are other places, but they're hard to find. I've since found a new bike that works really well for me and fits perfectly - Specialized Diverge Elite E5. Sadly I've had to give up on the Apollo, but I really tried to make it work.

[@ChristopherLee-o5b]

Are the belt drive bikes slower than a regular 11 spd

[@LVang152]

I worry about the same issue, you might steer me in the right direction. I'll pick up 600x.

[@sflores28]

I did the gear upgrade - 46T chainring/26t rear cog and it gave me 26 gear inches of climbing gear (approved by the guys in Priority). Now I can climb Mt. Hollywood Dr in Griffith Park Los Angeles with ease. I'd say go for it.

[@AsthmaticInJapan]

Oh that's good to hear. I'm on the fence still I think. Debating just selling it and going for a 2x11 touring bike.

[@pyromancyglassart8975]

thanks on the hill thing. so you think 600 would be easyer to get up hills ?

[@AsthmaticInJapan]

Yea, I think for me the 600 would have been a much better choice for riding hills.

[@SYLENTBEAST]

Hi. How tall are you? I bought an Apollo size X-Large by mistake. Too big for me. I’m 6 feet tall. 3 months after buying it a car hit me and damages the bike. I’m considering re-buying it in size Large. How does your size Large fit you? I will also make it a flat bar and a shorter stem. The 100mm stem that it comes with is too long.

[@AsthmaticInJapan]

Hey, I'm 5'11" and got a large. It was a little too big for me. I tried shortening the stem to 60 before giving up and going for flat bars then the crazy bars. I think a medium would have had a better stack/reach for me, but the gearing was still too low for my needs.

[@keikeiasako]

Lovely video and wonderful camping spot! Was this video taken in October?

[@AsthmaticInJapan]

Thanks! There's a mix of shots in this video taken from May to September. The camping was in late may though

[@bengates6591]

why does the rear wheel not sit in the drop outs? It looks like it is bolted beneath the frame.

[@yami2227]

When the time comes to buy a bike for Japan I'll know not to go for a high gear ratio, as I wanted the same type of bike - all rounder.

[@cjohnson3836]

This is way after this video is made so probably not seen. But I think you've already figured 1 big issue; I don't think dropbars are really meant for 90% of us. Yes, we may be used to them, but the various new alternative bars are just superior in nearly every way for the riding those of us not trying to take the Maglia Rosa do. I would say one thing though that most will think is counterintuitive. Being more upright isn't necessarily the answer. Weight is meant to be balanced on the touch points. Too upright will equally lead to a sore backend. There's, imo, a sort of no-go zone between upright and aggressive that should be avoided as you're just getting the worst of all worlds. Really, the pedal stroke should be de-weighting the hands on dropbars. That often requires increasing the reach and a more "aggressive" position. It seems backwards, but your legs are meant to be doing the work. The issue for you is that Japan is not flat. I imagine your leg fatigue is a big part of your hand numbness. As you say, you have long been riding dropbar bikes. So, I go back to the first statement, altbars are better than drops, anyways.

[@bindingcurve]

Drops are meant for 90% of people, the problem is 70% of people do not have the right fit and 80% of people think you need to always be in the drops. I think flats are far more forgiving on fit. I'm with you on the "de-weighting" and I can usually shift back just a bit on really bumpy stuff and have zero weight on my hands. I have a 2x11 105 with a 50-36 / 11-40 (riding 8-12% gravel roads with short 20%) and 11-34 on my road wheelset. I like the idea of a internal hub, but that second wheelset gets expensive.

[@cjohnson3836]

@@bindingcurve drops were, very literally, invented for racing. And this isnt drop vs flat bar. That's a false dichotomy. The various altbars (moloko, Jones, dream riser, Bosco, etc) out there are where most people need to be. A proper fit bike with drops should allow you to keep the upper body in riding position but allow you to ride no handed. To accomplish that you need leg endurance as it's the pedal stroke supporting your torso weight, not the hands. If you don't have the fitness to maintain that, then you shouldn't be on drops. That is, unfortunately, most of us.

[@bindingcurve]

I ride both a flat bar and a drop gravel. 90% of it is FIT.

[@shushuyu]

is it possible to turn this into an ebike?

[@AsthmaticInJapan]

Possibly, either with a front hub or bottom bracket attachment. I don't have any experience with them though.