Handlebars

[dohearne]

I have a question that probably only a relative neophyte like myself would think about. I wonder how one chooses a handle bar for a new custom bike? I currently have a Bianchi San Remo and am making a big jump to a Legend. Due to 8 fused vertebrae I don't have much drop seat-to-bar and I ride 80% of the time on the hoods. Because dirt road riding and descending (sometimes for 1-2 miles) is inevitable in VT, the one time I am in the drops for sure is down dirt hills so I have full leverage on the brake levers and firm control of the bike. However, I find the current set-up to be uncomfortable with the reach to the levers to far (I have small hands). I have moved the levers around on the bar and rotated the bar, but I am still not satisified. I currently have Campy levers. The questions I have are:

1. Are there guidelines for choosing a handelbar width?

2. Are there handle bar drop designs that are more suitable for a minimal seat to bar drop?

3. Is there any difference in the "reach" for a Campy lever vs. a Shimano lever when in the handle bar drops?

I apologize ahead of time to all the experts on this forum if these questions sound stupid.

[Bruce K]

The only stupid questions are the ones you don't ask.

If your Legend is truly custom, yours fitter should have asked enough questions and spent enough time to resolve all of these issues for you.

The shape of your bars should be determined by both reach (distance from center line of horizontal to front of curve) and drop (distance from top bar to the bottom of the drop).

I am not a fitting expert, and Smiley, Paul Levine, dnovo, or AZ would have way more expertise, but it sound like you might want to look at bars with short reach and short drop like the Salsa Poco. A lot would depend on your shoulder width as these bars come in narrower widths only.

Talk to your fitter some more before finalizing your bike to see if they can help you with some of your issues.

BK

[Kevin]

dohearne,

I agree with Bruce K. When I was fitted for my Ottrott the fitter proposed a few handlebars based on measurements he had taken. After pedaling for a few minutes with each one we decided on the appropriate bar. We then worked on the position of the hoods. I love the result.

When you go to get fitted, go with an open mind. Let the fitter make suggestions for everything.

Kevin

[dohearne]

In regard to my fitter, I do not want to leave the impression that he has not and will not continue to ask me all the right questions. In fact, the adjustments made to my current bike's handlebars were suggested by him. I was anticipating our upcoming discussions on building up the bike and I wanted to get some more ideas and information. My lack of knowledge and experience sometimes hampers my ability to express issues adequately to the LBS. But I also have faith that the LBS will continue to help me until I am happy.

[dnovo]

The width of the bars is pretty much dependent on your 'width' -- your fitter should be able to check that and that issue should be fairly easy to determine. Shape and selection of the bar is going to be based on what you find the most comfortable. There are a lot of variables, as perhaps would be best explained by how I got to where I am now.

I started out with the same bad back I have now. I couldn't comfortably use drop bars, so to get the bars up high and use the road levers I was then working with (Shimano STI) I started out with 'cowhorn' or TT bars, with my hands resting on the bars above the shifters and shifing from that position (the hoods projeted forward as do the brake levers on most TT bars and were not used.) Even then, as do you now, I rode primarily with my hands on the top of the bars.

As I lost weight, gained condition, I transitioned to drop bars, which I now find far more comfortable. I moved to the Campy Ergo, preferring how they shifted, and found a review from an English road magazine stating that the shape of the Ritchey WCS, Pro or Biomax worked perfectly with the Ergo levers, providing a flat and nearly level area behind the hoods and the anatomical shape of the drops just below the levers allowed you to get there with a straight wrist postion.

Tried them, liked them, and still use them with the exception of a few bikes that now use the FSA K-wing carbon bar, which has the same basic shape, with an indentation for your palm just behind the hoods and with the tops shaped with a curve on the top section that fits the natural shape of you palm in that position with an indentation on the underside that allows a perfect and comfortable grip for your fingers.

Does that make them perfect for you? No. I can't normally get down in the lower section of the drops for any length of time because of the limitations of my back. The FSA is very short there, terminating just below the anatomical section (which matches the Ritchey) and stops just after it becomes horizontal again. If you like more room there, you need to look elsewhere.

Look carefully at the shapes of the many bars out there. You may have to try a bunch, but sooner or later, you will find the one you like. Dave N.

[dohearne]

Dave N., thanks for the reply. I identified with much of what you had to say. I realize it will take some experimentation to find the most comfortable bar, but you have provided some ideas to explore. Until now, I bought a bike and road it and just accepted the equipment that was there. Now as I enter a world of "self-determination", I realize what a learning curve I have ahead of me...and the helpful information that is to be had from others.

[dbrk]

There are a baffling array of bar choices out there in terms of drop, extension, shape. I'm not yet convinced that carbon bars are for me and anyway, I won't spend that kind of money on a handlebar when there are still Nitto Dreams and Noodles (which will never, ever break and suit me fine).

Width is not a given. In daysofyore bars were much narrower than nowadays and folks were fit differently. I still prefer very narrow bars (40cm c-c is my preferred width) and I'm not narrow in the shoulders. Some argue that narrow bars close down your chest or restrict breathing. I think that's sorta' nonsense. Bars are like saddles: you like what you like and they suit you. So there is no rule of thumb on this. I find bars wider than 40c-c to be uncomfortable unless they are randonneurs and I prefer only the French versions of those that you can't really get anymore (unless you are...uhh....French or spend too much time looking for them...like me).

Shape: I prefer bars that "square off" rather than "round off" on the ends, hence the Nittos or Ritchey WCS or Bio-Max, but I usually don't like ITM like the 260 shape. I spend a good deal of time in the drops because my bars are higher than most folks (not because I can't extend or bend over, I teach enough yoga to do that just fine, but because I prefer this style). Again, it's unfortunate that we don't get to really test things out and it's expensive and time-consuming, but like most things bicycle, you will likely get used to what you choose unless it is really really wrong for you. The problem with that, such as it is, is that you may not find out how much more comfortable you can be!

Drop: I like shallow drops, but again that's an experiment to be made. Choose more shallow drops if you have back problems and you may use them more.

Reach: These are noted in the specs of most bars. Find one that suits you on a bike in the shop, check the spec in the Quality book (ask about this if you need to), and then compare: would you like more or less reach? Things can vary most here (and in the roundness/squareness shape category).

Then there is "come back": at the very bottom of the bars as they point back to you the question is how much. I deeply dislike bars that are cut off on the ends and the come back is short. The longer the come back the more you can settle flat on the bottom of the bars because, well, you have more bar. Some makes cut this short to cut weight, a foolish compromise in my book.

Last, don't think about the weight of the bars since none nowadays are all that "heavy." Think about being really really comfortable because that always is more fun and makes you faster (if you care about that).

dbrk

[Ray]

If there's a bar you really like on other bikes, have the fitter work around those when figuring out stem length, height, etc. I personally fell in love with 42cm Nitto dirt drop bars several years ago and have them on all of my drop bar bikes and have been hording them so I have a few sets in reserve - they stopped making these a few years ago and only make a 46 cm model now. Any time I ride a bike with a different bar, it just feels weird to me. Not that anyone else would like these, but if you find something you like, I'd stay with it.

-Ray

[Smiley]

My guess is your working with some pretty good folks out of Vermont. I will always ask what bars one prefers and carry a wide array of choices for my Size Cyle, I also carry many brake hood options ( have not purchased the new Shimao 10 yet ). Any how I tend to like for me the Ritchey Classic drop bars at 44 cm width and I like them for the 13 cm drop . If you have not gone a size wider try it you may like it. Its great in opening up your chest and giving you more power while climbing out of the saddle. Also I always use POCO bars for women and in cases where a shorter reach is needed due to issues with shortening up the Top tube (dreaded toe overlap thing ). Best of luck and now is a good time to try stuff out with your fitter.

[flydhest]

I have to agree with Smiley. If you haven't tried a size wider than what you're riding, try it. As dbrk says, you like what you like, but many people I know have found a wider bar something of a revelation.