Round bars at the TdF

[Keith A]

Looks like the classic round handlebar shape isn't going away anytime soon. I was checking out CyclingNews this morning and was impressed with how many pro tour riders use this classic shape. Here's several examples from some of the riders in the spot light...

Sylvain Chavanel's
http://www.cyclingnews.com/photos/2008/tech/features/tour_stage_seven/Chavanel_Cofidis_Time_KOM_bars_and_levers.jpg

Kim Kirchen's
http://www.cyclingnews.com/photos/2008/tech/features/tour_stage_seven/Kirchen_Columbia_Giant_bars.jpg

Riccardo Riccò's
http://www.cyclingnews.com/photos/2008/tech/probikes/riccardo_ricco_scott_addict_tour08/Riccardo_Riccos_SD-S_Addict_bend.jpg

Andy Schleck's
http://www.cyclingnews.com/photos/2008/tech/probikes/andy_schleck_csc_cervelo_r3sl/Andy_Schlecks_CSC_Cervelo_R3-SL_bend.jpg

[johnnymossville]

I still like the feel of the classic bars over the "ergonomic" bars. Not to mention, they just look better.

[Keith A]

Ditto for me!

[Samster]

i like my rounds on the frame built by forum member Round. however, i have deda newtons anatomicals on my Merckx and find them to feel just fine.

[Fixed]

it doesn't matter to me as long as the bike fits
old school bars on most of mine though
cheers :beer:

[Lifelover]

I'm surprised by how shallow of a drops most of the bars appear to be.

For someone reason I had assumed most pros used a deep drop.

[bike <3'er]

Round bars are faster!

[Bill Bove]

I'm surprised by how shallow of a drops most of the bars appear to be.

For someone reason I had assumed most pros used a deep drop.
most of the pro's are riding the smallest frame they can get away with with minimal spacers under the stem and the hoods rolled up high giving them a comfortable position on the tops/hoods and reasonable reach to the drops. in the old days when bikes were taller drops were deeper.

for the record, round bars on all my bikes.

[Grant McLean]

most of the pro's are riding the smallest frame they can get away with with minimal spacers under the stem and the hoods rolled up high giving them a comfortable position on the tops/hoods and reasonable reach to the drops. in the old days when bikes were taller drops were deeper.


... and a bunch of those bikes pictured have -17 stems too


g

[Kevan]

Those guys are sniffing this forum.

[CPP]

... and a bunch of those bikes pictured have -17 stems too

I love that. When people see my bike and my -17° stem they all say;

"your bike must be too big if you are using that stem"




George, most all

[Gothard]

LOL!

I prefer round bends too, even though the only anatomic I have is confy too.

[jeffg]

I can't ride anatomics ...

For long rides being hamstrung into that one "anatomic position" just sucks

[Ahneida Ride]

Next ... Non sloping frames ! ;)

[michael white]

I would just add that "anatomic" covers a really wide range of bends, of course. I just put some Syntace bars on a bike with an ergo bend that is almost indistinguishable from round. Thank goodness the big companies like Ritchey have backed off considerably on the severity of the bends. They went from mildly bent to extremely concave in the hook to now, it's back to very mild again. Just sayin' . . . it's not a black and white issue.

I want to prefer round bars just for aesthetics and the better hand position in the drops, but it's complicated . . . because it's sometimes easier to get a flatter ramp on top (which is probably even more important to a slowpoke like me) with certain ergo bends, because the angle in the drops means a tighter radius up where the shifter mounts. --So many of the round bars have a fairly steep Italian-style ramp . . . if anyone understands what I'm getting at.

[rwsaunders]

I do agree that round looks just right, but I still want to try the Deda Supernaturals.

[John H.]

I have been an old school round bar guy for many years- before it was even popular to be old school.
I recently tried a set of Ritchey Evolution SL bars- they are so much more comfortable than my round shallow drops.