Originally Posted by
Baby Puke
Your seat is also super forward, is it in UCI spec (behind BB 5cm for enduro/0cm sprint)?
It’s zeroed out now, I had it 5cm back for pursuit.
Originally Posted by
brawlo
Another thing to consider in relation to bar reach is the shape of the bars. Traditional bend bars require you to have your hands basically vertical at the front to the bend to take advantage of that reach. For an individual's position that may be fine. The newer carbon breeds like 3T bars allow you to use that reach with a flatter handhold.
It all depends on how you like your hand position. I found that when I have my hands more vertical I can't pull on the bars per se because it makes the front wheel want to turn. I get a better result with a flatter handhold where i can pull up more which adds to MY stability, but everyone's different. I've been through road bars, Deda Pista (reasonable shape but flat area way too short for my hands), Pro Vibe 7S (alloy version - nice bar but I wanted narrower), 3T Scatto (really nice bar that I bought for the same reasons as you - chasing reach) and am now on the BT bar. The long flat of the bar gives me more stability over the 3Ts when out of the saddle and suit me well, but it's all very personal.
It's very much worth trying to borrow different bars if possible and seeing how they feel for you under different positions on the bike. Standing starts, long and low aero, cruising in a bunch, and laying power down both in and out of the saddle like in a long sprint finish
Will definitely do that, trying a few bars, once I get the longer frame dealt with. I generally have gravitated to bars with a flat 45-ish transition section to nest my hands on, so I could reach as far forward as possible and stay comfortable. The rounded curves didn’t feel natural to my hands. Will try to borrow and try some different options you described. Seat and bars are so key.
Good contact points equals happy rider. Happy rider equals faster rider.
