RideMyLeMond

My Diverge now shod with 650b and Specialized Pathfinder Pro tubeless in 47c. The ride on the trails is greatly improved!

glider54

Mec Provincial Road 222.

thehammerdog

Finished build


First ride on bike

Jakedatc

New bike day.. shake down ride on our local easy mtb trails. First race on it tomorrow. Giant TCX Advanced.

WestboroGoose

Just built up a 56cm Surly Cross Check frame with a used set of Shimano 105s (50/34 to 11-32), Tektro brakes, and Alexrims CX28 wheels with 32mm Kenda touring tires. As I'm kind of a heavyweight myself (at 270 lbs), the weight of the frame is no issue at all. I highly recommend this setup for other big boys

rando_couche

Old's cool!

chas58

I agree, it is cool, but I'll tell ya from experience - downtube shifters and knobby tires don't always play together well. You had better have your reach dialed in when you reach down to change gears!

intransit1217

intransit1217

Sorry. First time uploading a picture here. Couldn’t figure out how to get text in the pic.

Picked it up on close out for 750, dumped the 2.1 slant sixes immediately. Hated those tires. Finally got to swap the deore drive and pro max brakes for 105 w FSA 46/30 mega exo and some trp spare stoppers. Tubeless resolutes!

ab_antiquo

I don't get it. Why in the world would you want your brake levers pointing at the sky like that?

irideiam

They're not, they are even with the drops the Salsa Woodchipper drops kick out. This is how Salsa recommends they be setup. Here's some pics of someone else with the same set.

StumpyJR

Tracklocross set up at the moment, but I have a rear wheel (and a matching rear brake with paul lever) to race sscx on.

ab_antiquo

Is this some kind of optical illusion then? I'm trying to imagine one finger braking from the hooks and the kind of wrist contortions that would be required.

irideiam

It's an optical illusion! Did you not look at the pictures above?

mstateglfr 

They are tilted way up.
And it renders braking from the drops nearly useless.
It also isnt how this style was originally intended to be used.

But style and use changes with time and though the flared drops were originally intended to be basically flat for significant riding time in that position, even Salsa apparently claims an absurd angle is how they should be used.
People like em that way, I guess.


Good thing about bars is that each of us can set them how we want for how we ride.
My flared bars are level, but on one bar design i used to use, making the drops level then cants the brake lever in and slightly down. Many wouldnt like that.

My current Cowchipper bars are a great blend of level drops and flare without placing the levers in a wonky position too.



Soma Gator and Salsa Woodchipper bars seem like a really specific application bars to me, due to the severed bend at the hooks. Many of these flare bars seem like very specific application bars, actually.




These are pics I stole off the internet. Left(back) is Soma Gator, middle is Salsa Woodchipper, and front(right) is Sala Cowchipper.
You can see the extreme anger at the hooks on the Gator and Woodchipper. This hard angle requires levers to either mount pointing down and in if the drops are level, or it requires the drops to be pointed down at a significant angle if the levers are going to be mounted relatively level.




Just mentioning all this since it comes up on a semi-regular basis. One person mounts their bars with the drops at a useless angle, another person aggressively points this out, and disagreement ensues.
Both are right in this instance. Neither are wrong in this instance. And neither are right too. It's all just perspective.


Bars are set up how we use them, even if that's different from the original intended design.

ab_antiquo

I've looked at your pictures with your brake levers pointing at the sky which you claim aren't pointing at the sky due to pictures of some other guy's bars.

I still don't get why someone would want to ride with that kind of setup.

irideiam

You can keep not getting it and mind your own business, you would have been better off simply asking instead of being so aggressive. I am done with trying to explain it to you.

irideiam

thank you!

ab_antiquo

Your photo prompted me to see what Salsa says about their bars and it makes your photos even more perplexing. "The brake/shifter position should be canted downward slightly, resulting in a 20–25° downward angle of the drops."

Additional info: https://salsacycles.com/culture/my_woodchipper_set_up

How do you brake when in the drops?

spdntrxi

Dropper post is a gamechanger

irideiam

1991 Trek 520 Touring frame (Made in Waterloo, USA lugged cro-mo frame), converted to a Gravel Grinder.
The bike is relatively quick for a touring frame and handles more like a CX bike with the 429mm chainstay, but can still handle a 42C tire without finders, 40C with fenders.
All new parts:
-Velocity Dyad / Shimano 105 hubs, custom wheelset
-700x40 Maxxis Rambler DC/EXO TR Gravel
-Rival 1 crankset 42T, 1X11
-Apex 1 rear derailleur, shifter/mechanical levers
-Paul Motolite Brakes (yes they work with the Apex levers)
-Thomson Elite Layback Seat post
-Brooks B17 Imperial
-Salsa Guide Stem & 46cm Woodchipper bars
-Speedplay Drillium flats pedals

Homebrew01

MOD NOTE TO ALL: Let's lighten up on the personal jabs, Thanks

mstateglfr 

Sure, I guess.
My post contained some historical context and modern application to explain how both you and the other poster could both be 'right', but at the same time- I really dont disagree that it looks like your drops are useless for braking, at least for me they would be useless. I would not find the position comfortable due to needing to be lower than I could otherwise be, and snaking my arms under the tops to then cock my wrists upwards.

The drops are pointed to the ground in front of the crank- its pretty severe. If you like it, then more power. It seems though that many set flared bars up with a severe drop angle like this because they are used to riding the hoods and arent used to the bar's design as it was originally meant to have the drops quite level for long periods of riding in the drops. The bars were also then set up higher than usual to account for using the drops so much. As mentioned- the varied bends of bars seems to be great for specific situations, but it appears that many users grab a flare bar and figure they are all the same or something.
This is all just an fyi in case you find yourself seriously uncomfortable 40mi from home because your back and wrists ache from the contorting to use the brakes in the drops(or not being able to use the drops at all). Rotating the bars clockwise may bring you more usable hand positions. Or if you are more flexible than I(which is about everyone), the setup you have may be perfect.

irideiam

Thanks for being reasonable! Makes it easier to respond to you. Works well for me as I can brake in the drops and from the hoods with ease. I have long arms and big hands which may help. I originally had the drops set level and didn't like the feel, I need to check where they are now as that's an older picture while I was still getting everything setup. My guess is they are now set somewhere between what the pictures show and level, either way they are comfortable from my perspective.

mstateglfr 

Hey- as long as its comfortable. Below is an old pic of my brother in law's gravel bike. Its gone thru many changes since this- STIs and flared bars for one thing. Anyways, I think its a '92 750, which was the same frame as the 520 frame. Same brazeons, geometry, etc.
The early 90s 520 and 720 models really are versatile frames.