pastorbobnlnh 

No worries about questioning my set-up. I know it does not work for most folks. Yes, I can brake from the drops and my fingers tend to be a bit short.

I'm just a couple of years younger and have some of the same physical issues you've mentioned earlier. I find that I need the bar tops rotated up towards me in order to have a more comfortable wrist position. Experiment with the angle that best suits you. This will of course make the bottom of the drops less flat.


Also, I move the base of the brake levers to the top of the juncture where the tops begin to curve into the drops. This creates a natural place for my hands to rest and braking is easy in this position. When I need to brake from the drops I can slide my hands up to the curve and still reach the levers.

Excuse my poor photoshop skills

You need to take into consideration that my Super Sport is very modified. The stem is from a late '70s early '80s XL Continental. The bars are from '70s era Continental, Super Sport, or Sports Tourer. They are the GB rando bars and my favorite. The levers are late '70s Campagnolo Gran Sport models. All of my cockpit bits are different from your '64 Super Sport.

However, I do own a '64 Continental which probably runs the same bars, stem, and levers. Here's how I set it up, as a comparison to your '64 SS.

(Yes, the fork is bent)

The Golden Boy 

I got my left hand crushed in a freight elevator around 10 years ago. Nothing was actually "broken," but I have nerve damage all throughout the hand and wrist. Riding can be OK, or it can be painful- it's just whatever my hand feels like it's going to do. But vibration and bumps do get it angry.

I have the gel pads under my bar tape- the ones I've used are from Planet Bike.

I use the Brooks "microfiber bar tape." It's padded, but not super puffy paddy like a lot of the cork tapes. (I have similar Ritchey bar tape- but I prefer the Brooks).

I use Planet Bike Taurus biking gloves that has an insert that sort of supports and pads the palm.