terrymorse 

Can we talk about those handlebars?

pepperbelly

???

terrymorse 

That is an "extreme" bar position.


"extreme"


Drop bars usually are not rotated that far upwards.

Same goes for brake levers. Hood placement should enable a neutral wrist position, which I doubt that one does. Also, braking from the drops will be rather difficult.

Maybe the extreme bar position is compensating for another bike fit problem, like too long of a reach?

pepperbelly

I don’t know. It was like that when I bought it used and I never thought about it. I had a bike shop replace the bar tape after I bought it and they never said anything.

Should the bars be rotated forward?
I guess I really should get the bike fit to me.

curbtender

Not a problem. Some people only ride the brake hoods. It has to be pretty windy before you see me in the drops. If you are not sure you can adjust them down to try it out. Here is a good explanation on that...

pepperbelly

I most ride on the hoods but now and then I get into the drops.
If I rotate them forward would the hoods be a further stretch to reach?

t2p

bars could be rotated (down) - ? - and or shifter / brake assemblies could (should) be rotated (down)

good starting point for mounting shifter / brake assemblies is to align the bottom of the brake lever to the bottom portion of the handlebar drop with a straight edge (ruler or whatever) … then go from there … (someone else can probably better describe this and / or provide a visual)

a different stem might be more appropriate for you … a stem with rise (zero or 5 - 15 degrees ?) … maybe the stem could be flipped to provide +5 to 7 (? - can’t determine from the pic) … and/or - shorter stem with a rise could provide a better position for you on the bike and be more comfortable … ? … and then the handlebar and shifter / brake assemblies could be better oriented … shifter / brake assemblies could be lowered on the handlebar drops to provide a better and more neutral position for shifting and braking (from hoods and drops)

curbtender

Yes because the bars will be a little lower. Who ever rolled them back probably liked to ride more upright.

pepperbelly

I will try it. This would be the easiest adjustment to mess with.

SpedFast

I think you'll like it. IN that current config there is almost no way possible you could use the brake levers while in the drops. My old wrists won't bend like that. But brakes aside, I find the drops my goto position for comfort. It didn't used to be like that, but then I come from a MTB background. As I've aged I've gotten lazy and the drops are where I always end up, especially when I get tired and fatigued. Good luck

pepperbelly

Until I rid myself of my “aerobelly” the drops aren’t comfortable but I really want to get this setup correctly.

pepperbelly

Can you show me about how the bars should look? I just want an approximation so I know about how much to adjust them.

big john

Really it matters most if you are comfortable with it but here is a Cannondale with a bar shaped like yours. The bar is rotated a bit further down than yours.
Remember bars come in lots of different shapes and sizes, different reach and drop configurations.

SpedFast

A good starting point is rotating the bars to make the bottom of the drops level with the ground and then rotate them until they feel right for you. Just remember, as mentioned earlier, the more you rotate them up, the closer the hoods come toward you. If they're too close to you you'll find that you're putting more weight on your arms which will affect your wrists and shoulders. There is a sweet spot where you'll find that your arms aren't leaning on the bars and that's what you want. With time and hours in the saddle that will change as your body develops and you lose your 'Aero; physique.

t2p

double yikes !

t2p

another double yikes - this one offers flat bar and drop bar !

t2p

my fav

Wildwood 

Been mulling @non-fixie 's comment about returning for a narrower tire after trying wide (and admiring the eleganté build). Not reading too much into it, but.....

I put 33mm tires on a road bike and felt the sloppier (slower, softer,... IDK the best word) handling was offset by the cushioned ride over rougher surfaces. Fair compromise, I reasoned, for some rides. But not with fast downhills.


I purchased a set of Barlow Pass, lightweight 38mm, but moved the intended bike before the new tires got mounted. I'm almost afraid to mount the 38s on another bike for fear I will further compromise steering for comfort. Ohhh, the distress of indecision. Possibly for the '71 PX10, most others won't accept 38mm.

50PlusCycling

My newest bike. I’ve been averaging about 30 miles per day on this bike. In June I’ll be riding it out to the Hiramatsu hot springs resort in Atami, and in July I will ride it from Wakkanai in Hokkaido to my home in Tokyo. The building in the background behind the bike is the Tokyo National Art Center, which is across the way from my home.

Fredo76

Blue Bella came out nice, I think.

Blue Bella @ Rio Grande
24 1/4 lbs. (11 kg) as shown. Have added bottle cages and a pump since, and will be riding with a spare sew-up under the seat, too. And a little triangle bag, if I can find it. So here it is before it got cluttered up. :-)

ascherer 

Bottom row center is one of my wife's bikes. The rest are my regular riders, in the "grab-and-go" racks in the garage.
Top: Falcon, Paramount, Mercian
Bottom: PX10, Mrs. ascherer's Motobecane, Raleigh Pro Mk I. I have a Shogun touring bike in cold storage that will undergo a transformation and hopefully rejoin the regular rotation.

Wildwood 

Never seen 3 such nice saddle covers. 20' digital image inspection.
Are Easterners more prone to 'covering (pun intended) all bases' than Westerners? - just talking USA of course.

ascherer 

Jandd saddle covers. I started getting them to use while transporting bikes on a car rack, and leave them on the leather saddles while they're at rest. Very sturdy and well-priced even when they're not on overstock sale. I like their tubuar tire carriers and saddle wedges too.

cyclezen

SO a year and 1/2 ago... Are you still riding it? Interested in your thoughts on the Gain (and e-bike roadie thing).
...maybe you've already done a write-up, somewhere else on BF?
Ride On
Yuri

Wildwood 

Thanks for following-up.

The short version is - I really like it, serves my specific purposes and has been 100% reliable, without so much as a flat tire. I did not change a stem or a handlebar or a saddle. Only added an 'off brand' range extending battery, which also has been working without issue. Guessing mileage since Oct '22 at ~2000miles. I have 38mm Barlow Pass tires ready as replacements, for hard 28mm (but no flats)

My specific primary reason for 'needing' an ebike is: the 32mile round trip commute to babysit grandkids proved too tiring for me to be effective with them. I still have a dozen rideable standard road bikes that are used when not 'commuting'. The secondary reason for 'needing' an ebike was to regain the ability to ride The Cascades again (faster than 3 mph uphill for miles). Third reason = I feel more comfortable running errands with less muscle power in my hilly local area. Fourth, I had not bought a new bike in years and with every other road bike base mostly covered why not go motored, electronic shifts, with hydraulic discs? .

My longer comments will follow later tonight.
Commuter Wildwood, recently.

Cascades Wildwood = after climbing to this point, 10 miles more to ~6,200 ft elevation (I think). It was a 3 day cycling weekend using Crystal Mt Resort as a base.


The motor made the mountain trip not only possible, but far more enjoyable. A real aerobic event for me, obviously less muscularly demanding. Maybe sad to some members, but not from my 72yo perspective.

Which offers a segue to the larger topic of ebikes and motors. My opinion is that my 30 lb Orbea Gain, Class1 250w rear hub motor with assist to 13-14mph is perfect for me. Others may want more assisted speed and are willing to buy the extra power and associated additional drivetrain maintenance. I have been - and remain - a guy who likes to pedal, but acknowledges that I can't pedal uphill as well as I would like. Would I want an ebike as my only bike = No, the cycling experience would be lacking. But the road ebike is another arrow in the quiver of cycling's world of satisfaction.


60 years apart (1959 - 2020) not that much change for a pedal bike.