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darrenleroy.
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December 30, 2014 at 9:26 pm #22929
I bought a second-hand Bianchi which features a Record group set. On the hoods I can operate the brake levers easy enough but in the drops I struggle to reach them comfortably (I have small hands). This makes me nervous riding in the drops, especially downhill.
Does anyone know of a way to adjust the levers so they sit closer to the bars for a shorter reach? Or do I have to buy a new pair of levers?
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Flying Scot wrote:I have a
Flying Scot wrote:I have a set of Cinelli ergo bars with Record, and the reach is fine, but the bars have more distance of top curve than yours, the levers are lower down, and the drops are parallel to the floor.I also checked a set of modolo Tao ergo bars I had on the shelf, they’re the same shape as the Cinelli’s, some think going to a shop and looking at different bar shapes is the way forward.
Would you mind posting a pic of your Cinelli bars please? Ta.
therevokid wrote:for a bloke
therevokid wrote:for a bloke i have quite small hands and campagnolo chorus ergos. i did find that
anatomical bars just don’t work. i now have deda newton shallow on one bike and
deda speciale 26 on the other. perfect now !
Apologies for the upside down tape measure ;)Which bars are the ones in the picture and which bars get you closest to the levers?
PonteD
Just a little personal
Just a little personal experience with my new bike to share, I’m still in the process of playing with the setup and getting things just right (I have more important things to spend my money on than a bike fitting session).I was having trouble reaching the brakes on the drops, to the point I was avoiding using them. I’ve since moved my saddle back by about 1cm and tilted the nose up by a couple of degrees (by a couple we’re talking less than 5deg) and suddenly I can reach the brakes, and sitting on the drops is far more comfy.
I’m not suggesting this will help you, but don’t just fixate on the bar position, when the saddle and pedals can have a huge influence on your bars. Obviously if you have the £’s a bike fit will help, but otherwise don’t be afraid to adjust all parts of the bike (just be sure to note the original position in case the new setup doesn’t work).
An update on the saga. I went
An update on the saga. I went to my new LBS and tried a traditional more rounded pair from Deda and it was better. I still struggled to comfortably reach the brakes but was getting closer. The next step will be to look at changing my brake levers. Mine are 10 year-old Records. I hope the newer Campag offerings sit closer to the bar.therevokid
lizardskins dsp race tape …
lizardskins dsp race tape … 🙂Vejnemojnen
darrenleroy
darrenleroy wrote:surly_by_name wrote:darrenleroy wrote:Here’s a pic of the bars.You need to change those bars. Mostly because they are a hideous shape. If it helps you reach levers that;s a good outcome too but mostly you need to change them because it makes my eyes burn just looking at them.
Deda Zeros, with RHM. Short reach/shallow drop. Will allow you to move hoods further forward, thus bringing lever closer to drop (your existing bars seem to fall away very quickly below the point of the triangle formed at the rear of the gear lever – they are almost triangular; I don’t understand how anyone could ever have thought this shape was a good idea) while still running drop parallel to top tube. And don’t look hideous.
What is RHM?
RapidHandMovement
thesaladdays
crikey wrote:Think it’s
crikey wrote:Think it’s Lizard Skins DSP tape…Cool, that’s gotta be it, cheers!
http://www.wiggle.co.uk/lizard-skins-dsp-race-bar-tape/crikey
Think it’s Lizard Skins DSP
Think it’s Lizard Skins DSP tape…surly_by_name
surly_by_name wrote:darrenleroy wrote:Here’s a pic of the bars.You need to change those bars. Mostly because they are a hideous shape. If it helps you reach levers that;s a good outcome too but mostly you need to change them because it makes my eyes burn just looking at them.
Deda Zeros, with RHM. Short reach/shallow drop. Will allow you to move hoods further forward, thus bringing lever closer to drop (your existing bars seem to fall away very quickly below the point of the triangle formed at the rear of the gear lever – they are almost triangular; I don’t understand how anyone could ever have thought this shape was a good idea) while still running drop parallel to top tube. And don’t look hideous.
Eyes burn? Ha ha, I kind of see what you mean. I don’t know how I was talked into buying them apart from being a novice rider. (I also bought a pair of SPD pedals which concentrate all the pressure into one spot and shoes that are too narrow for my feet so my left foot hurts. I suppose you learn from experience but it’s not a cheap experience.)
What is RHM?
thesaladdays wrote:therevokid
thesaladdays wrote:therevokid wrote:for a bloke i have quite small hands and campagnolo chorus ergos. i did find that
anatomical bars just don’t work. i now have deda newton shallow on one bike and
deda speciale 26 on the other. perfect now !
Apologies for the upside down tape measure ;)Sorry for the OT, but that’s some very nice looking bar tape (just as I’m thinking of replacing mine). What is it?
It’s just what I bought from my LBS. I can’t remember the name. I’ll check next time I’m in for you.
surly_by_name
darrenleroy wrote:Here’s a
darrenleroy wrote:Here’s a pic of the bars.You need to change those bars. Mostly because they are a hideous shape. If it helps you reach levers that;s a good outcome too but mostly you need to change them because it makes my eyes burn just looking at them.
Deda Zeros, with RHM. Short reach/shallow drop. Will allow you to move hoods further forward, thus bringing lever closer to drop (your existing bars seem to fall away very quickly below the point of the triangle formed at the rear of the gear lever – they are almost triangular; I don’t understand how anyone could ever have thought this shape was a good idea) while still running drop parallel to top tube. And don’t look hideous.
therevokid wrote:for a bloke
therevokid wrote:for a bloke i have quite small hands and campagnolo chorus ergos. i did find that
anatomical bars just don’t work. i now have deda newton shallow on one bike and
deda speciale 26 on the other. perfect now !
Apologies for the upside down tape measure ;)Sorry for the OT, but that’s some very nice looking bar tape (just as I’m thinking of replacing mine). What is it?
dottigirl wrote:From dealing
dottigirl wrote:From dealing with women who often have this problem:
1. your bars have ‘sagged’. The top of the bar needs to be flat, so undo the stem and reposition, lifting them up.
2. The hoods look to be in the wrong place on the bars, too close to the stem. By moving them down a little, the angle should decrease.
Correct these two and it may be improved.
3. What Abbie says above about slackening the cable – my bite point is two thirds in instead of a third in, which means I have more control and I can grasp the levers first without braking.They only tilt down by a couple of degrees but I’ll give it a go and lower the hoods to see if that helps before taking the pricey option of getting new bars. I think it will help but will it help enough…
So, ahem, it’s not my
So, ahem, it’s not my girlishly small hands, rather it’s a positioning issue combined with buying a pair of ergonomic bars which are useless. My manliness is restored.dottigirl
From dealing with women who
From dealing with women who often have this problem:
1. your bars have ‘sagged’. The top of the bar needs to be flat, so undo the stem and reposition, lifting them up.
2. The hoods look to be in the wrong place on the bars, too close to the stem. By moving them down a little, the angle should decrease.
Correct these two and it may be improved.
3. What Abbie says above about slackening the cable – my bite point is two thirds in instead of a third in, which means I have more control and I can grasp the levers first without braking. -
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