Easy reach bars

ajoten
ajoten Posts: 321
edited September 2010 in Road buying advice
I read that I'm not the only one to grumble about my Campag Ergolever thingies being hard/impossible to reach when in ergo drops.

Plenty of people are recommending Bontrager variable radius bars as a solution, but I don't know if it's the reach or drop or shape or variableradiusness of these that works so well.

I.e. anyone know of alternatives worth checking out?
Андрю
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Alu is real.

Comments

  • alan_sherman
    alan_sherman Posts: 1,157
    Different shifters. I like he idea of campag, but don't get on with the thumbshifter.
  • ajoten
    ajoten Posts: 321
    Sorry, didn't make myself clear there. I meant alternative bars, not alternatives TO bars. I love the thumbshifters.
    Андрю
    ******************************************
    Alu is real.
  • Ginjafro
    Ginjafro Posts: 572
    If you have small hands, like me, then reach can be a problem. I swapped my original bars for Ritchy Pro-Logic which are shallow drop & short reach. I also added slim shims to my levers.
    Giant XTC Pro-Carbon
    Cove Hustler
    Planet X Pro-Carbon
  • Monty Dog
    Monty Dog Posts: 20,614
    There are a number of 'compact' bars from FSA, 3T and the like - all have shorter reach and drop in comparison to traditional bars. It also depends on angle of bars and where you put the levers on the bars, so worth experimenting a bit too.
    Make mine an Italian, with Campagnolo on the side..
  • huuregeil
    huuregeil Posts: 780
    Classic shallow drops are hands down the best for those with short fingers. Compacts, despite their name and "short reach" (which doesn't refer to brake lever distance at all) are not. The reason is that the levers get clamped onto the ramp and the tightest radius part of the bar is below the lever (compared to a compact bar, where the lever gets clamped at the minimum radius, and the bars are then always moving away from the lever). If that makes sense! Some pictures here:

    http://ruedatropical.wordpress.com/2009 ... -geometry/
  • father_jack
    father_jack Posts: 3,509
    I can't get on with riding on the drops either, maybe size of my hands, angle of the bars or because frame is right size (so drops are much lower) compared to my taller brothers classic mid (larger frame) 80's style road bike.
    Say... That's a nice bike..
    Trax T700 with Lew Racing Pro VT-1 ;-)
  • huuregeil
    huuregeil Posts: 780
    Or maybe the frame is the wrong size?! :-) Seriously, I think comfort in the drops is largely a fit issue.
  • father_jack
    father_jack Posts: 3,509
    don't think so :-P 5'8" 54cm road bike.
    Say... That's a nice bike..
    Trax T700 with Lew Racing Pro VT-1 ;-)
  • TMR
    TMR Posts: 3,986
    huuregeil wrote:
    Or maybe the frame is the wrong size?! :-) Seriously, I think comfort in the drops is largely a fit issue.

    It's largely a 'not having a fat belly in the way' issue actually :)
  • ajoten
    ajoten Posts: 321
    The Mad Rapper wrote:
    It's largely a 'not having a fat belly in the way' issue actually :)

    You've seen me on my bike then...
    Андрю
    ******************************************
    Alu is real.

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