Slowtwitch Forums: Triathlon Forum: road bar suggestions

Calendar Retailers Stack & Reach Custom Geometry Calculator Online Training Log
		MAIN INDEX	RULES & LEGEND	LOG IN

Search for (options)

Newsletter Signup

Slowtwitch Forums: Triathlon Forum:
road bar suggestions - attn: Tom D.

jpflores

Oct 6, 08 12:32

Post #1 of 9 (250 views)

road bar suggestions - attn: Tom D.	Can't Post

I know this is a tri forum ----but this is road bike question.

I'm running Easton EC70's on my new rig.

31.8 diameter
44cm width
85mm reach
140mm drop

w/a 120mm stem.

...now that I have about 300 miles on it, I'm coming to the conclusion that I don't like these bars.

The reach is good, on the hoods I feel comfortable and not overly streched out. I like the flat tops, they are comfortable for the rare occasions I'm on the tops .

What I don't like is the anatomic/ergo bend. If I'm in the drops, I'm a bit too far away from the shifters and the hand position forces me to angle my wrists too much. I'd feel more comfortable if my hand was angled further downward (knuckles more parallel to the ground)

Any ideas? Would a shallow drop/traditional bend be a good solution? Any good suggestions on a 31.8 bar with 85mm reach that might work? I know I could get a 80mm reach bar and go to a 130 (or 125 stem), but would rather avoid the expense of buying a new stem and new bars.

Mr. Demerly, I figure you might have some good insight into this hence your name in the subject line.
__________________
JP

http://www.gojpgo.blogspot.com

"When a man says 'I cannot', he has made a suggestion to himself. He has weakened his power of accomplishing that which otherwise would have been accomplished." ~ Muhammad Ali

(This post was edited by jpflores on Oct 6, 08 12:34)

Flak

Oct 6, 08 12:39

Post #2 of 9 (239 views)

Re: road bar suggestions - attn: Tom D. [jpflores] [In reply to]	Can't Post

FSA Omega shallow bars. I love em after going from a deeper anatomic bar.

Ti T'war

Oct 6, 08 12:44

Post #3 of 9 (223 views)

Re: road bar suggestions - attn: Tom D. [jpflores] [In reply to]	Can't Post

I felt the same way about my EC90's.

You could always try moving the hoods down and then rotating the bar.
__________________________________________________
It's T'war like 'car'
http://www.tritwar.blogspot.com
This is your life, and it's ending one minute at a time. - Fight Club

jpflores

Oct 6, 08 12:49

Post #4 of 9 (213 views)

Re: road bar suggestions - attn: Tom D. [Ti T'war] [In reply to]	Can't Post

actually that would make the problem worse, the flat spot of the drop is too vertical which places my wrist at a uncomfortable angle or I have to hunker way down to bend my elbows and straighten my forearms.

If I go the other way and rotate the bars down (to make the flat part of the bar more horizontal) the shifters are too close to the bend making for a weird hand position on the hoods and too short a reach. This was how I initially set up the bike and didn't like it.
__________________
JP

http://www.gojpgo.blogspot.com

"When a man says 'I cannot', he has made a suggestion to himself. He has weakened his power of accomplishing that which otherwise would have been accomplished." ~ Muhammad Ali

Alpern

Oct 6, 08 12:49

Post #5 of 9 (213 views)

Re: road bar suggestions - attn: Tom D. [jpflores] [In reply to]	Can't Post

Several options that might work for you:

If you want to stick with semi-ergo, the 3t ergosum is close to your requirements: 84.5mm reach, 128mm drop. Looks comfy, haven't tried it myself.
Traditional drops: 3t (82.6mm reach, 139mm drop) or Deda (80mm reach, 135mm drop) or Ritchey (82mm reach, 135mm drop)

Depending on your actual lever placement, I think there's more than 5mm variance in effective reach. I've got Deda and Ritchey bars on two different bikes, and the shapes are very similar though not identical. Personally I think the Deda bar is perfect - I run it with nearly flat tops with a nice transition to the hoods, but it still feels very, very comfortable in the drops. Happy to send you pics if you want.
- -- - -- --- -- - -- --- ---- --- -- - -- --- -- - -- -

My NYC Tri Race Report

KarlEtzel

Oct 6, 08 13:06

Post #6 of 9 (182 views)

Re: road bar suggestions - attn: Tom D. [Alpern] [In reply to]	Can't Post

In Reply To

+1 on the 3T Ergosum - have set them up with D/A on one of our demo/rental bikes and they are my new favorite. Similar drop shape to the FSA Wing Pro Compact (which I also like, not as much though) but with round tops, not flat, and a longer run out at the end of the drops.

Silicon Valley Cycling Center http://www.svcyclingcenter.com
Premium Custom Bikes, Bike Fit Specialists
BikeConcierge - Everything for the Traveling Cyclist

jpflores

Oct 6, 08 13:24

Post #7 of 9 (158 views)

Re: road bar suggestions - attn: Tom D. [KarlEtzel] [In reply to]	Can't Post

thanks guys, good suggestions...I'll check these out.
__________________
JP

http://www.gojpgo.blogspot.com

"When a man says 'I cannot', he has made a suggestion to himself. He has weakened his power of accomplishing that which otherwise would have been accomplished." ~ Muhammad Ali

Tom Demerly

Oct 6, 08 14:37

Post #8 of 9 (115 views)

Re: road bar suggestions - attn: Tom D. [jpflores] [In reply to]	Can't Post

Hi jp, sorry it took a while to answer your post.

I share your disdain for ergo bend drop bars. They seem like a good idea but they all seem to locate your hands at just-the-wrong place on the bend, or the "anatomical" angle isn't right for my anaotmy.

As a result I have generally gone with "traditional" or round bend bars. These seem to be fewer and ferther between these days. The one exception I've found that I really like are FSA's compact ergo drop bar. I am using that on my Cervelo Soloist Carbon SL. Cervelo originally speced this bar on their high end road bikes which is where I found them. They have since gone to a 3T spec that I frankly dn't like as much as the original FSA compacts. The compacts do have a lot of "trail" or length in the drop section that I don't necessarily use, but I like the tops (hoods) and the drops on those. They are a good fit for me on that bike which has a little more head tube than many road bikes I'm accustomed to.

The good thing about a road bend bar is your have a lot of rotatonal adjustment and you can put your hands where you want. The bad thing is there will never be as much contact area between your hand and the bar as with a correctly fitted anatomic bend bar.

When it comes to anatomic bend bars I think it is a matter of finding the bend and dimensions that best suit you. Round bend bars tend to have a more universal, albeit less comfortable, fit than ergo bend bars.

I hope that helps- apologize for my rambling answer. Apparently today is the day I was chosen to learn about migraine headaches first hand... :(

http://www.bikesportmichigan.com/
(NOTE: This poster owns a retail business selling triathlon related products).

bootsie_cat

Oct 6, 08 14:46

Post #9 of 9 (105 views)

Re: road bar suggestions - attn: Tom D. [jpflores] [In reply to]	Can't Post

3T rotundo is almost identical to your existing bars- 82mm reach, 140mm drop. Try those and I bet you will never go back to anatomic bars.