Recently had the handlebar on my bike swapped by a LBS after I ruined the old one in a crash. I know older style levers sit lower on the bar than modern ones but I was having a good amount of wrist pain and had to rotate the bars up to make it comfortable. These levers were perfectly comfy on the original bars too somehow.
Were these mounted too low? Or did they just have the bars at the wrong angle (most people running the Nitto B135’s actually have them at this angle and not with the drops parallel to the ground like they had it).
by kumba830
7 Comments
Bottom of levers in-line with the bottom of the drops. Looks pretty standard to me. No problem rotating the bars up a little like that if it improves fit.
Are they the same exact bars? The different randonneur style bars available all have different reach/drop
Those look good for that style. Designs for old levers like that didn’t really have ergonomics in mind. I’ve always set drop bars with the drops pointing toward the rear axle
Back in the day folks (including me) used to work from the assumption that the bottom of the drops had to be parallel to the ground and the levers had to be mounted exactly half way down the curve of the bar. I assume that like many things this came from the 70s-era racing world. I’d say as long as it isn’t interfering with braking, mount your levers and position your bars in whatever fashion is most comfortable for you.
Do whatever is comfy, but does the pain come when you are riding the drops?
I tend to rotate the bars so that the ends of the handlebars are pointing at the rear axle.
This tends to make the area just behind the hoods nice and flat so my hands don’t try to slide.
If I were writing that bicycle I would raise those bars just a few degrees.
Nice bike! I have mine b135 setup similar to this, I tend to ride on the ramps most of the time and only move forward to the hoods for braking. You could probably improve hood ergonomics with some different or more modern levers but these look in-keeping with the style of the bike so I’d just put up with it cos I’m fickle. Do you have any pics of your old bar setup so you could try and match the angle of the bars/levers?
A good strategy is to go for a ride with tools in your jersey pocket *before you put the bar tape on*. That way you can tweak lever and bar angle to your heart’s content without commitment.
Your setup looks close to what I’d do with those components. Levers look reachable from above and below. But the critical thing is how it suits *you.*