How do I get the brake hoods flat?

<[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

I've noticed on many bikes that the brake hood is parallel to the
ground, with no transition between it and the top of the bar. (Sorry,
thats the best I can describe it.) When I positioned the lever higher
up on the bar, my "flat" part of the hood was angled up 40-60
degrees. The only way I could get the hood level would be to put it
WAY down on the bend. (I tried that, but it wasn't comfortable.) Is
there a trick to getting it level? Or do I need a special bar or
lever? (I get numbness in my hands when on the hoods for a little
while . . . though its only an issue on my very rare group rides, as I
spend much of my time on my aerobars.)

Why do you want to get the hoods level with the ground, unless this is the
most comfortable position for you?

Quoted message said:

I've noticed on many bikes that the brake hood is parallel to the
ground, with no transition between it and the top of the bar.

Depends on the brand and bend of bar. It's pretty easy on, say, a
Ritchey Biomax (tho I hate their drops) compared to others. Some of
the Nitto bars have delightful flat tops that can transiiton nicely
for ya.

Jambo' [email protected] said:

<[email hidden]> wrote in message

news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

I've noticed on many bikes that the brake hood is parallel to the
ground, with no transition between it and the top of the bar. (Sorry,
thats the best I can describe it.) When I positioned the lever higher
up on the bar, my "flat" part of the hood was angled up 40-60
degrees. The only way I could get the hood level would be to put it
WAY down on the bend. (I tried that, but it wasn't comfortable.) Is
there a trick to getting it level? Or do I need a special bar or
lever? (I get numbness in my hands when on the hoods for a little
while . . . though its only an issue on my very rare group rides, as I
spend much of my time on my aerobars.)

Why do you want to get the hoods level with the ground, unless this is the
most comfortable position for you?

What I meant is having the hoods at the same height as the tops. (The
reason it was uncomfortable when I turned the bar was because the
hoods were in the middle of the bend, with the bar causing lots of
pressure on the inside of my hands.)

Loosen the stem, rotate the bars forward while raising the hoods till
you are happy. If that doesn't make you happy, you will need different
bars. There are billions of bends.

Quoted message said:

Jambo' [email protected] said:

<[email hidden]> wrote in message

news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

Is there a trick to getting [ the hoods ] level? Or do I need a
special bar or lever? (I get numbness in my hands when on the
hoods for a little while . . . though its only an issue on my
very rare group rides, as I spend much of my time on my

Quoted message said:

What I meant is having the hoods at the same height as the tops.

Well, the brand of brakes AND bars makes a difference. I don't know
what levers you are talking about, so I'll discuss the ones i'm most
familiar with ...

1. Don't use ancient nuovo or super-record campy or campy-clone
levers. these levers are just too narrow ("to look kewl ... ! !
!"😉 and i don't think it will ever be comfortable to ride on the
tops of these thumb-splitting campy levers...

2. I prefer Raleigh 1970's bars (GB are similar), they have an
awesome reach (at least 130mm, 85mm drop) and are very flat,
together with weinmann levers. The weinmann (or dia-compe) levers
can be mounted almost level, and the lever flares outwards (more
than campy). Thus, you don't _NEED_ the levers to be flat to give
yourself more space for your hands, the bars with longer reach
give you many extra hand positions to begin with ...

3. Don't use kewl Cinelli Giro D'Italia bars from the 70's and 80's,
the reach on these bars is pathetic, leaving very few hand
positions. This is one of the things that makes old Campy bikes
so uncomfortable to ride (my own included ...)

- Don Gillies
San Diego, CA

Quoted message said:

I've noticed on many bikes that the brake hood is parallel to the
ground, with no transition between it and the top of the bar. (Sorry,
thats the best I can describe it.) When I positioned the lever higher
up on the bar, my "flat" part of the hood was angled up 40-60
degrees. The only way I could get the hood level would be to put it
WAY down on the bend. (I tried that, but it wasn't comfortable.) Is
there a trick to getting it level? Or do I need a special bar or
lever?

Not a 'special' hbar but one that accomodates such a thing, like
Ritchey hbars.

(I get numbness in my hands when on the hoods for a little

Quoted message said:

while . . . though its only an issue on my very rare group rides, as I
spend much of my time on my aerobars.)

Quoted message said:

I've noticed on many bikes that the brake hood is parallel to the
ground, with no transition between it and the top of the bar. (Sorry,
thats the best I can describe it.) When I positioned the lever higher
up on the bar, my "flat" part of the hood was angled up 40-60
degrees. The only way I could get the hood level would be to put it
WAY down on the bend. (I tried that, but it wasn't comfortable.) Is
there a trick to getting it level? Or do I need a special bar or
lever? (I get numbness in my hands when on the hoods for a little
while . . . though its only an issue on my very rare group rides, as I
spend much of my time on my aerobars.)

Are you sure the problem isn't one of bike fit? Are you having to
reach too far forward to get on the hoods? That would put undue
pressure on your hands. Or maybe it's just that since you don't often
use the hoods, you just have not adapted to that particular riding
position?

Just a thought.

Best wishes,

Nigel Grinter
Well-Spoken Wheels Inc.
www.wellspokenwheels.com

In article <[email hidden]>,

(Donald Gillies) said:

Quoted message said:

Jambo' [email protected] said:

<[email hidden]> wrote in message

news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

> Is there a trick to getting [ the hoods ] level? Or do I need a
> special bar or lever? (I get numbness in my hands when on the
> hoods for a little while . . . though its only an issue on my
> very rare group rides, as I spend much of my time on my

Quoted message said:

What I meant is having the hoods at the same height as the tops.

Well, the brand of brakes AND bars makes a difference. I don't know
what levers you are talking about, so I'll discuss the ones i'm most
familiar with ...

1. Don't use ancient nuovo or super-record campy or campy-clone
levers. these levers are just too narrow ("to look kewl ... ! !
!"😉 and i don't think it will ever be comfortable to ride on the
tops of these thumb-splitting campy levers...

2. I prefer Raleigh 1970's bars (GB are similar), they have an
awesome reach (at least 130mm, 85mm drop) and are very flat,
together with weinmann levers. The weinmann (or dia-compe) levers
can be mounted almost level, and the lever flares outwards (more
than campy). Thus, you don't _NEED_ the levers to be flat to give
yourself more space for your hands, the bars with longer reach
give you many extra hand positions to begin with ...

3. Don't use kewl Cinelli Giro D'Italia bars from the 70's and 80's,
the reach on these bars is pathetic, leaving very few hand
positions. This is one of the things that makes old Campy bikes
so uncomfortable to ride (my own included ...)

How do we measure reach? What is a good number for you?
I measured some bars on a horizontal line 110 mm
from the center of the tops to the middle of the
foremost point of the downward bend.

--
Michael Press

Quoted message said:

I've noticed on many bikes that the brake hood is parallel to the
ground, with no transition between it and the top of the bar. (Sorry,
thats the best I can describe it.) When I positioned the lever higher
up on the bar, my "flat" part of the hood was angled up 40-60
degrees. The only way I could get the hood level would be to put it
WAY down on the bend. (I tried that, but it wasn't comfortable.) Is
there a trick to getting it level? Or do I need a special bar or
lever? (I get numbness in my hands when on the hoods for a little
while . . . though its only an issue on my very rare group rides, as I
spend much of my time on my aerobars.)

In my own experience, Nitto Noodle and Ritchey Biomax bars will get
you this position with Campy levers. Dunno about Shimanos, haven't
tried them.

Old-style Cinellis make it impossible, unless the hooks are pointed
down about 45deg.

What bars and levers are you using now?

A lot of modern handle bars and in particular carbon or ergo bend
handle bars allow you to
have the brakehoods parallel to the tops although it is very much
dependant on the bar itself.

If you can find the right bar and set up it will relieve you hand
numbness.

Check out Tom Boonen's setup below - there is a seemless transition
from tops to the brakehoods.
http://www.cyclingnews.com/photos/2006/apr06/roubaix06/index.php?id=boonen_time/IMG_9908

Deda Newtons are the only bar I have found that allows this without
having to have the drops at a very funky angle.

D'ohBoy, who's tried Ritchey, ITM, Easton (close), and Salsa bars
before settling on the Deda's