Non-anatomic handlebars

[Bob]

I find that my fingers cannot reach the brake levers from the drops. I have ITM anatomic bars and
Campy brifters. This is my first road bike.

Would I have an easier reach with the non-anatomic bars?

It seems that nearly all the drop bars made today are the anatomic shape. Why have manufacturers
stopped making the non-anatomic kind?

Bob

 

[Pete Biggs]

Bob wrote:
> I find that my fingers cannot reach the brake levers from the drops. I have ITM anatomic bars and
> Campy brifters. This is my first road bike.
>
> Would I have an easier reach with the non-anatomic bars?

Yes. No question about it. I've used both types with the same Campagnolo levers.

It's first worth trying experimenting with lever position on the bars (altering bar tilt as well if
necessary). Note. 3T Morphe anatomics provide closer reach than most other anatomics.

> It seems that nearly all the drop bars made today are the anatomic shape. Why have manufacturers
> stopped making the non-anatomic kind?

There are a few non-anatomics around but I suppose anatomics dominate simply because they
are popular.

~PB

 

[Bruni]

Ritchey makes a shallow drop "classic". Also, the cheaper mirage ergo levers have a matte finish
that helps small handed folks use friction to take up free play and get that first knuckle around
the lever. Tom

--
Bruni Bicycles "Where art meets science" brunibicycles.com
410.426.3420 Pete Biggs <pbiggmellon{remove_fruit}[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> Bob wrote:
> > I find that my fingers cannot reach the brake levers from the drops. I have ITM anatomic bars
> > and Campy brifters. This is my first road bike.
> >
> > Would I have an easier reach with the non-anatomic bars?
>
> Yes. No question about it. I've used both types with the same Campagnolo levers.
>
> It's first worth trying experimenting with lever position on the bars (altering bar tilt as well
> if necessary). Note. 3T Morphe anatomics provide closer reach than most other anatomics.
>
> > It seems that nearly all the drop bars made today are the anatomic shape. Why have manufacturers
> > stopped making the non-anatomic kind?
>
> There are a few non-anatomics around but I suppose anatomics dominate simply because they are
> popular.
>
> ~PB

 

[Paul Kopit]

On Sun, 07 Dec 2003 17:30:01 GMT, "Bob" <[email protected]> wrote:

>I find that my fingers cannot reach the brake levers from the drops. I have ITM anatomic bars and
>Campy brifters. This is my first road bike.
>
>Would I have an easier reach with the non-anatomic bars?

Yes
>
>It seems that nearly all the drop bars made today are the anatomic shape. Why have manufacturers
>stopped making the non-anatomic kind?

TTT
>
>Bob

 

[A Muzi]

Bob wrote:

> I find that my fingers cannot reach the brake levers from the drops. I have ITM anatomic bars and
> Campy brifters. This is my first road bike.
>
> Would I have an easier reach with the non-anatomic bars?
>
> It seems that nearly all the drop bars made today are the anatomic shape. Why have manufacturers
> stopped making the non-anatomic kind?

Interesting comment.

I was doing a final fit on a new bike yesterday afternoon when the customer pointed out that he was
very uncomfortable reaching the brakes from the secondary position ( normal braking now being from
the top of the lever). We had installed the customer's specified anatomic bar.

I switched the bars to a round style ( we only tape after final fit) and he commented that he had
researched this thoroughly and had seen _no_ normal round bars in the internet.

We have three brands in widths, as do most competent shops. Similarly, I am often told that quill
stems are obsolete and impossible to find. News to me. We ship a hell of a lot of them every month!

The volume MO guys have extremely truncated inventory compared to a genuine LBS but give the
impression that they are all things to all cyclists. Arrrrgh.

Did you ride over to your LBS and look at handlebars?

--
Andrew Muzi www.yellowjersey.org Open every day since 1 April, 1971

 

[David L. Johnso]

On Sun, 07 Dec 2003 21:12:30 +0000, A Muzi wrote:

> The volume MO guys have extremely truncated inventory compared to a genuine LBS but give the
> impression that they are all things to all cyclists. Arrrrgh.

I was about to claim that this was misrepresenting the mass MO guys, but decided to check first.
Nashbar lists exactly 2 quill stems, plus an adapted to use your threadless stem with a threaded
fork..... Go out of you way to make the bike look ugly???

They also have precisely on non-"ergo" bar. It wasn't that long ago that they had a large selection
of quill stems, and lots of bars. Seems that Andrew is right in terms of the inventory. Let's see.
What has changed since last I looked at this? Ah, yes, Nashbar bought Performance (or the other
way??) -- so they essentially have no mass-market competition.

Deal with bike shops -- not only local ones, but real shops.

--

David L. Johnson

__o | If all economists were laid end to end, they would not reach a _`\(,_ | conclusion. --
George Bernard Shaw (_)/ (_) |

 

[David L. Johnso]

On Sun, 07 Dec 2003 23:08:22 +0000, NeauDL wrote:

> Ritchey, Salsa and Deda all make shallow drop, short reach handlebars which should make reaching
> the brake levers easier.

Short reach bars do not make it easier to get your fingers around the brake lever. It is the
distance from palm to lever, not the relative position of them with respect to the tops, that
matters. Short reach only means that the levers, and the drops, are not as far forward of the tops.

--

David L. Johnson

__o | As far as the laws of mathematics refer to reality, they are not _`\(,_ | certain, and as
far as they are certain, they do not refer to (_)/ (_) | reality. -- Albert Einstein

 

[A Muzi]

> On Sun, 07 Dec 2003 23:08:22 +0000, NeauDL wrote:
>>Ritchey, Salsa and Deda all make shallow drop, short reach handlebars which should make reaching
>>the brake levers easier.

David L. Johnson wrote:
> Short reach bars do not make it easier to get your fingers around the brake lever. It is the
> distance from palm to lever, not the relative position of them with respect to the tops,
> that matters. Short reach only means that the levers, and the drops, are not as far forward
> of the tops.

David makes an excellent point. Moreover the new "Salsa"* bar has an extreme anatomic shape that
puts the lever well beyond the reach of a medium hand on the lower section.

*Salsa was at one time the California-made brand of the creative and high quality Ross Schaffer, now
retired. Today it's just another offshore label.
--
Andrew Muzi www.yellowjersey.org Open every day since 1 April, 1971

 

[Qui si parla Ca]

Bob-<< I find that my fingers cannot reach the brake levers from the drops. I have ITM anatomic bars
and Campy brifters. This is my first road bike.

Would I have an easier reach with the non-anatomic bars? >><BR><BR>

Yes, like Ritchey or Terry.

Bob<< It seems that nearly all the drop bars made today are the anatomic shape. Why have
manufacturers stopped making the non-anatomic kind? >><BR><BR>

There are still some around. Most of the people we see still like round, non-anatomic bars tho-

Peter Chisholm Vecchio's Bicicletteria 1833 Pearl St. Boulder, CO, 80302
(303)440-3535 http://www.vecchios.com "Ruote convenzionali costruite eccezionalmente bene"

 

[Qui si parla Ca]

Andy-<< The volume MO guys have extremely truncated inventory compared to a genuine LBS but give the
impression that they are all things to all cyclists. Arrrrgh. >><BR><BR>

No kidding, a call to one and they will tell you 36h hubs don't exist anymore, like XT/XTR
ones...Arrrrghx2

Peter Chisholm Vecchio's Bicicletteria 1833 Pearl St. Boulder, CO, 80302
(303)440-3535 http://www.vecchios.com "Ruote convenzionali costruite eccezionalmente bene"

 

[Bob]

Andrew, which round bar did you use on that bike? Thanks.

Bob

"A Muzi" <[email protected]> wrote in message news:[email protected]... .
>
> I switched the bars to a round style ( we only tape after final fit) and he commented that he had
> researched this thoroughly and had seen _no_ normal round bars in the internet.

 

[David Damerell]

Bob <[email protected]> wrote:
>It seems that nearly all the drop bars made today are the anatomic shape. Why have manufacturers
>stopped making the non-anatomic kind?

Not as trendy.

Nitto still make traditionally shaped bars, which you can get from Rivendell and perhaps other
dealers. I have some Nitto Noodle bars which I am very happy with.
--
David Damerell <[email protected]> Distortion Field!

 

[Bob]

But do the Nitto bars work well with Campy Ergo brifters? Or are they shaped to the non-brifter type
brake levers which Rivendell favors? Are you using your Noodle bars with Ergo levers?

Bob

"David Damerell" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:Qyz*[email protected]...
>
> Nitto still make traditionally shaped bars, which you can get from Rivendell and perhaps other
> dealers. I have some Nitto Noodle bars which I am very happy with.
> --
> David Damerell <[email protected]> Distortion Field!

 

[Michel Gagnon]

A Muzi wrote:
>
> I was doing a final fit on a new bike yesterday afternoon when the customer pointed out that he
> was very uncomfortable reaching the brakes from the secondary position ( normal braking now being
> from the top of the lever). We had installed the customer's specified anatomic bar.
>
> I switched the bars to a round style ( we only tape after final fit) and he commented that he had
> researched this thoroughly and had seen _no_ normal round bars in the internet. ... The volume MO
> guys have extremely truncated inventory compared to a genuine LBS but give the impression that
> they are all things to all cyclists. Arrrrgh.
>
> Did you ride over to your LBS and look at handlebars?

I would partly contradict you. My LBSs do sell round handlebars, and they also sell a few widths,
but you have to know what you order, since all of them hide their stuff behind a counter. No
self-service here and very limited displays (even behind the counter top). So the only way to see a
product is to look on the net or to look at new bikes... and new bikes don't have round bars.

Back to the issue: access to brake levers. Many anatomic handlebars have a tight-radius curve near
the top. One of the effects of that curve is that if you lower the levers a bit, you will get a much
closer reach.

BTW, my normal riding -- and braking -- position is from the drops, which allow a better stability,
especially in bumps and potholes.

Regards,

Michel

 

[David Damerell]

Bob <[email protected]> wrote:
>"David Damerell" <[email protected]> wrote in message
>>Nitto still make traditionally shaped bars, which you can get from Rivendell and perhaps other
>>dealers. I have some Nitto Noodle bars which I am very happy with.
>But do the Nitto bars work well with Campy Ergo brifters?

No idea. I use the brakes that came with the bike, and bar-end shifters - but how peculiar can the
attachment of a brake be?
--
David Damerell <[email protected]> Distortion Field!

 

[BaCardi]

OH YES YOU CAN! The distance to the lever is shorter from the srops measured to the brake lever. So, yes. The brake lever will be easier to reach while riding in the drops. However, the problem now is that when you hit the brakes, the brake lever now has a better chance of touching the handlebar drops of a non-anatomic bar during braking action as compared to using anatomic bars. Especially true with the redesigned Dura Ace 10 STI/brake levers.

 

[Tim McNamara]

A Muzi <[email protected]> writes:

> *Salsa was at one time the California-made brand of the creative and high quality Ross Schaffer,
> now retired. Today it's just another offshore label.

Off the shore of Lake Superior, isn't it? ISTR that Salsa was bought by Quality Bike Parts of
Minneapolis.

 

[Tim McNamara]

"Bob" <[email protected]> writes:

> But do the Nitto bars work well with Campy Ergo brifters? Or are they shaped to the non-brifter
> type brake levers which Rivendell favors? Are you using your Noodle bars with Ergo levers?

I can't comment about the Noodles specifically, but I have used other Nitto bars with Campy Ergo
levers and they are very comfortable. I have large hands (being 6'4" that's not a surprise) and
likes a smooth linear transition from the bar to the tops of the hoods. Only the Campy Ergo shape
gives me a really comfortable for my hands.

 

[A Muzi]

> "A Muzi" <[email protected]> wrote in message news:[email protected]...
>>I switched the bars to a round style ( we only tape after final fit) and he commented that he had
>>researched this thoroughly and had seen _no_ normal round bars in the internet.

Bob wrote:
>Which round bar did you use on that bike?

Profile H20. Not as deep as the other two we had here.

--
Andrew Muzi www.yellowjersey.org Open every day since 1 April, 1971

 

[A Muzi]

> A Muzi <[email protected]> writes:
>>*Salsa was at one time the California-made brand of the creative and high quality Ross Schaffer,
>>now retired. Today it's just another offshore label.

Tim McNamara wrote:
> Off the shore of Lake Superior, isn't it? ISTR that Salsa was bought by Quality Bike Parts of
> Minneapolis.

I'm reasonably certain they are mot made in Minnesota.
--
Andrew Muzi www.yellowjersey.org Open every day since 1 April, 1971