Praying hamster bars vs tweener bars

[Steve Katona]

Just bought an immaculate 2004 Volae Century. I like everything about
it except the tweener bars. I'm willing to give it 200 miles but my
experience with the praying hamster, V-Rex type bars, seems so much
more comfortable. For instance, if I keep my thumbs wrapped around the
handles at the shifters, my legs brush my thumbnails when I relax and
don't pay attention to a perfect straight line as my thighs go back
and forth. I have the riser set at max and the angle bolt pretty far
out so I can clear with my knees.

Any thoughts will be appreciated.

 

[mike vore]

Steve Katona wrote:
> Just bought an immaculate 2004 Volae Century. I like everything about
> it except the tweener bars. I'm willing to give it 200 miles but my
> experience with the praying hamster, V-Rex type bars, seems so much
> more comfortable. For instance, if I keep my thumbs wrapped around the
> handles at the shifters, my legs brush my thumbnails when I relax and
> don't pay attention to a perfect straight line as my thighs go back
> and forth. I have the riser set at max and the angle bolt pretty far
> out so I can clear with my knees.
>
> Any thoughts will be appreciated.
>
>

I like my "Happy Hamster" bars on my Burley Limbo. I definitely don't like
the stiff arm bars that were on my Bike-e. It's a personal preference. I had
to adjust the 'riser' length and the tilt back to clear my knees, but they
still can touch the brake levers.

On the Limbo the adjustments are many: Riser length, and tilt back (also
affects the 'tiller' effect. Bar droop. Shifter and Brake lever position. And
then also the seat position affects the knee height.

mike


--
Mike Vore
http://www.OhMyWoodness.com
http://mike.vorefamily.net/twr

 

[Bob Hill]

"Steve Katona" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> Just bought an immaculate 2004 Volae Century. I like everything about
> it except the tweener bars. I'm willing to give it 200 miles but my
> experience with the praying hamster, V-Rex type bars, seems so much
> more comfortable. For instance, if I keep my thumbs wrapped around the
> handles at the shifters, my legs brush my thumbnails when I relax and
> don't pay attention to a perfect straight line as my thighs go back
> and forth. I have the riser set at max and the angle bolt pretty far
> out so I can clear with my knees.
>
> Any thoughts will be appreciated.
>


Steve,

I experienced the thumbnail problem that you describe when I switched the
hamster bar on my Rocket to a Bacchetta tweener. The simple solution was to
train myself to always grasp the bar with my wrists rotated inward, so that
in a relaxed state my thumbs point forward rather than inward.

This also keeps my wrists straight, and seems to be a more natural position.

 

[David Martin]

For more handlebar options, try Terracycle at www.terracycle.com


On Sat, 8 Jul 2006 07:01:39 -0500, "Bob Hill" <[email protected]>
wrote:

>
>
>"Steve Katona" <[email protected]> wrote in message
>news:[email protected]...
>> Just bought an immaculate 2004 Volae Century. I like everything about
>> it except the tweener bars. I'm willing to give it 200 miles but my
>> experience with the praying hamster, V-Rex type bars, seems so much
>> more comfortable. For instance, if I keep my thumbs wrapped around the
>> handles at the shifters, my legs brush my thumbnails when I relax and
>> don't pay attention to a perfect straight line as my thighs go back
>> and forth. I have the riser set at max and the angle bolt pretty far
>> out so I can clear with my knees.
>>
>> Any thoughts will be appreciated.
>>
>
>
>Steve,
>
>I experienced the thumbnail problem that you describe when I switched the
>hamster bar on my Rocket to a Bacchetta tweener. The simple solution was to
>train myself to always grasp the bar with my wrists rotated inward, so that
>in a relaxed state my thumbs point forward rather than inward.
>
>This also keeps my wrists straight, and seems to be a more natural position.
>
>

 

[stratrider]

Steve Katona wrote:
> Just bought an immaculate 2004 Volae Century. I like everything about
> it except the tweener bars. I'm willing to give it 200 miles but my
> experience with the praying hamster, V-Rex type bars, seems so much
> more comfortable. For instance, if I keep my thumbs wrapped around the
> handles at the shifters, my legs brush my thumbnails when I relax and
> don't pay attention to a perfect straight line as my thighs go back
> and forth. I have the riser set at max and the angle bolt pretty far
> out so I can clear with my knees.
>
> Any thoughts will be appreciated.

I find the praying hamster steering to be very twitchy. For some,
perhaps that is an advantage. For me, the tweener bars are ultimately
what lead me to SWB bikes. I find them much more forgiving
particularly on high speed decents.

Jim Reilly

 

[Johnny Sunset aka Tom Sherman]

stratrider aka Jim Reilly wrote:
> Steve Katona wrote:
> > Just bought an immaculate 2004 Volae Century. I like everything about
> > it except the tweener bars. I'm willing to give it 200 miles but my
> > experience with the praying hamster, V-Rex type bars, seems so much
> > more comfortable. For instance, if I keep my thumbs wrapped around the
> > handles at the shifters, my legs brush my thumbnails when I relax and
> > don't pay attention to a perfect straight line as my thighs go back
> > and forth. I have the riser set at max and the angle bolt pretty far
> > out so I can clear with my knees.
> >
> > Any thoughts will be appreciated.
>
> I find the praying hamster steering to be very twitchy. For some,
> perhaps that is an advantage. For me, the tweener bars are ultimately
> what lead me to SWB bikes. I find them much more forgiving
> particularly on high speed decents.

On a recumbent bicycle with "T" bars, high speed stability can be
improved by increasing "tiller", but this will make low speed handling
more awkward.

--
Tom Sherman - Behind the Cheddar Curtain
Post Free or Die!

 

[stratrider]

Johnny Sunset aka Tom Sherman wrote:

> On a recumbent bicycle with "T" bars, high speed stability can be
> improved by increasing "tiller", but this will make low speed handling
> more awkward.
>

Hello Tom. Long time no hear. It makes sense to me that by increasing
the length of the "tiller", one can "slow down" the responsiveness of
the steering thereby making high speed steering feel less twitchy.

Jim Reilly