Singlespeed & Fixed Gear - Redline 925 Moustache bars too low

I have commuted twice, 7 miles each way, on my new redline 925 fixed and my palms are still tingling. This is my first fixed bike and its amazing. I love the momentum

My riding position with the moustache bars is very agressive, and as a result I only have 1 hand position on the bars - the straight ends, which makes it feel like drops. The bars are still about 3 inches lower than the seat after changing the stem which increased the height by about an inch.

I am afraid that I may have bought a frame that is too small, 52 cm. I am only 5'6" .
My lbs engineer convinced me that the 54 cm would be too long. He is not a Redline dealer so he did not have the 54 cm in stock for me to try.

Was the 925 designed to be agressive.
I thought about turning the moustache bars upside down so that the straight ends would be about 2 inches higher. Is this crazy? Any other suggestions would be appreciated

Thanks

Yes,
That would be crazy.

Enjoy

Try it out. You may need to swap the brake levers/cables with each other.

Flipping them sounds good. You could also try riser bars, or an even more upright stem.

Or see if you can test out a taller stem for fit - one with a ton of rise. No biggie, but new brake cables might be in order here, too. It'll make a big difference.

edit - oop - ditto that

you get used to being hunched over, i have a good 4 inch drop from the seat on my fixed gear, and 5 inches on my road. if im out on a tour i flip the stem on my road so its only 3.5. also, the harder you ride the less weight will be exerted on to your hands because more of your weight will be placed on your feet.

You also may want to move your saddle back a bit.

Moustache bars always seemed a bit hunchy to me--I've never understood how they could be comfortable. Maybe consider inverted bullhorns with a very long stem? I've seen a few bikes on fgg that do this. The bullhorns point inward, and down. Since you like riding on the ends, you would have that position, and be able to ride on the flats.

try a stem with more rise. They are ugly, but an adjustable stem would let you find the height that suits you. then swap it for the appropriate rise if you can't abide the uggness.

Is this crazy?


Crazy would be to have a SS or fixed that does not have some kind of mod to it!
You are in the norm.
Kenal0

for me anyway, moustache bars had to be raised so high to be comfotable that they just didn't work for me.

i say either raise em up silly high; or just get a set of dropbars. some people love moustache bars but i can't figure out why...

Yeah, the only way I could get comfy with moustache bars was to raise them ridiculously high, even for me.

http://entirely-adequate.com/hooptie.jpg

your saddle might be pointed down too much as well..

Comfort over style.

The guy who owns this bike is the guru of American cycling:

http://img344.imageshack.us/img344/5265/thorn6ev.jpg

The guy who owns this bike is the guru of American cycling:

http://img344.imageshack.us/img344/5265/thorn6ev.jpg

and yet he rides bike which is clearly to small for him ;)

Isn't that a demonstration bike so people c an test ride all different kinds of components?

http://www.stanford.edu/~dru/moustache.html

One question, sutt.

How much seatpost is extended out of your frame? That is one indicator to see if the frame is too small. If it is close to or at the minimum insertion mark, you might want to look into exchanging for the next size up.

Have you tried using a shorter stem? You might be too stretched out, causing you to hunch even lower.

i like the way mustache bars look upside down, in fact, i prefer it.

the frame is the right size.. you just dont dig the 'stache...lots of people dont

When I rode the 9-2-5 the other day, the handlebars almost seemed like they wanted to be flipped- at least aesthetically.

I am 5'6" also, and would buy a 52, I think. I have a very short reach, though. Try flipping them before you get too discouraged. If not, you can always try different handlebars. That size frame should work for you, though.

I finally flipped the mustos and what a diffrerence it makes. The bike feels smoother on rougher pavement, its also a betther configuration for commuting. The next adjustment is to move the brake hoods closer to stem because the curved sections of the bars are now useful. Thanks for all your suggestions

Also, I love the Shimano M24 multipurpose pedals.

I finally flipped the mustos and what a diffrerence it makes. The bike feels smoother on rougher pavement, its also a betther configuration for commuting. The next adjustment is to move the brake hoods closer to stem because the curved sections of the bars are now useful. Thanks for all your suggestions

Also, I love the Shimano M24 multipurpose pedals.

I would like to see a picture with the bars flipped if you don't mind. :)

I left my bars low, but also moved in the hoods.... makes a big difference. My previous bike had an almost completely upright position, so my hands and wrists are still getting used to the addtional pressure... but I like the slightly more agressive position it allows.

Moustache bars always seemed a bit hunchy to me--I've never understood how they could be comfortable. Maybe consider inverted bullhorns with a very long stem? I've seen a few bikes on fgg that do this. The bullhorns point inward, and down. Since you like riding on the ends, you would have that position, and be able to ride on the flats.

The other day I walked into a shop to look at a set of bullhorns, and came out with moustache bars. So far, they're pretty nice. With drops, you have about 3, maybe 4 positons. And the difference between the drops and the hoods are very extreme. Drops feel too low, the hoods too high.

With moustache bars, the variance is not so much up and down, but fore and aft. And there are a wide range of positions. I can put my hands anywhere along the outside part, or on the front part, or anywhere inbetween.

There are two different types of bars that look like moustache bars. The original moustache bars (found on the old bridgestones) have the thickness of a road bar and not very much drop (or ris if you are running them upside down). The second type of moustache style bars are called Albatross bars and have a greater rise/drop and are MTB thickness. The albatross bars are also a little wider and offer alot of different hand positions. I run albatross bars flipped so that they rise up and it is amazing for city riding. Keeping your head up, removing strain on your back and you can still skid by putting your hands up in the curve of the M shape. I really don't understand people who run high stems and drop bars or high stems and dropped moustache bars. Use albatross or riser bars and sit tall without making your stem look nasty. Wald makes a pair of touring bars that are albatross for about $14 and it's chicago made steel.

Flipped is the way to go!

I really don't understand people who run high stems and drop bars or high stems and dropped moustache bars. Use albatross or riser bars and sit tall without making your stem look nasty.

And I have trouble understanding people who will sacrifice function for style. With high drops you have a comfy headsup position on the hoods/tops while still having and aero position on the drops for headwinds and such.

I did it feels way better also use a short stem 90-100MM only.

my friend is bringing her 925 by today so we can swap the moustache bars and drop levers for nitto bullhorns and cross levers.

i (and many i've talked to) feel the moustache bars make you reach too far to reach the brakes. if you're commuting, riding free, riding in traffic, or another situation where you want to keep your hands close to the brakes, you're forced into a stretched out position. not very comfy for many.

my friend is bringing her 925 by today so we can swap the moustache bars and drop levers for nitto bullhorns and cross levers.

i (and many i've talked to) feel the moustache bars make you reach too far to reach the brakes. if you're commuting, riding free, riding in traffic, or another situation where you want to keep your hands close to the brakes, you're forced into a stretched out position. not very comfy for many.
A shorter stem might be an easier (and cheaper) solution.

I am afraid that I may have bought a frame that is too small, 52 cm. I am only 5'6" .
My lbs engineer convinced me that the 54 cm would be too long. He is not a Redline dealer so he did not have the 54 cm in stock for me to try.



Thanks

I'm 5'8" and got a 54. I feel mine is too small as well. I'll be putting on a longer stem, with a more upright angle. I also swapped the stock bars for Nitto's.

Let's get this straight, ok? If the bars are 3 inches below the saddle, that's not an "aggressive" position. Mine (bullhorns) are about 6 inches lower than the saddle, which is pretty much normal for a sporty (60cm) bike.

Plus, the frame size has nothing to do with bar height. You get a frame with correct top tube length,, and then get the stem that puts the bars where you want them. If you want them higher, flip the stem or change the stem. Don't flip the bars.

I guess all this has been said, though. Sorry to be redundant then.

My personal opinion is that changing the stem is the ideal opportunity to take off the moustaches and throw tham as far as you can like a boumerang, except that they won't come back - thankfully. Change it to bullhorns, flatbars, drops, whatever.