sjanzeir

Hello everyone,

Apparently, I'm still not in good enough shape to ride my 1.2 as it should be ridden: I find it hard to stay hunched over for any length of time without running into breathing issues, so right now the only position that I can sustain for extended periods of time is the upright position in which I grab the top straight parts of the handlebar. Because the 1.2, like most other later-model road bikes, don't have brake lever extensions like my old Raleigh Flyer (ca. early 1990s) did, braking/stopping still is a challenge.

So I've been researching possible modifications this morning, and figured that, given the 1.2 handlebar's design, a workable solution would be to get these Road Action brake levers. Now, the problem is, Shimano A050 shifters would have been perfect, by the 1.2 has a nine-speed cluster, while the A050s are seven-speed shifters. So I have yet to find similar shifters that could manage nine speeds.

So what do you think?

Jeff Wills

So you want shift levers that fit on the top portion of your drop bars? The Shimano A050 and similar shift levers won't fit- they are for mountain bike handlebars, which are smaller diameter than road bike handlebars.

Your best bet is Paul "Thumbies" shift lever mounts for indexed levers. They are pricey, but it gets you what you want.
https://paulcomp.com/shop/components/thumbies/

This is only one way of installing them- they can also be mounted on top and ahead of the handlebar.

techsensei

Just add cross/interrupter levers to your bike. It won't do anything about the shifters, but you can brake without removing your hands from the tops. Here's ho thy look with brifters:

dsbrantjr

Those brake lever extensions are often called "suicide levers" and I am surprised that they are sold anymore, given today's litigious climate.

If what you are looking for is brake levers that you can actuate from the tops of the bar, there are "cross" or "interrupter" levers which go in line with your existing brake cables and safely actuate the brakes with either lever. Here are a couple of examples: https://www.amazon.com/Tektro-RL720-C.../dp/B0090X36Y0

Brake Levers for Bicycles with Drop (Road) Handlebars from Harris Cyclery (scroll down) Make sure the levers are the correct diameter for your bar.
Edit: techsensei chimed in while I was typing.

sjanzeir

What I specifically want is a solution that separates the braking function from the sifting function, which would allow me to replace the OEM combined brake levers/shifters of the 1.2 with only brake levers that have extensions that run along the straight, top portion of the handlebars, a la classic/vintage road bikes like my Raleigh Flyer:



I must say that those Pauls should fit the bill nicely. They are exactly what I'm looking for: the hinged clamps allow for installation without having to undo and redo the handlebar tape or to bend the clamps way out to the point where one would run the risk of breaking them. So thank you for suggesting them. I will wait and see what other solutions the forum's members have to offer before I go ahead and order a set.

PS: Every picture I've seen of the A050s have them mounted on drop bars!

dsbrantjr

Scroll down to "Extension levers" for an explanation of why this is not such a wise idea. Sheldon Brown's Bicycle Glossary E - F

sjanzeir

@techsensei @dsbrantjr I was "chatting" with a Trek rep the other day and he suggested the exact same solution, which they actually use on a couple of their products. I'm not too thrilled about the 1.2's OEM "brifter" setup, as techsensei put it, thought; it still requires me to change position to shift, whereas separate shifters would allow me to maintain my stature in both the upright and the hunkered-down positions as I shift.

sjanzeir

Yes, I've read that before:

In the years and many thousands of miles that I've used my Flyer as my daily rider, none of these were an issue to me: I could stop and control the bike from any position; I could ride with my hands on the brake lever hoods without any interference form the extensions (but then again I have very small hands for a male,) and the reliability of the Weinmann hardware had always been impeccable. So I'm kind of sticking with what I know here...

SkyDog75

Is it possible your bike's effective top tube length + stem length are extending you too far forward? If you're able to re-position the handlebar by using a stem with a shorter length and/or taller angle, you might be able to ride comfortably with your hands on the brake hoods where you'd be able to brake and shift without having to reach for separate brake levers or shifters.

In other words, instead of moving the controls themselves to the flats, you can move the part of the bar where the controls are to where the flats are. If it's possible, a stem swap is likely a lot cheaper and easier than a lever/shifter replacement.

sjanzeir

That's exactly my problem - being still in too poor a shape, the pot belly that I managed to build over almost two decades of not riding and zero exercise, prevents me from breathing adequately when I'm extended that far. I've replaced the OEM 80mm stem with a 60mm stem that I mounted inverted (meaning the tilt points up instead of down,) which helped somewhat, but not much.

Look, I do realize that the ultimate, ideal solution to my problem is to get fit. But to get to that point is going to take quite some time and a much higher level of commitment than that which I'm willing to make at this time, given my living, financial, and work circumstances. In the mean time, I don't want the bike to be just sitting there. I already bought a costly FX 7.3 that I might or might not have needed just because of this. I actually considered trading it in for the FX (I had already traded an earlier FX 7.0 in for the 1.2 last month for this 1.2) but I just love it too much, and I am driven to get fit; I just can't do it as quickly as I would have liked.

AnkleWork

Two simple facts that you can't defeat:
1. That bike does not fit you.
2. Bicycling to loose much weight can take a very long time, and the poor fit will make it longer.

You will not 'grow into' that bike.

sjanzeir

You're probably right, but 50cm was the smallest size I could get locally without having to make a special order at a considerably higher cost that I couldn't afford. My old Flyer is a 46 or 47 (can't remember exactly, but it had about the same top tube/stem reach, if not slightly longer.

That said, I know for a fact that the way I dress is a major contributor to the problem: Having yet to actually buy cycling attire, I'm still cycling wearing cargo pants and regular everyday polo/T-shirts. The fact is that the cargo pants' non-flexible waist restricts my breathing; I haven't actually tried doing an extended run with flexible-waist bottoms of any kind, but I did sit on the bike for several minutes while wearing normal trainers, and had zero issues breathing.

SkyDog75

I can't see your setup or fit in person, so I was just floating the stem length/angle idea in case it might be helpful.

Along that line of thinking, since you mentioned breathing and not reach as the primary problem, would it be helpful to mount the bars higher instead of closer? There are stem raisers like this one that would allow you to move your handlebar up higher so you're not bent over as far. An adjustable angle threadless stem like this one could accomplish the same thing while giving you a little more positioning flexibility.

AnkleWork

So are you going to fix any of that? An upright commuter with wide tires would get you on the bike more hours per day and provide a better, more comfortable workout. Why did you get a racing style bike for fitness?

sjanzeir

I'm already ahead of you! Which one do you think I'm riding more often?

Jeff Wills

Oh, these shifters! Doofus me, I have a set sitting around waiting for a project. Yeah, they're 7-speed only. They usually appear on department store and other very cheap bikes.

d4vide

Just on looking at the photo of your Trek roadie, it looks like your bars aren't at the correct angle anyway.. I could be seeing wrong but they look like they need to be rotated 'up' a tad.

sjanzeir

Wearing my trainers, I could sit in this position for minutes without feeling short of breath, but then again, I'm standing still in my living room; I need to actually go out and ride in trainer pants to see what I'm like. I wore my tightest-fitting shirt to show in just how bad a shape I've come to be over two decades:









Gravity fit vs. XC fit (whatever those mean):




@d4vide:

gsa103

Yes, exactly. The ends of the drops should point to the rear axle, not horizontal.

techsensei

That is only one method of adjusting the handlebar angle. It is not definitive or necessarily desirable. But it may help in this case.

To the OP: your saddle looks too high; your leg is too extended. The reach to the bars looks okay, but since you feel uncomfortable/too stiff to reach the drops for braking and shifting, other than adding interrupter levers, I suggest installing a stem riser so the bike will be closer in fit to your comfort bike (notice how much higher the bars are in relation to the saddle is on your comfort bike).

HillRider

You have several low cost options to make the bike fit better. First, rotate the bars so the "reach" is horizontal and the drops are pointed slightly downward. Second, an adjustable angle stem can move your bars both higher and closer. I agree that your saddle seems to be a bit too high and adjusting that will help also.

And, yes, you bought the wrong bike, at least at this point in your fitness progression. Get thinner, get fitter and the bike will magically change to fit better.

sjanzeir

Killjoy!

I'll see if I can take a ride on the 1.2 today or tomorrow while more "properly dressed" and report back on if/how that changes anything. I'll also try different saddle/handlebar settings as per the wealth of advice in this thread. Thank you all!

squirtdad

why not just put a different stem on that puts the bars up a little higher? Don't ride in the drops, but do ride on the hoods. Get a pair of bike shorts....or at least compression underwear under work out shorts.

sjanzeir

I just traded in the 1.2 for a bunch of stuff this evening.

My wife concurred with my line of thought: instead of short-circuiting what precious few functioning brain cells that I have over just why the 1.2 and my body just won't play nice with each other, I probably should do something about it; along the lines of getting rid of the 1.2 that's sitting idle and not being ridden and getting something that I actually would enjoy.

So, before I went ahead and placed an ad on a popular local auction site, I thought I should check with the Trek people first. They were nice enough to take me up on a trade for anything I wanted, for the full amount I paid for the 1.2. So I chose a 15" Verve 2, which left me with more than enough credit for a Jet 16 for our driver's little girl in Indonesia, and a Jet 20 with two rim brakes and trainer wheels for the wife; she's only 147cm tall, and has to live with the aftereffects of some serious health issues in her spine and legs. We had her try out an MT 220 and a Precaliber, but she just couldn't mount either of them without any help, and, once she was on the saddle, she just didn't have the dexterity to stay upright without help, so the Jet 20 was the only way we could fulfill her burning desire to get back into cycling.

After I rode the Verve the three kilometers home, my knees were bleeding battery acid. I rode back to the store later and had a discussion on whether I would've been better off on a 17.5". The dude was adamant that I had the seat post set too high and that my knees were locking at BTC. To his chagrin and the laughter of the staff, I had to take off my pants to prove him wrong; my knees were actually slightly (and optimally, for me, that is) bent at BTC with the seat post set to maximum height. I pointed out to him that this is how I ride my 7.3 and my Shift 2, and that I could do 20kms at a time without feeling even the slightest tingle in my knees.

I solved the problem by trading the Verve's original suspension post with a longer one that made the bike fit me like a glove. The ride home was awesome!