Changing Handlebars to fit?
07-03-07, 07:40 AM
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Changing Handlebars to fit?
I have been fixing up an old Fugi Allegro with valite tubing. It has been great for commuting. So far all
I have had to do was clean and lube it, but on new bar tape, and get clipless pedas. New tires are still sitting in the garage, figure I will wait to put them on. It is a good size bike. I barely touch bar when I stand over the bar, I am a 30 inch inseam. It feels like a good fit, as I am 6 feet tall and 220lbs and need room to stretch to bars. The handle bars seem narrow at 40cm. I have been thinking about changing the bars to 44cm, in doing so it seems to make sense to get new brake cables and levers so I can grip on top of the levers. Currently everything is 30 years old, brakes have two levers. Stem does not seem replaceable, it looks like an L shape. Is this too much work to get a better fit? I like the look of the old Nitto components, but this bike is for riding, hence the dark blue splotches covering steel once held rust. I ride 25 miles round trip to work, and whenever else I can. I will post a pick, I need to run outside and take one. Thanks for any thoughts you all might have!
I have had to do was clean and lube it, but on new bar tape, and get clipless pedas. New tires are still sitting in the garage, figure I will wait to put them on. It is a good size bike. I barely touch bar when I stand over the bar, I am a 30 inch inseam. It feels like a good fit, as I am 6 feet tall and 220lbs and need room to stretch to bars. The handle bars seem narrow at 40cm. I have been thinking about changing the bars to 44cm, in doing so it seems to make sense to get new brake cables and levers so I can grip on top of the levers. Currently everything is 30 years old, brakes have two levers. Stem does not seem replaceable, it looks like an L shape. Is this too much work to get a better fit? I like the look of the old Nitto components, but this bike is for riding, hence the dark blue splotches covering steel once held rust. I ride 25 miles round trip to work, and whenever else I can. I will post a pick, I need to run outside and take one. Thanks for any thoughts you all might have!
07-03-07, 09:25 AM
#2
GATC
40 cm seems narrow to me. Somewhere I heard a suggestion for bar width in cm matching your chest size for a coat in inches (42 for me, at 5'8" no less).
Lowering your stem would move it forward a bit, but probably not enough. There is a guy in the 'for sale' forum w/ quill stems for sale. I've been poking around thinking about a new one of those for my wife's bike, she's about at the limit of where hers will lift up to, but she still wants it higher/closer. I was only looking at these in terms of up/down height, sounds like you want to focus more on fore/aft length.
Good luck.
Lowering your stem would move it forward a bit, but probably not enough. There is a guy in the 'for sale' forum w/ quill stems for sale. I've been poking around thinking about a new one of those for my wife's bike, she's about at the limit of where hers will lift up to, but she still wants it higher/closer. I was only looking at these in terms of up/down height, sounds like you want to focus more on fore/aft length.
Good luck.
07-05-07, 06:57 AM
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Yea that is what I had heard, arms close to perpendicular from your bars, mine are not close. I am wondering if it makes that much difference, with the brakes I am starting to think having two levers might be safer when I commute?
07-05-07, 08:08 AM
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These;
https://www.rivbike.com/webalog/brakes/15109.html
These:
https://www.rivbike.com/webalog/brakes/15123.html
These:
https://www.rivbike.com/webalog/handl...ape/16111.html
and this in the correct length:
https://www.rivbike.com/webalog/handl...ape/16044.html
I use this setup on my two commuter road bikes and it works great. The small brake levers called interuptor or cyclocross levers are great for riding in traffic. They stop alot better than the old "suicide" levers on older road bikes. The stem and handle bars work great toghether and I use the 46cm size bar. The brake levers work really well with old caliper style brakes and even improve the perofrmance of them as they pull the cables a bit more efficently than the old levers. Throw in some salmon colored cool stop brake pads and you are good to go.
https://www.rivbike.com/webalog/brakes/15109.html
These:
https://www.rivbike.com/webalog/brakes/15123.html
These:
https://www.rivbike.com/webalog/handl...ape/16111.html
and this in the correct length:
https://www.rivbike.com/webalog/handl...ape/16044.html
I use this setup on my two commuter road bikes and it works great. The small brake levers called interuptor or cyclocross levers are great for riding in traffic. They stop alot better than the old "suicide" levers on older road bikes. The stem and handle bars work great toghether and I use the 46cm size bar. The brake levers work really well with old caliper style brakes and even improve the perofrmance of them as they pull the cables a bit more efficently than the old levers. Throw in some salmon colored cool stop brake pads and you are good to go.
