swiftycoop

I don't really care for the handlebars on my Electra Cruiser, they aren't uncomfortable, but as I get more miles on my bike I find that I just don't like the hand position of the grips.
Today I stopped by the LBS where I purchased my Cruiser 7D and sat on a Townie. The handlebars on the Townie are a bit shorter and have a different hand angle (don't wrap around as much). I mentioned to the sales person that I liked the feel of the Townie handlebars and was considering putting a Townie bar on my Cruiser. The salesman said no, you can't do that....he says the Cruiser was designed with the larger wider handlebars and if I changed them I would throw off the geometry of the bike and it would not handle well anymore. I'm thinking about calling a BS on that one....but could I be missing something? What do you think? Looking for your expertise on handlebars.

fietsbob

I just hold the bars in my hands, hold them as if in the stem while seated , and form first hand opinions, do what feels best for you..



cannot help you over the internet ... literally a hundred different bars ... center diameter is:[_] ... remaining bar is typically 7/8"..

SquidPuppet

He's full of hooey. Check out a bunch of bars until you find one with a bend that suits your hands and wrists. When holding them out in front of yourself, try to simulate the same distance and height that they would be while on your bike. Height and reach play a big role in how your hands naturally angle themselves. Meaning, a bar that feel great at the same height as your saddle, might feel lousy six inches higher than your saddle.

I use a very specific bar on my bikes and I cut them to the exact width that suits my riding style. I also wrap my bars like roadies do so that I have multiple hand positions available for downhill, uphill, standing, and into the wind.

Experiment and use what fits you.

swiftycoop

Thanks for your help folks, I'm going to try some other styles.

Crossthreaded88

I have heard all the complaints about cruiser bars. Too close, too far apart, and I don't like how it feels. All valid complaints I feel but almost all can be remedied with a few simple adjustments. People transitioning from road or mountain are used to having their hands even with the stem so as a result the bars always feel too close and this is something people generally get used to. Once you've ridden a cruiser for a while you wouldn't have it any other way. Seat height, your height, stem height, and bar angle all can make for an uncomfortable ride. If you are low in the saddle and your bars are flat then your wrists bend at a unnatural angle often just angling the bars down so your wrist is straighter helps a bunch. Having the seat at the proper height helps improve the angle. Sometimes to do this you need to max out your stem to maintain proper height and for tall riders I have even installed a stem extension to get the bar up higher. Here on the West Coast, guys like to point their bar ends straight up in the sky and the seat slammed as a fashion statement I suppose or that's what's comfortable to them. Try any bar/stem combo you want there is no right or wrong just personal taste but do try to experiment with what you have because I've had many an Electra and the bars are unique and super comfy for me.

lhill 

Thank you for your insight Crossthreaded88,I really appreciate your comments and agree that I should try a few adjustments on my Cafe bars before I switch to something else.

SquidPuppet

I've never understood this. To me it looks ridiculous because it's so ergonomically goofy. It's like they deliberately adjusted things as poorly as possible. Reaching out and down naturally positions your palm down and your thumb angled up, like reaching for a door knob or shaking someone's hand. With bar ends angled up and out like that you are forced to flare your elbows WAY out to accommodate, or, contort your wrist into a horrible bend. You'd waste a ton of energy just maintaining the awkwardly inefficient body position. And end up sore. Not to mention the knee abuse.




For the OP...

I like mine sloping down and out so my hands can just fall on them. The amount of "sweep" or pull back angle should allow your elbows to drape where they naturally would, without you being forced to poke them out or to hold them in. So that will vary depending on bar width and the rider's shoulder width.

And get those legs stretched out nice and proper. They'll thank you, and you'll go way faster, way farther, way easier.

Modify the cockpit to suit you while in a relaxed, efficient position. Make it come to you. Don't contort your body to adapt to poorly laid out cockpit.

Crossthreaded88

From best I can tell it's a beach culture oddity. Flat ground so the slammed seat doesn't really impact the knee so much and they almost never have grips so your hands are just draped over the bars ends palm side down. Like "hey what's up dude?" When they need to haul ass, stand up pedaling is the way they go and the grip angle of the bars is really not too bad for stand up pedaling. I do not subscribe to this belief but I can see it's about style as much as anything. It's like wearing your pants half way down your butt I don't get it but millions of kids do. Just glad I don't have to be 16 years old again in this friggin day and age. Here's another off CL notice he had to slide the shifter down the bar to make the cable reach.

Side note your bikes are so clean and concours I'd be afraid to ride them among regular folk (this is a complement)

SquidPuppet

And how!!!

Thanks. It's funny. Lot's of folks assume I baby my bikes because they are clean and scratch free. But the reality is, I ride the snot out of them. Lots of sweat and dirt, jumping up and down curbs, etc. I'm just careful when I park them. I don't understand the mentality of, "Hey, scratches and dents are a normal part of a bike's life. No biggie." To me that just seems more like laziness or lack of care. It's so easy to pay attention.

Yesterday on an unrelated search I stumbled across this photo. To me it epitomizes the perfect ergonomic positioning for casual riding. No, it's not efficient for high performance out-of-the-saddle-climbing, but for cruising and commuting this nails it. I can just feel the comfort. Plus it's a cool photo.

Crossthreaded88

Really, maybe it's a Venice Beach thing. Can't swing a cat by it's tail without hitting someone with their bars like this. (i do not condone the swinging of cats by their tails) I do not subscribe to this set up but people who seem happy as clams about it so to each his own is the order of the day.

Crossthreaded88

Too be sure I believe you ride hard. You must be very tall or like picking low hanging fruit not sure which LOL.

Are your bikes painted or powder coated or some of each?

Great pic Amsterdam I'd say from the bike, how she's dressed, and that blurry post to her right looks like the ones on the canal streets.

J.Higgins 

That's a sweet ride, SP.

SquidPuppet

I find that photo has a bit of a romantic quality too it. I'm drawn to it. Maybe it's because it contains a tall blonde.

All of my bikes are powdered. I have even powdered many of the components, cranks, cogs, stems, rims, seat posts, hubs, handlebars, you name it. It just makes them SHINE, durable as all get out, and a simple wipe to clean them.

I'm very fortunate and super lucky. There is a shop in town that doesn't have a minimum. The owner is a good guy and a motorcyclist, so he "Understands". If I want a small piece done, as long as I'm willing to wait until he is running a big job with the same color, he'll toss it in and charge me five or ten bucks. He does a frame and fork, including media blasting and ALL the prep, for $65.00 and asks for an additional $10.00 if I want a clear coat on top of the color. They come out of the oven at darn near show car quality. I could (and have in the past) paint them myself, but why? I am not skilled enough to achieve that kind of result. And by the time I buy primer, paint, clear, masking tape, and sandpaper, it just doesn't make sense.



This is my 77 Varsity converted to single speed. If it's black or blue, it's powder. I guess that leaves the bolts and spokes.

SquidPuppet

Thank you for the kind words.

Shall I take this opportunity to shamelessly post a photo of it's Caramel colored cousin? Sure I will, because I'm shameless.

'77 Speedster

SquidPuppet

Man oh man oh man oh man. That Le Tour has HUGE potential. Lugged frame with a threaded bottom bracket. Look at that fork with the lovely chrome crown and chrome socks. Gotta rescue those for sure. That baby is a diamond just waiting to be polished.

Get on it. I'm ready to watch the progress.

SquidPuppet

The fork alone has me ready to get started. Shiny rims to match. I'm getting it all planned out.

SquidPuppet

If it was four sizes bigger I'd buy it off you.

Man I love all those old Schwinn colors. I wish I could find exact powder matches for their yellow and orange.

Crossthreaded88

Hey I think I found your next project. A Bridgestone Kabuki Holy bejeezers check out that headtube! I think it's bigger than your '77

SquidPuppet

LOL. That thing is way bigger than my Varsity.

I notice a couple things. Even the spoke reflector is KING SIZE. It's like a foot long.

Also, even though it's an eleven foot frame, look how much seat post is exposed. The owner has to be approaching seven foot tall.

dviada

Call BS on that saleman. If the stem is the same you can switch out the handle bars. Go with handle bars that fit your comfort and riding style!