Originally Posted by
Lenaxia
I'll take a look into those. I do have medium/large sized hands so I am hoping that the drop to brifters reach won't be a huge issue for me. I am wondering though, will the reduced reach affect my positioning significantly? I am 6'4" and if I cut the reach on my bars further I'm wondering if the limitations would hurt on longer rides. The same goes for the compact drops. I guess in the end I'll still have to give it a shot.
The reduction in reach can be compensated for with a longer stem. Generally, go with a 1cm longer stem to keep the same reach as on traditional shaped bars. So if you're looking at a 120mm stem, then go with a 130mm instead.
If you're really not using the drops at all, then you may find you like the less aggressive position of compact drops. But with a proper length cockpit that may change. No way to tell unless you can try it out somehow beforehand. The FSA Compacts do come stock on a number of bikes so that's one place you could look.