Cinelli model 64 vs. Nitto Noodle model. 177
 

Both are within a cm or two width (44 vs 42). The cinelli matches the 1A stem but the Nitto has a nicer engraving and is polished vs. the milky anodizing of the cinelli. Slight difference in the bends but not much. 1972 Raleigh Professional.

Which would you choose?

https://i.imgur.com/wu4ItPF.jpg

The noodle, every time. If using brake levers not Ergo/STI’s, has maybe the prettiest and easiest top bar transition to the drops while leaving the drop bottoms parallel to the ground.
If matching the stem is an issue for you, get a Nitto Dynamic in the right size & sell the Cinelli stem and bars for about the same price.

FYI , the Noodle was useless for me. Whenever I tried to ride on the "tops", my arms were so convoluted I had to immediately go back to the hoods or the drops. I finally took them off and put on Nitto M151.

I vote 177, they really look the part, work great for me despite looking like they wouldn't. ;)

https://cimg0.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...7ef5668b3d.jpg

2 cm might be a big deal.


Personally, 38s on a nominal 60cm frame.
The way we learned
BITD.
The way we learned to turn
Side-t-side = Using body sway
Balanced in an off-center way
and gentle use of the bars OK.
Still ride them narrow today.
How 'bout you? Eh!?!
;)
https://cimg9.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...9809166eef.jpg
37cm on a 62 frame. (Yeah, I know: trim the housing! Next bar wrap)

177 is my favorite road bar. I would dispute the claim that there isn’t much difference in the bends. The Noodle has a nice flat section behind the hoods, whereas the Cinelli has almost none. It’s the reason I don’t use Cinelli bars anymore. Ymmv - a lot of folks love them. I would use the one that you find most comfortable.

The Giro bar shown is a very late unit btw.
The Nitto 177 is closest to the #66 or #63 Cinelli bend.

IMO- the bends are nothing like each other...

The B177 goes down, then back, then up and stays relatively straight throughout the bend, splaying a little at the end.

The Cinelli goes straight across and over and straight down and back.

B177:

https://cimg3.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...3fffc19767.jpg

Cinelli:

https://live.staticflickr.com/787/41...abf86857_o.jpgCrissCrossCables by Dave The Golden Boy, on Flickr

100% agreed. They are very different. I have a set of noodles, I personally like them.

Noodle 177 Nitto in my opinion. So comfortable!

https://cimg4.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...0d9b6e777.jpeg

I recently picked up a set of Noodles in a lucky parts lot from someone who was clearing out his storage space. I initially thought there was an issue, in that they were worn or bent somehow, because the shape was unlike the Nitto 115's I have used, as well as the Sakae Randonneurs, Ava, or Cinelli drops. I have yet to mount the Noodles, so I can't comment on their comfort, but my point is that the shape is pretty unique.

C64s only work well with old-style levers that have a perpendicular clamp band. Newer levers have a more diagonal clamp and are intended to transition onto ramps that C64s just don't have. I tried to put my first set of Campagnolo Ergopowers on C64s and they were almost unrideable. Got a set of noodles and a 0.2mm thick shim, and life was grand. Later replaced my 1A and its shim with a Technomic, and that's what's on my PX10 to this day.

I say it depends on the bike and intended application. Fast bike? Cinelli 64s. Touring or otherwise not-mach-3 bike? Noodles. From the side, with the drops oriented horizontally, the Cinelli bars slope fairly aggressively (even more so on later ones I've found) while the Noodles are nearly parallel (only modest sloping). That pays dividents for bar-to-brake-hood transition comfort.

The slight angling back before turning forward is twofold bonus, to me. 1) Comfort on the tops--the angle back and slightly down is perfect for cruising comfort. Love it. 2) The angling back while still providing a good longitudinal section before the brake lever cuts down on what would traditionally be a long reach bar. And on some frames where millimeters are crucial, this helps.

The Cinelli bars contribute to the "speed!" look while the Noodles emphasize the serene and horizontal, long-distance aesthetic of a more relaxed-intent bike. Goes really well with fenders. :)

Well, I chose. The milky anodized finish just wasnt doing it for the bike. Seemed to be near unanimous agreement on the noodles.

https://i.imgur.com/Z94ERra.jpg

Looks perfect 🔥🔥

If you ignore the tops angling back and a little bit down in the Noodle and only look at them from the side, the noodle has what was once called the Maes bend. For its 1952 Super Lenton and its siblings from Rudge and Humber, that design was called "Sylvere Maes," who was a rider of the day. If you add in the top bends of the Noodle, you have something rather unique. I find a 40 cm noodle works very well for me with Ergopowers.

The side view of the 64 is what used to be called either a TdF bend or a Giro d'Italia bend. I don't think they ever worked for me regardless of the lever style. I've always used tops and hoods more than drops and hooks, and those steep hoods were a punishment.

Cinelli 64s always have the look, but I've had a tough go as well with the comfort over distance. Any bar of that general set of angles. To get that killer classic side profile while gaining comfort, I'll run the 65s / Criteriums. The hand/palm orientation is essentially the same as it would be on an STI/Ergo lever, with no bar "in the way" of the base of your palm. The track-bar-like bend can be a touch funky to look at depending on the angle (and thickness of bar tape), but it's comfortable on the tops as well and well, it's still a Cinelli bar. :)

I used to buy noodles but I picked up a set of Nitto B135's and I like them better.

Since we are on the topic I installed the NR brake levers. The lever blade tips are in line with the horizontal bottom part of the bar but I am not sure if they should be moved up.

https://i.imgur.com/FTdvsxx.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/Q0A7L3S.jpg

Break lever position is about preference.

That's how I set mine: run a straight edge along the bottom of the drop and the tip of the lever just touches it. Works a charm for my arms and wrists.
https://cimg2.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...1f46d932fd.jpg

Narhay, I think your installed positions are beautiful. I tend to ride on hoods and ramps, going to hooks for panic stops. For me, my hands can handle stopping from hoods with those levers and that position. It also gives me an intuitive feeling of where the brake levers are in a panic stop. Does not happen often, but when it does you need to be good!

I would not change what you have done, those positions would work well for me, even with my small hands. I would not hesitate to tilt up so the Noodle's ramps are level or a bit higher; it's a nice, subtle way to get a bar height adjustment. If it feels like there is a gap between the ramp and the hood, you could try to make a smoother transition contour between ramp and lever body with some leftover tape scraps or gel strips if you have any and then wrap the new bar tape over that. Another option is to consider a so-called "compact" bar which is made for Ergopowers or brifters, but has a flatter hood even than a Noodle, and a sharper radius bend near the ramp with a broader radius for a smooth transition from the hooks to the drops. FSA and 3TTT are good brands for those, but the challenges are to find aluminum and to find non-anodized. I use them on a few not-on-topic bikes and they are right up there with the Noodle/Egopower combination, but they're a decidedly modern design. If this was CR I could not even talk to you about them for fear of "losing my license. lol!"

Actually I may have shown those bikes in the "Retro Roadies with modern Drivetrains" thread, though it would have been added a long time ago. Probably "Road Fan Mondonico" is a good search term.

I guess my best go-fast solution is a Compact bar with a flattened aero top going across, like a 3ttt Superergo in black aluminum.

For me, "fast" is an aspirational term.

A quill stem conversion and a modern compact profile 31.8mm bar that's nice and light is also my go-to for a fast bike bar. It also happens to be stiffer yet more comfortable. All wins.

The lever tips, to me, look like they're below the horizontal drop line by about 1/4".

My question as to moving the levers up or down is: Do you ride on the hoods or in the drops primarily? If in the drops, this will likely work well. If on the hoods, this is/will be grossly uncomfortable as you'll have your palms and wrist cranked up due the the bar with resulting pressure all on the webbed area between your thumb and index fingers. It will also effectively lengthen your reach. In my eyes, that is a double comfort loss--again, assuming you'd want to ride on the hoods. I'm a hoods rider, so I know what I'd do. But it's your bike and your riding/comfort/looks preference.