My wife has had the same Centurion Accordo since 1985..... she would like to ride more upright now.

Can I change her current bike to accommodate her or would changing bikes be the way to go? Her preference is to change the Centurion.... it's the only bike she has ever had, and she loves it.

Flog00, with any luck you can get a mod to move this from the Sales sub-forum for a better shot at an answer.

That's definitely a keeper. The bike is nice, too.

Yes, you can put virtually any kind of handlebars on the bike. Shifting should be easy since she has stem shifters which are independent of the handlebar setup. You'll basically need new handlebars, grips, and brake levers. If you can find handlebars that have the same clamp diameter, you're all set. If you can't find handlebars in a style you want, you can get a quill stem adapter and use a modern stem.

She may decide that a racing seat isn't quite what she wants if she is putting more of her weight on the seat. I would recommend something like this.

Here is an example of what I did with one of my bikes:

Before:


After:

Raise the handle bars with a taller stem.

Also a good, but less radical, idea.

I developed severe back and neck problems so had to go to upright position on my road bike (didn't have the money to buy new bike). Pulled the bars, stem, brake levers and cables off as one assembly and put aside in case I wanted to return bike to original. Replaced these items with suitable components including cut/fitting new cables/housing. Only took about an hour, but I had the replacements at hand. I got everything from parts bin/donor bikes (used new cables) so cost was minimal. Could get expensive if using new parts. Nice part is I can return bike to original easily and quickly. PS forgot to mention I had stem shifters so left them alone and just slid to old ones onto the new stem.

Thanks guys.... sorry I put this in the wrong area.

Doohickie... I showed Stephi your bike...that is just what she wants!

Anyone have some bars like that for sale?

And a sprung Brooks seat?

This forum is the best.


Scott

How about some Velo Orange tourist bars, $24 dollars shipped on Amazon.

Sometimes you get lucky.

Thanks Walter.... although I don't get lucky nearly as much as I used too.

A wider saddle will be nice, as more of her weight will be on the saddle. A sprung Brooks like a B 66 or B 72 might be the ticket.

You can get north roads bars new pretty cheap. Sunlite, Nitto, etc. for alloy. Wald if you don't mind steel. North roads all have a small bit of rise so you probably won't need a taller stem. Then just fit some grips and proper levers.

Getting a wider seat is more or less mandatory because you will be shifting more weight back and need a bit more support back there.

Will the new bars fit the current stem? Does anyone know the clamp diameter on the current stem? It's original.

I like these.... if I get the 23.8mm size can I use the existing brake levers? Or should I put on inverse levers?



VO Left Bank Handlebar
We went a bit wild with the Left Bank handlebar's design. It is a full 49cm wide, 7cm wider than a traditional French bar, but still narrower that many British/American-style bars. The grips flare outward a bit to appeal to the less restrained cyclist. Given its radical nature it can only be named the Left Bank handlebar, after that section of Paris, the Latin Quarter on the left bank of the Seine, that was historically populated by students and leftist philosophers.

The stem clamp diameter is 25.4mm and are bulged, rather than sleeved, so they will not squeak. Polished alloy. Reach is about 18cm.


These bars are available in two tubing diameters, 23.8mm road sized and 22.2mm mountain-bike- sized (clamp area is 25.4mm on both):

22.2mm (MTB-size) bars accept MTB brake levers and clamp-on shifters. They do not work with bar-end shifters. The only inverse levers that work are Dia Compe levers in the 22.2mm size.
23.8mm (road-size) bars accept standard inverse brake levers, standard bar-end shifters, and 23.8mm city brake levers. In short, anything made for road bars fits. They do not accept MTB levers or shifters.

I would not recommend using the existing levers on that style bar. It is possible to use road levers on north roads bars because of the way they are curved, but still more awkward than using the traditional straight levers. The bars pictured lack the curvature of north roads, so they'd likely be even more awkward to use with road levers.

I've done a few of these by just ordering a set of VO bars with the right clamp diameter (many nice upright options to choose from), and a pair of their $12 city levers. Add stem shifters and grips, and Bob's yer uncle.

Only had success re using standard Road levers with Nitto Mustache bars , myself ..

And they are a slight downward drop, from flat, rather than a rise..

CLICK HERE. It's even a ladies model. (I linked to it in my first post; maybe not obvious enough.)

I agree you can always put a taller stem either a Technomic, a kalloy ATB/Hybrid stem which I am fond of or a eve a tall uill adaptor and threadless stem so you can fool with the reach,

You can get taller adaptors but this will give you the basic idea.



This is a hybrid/ATB type stem. Either type can give her both height and reach



The gaudy copper bell has beel replaced with a more tasteful black bell.

I suffer from neck & back pain also and have been trying to find a more comfortable bike to ride as I am have trouble riding my road bikes any great distance, I went with a MTB set up with riser bars & street tires and it was better but not perfect. I then built a hybrid for my neighbor with a set of cruiser bars & seat and I must say that I really like it & I am considering doing it to one of my road bikes to see how I like it. I think with a set of those VO touring bars or something along the same lines wouldn't look bad either as long as I could get them wide enough to fit me. I have a narrow set of Nitto North Roads that I removed from a Cdale ST500 I have if anybody wants to try this, I can't use them.

Glenn



Nitto North Road bars on a Cdale ST500



I built this for a friend that wanted to be upright on his old Fuji road bike, the bars curve towards you.

ok here you go

handle bar $25 https://store.velo-orange.com/index.p...-22-2-dia.html

brake for new handle bar $12 https://store.velo-orange.com/index.p...es-levers.html

if that is not tall enough then higher stem taller, more verticle stem $60 https://www.rivbike.com/product-p/st4.htm or $50 https://store.velo-orange.com/index.p...uill-stem.html

or you can go stem first and keep handle bar, but that is not what I think you want

another brooks to look at is the flyer...essentially a b17 with springs

my version of higher seating position

Nice.

That is exactly what I'm thinking of doing to my hybrid/commuter.

A few year ago, I broke my neck riding (actually, falling) when three guys tried to rob me. Though it hurt like heck at the time, the injury still plagues me today. In fact, I find it difficult to ride with drop bars. Using them, I have to crouch lower than my stiff neck will allow. I can't curl my head up enough, for long, to see where I am going. So...

I tried different handlebars. The mustache bar is comfortable, but seems to make the bicycle feel twitchy. The effect is not awful, but noticeable. None the less, my Motobecane Grand Jubilee is the vintage bicycle I ride the most.


However, when building up my last Junk Bike, which I call Junker II, I learned something truly important to my riding comfort - bullhorns!


I fitted a pair of theme to my Specialized, installed some aero brake levers (nearly identical to the ones on your wife's bike), and voila - near perfect comfort, easy to reach brakes and very easily adjustable to find that sweet spot...