totally lost in handlebar sizing
 

Hello all. I got a Windsor Clockwork recently and while it's currently meeting my biking needs, the drop bars have to go. I ride 2 miles in the morning, which is doable, but on my 7 mile ride back home it gets uncomfortable and my neck starts to hurt from trying to keep my gaze up. So I've been looking into getting mustache handlebars but I'm not sure about the sizing.

Right now I have seen some handlebars that have a 26mm clamp diameter, which is the current diameter of my drop bars. Surely those fit but I have also seen others that are 25.4mm. It's really gonna come down to price for me so if I find that the 25.4mm are more affordable, what would I need to make them fit on my stem?

You could always use a little bit of sheetmetal or buy a bike specific shim to make 25.4 fit in a 26.0 stem. It's done rather often and is quite easy.

Seems like the first thing you should try is just raising the drops you have on there now. Are you riding in the drops the whole time, on the hoods or tops? I'd rather have drops for urban riding (don't know if that's where you ride), just because most mustache bars I've seen are significantly wider - seems a lot easier to me to catch your bars on a rearview mirror (or a pedestrian). Easiest thing to try would be to just flip your stem (assuming the Windsor has a threadless stem, and I'd be shocked if it didn't), that should give you at least a few cm higher position, and best thing, it's free to try.

Otherwise, yeah, any bike shop should be able to sell you a 25.4 -> 26.0 shim. For cheap. Though there shouldn't be a price difference for the same bar in 25.4 or 26.0. And if you have a co-op or decent used bike shop around, you could try buying a few cheap used bars to see what you end up liking. My two cents, anyway.

+1

Most other styles of bars aren't going to be a lot higher than the tops of your drop bars. This sounds like a fit problem. Check out something like the Profile Design Aris stem that can put your bars a bit higher. It may also be that your top tube is too long. A shorter stem can help with that, although something like mustache bars might work too.

+2

It's a fit problem. Often people find relief with straight bars just because that has the same effect as shortening your stem. I would change your stem before the bars -- nice shops will give you some good fit advice and let you swap stems if the first you try isn't right.

+ 1 to raising your stem. For my road bike with drop bars, I like to have the top of my bars 2-3 inches above my seat height. A small piece of soda can will work for a shim.

Thanks to all for your comments. I didn't even consider raising the stem but that might do it. The bars do feel lower than I'd prefer them. I use the top of the handlebars and only use the hoods if I'm going up a hill. I feel like I have no control in the drops so I avoid them. I'll try raising the stem and see how it goes.

But mustache bars look so cute! :)

+3

It's not the bars. It's a bike fit problem. If you change nothing else you will have the same problem with the moustache bars. Follow the advice above, get some shop to help with fitting and experimenting with your set up.

I believe putting mustache bars into your existing stem may make the problem worse, not better. It is usually recommended to get a shorter reach stem when going from drops to mustache bars.

Well, there's no reason not to do that too while you're changing things. If you buy the bars at an LBS, they'll probably be even more helpful with getting the other fit issues straightened out for you.

Each of my bikes has one of these stems 'cause my torso is too short.

This^.

Since your bike is a SS (or fixed), you can just cut a strip of metal from a PBR can.

Fosters works best, the big can means you get more metal per strip. Also, you don't have to drink PBR.

However, swapping to moustache bars will not solve your problems. Moustache bars have something like 5 cm more reach to the primary hand position than drop bars. With the same stem, you will end up far too bend over for comfort.

Girls look cuter in drop bars. Just sayin'.

If you never use the drops, and you don't need them, cut them off. Flop and chop the bars.

I think you should change the bars, because you want to. But I also think you need to check your fit before you make a disappointing change.

Especially when approaching from the opposite direction :P

I agree you could flop and chop. With price as an issue, it is the cheap way to change the handlebars. But that gets you bullhorns not mustache bars, and that's not the solution to her problem. (edit: Glad you pointed that out Bat56)

Absolutely agree with all the sage advice that you have a fit issue not a style-of-handlebar issue. It's possible that raising the stem will work. It's also quite possible that you need a different stem with a different angle and/or length. There are cheap stems out there (<$20). If you need to go that way, at that point you can change your handlebar clamp size to whatever you want.

Getting carried away extrapolating some more:
1) with better fit bars, you may wind up using the drops sometimes (e.g. headwind, or just the occasional hammer), so don't dis' 'em so fast. They are certainly very versatile. Worst case, the drops aren't doing any harm, why should you care if there's a little metal dangling down there?
2) like you, I have drop bars and I ride on the flats a lot. I really like my cross levers. They're a cheap add, probably $$ better spent than screwing with other bars unless you want to go the often style-driven route of bullhorns, mustache, etc. +1 on probably needing a stem change with a move to mustache bars.
3) There are also some very un-stylish touring bars that may give you more comfort.

http://www.bikeforums.net/images/misc/quote_icon.png Originally Posted by mijome07 http://www.bikeforums.net/images/but...post-right.png
Girls look cuter in drop bars. Just sayin'.

Why does it always go downhill?

I agree with the others -- you have a stem issue, not handlebar. If you have a threaded stem, it might be a simple matter of just raising it higher. If threadless, you may be able to flip it or you may have to buy a new one with more rise and/or shorter reach. Keep your drop bars for the time being as you might find that you really like them after raising them with a different stem. Drops bars are really nice for riding in windy conditions, but are only effective if you can comfortably ride with them, which usually depends on the height and reach of your stem. Your best bet would be to find a good bike shop to work with you on this, as they might let you try several different stems to find the one that fits you best.

If you don't think you will ever use the drops, even after raising the handlebar, you might want to chop and flop the bar to make bullhorns as others mentioned. I did this on one of my bikes and really like the bullhorns, particularly for city riding. However, bullhorns kind of suck for riding in windy conditions.

My comment was super-polite. Doesn't matter what the OP chooses. As long as she is riding/commuting and enjoying it, that's all that matters.

I got my first drop-bars bike almost a year ago. It took a while to get used to it, and part of that was pulling the stem up a bit, and in close to the seat. I got something a bit like this guy:

http://store.comcycle-usa.com/Pictur...190&id=8675343

Which lets me put the bars ... not exactly anywhere I want them, but in a pretty wide range of places that might make sense. After having it a while, I adjusted them by 30 degrees, making it a lot more like a traditional road bike, but not quite. Part of this is fitting, and part may be me getting used to a different riding posture. But the adjustable stem is fairly cheap, it's stable, and it was a big help for me.

If she is riding the bike as a fixed gear then an adjustable stem is a very bad idea, I wouldn't trust that type of a stem on my fixie. It's much better to get a solid piece stem that has a little bit more raise in it. Adjustable stems are meant for comfort bikes, not single speeds and fixies.

It's a fit problem.

It might even be a posture problem. Does your spine sag between your shoulders?

I also wonder if you wear glasses.