modifying/changing drop bars to make tour friendly
03-07-17, 11:50 PM
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modifying/changing drop bars to make tour friendly
Greetings BFers,
I am riding El Camino del Santiago in April. I am relatively new to both road bikes and cycle touring. I have a titanium Davis Carver bike with carbon forks and 105 all around. I love it, but due to lower back fusion surgery, I cannot tolerate riding in the drop (lower) position on the bars, and for such a long ride as el Camino, I need some more options. I can squeeze out about 3 different hand position on top of the drop bars, but I am looking for more options for riding positions. I have shimano 105 integrated brake/shifters. I have looked at some of the various iterations of touring handlebars (mustache, H-Bar, euro trekking bar), but it seems that none would work with my current shifters, and I would have to change out varied brand new equipment--I may be wrong about that. I have looked at stem extenders to bump up the drop bars, but I read something they are not compatible with carbon forks--I may be wrong about that. I have looked at these triathlon type bars to attach to drop bars, but it looked like they would stretch me out further forward and lower, not back friendly. And lastly, from a google search, I have seen where people have mounted ergon grips to the side of the drop bars--but that looks like hell, and not very strong. From my mountain bike, I loved the bull bars you mount on the end of the flat handlebars, and it gives more options for hand positions, but I'm not aware of any that I could mount on the top of the drop bars, as they only secure at the end of the tubes.
Any thought on any of these 'solutions,' or any better solutions would be much appreciated.
Thanks in advance,
Russell
I am riding El Camino del Santiago in April. I am relatively new to both road bikes and cycle touring. I have a titanium Davis Carver bike with carbon forks and 105 all around. I love it, but due to lower back fusion surgery, I cannot tolerate riding in the drop (lower) position on the bars, and for such a long ride as el Camino, I need some more options. I can squeeze out about 3 different hand position on top of the drop bars, but I am looking for more options for riding positions. I have shimano 105 integrated brake/shifters. I have looked at some of the various iterations of touring handlebars (mustache, H-Bar, euro trekking bar), but it seems that none would work with my current shifters, and I would have to change out varied brand new equipment--I may be wrong about that. I have looked at stem extenders to bump up the drop bars, but I read something they are not compatible with carbon forks--I may be wrong about that. I have looked at these triathlon type bars to attach to drop bars, but it looked like they would stretch me out further forward and lower, not back friendly. And lastly, from a google search, I have seen where people have mounted ergon grips to the side of the drop bars--but that looks like hell, and not very strong. From my mountain bike, I loved the bull bars you mount on the end of the flat handlebars, and it gives more options for hand positions, but I'm not aware of any that I could mount on the top of the drop bars, as they only secure at the end of the tubes.
Any thought on any of these 'solutions,' or any better solutions would be much appreciated.
Thanks in advance,
Russell
03-07-17, 11:52 PM
#2
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Get a compact bar, with short reach.
To get a better position, add more spacers and change your stem to a bigger degree, maybe +10 to +17, invert it.
To get a better position, add more spacers and change your stem to a bigger degree, maybe +10 to +17, invert it.
03-08-17, 07:14 AM
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You might be able to slide a set of bar ends onto the drop bars to the ends of the tops, which, depending on how you angled them, might give you another, more comfortable(more upright) grip. Be sure to watch bar diameter---i think road bars tend to be like 26.2 with a 31.8 center, while MTB bars vary.
Zymphad's suggestion of short-reach compact bars is also good---I only have about three-and-a-half inches drop so I am not super low-down aero (I can bend my arms for that) but I can use the drops at least a little despite being hugely fat.
Zymphad's suggestion of short-reach compact bars is also good---I only have about three-and-a-half inches drop so I am not super low-down aero (I can bend my arms for that) but I can use the drops at least a little despite being hugely fat.
03-08-17, 10:29 AM
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Where are you starting? Do you already have a lot of spacers under the stem, or is the steerer cut short? One option might be to buy a fork with an un-cut steer tube and stack spacers up to the safe limit. I do that on my bikes, along with the already mentioned short (90mm) stem angled up.
I also use shallow drop bars on one bike which allows me to stay in the drops for extended periods despite having a stiff lower back and a gut.
I like the bar tops about an inch to an inch and a half below the saddle. Years ago I ran them 4 inches below.
I also use shallow drop bars on one bike which allows me to stay in the drops for extended periods despite having a stiff lower back and a gut.
I like the bar tops about an inch to an inch and a half below the saddle. Years ago I ran them 4 inches below.
