s4one

I have always used FSA compact bars and am going to give a traditional bar a try on my new build since a friend of mine has one laying around, which fits me.

From looking at videos online and reading websites, it seem that most people position the hoods a little lower than the top of the traditional bars, producing a little drop maybe 1-2inch until the hoods.

Anyone have any tips or pictures?

THanks

cmill189

I set mine up with a straightedge on the bottom of the drops to the bottom of the brake lever, then adjust to my liking from there.

Here are a couple pictures of my commuter and fun bike...

If you use the hoods a lot, it probably won't be as comfortable as an ergo/compact bend bar with a smooth transition to the hoods. I mostly use the drops so it's a non-issue.

echappist

It depends. That said, here are a few pics.

Tommy D



Jan Anton Pijl:

Gilbert:


And yours truly:

It may seem that there's a flat transition to the hoods, but there isn't. Despite that, i use the hoods the most often, with my forearms parallel to the ground, and it's very comfortable.

FWIW, it was noted in velonews that a traditional set up on a classic round (at least shallow/Italian bends) is as follows: "run a straight edge along the bottom of the drop and place the tip of the brake lever on the straight edge."
Deep bends are also known as Belgian bends. This is what Igor Anton has

scirocco

I think the whole "straight edge alnong the bottom of the drop to the tip of the levers" is not the way to go. It might by good luck work out correct on some bar and lever combinations but IMHO what you do is set the hoods up right first. Even pros spend a large proportion of time in the hoods so that is where the effort should go.

I like to have a flat transition from bar to hood like the Canyon bike in echappist's photos, but that's what you set up first to suit what feels right to you. Then you set the angle of the bars so that the sides of your hands just fall naturally into the bar/hood hollow.

Last of all you see what it's like in the drops. If you don't like what you've got you may have to compromise the hood or bar position.

s4one

Yea I was thinking about the levers being stright with the bottom of the bars, I guess I will try this first then see how things go. thanks!

urbanknight

Yes, most people position them a little lower on traditional bars, but googling pro riders' race bikes will show you that they vary in brifter placement as well as bar angle, both on traditional and on ergo bars. You have to decide what feels best to you, which is why I generally ride without bar tape for a week if I'm trying a new bar or bar set-up. fwiw here's mine when I had a traditional bend.

s4one

Is your bike a bit small for you? Thanks for the tip though!

urbanknight

No, I just have really long thighs but really short shins. I'd actually prefer one size smaller for the shorter head tube, but then the seat tube angle would be too steep.

s4one

cool

spock

I have true traditional bars on my bike (sakae). I have top of the bars angled about the same as drops in the opposite way, kind of like this (>). I've tried drops to be parallel to the road. While an interesting setup, I like them a bit angled. It allows me to have more various hand positions and I like to have the space just under the brake levers where I can grab the bars where my hand grab is positioned straight like holding a vertical object.

RT

I like my drops as close to parallel to the ground as possible, but this often results in what all of these pictures show - the tops end up rolling too far forward. I tried to make up for that by mounting my levers like all of you have, but as a hoodie rider, I always felt like I was falling too far forward. All other aspects of the bike fit are dialed in. I am now at this point: Tops on an even plane with the stem plane, and levers adjusted as a natural extension of the tops. I need more compact bars...

Scooper

Schwinn always recommended installing drop bars with the drops at a 15° angle to horizontal as an initial position. Over many years of sponsoring and fitting professional riders, Schwinn found this position to afford the most number of hand positions with the the elbows slightly bent and wrist straight. An angled wrist cuts off blood circulation and can result in numbness and tingling in the hands and fingers. The optimal drop angle for individual riders turned out to be with the drop ends pointed somewhere between the rear brake bridge and the rear axle for most riders.



Campagnolo recommends adjusting brake levers so that the tips of the levers are lined up with the bottom of the drops.

20grit

Something like that works for me.
Those bars are deeper bars... I'd say that makes scoopers method not work so well.

s4one

Thanks!