As previously said, any road lever will work just fine. The only issue I can see with some brake levers, such as the ones you want, is that the clamping bolt can extend past the nut and dig a little into the bar. I know I have seen marks left behind on my aluminum bars.


Meanwhile, higher end levers avoid this issue with a different nut/bolt arrangement.

My answer was real but it had some comedic elements because you called it a "fixie" which I have to keep deleting and re-writing because it doesn't believe it is a word either and you also claimed that a fixed gear bicycle goes through more stress somehow. If a part is broken don't use it, simple as that. Also as stated earlier don't use carbon bars if you are unsure of them. No point in riding being nervous all the time that your bars will break just to save a smidgen of weight and get a possible small bit of added comfort. The seat posts and stems and such I listed are all perfect ways to add comfort.

As far as brake levers, go out and get yourself some SRAM S-500 levers and be happy, they are extremely comfortable and urklenomically designed and will work fine on a carbon bar and won't have the issues of the bolt digging into the bar as others mentioned. Yeah they do cost money but for a nice place to keep your hands a nice functional piece of equipment that allows you to slow down or stop, they are worth it. I have had them on 3 bikes and will continue using them till Shimano comes out with something similar or better in the ergo department.

Thanks. I wasnt aware of the bolt issue. Will have v to check my tektros to see what that is like. Going to put swapping the bars and stem on hold and decide if my current stem is the right length. I might swap seat posts too as previously mentioned. The Thomson layback seatpost has 16mm offset, and my current one has 25mm offset. If I get the Thomson, should I get a stem that is 10mm longer to make up for the difference in offset?

Dave

No worries. Until you have them installed and torqued down you may not think about it. I would do some measurements before swapping the post, stem and bars. I am unsure what you would need to keep the same position but you may talk to a fitter as they can help out with that. Since there are three variables it may not be as easy as 10mm in stem.

If you are looking to add comfort, again, go with the eeSilk seatpost.

A fitter is a good idea. Had my old LBS look at my road bike after I built it, and they figured out what stem to use. That is my most comfortable bike. I looked up that eeSilk seatpost, apparently it only comes in 27.2mm (my seatpost is 26.8mm).

Dave

Thanks, I'll keep that in mind

Dave

I should have had you turn down my Thomson from 27.2 to 27.0 would have saved me all the hand sanding I did. It was a good workout. They really just shoulda made their 27.0 post silver and saved me the trouble but they didn't!

That would especially be fun with a Thomson layback seatpost :-p

Dave

Aww jeez, Rick! I don't think your supposed to do that.

Can anyone recommend a pair of half finger gloves with really good padding and vibration dampening?

Dave

I really like my Gore gloves all of them but I think I had some power gloves (I cannot remember as I bought them so long ago) I would give those a try if you can. I prefer foam to gel because they gel can deform over time and get lumpy which ain't good but foam seems to go and go.

Giro Strade Dure Supergel

https://www.giro.com/us_en/strade-dure.html

Some vendors call them Strate, with a T instead of a D. I don't know why.

I have ulnar nerve damage in my right arm and the thick gel padding help quite a bit. Shop around for significantly cheaper prices.


-Tim-

Nice, thanks! Does cycling cause that nerve damage?

Dave

I couldn't say but my brother and I were constantly in the emergency room for broken bones, stitches, or some other crazy injury.

Bike ramps over garbage cans, rock fights, hitting trees on our sleds...

My brother pretty much has a glass wrist and I think some kind of nerve damage was inevitable for me. My guess is that cycling sometimes exacerbates the damage I've already done.


-Tim-

I had a pair years back when the Mike Giant collab was fresh off the block. Good gloves, they're a bit on the thin side though and not really insulated if you're looking for warmth.

1) Archetypes or A23s?

2) almost opposite of #1, but since I'm already here...
Am I crazy to even be considering trying some ultra-light, and judging from the disclaimers pretty darn fragile, deeply discounted racing skinnies (that I accidentally found while I was shopping for bigger tires ) for JRA?

Light, supple tires are a joy to ride. They spin up fast, climb like a squirrel and love to be ridden hard.

But they will spoil you and make it difficult to go back. Durability is an issue too, especially in the bigger northern cities where the roads aren't good.

I get only 1200 miles out of a Vittoria Rubino G+ Speed mounted on the rear. Longer on the front. It can get expensive but I found them for $27 each and bought a bunch.

It is an emotional commitment and you have to be willing to not get pissed off if they get destroyed. It's part of the cost of doing business when rolling on high end tires.

Wow - they sure are getting quick to clamp down on any fun around here nowadays, aren't they?

Anyway this whole dilemma is kinda your fault

I've been contentedly riding my Veloflex Masters for years after being converted from an older Vittoria Corsa model - maybe it was Open CX or SC? It was one that when they updated it, they stopped making it with tan walls.

Since I've been riding on the Veloflexes(flexii?) so long that I was feeling the need to change, just 'cos - when I heard about the G+ Corsas when they came out I planned on getting some when I needed to restock on tires. Strangely my, once pretty vulnerable, Veloflex Masters suddenly stopped flatting right around that time. Fast forward a couple years, and now that I finally need some tires - Vittoria is making too damn many varieties of G+ tires now for me to decide.

I read, and reread, your recent analysis of them in the "Great Deal" thread. But when I went shopping I ran into models and descriptions you hadn't mentioned like Competition, Control, 4C, etc. and it just got to be too much.

So upon further consideration, taking into account that I am content with the way they perform and love the way they ride, that lately mine have become seemingly flat-proof, that they are lighter than comparable Vittorias, and with a little shopping are generally cheaper too - I decided to stick with Veloflex. I was shopping for some 28s when I bumped into the racy tires I mentioned. They are nominally 23s, but all the reviewers I found, who universally praise the supple ride and easy rolling as long as you accept their short lifespan and zero puncture resistance, also say they run small, and if I told you the claimed weight you would freak.

I want them - but...maybe not enough. And I still haven't bought any "normal" tires yet...

Should I put a carbon fork on this bike? My only hang-up is that it will raise the front end 12mm.

I don't know, but I bet a bad fit that puts too much weight on the hands can do damage. I remember in my early days my first road bike was too small and I would start to get pain and numbness in my hands, among other places, after a few hours of riding. No bueno

12mm is a lot. I wouldn't do that. Whats wrong with the current fork?

Thinking about a new frame.

option 1: 2019 wabi special moss green. $600 minus fork and headset (already have a wound up fork that perfectly matches wabi's fork specs)

option 2: surly cross check mint green. Only $500 plus I like the color a bit better. This is also more versitile than the wabi (tire clearance, fenders, running it geared at some point etc.) BUT my wound up fork, which I'd like to use, is a full 20mm shorter than the stock cross check fork...

Thoughts?

Putting a Wound Up on a Cross Check is the wrong kind of silly. If you're set on using that fork, the Wabi is the obvious choice.