CityCyclingEdinburgh Forum » Questions/Support/Help

Struggling to find handlebars, any experts?

(8 posts)
  • Started 3 months ago by Yodhrin
  • Latest reply from Yodhrin
  • This topic is not resolved

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  1. Yodhrin
    Member

    I've been working with Harts to tweak a sweet somewhat adventure-y ebike into more of a comfortable citybike that can handle not living inside the city anymore, but the combination of me being a big bugger and slightly fighting against the "intent" of the bike is throwing up an issue: I want a completely relaxed, upright riding posture, like an old dutch grandad off for his messages, but I can't figure out what bars I need to make that happen. Right now it has the new Gazelle lever-adjustable stem cranked all the way back and a Gusset Beard Bar(750mm wide, 17mm rise, 40 degree sweep, 31.8mm clamp) and when I sit in the relaxed posture I want I still find only the front half of my fingers is resting on the grips, I have to hunch forward to have my hands on the breaks and in easy reach of the controls.

    The issue is I don't know enough to know what I should be looking for - do I need more sweep? More rise? Both? I have found bars with a lot more of both, but they all seem to be 25.4mm clamp size and down more in the 500mm-or-so wide range. General advise or specific recommendations would be most welcome.

    Posted 3 months ago #

  2. neddie
    Member

    Can only speak from Urban Arrow experience, but to get that “upright position”, the pedals need to be far in front of the saddle. It should feel like you’re pedalling on a deck chair, almost half way to the recumbent position.

    Or imagine you are cycling on a hybrid, with the body positioned that way, but with everything in the body and legs rotated backwards through about 22.5 degrees - that is why the pedals have to be in front of the saddle. (If that makes sense)

    Then you need a high handlebar, with the handles curved back towards the rider.

    Unfortunately, I doubt this is possible to achieve without a change of frame…

    Posted 3 months ago #

  3. Yodhrin
    Member

    I don't see why tbh, I can already achieve that riding position, I just can't quite reach the handlebars with my whole hand while doing it - I just need the grips to be ~10-15cm closer to my body than they are and I'd be gucci. EDIT: the frame is an Eclipse, so it's not like the default position is "tour de france quasimodo" or anything.

    Posted 3 months ago #

  4. Dave
    Member

    How about reversing the stem so it points back at the saddle and keeping the existing bars?

    The steering characteristics come from where your hands are relative to the fork steerer and not what's in between

    Posted 3 months ago #

  5. Yodhrin
    Member

    I'm sure Harts could do that, but even if they did tilting the stem further back would also make the bars sit lower down and my knees would start knocking into them, so I'd still need a new set of bars with some extra "height" to them. Maybe I'm just failing to describe things properly?

    Right now I can sit on the bike in the posture I want, back straight, full weight on the saddle, and I can ride and steer the bike, but when my arms are in a comfortable position with my shoulders straight I can't get more than the front half of my fingers on the grips. They're at the right height and angle, the width is good, I just need them to be a few inches closer to my body so I can rest my whole hand on them and reach the brake levers.

    Posted 3 months ago #

  6. Morningsider
    Member

    Dutch bike handlebars tend to be quite narrow, especially compared to the current trend for huge MTB inspired bars. I have ridden a Dutch bike with really swept back bars - like this:

    https://hollandbikeshop.com/en-gb/branded-bicycle-parts/gazelle-bicycle-parts/gazelle-bicycle-handlebar-stem/gazelle-handlebar/gazelle-handlebar-560mm-chrome/

    Not sure if they would fit your clamp, but they are surprisingly comfortable (at pootling speed anyway) and look like they could solve your problem.

    Posted 3 months ago #

  7. doorsgalaxy
    Member

    Velo Orange make a wide variety of swept back bars, many of them with 31.8mm clamp.

    Posted 3 months ago #

  8. Yodhrin
    Member

    Thanks for that doorsgalaxy, the Granola is about the best combination I've found so far at 650 wide, 60 degree sweep, and at least some rise even if only 30mm. I'll pop in to Harts and see if they think those will do the job.

    I actually finally ran across almost-perfect bars yesterday evening, Nitto SimWorks Ramble Bars at 710 wide, 65 sweep, 30 rise also but alas they're a ~120 quid special edition that don't seem to be made anymore, which is about my luck at the moment hah.

    Posted 3 months ago #

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