Transition from drop to flat bar tourers

General cycling advice ( NOT technical ! )
mikeymo
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Joined: 27 Sep 2016, 6:23pm

Re: Transition from drop to flat bar tourers

Post by mikeymo »

What's the thing with "Randonneur" bars? As far as I can make out it's to do with riding a lot more on the "corners", where the side to side part of the bar (at 90 deg to the bike frame) turns to become the "ramps". Is that it? Because on my "compact" bars (which I don't really like) that feels like a sort of comfortable position, and would be even more so if the curve was bigger.
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freiston
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Re: Transition from drop to flat bar tourers

Post by freiston »

I like a more upright riding position but I don't like flat bars and I also like to get down for head winds and nice downhill stretches. My usual preferred position on the bar is with my "grip" parallel to the wheel instead of at right angles to it - if I hold a flat bar for too long, I get pain in the wrists. My solution was on the lines of what 531colin suggested - a short stem. There's a lot of variation in different drop bars too. I went for the Velo Orange Grand Course Cru handlebar - it has longer, flatter ramps than most bars and has a decent deep drop; I can have this bar a fair bit higher than a "compact drop" bar but still have the bottom of the bar fairly low (I also find that a lot of modern bars have such short ramps that there is no hand position there - it goes from the flats to the hoods with nothing in between). With this set up, I can be very upright when on the flats, reasonably upright when on the ramps, comfortable but not so upright on the hoods and nice and low in the bends or on the drops.
Disclaimer: Treat what I say with caution and if possible, wait for someone with more knowledge and experience to contribute. ;)
Greystoke
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Re: Transition from drop to flat bar tourers

Post by Greystoke »

As detailed up post I modified my flat bars because they were uncomfortable.
I fitted drops and a short stem. I never use the full drop position so I could fit bull horn bars but the drop bars provide me sufficient hand positions and are very comfortable

As has been suggested, try a shorter stem, lift the handle bars and rotate them a bit so the hoods are nearer.
scottg
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Re: Transition from drop to flat bar tourers

Post by scottg »

markjohnobrien wrote: 3 Apr 2021, 10:00am
Yes, same for me. My dropped bars are much higher than roadies would have and they’ve made some funny comments “but your bars are nearly higher than your saddle” leading to my explaining that it’s a touring bike, etc, etc.
I send them to the Rivendell site, lots of high mounted drops.
Nothing in the rule book says you need to mount drops 12in below the saddle,
unless you're a 20 year old Italian racer.
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PH
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Re: Transition from drop to flat bar tourers

Post by PH »

If you like multi hand positions....
Hand positions.jpg
Jdsk
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Re: Transition from drop to flat bar tourers

Post by Jdsk »

Is that commercially available?

Jonathan
soapbox
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Re: Transition from drop to flat bar tourers

Post by soapbox »

In the Feb/Mar issue of 'Cycle', 2020, Dan Joyce reviwes two urban fixies, and mentions that one of them comes with an option of different bars. This creates a problem if a frame has been designed for flat bars and you put drops on it, or vice-versa, because of the reach. Because frames designed for drop bars are slightly shorter, you may notice a difference in the reach and have to adjust your riding position. Dan explains it better than me, but I've noticed it (and didn't like it) when I changed drops for a flat bar on my commute bike.
PH
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Re: Transition from drop to flat bar tourers

Post by PH »

Jdsk wrote: 5 Apr 2021, 8:49am Is that commercially available?

Jonathan
I saw them advertised at the start of the month :wink:
markjohnobrien
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Re: Transition from drop to flat bar tourers

Post by markjohnobrien »

PH wrote: 5 Apr 2021, 8:05am If you like multi hand positions....
Hand positions.jpg
OMG - looks like the horns of a demented elk.

Lots, and lots, of hand positions.
Raleigh Randonneur 708 (Magura hydraulic brakes); Blue Raleigh Randonneur 708 dynamo; Pearson Compass 631 tourer; Dawes One Down 631 dynamo winter bike;Raleigh Travelogue 708 tourer dynamo; Kona Sutra; Trek 920 disc Sram Force.
Jdsk
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Re: Transition from drop to flat bar tourers

Post by Jdsk »

PH wrote: 5 Apr 2021, 11:02am
Jdsk wrote: 5 Apr 2021, 8:49am Is that commercially available?
I saw them advertised at the start of the month
Did they include a recommended method for taping?

Jonathan
buryman
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Re: Transition from drop to flat bar tourers

Post by buryman »

On 1st April?
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Paulatic
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Re: Transition from drop to flat bar tourers

Post by Paulatic »

Looks like 5 sets of bar ends fitted to a Surly Moloko?
Commercially available but I wouldn’t like to know the weight.
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KTHSullivan
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Re: Transition from drop to flat bar tourers

Post by KTHSullivan »

Thanks for all of the replies certainly some things to ponder.

Cheers Again

K
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531colin
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Re: Transition from drop to flat bar tourers

Post by 531colin »

soapbox wrote: 5 Apr 2021, 11:01am In the Feb/Mar issue of 'Cycle', 2020, Dan Joyce reviwes two urban fixies, and mentions that one of them comes with an option of different bars. This creates a problem if a frame has been designed for flat bars and you put drops on it, or vice-versa, because of the reach. Because frames designed for drop bars are slightly shorter, you may notice a difference in the reach and have to adjust your riding position. Dan explains it better than me, but I've noticed it (and didn't like it) when I changed drops for a flat bar on my commute bike.
I conclude that you like a similar reach with flat and drop bars, as I do. (I used to set up so the flat bar "ends" were the same reach as the drop bar "hoods" )
However, with the majority of mass-produced bikes, bikes with flat bars are set up with shorter reach than bikes with drop bars, because its a fashion imperative for drop bar bikes to ape the bikes that actual world-class professional athletes ride. So I think that a lot of people who say they prefer flats to drops mean they prefer a shorter reach. I think many would be amazed if they actually tried drop bars set up as tourists always have done, ie more or less level with the saddle and relatively short reach.
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531colin
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Re: Transition from drop to flat bar tourers

Post by 531colin »

mikeymo wrote: 4 Apr 2021, 12:05pm What's the thing with "Randonneur" bars? As far as I can make out it's to do with riding a lot more on the "corners", where the side to side part of the bar (at 90 deg to the bike frame) turns to become the "ramps". Is that it? Because on my "compact" bars (which I don't really like) that feels like a sort of comfortable position, and would be even more so if the curve was bigger.
Randonneur bars have a slight up-curve of the (normally straight) centre bit of the bars. It gives a sneaky extra bit of handlebar height. They also have long ramps, by to-days standards.
"Compact" bars are a modern abomination which became necessary as soon as fashion dictated that any bike sold with drop handlebars had to have a stem that was about half as long again as the head tube. Because the hoods were now too far away, and the drops too low, "something had to be done" to get the contact points within reach, while still having the fashionable extra-long stem and extra-short head tube. That was "compact" bars.......short reach, and short drop. Unfortunately, it also did away with one of the hand positions, which was "on the ramps". There even used to be brake levers designed for that hand position...Google "Guidonnet levers".
"Freiston" posts that he likes V.O. grand course Cru bars, because they have ramps long enough for a hand grip. I like bars with long enough ramps to get my hand on, I used Nitto Noodles.
Don't be a fashion victim, get a shorter, higher stem, and bars with longer ramps.
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