Do the hoods look in the right position (classic bars)

[sefton1275gt]

in an attempt to make the fit of my new bike less aggressive, I’ve just put these new bars on (cinelli giro). I think they might be the shortest reach for classic shaped bars.

As the ramp makes the hoods lower than the stem and the stem a little too long, it’s still a little aggressive for my liking.

I wouldn’t like to rotate the bars anymore or mount the hoods higher as it kills the looks.

If anything I prefer the look when they are mounted even lower on the ramp (but I don’t think my hands and neck would thank me for that.

All my previous bikes have modern compact bars where the levers are mounted parallel to the top of the bar (like a level platform)

 

[TreaderSteve]

Nice looking bike! From what I've gleaned the lower part of the bar is supposed to point to the rear hub. So, maybe rotate them down a tad. Then get down on the drop and bring the lever down until your fingers reach nicely to the lower part of the lever. Hopefully you'll be able to rest on top of the hoods whilst in a 'cruising' position. If you still feel the cockpit's a bit long you could get a shorter stem - the one you've fitted isn't exactly short (nor long neither).

 

[Midlife]

There's a thread on here about mounting classic bars / levers. It's on a Raleigh SBDU so I'll have a search....

 

[sefton1275gt]

Thanks. The stems 110. But I think it’s the fact the top of the hoods seem low compared to my other bikes. But the stem can’t be brought up any higher (it’s on the max line)

 

[dorset boy]

Nice looking bike! From what I've gleaned the lower part of the bar is supposed to point to the rear hub. So, maybe rotate them down a tad. Then get down on the drop and bring the lever down until your fingers reach nicely to the lower part of the lever. Hopefully you'll be able to rest on top of the hoods whilst in a 'cruising' position. If you still feel the cockpit's a bit long you could get a shorter stem - the one you've fitted isn't exactly short (nor long neither).

Cockpit ! It's a bicycle.

 

[Midlife]

Can't find the thread. The bars / levers look in the typical range to me, if all else fails I was taught to point the bottom of the bars at the rear brake bridge and align the bottom of the brake levers with the bottom of the bars.

Campagnolo did an alignment tool which is fairly rare.

 

[dorset boy]

It's how you are made and how you ride,long/short fingers etc. Look at Sean Yates back in the day his position looked strange but certainly worked for him.

 

[foz]

Looks about right to me. General rule is to have the bottom of the drop somewhere between horizontal and pointing at the rear hub, and the levers adjusted so the tip of the levers is in line with the bottom edge of the drops. I'd probably move the levers up slightly on the bars, but then I usually set the end of my drops to be more towards the horizontal. This is one area where I definitely prefer modern bars... bars with a flat forwards curve that just extends into a set of modern levers with flat hoods rather than the old curved type are much more comfortable! They don't look right on this type of bike though

 

[sjcprojects]

I'm surprised that there weren't some more ergonomic bar and lever combinations available, for touring/audax type bikes in particular, but it seems not, really (specifically thinking about flatter tops on drops).

I think I'm right in saying the much more comfortable modern levers and bars only really came about with the advent of STI/Ergopower shifting, because the hoods had to be chunkier to contain the shifting mechanism - so that wasn't even about comfort to begin with!

 

[Sir Neil d'Menture]

General rule is to have the bottom of the drop somewhere between horizontal and pointing at the rear hub, and the levers adjusted so the tip of the levers is in line with the bottom edge of the drops.

That was always the rule. Put the levers on the bars and hold the bottom of the bars against a wall. Then move the levers until they just touch the wall. Job sorted.
But, today's yoof seem to like having levers placed where the top of the hood is almost vertical. Don't ask why - it's probably what some utube influencer says.