I almost look forward to riding in bad weather because it means I have a perfect excuse to climb aboard my old Bianchi XL EV2, which currently serves as my rain bike (see Rule #12 for more information on bike requirements). Some bikes just seem to fit, and you feel it with every turn of the pedals. Sure, the frame’s about as soft as George Hincapie at the sight of a cobble stone, but I love the way that bike feels – and I always have. That’s something I really love about hand-built bikes – they all have their unique personality; both my Bianchis are hand-built according to (fundamentally) the same geometry, but somehow the EV2 just fits me like a glove.
One of the things that struck me the last few weeks riding the EV2 is that I really like the feel of round bars. Several years ago, I made the switch to FSA K-Wings for my main bike, believing I would never look at round bars again. Not only did I love the comfort of the wide, flat platform at the tops of the bars, but I loved the scalloped perch they make for the hands when riding on the hoods. Imagine my surprise, then, as it recently began to dawn on me that the round bars on EV2 felt bit better in my hands, especially when climbing – both on the tops and the hoods.
It got me wondering about the peculiar choices that Pros seem to make with regards to their handlebar choice. It’s no secret that many Pros are notoriously finicky about their gear and in some cases refuse to upgrade from trusted pieces equipment to a newer model, especially when it comes to the touch points on their bikes. Lance Armstrong famously refused to ride Shimano’s SPD-R line of pedals after pulling out of a pair during the finale of a World Championship Road Race and, to this day, rides an old model of saddle, the Rule-Breaking Concor Lite (which also happens to be the second-ugliest saddle ever made, with the Selle SMP taking the win on that one). Similarly, Damiano Cunego Tom Boonen both refused to upgrade to the Time RSX line of pedals from their Time Impacts because they preferred the feeling of the metal pedal body on the old Impacts (I have a pair of these and they do, oddly enough, feel quite different from the RSX.)
When it comes to handlebar choice, it seems the majority of riders prefer round bars, and many also prefer a classic drop – not to mention aluminum (*shudder*). You have to search pretty hard for a Pro who rides a K-Wing or Cinelli Ram, and it also seems a minority even use an anatomic bend; most claim that the classic drop provides more hand positions. I am not sure I understand this argument; it seems to me that the classic drop would really only offer more places to build up sore spots on your hands when riding in the drops. Are the round drops better for concealing amphetamines? What am I missing?
That aside, I love the look of the classic bar bend, and as I contemplate switching from my K-Wing to a round bar, I find my mind drifting slowly towards a classic bend as well. After all, if it’s good enough for the Brothers Grimpeur, isn’t it good enough for me?
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more than any other component, bars are the thing I loose most sleep over and want to try the most variations of..
yet,
more than any other component, bars are the thing that are the biggest pain in the arse to chop and change between!
For now I compromise: compact fsa.... not quite round not quite ergo.
You can call it what you like, but the Selle SMP is what keeps me on my Merckx.
@TomB
Thanks for popping this old article up into the sidebar.
I've been thinking about trying out some classic bend bars. I'm not sure that I really like the ergo bars that came with my bike - they just don't feel the most comfortable. Last summer I got to the point where I could ride them for a good while at any given time, but so far this year I'm just not feeling them.
Perhaps I just need some more time to get back into form, but I'm not much enjoying the drops right now. I'll use them on descents when I want maximum control, but that's about it. Currently, when I really want to push hard I place my hands on top of the actual shifters, as that gets me into a nice stretched out position, with my back more flat and horizontal.
I'm thinking about trying some bars with less drop, but we'll see how things progress as the summer moves along.
@Marko
Those are the ugliest saddles ever designed. My LBS started carrying those recently. For how ugly they are, they better be the most comfortable thing your ass has ever sat down upon. They look heavy, as well.
@mcsqueak
I've got a set of Rotundos that the lads at 3T sent me; I'll be jotting down my thoughts fairly soon. They're odd at first, but I can't imagine going back to ergo bars after having grown accustomed to the classics. Way mo' bettah.
@frank
Nice, I'd be interested in hearing your thoughts on those.
Now that I have a new saddle on bike #1, I'm going to take the saddle I use to have on it, since it's still in good shape, and put it on bike #2, my old Schwinn that has classic bend bars, and see how I like those for longer rides.
I know it won't be a very good comparison since the bikes are pretty different, but it should be interesting at any rate, and I can see how my hands feel at a minimum. I'm also excited to throw my Speedplay pedals onto the old rig and run her up some hills. For as heavy as she is, I remember her being pretty comfortable to climb with when I was getting started.