I have spent the past couple of seasons searching for an alternative to drop bars. I started with the classics (Albas and Moustache) but found these to be too wide or too convoluted. After lots of experimenting, I finally settled on classic Porteur bars, set up Moustache-style.
http://m.flickr.com/#/photos/34156114@N05/9146262436/ I am using both the Grand Bois Elysees bar and the Velo Orange Porteur bar, both in the "flipped" orientation. I have the straight section angled down about 10 deg, and the brake hoods are sloped down to provide the lever location/sweep that feels natural for my hands. There are some very subtle differences between these bars, and I like the curve on the VO model just a tad more, but I am comfortable with either one. Porteur-style bars like these typically are set up with reverse brake levers or MTB levers and some sort of a thumb shifter, all of which limits the available hand positions. But the two models mentioned here take normal road bike brake levers and bar-end shifters, leaving the bar's sweep available for a range of hand positions. I also find that the forward position of the brake levers feels more secure and comfortable on a downhill. Cheers, Tom Matchak Glen, NH -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "RBW Owners Bunch" group. To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to [email protected]. To post to this group, send email to [email protected]. Visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/rbw-owners-bunch. For more options, visit https://groups.google.com/groups/opt_out.
