Another tangential remark: Riding with hands at your hips is the standard position with the Raleigh DL-1 and clones and omafietses. I still don't understand it.
On Sat, May 22, 2021 at 7:13 PM Patrick Moore <bertin...@gmail.com> wrote: > Your metaphors rise almost to the level of literature, and "almost" is not > a putdown, either. Seriously, this gives one a much more "concrete" (how's > *that* for a metaphor?) picture of the Billie versus Boscoe. > > Me, I've no use or desire at all for wide bars with great sweepback; I > always cut non-drop bars down to be comfortable. But I do know the feeling > of being able to hold on to the ends of the bar to stand (or sit) and > torque hard for hills or, around here, sand patches -- I have just now, > after months, put the final perfecting adjustment touches to my flipped and > ruthlessly cut down MAP/Ahearne bar (9 cm stem) (moved the Shimano 600 > levers about 3/4" further toward the (severely trimmed) ends of the bar, so > I can brake with 1 or 2 fingers from the Ergon grips but still wrap fingers > around lever bodies for a forward, more inclined riding position. > > Photos, please. > > On Fri, May 21, 2021 at 9:42 PM Leah Peterson <jonasandle...@gmail.com> > wrote: > >> Hi Friends, >> >> It has been unbelievably windy here in Vegas. My Billie Bars arrived >> yesterday afternoon and I got them installed right away (which I documented >> in a minimally helpful, mostly satirical video on Instagram). But, it was >> too windy to ride. The weather still wasn’t cooperating today, but the >> winds died down enough to let me out for a quick 10 miles with my new >> Billie Bars. I wish I had more time and miles with them, but in the >> interest of people trying to choose bars and stem for their new Platys in a >> hurry, I’ll give you my unvarnished opinion. >> >> The 9 cm stem is going to be just fine, I think. There is enough of a >> reach that I don’t feel cramped in the cockpit (oh, how I hate the term for >> bikes). The Bosco Bars make a statement, like antlers, like a crown. The >> drama queen of Rivendell’s bar line-up, they rise dramatically and sweep >> way back, like a woman lifting her petticoats. That was the first >> appreciable difference I noted between the bars - the Billie is flatter and >> has less reach-back. Understated compared to the dramatic Bosco. But the >> Billie is regal in its own way, too - those curves on either side of the >> clamp are lovely. To use imagery from nature: the Boscos are a buck with >> an impressive rack, the Billies are a bird taking flight. >> >> So, what about the width of those flared 58 cm Billie Bars? Sisters, I >> know we were worried. We said, “They made those wide bars for full-grown, >> broad-shouldered men and what about us?” But I have good news - I think >> you’ll like that flare! It’s not too wide, and I think it is more ergonomic >> the way your wrists meet those bar ends. >> >> Climbing. I love Boscos, but I really do think I had too short of a stem >> for them. I think 11cm would be the ticket and I have a 9. I hated climbing >> with my Boscos because they came back too far and it was awkward. I rarely >> stood on my pedals because the bar ends came back to my hips. Ever ridden >> your bike uphill with your hands behind your hips?! Also, I am a bar >> puller. I pull hard on handlebars when I am really exerting effort to climb >> a hill or to go fast and it was too cramped with the Boscos and a 9 cm >> stem. I would get a sharp pain in my right wrist that would actually make >> me gasp. But not tonight. I can yank those bars all I want - when I’m >> starting from a dead stop, or climbing a hill or racing around on the flats >> below the mountain and NO wrist pain. >> >> I did raise my stem another 1/2 inch to make up for the flattish posture >> of the Billies. It was kind of nostalgic because Albatross was the bar on >> my first Riv, my Betty Foy. I’m sure I’ll make further adjustments, but >> those will come with miles. >> > -- ----------------------------------------------------------------------- Patrick Moore Alburquerque, Nuevo Mexico, Etats Unis d'Amerique, Orbis Terrarum -- 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 rbw-owners-bunch+unsubscr...@googlegroups.com. To view this discussion on the web visit https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/rbw-owners-bunch/CALuTfgux27OJ3MS-UP%2B0HaMPtxqq%3DTeRjn1S048h6LmZ79u9PQ%40mail.gmail.com.
