Eugene Sloane's "Complete Book of Bicycling" 1974 edition recommends a 10 degree downturn to "the dropped part of the handlebars." He recommends this as a starting point, and then says you should adjust this angle to find the best position. So this is an example of Chuck's observation. Sloane does not qualify the advice for Maes bends, Giro bends, rando bends, or what have you. This further supports that it's only a starting point.
Ken Freeman, Ann Arbor, MI
-----Original Message----- From: classicrendezvous-bounces@bikelist.org [mailto:classicrendezvous-bounces@bikelist.org] On Behalf Of Chuck Schmidt Sent: Wednesday, May 24, 2006 1:17 PM To: Classic Rendezvous Subject: [CR]Now: Bar position Was: Pic of the Day - Ottavio Bottecchia
John Thompson wrote:
> Don Wilson wrote:
>
>
>> I notice that Bottecchia likes to adjust his drops so that the bar
>> ends point down quite abit. Is this a bar position that has come and
>> gone? Or do some of the list members still like this bar position? I
>> don't see anyone in the Tour de France these days tilting their bar
>> ends down so much.
>>
>
> I tilt mine down as well, albeit not quite to the same degree as
> Bottechia's. I find that setting up the drops so they are horizontal
> makes my wrists bend at an awkward angle when riding on the drops;
> tilting the bars down a little allows them to be straighter, and for
> me at least, more comfortable.
Back in the day the cycling manuals would show a side view of a bike with the lower part of the bars pointed down and aimed at the rear axle. That was the position recommended as a starting point.
Chuck Schmidt South Pasadena, Southern California
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