>From the Rome 1972 CYCLING C.O.N.I. manual chapter: Position on the Bicycle:
"Handle-bars. The cyclist who, under stress, bends back in the saddle, spreading himself on the bicycle and thus also stretching his arms, cannot generally speaking adopt handle-bars which are not at least as wide as his thorax; the athlete spread on the bicycle and with his arms straight, may have difficulty in breathing. On the other hand, the athlete who, under stress, <<crouches>> over the bicycle, with his arms bent, can use relatively narrower handle-bars, since this position allows for the effective expansion of the thorax; in this case, the cyclist can use narrower handle-bars than those indicated in the general principle. With the narrower handle-bars, the cyclist is at an advantage, especially in spurts with a numerous group of cyclists, since he has the possibility of passing more easily, when wishing to go ahead or to assume a given position."
.Whew! Lets have some more .
"Apart from the type of handle-bars in relation to the speciality chosen by the cyclist, the sprinter (who covers the final 200 or so meters in apnoea) has handle-bars with a pronounced bend, which allows him to assume a very low-down position; whereas the road cyclist and the pursuer, on the other hand, have handle-bars with a less accentuated bend, thus allowing effective breathing. The aptitude of the athlete under stress may allow a road cyclist to adopt normally curved handle-bars or even with a pronounced curve, provided the cyclist is able to breathe effectively, despite the fact of being crouched over his bicycle. Thus he will have the advantage of being more aero-dynamic (when cycling faster, namely, on the level or in spurts at the finish), while at the same time he can straighten up in uphill stretches (thus improving his breathing possibilities when under stress, uphill)." . (Lets take a breath!) . "On the basis of the aptitudes of the cyclist under stress the angulation of the <<horns>> of the handle-bars to the ground is, within certain limits, more or less accentuated, however always ensuring that the wrists are not bent but placed in a relatively restful position."
Now if that doesn't spell it out! With such a great translation into English! And it even addresses bar angle. How could anyone reading this in the early 70's not be a winning cyclist? You owe it to yourself to get one of these racing manuals and look through it to see just how much of cycling it covers. Great reading if you can wade through it.
Regards,
Dan Artley, dreaming of the Cirque' I'll be missing in Parkton Maryland
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Ever since Aldo showed a pic of Bottechia and his narrow drops tilted downward, I've been thinking how comfortable and sleek he looked in the position he was riding in. His hand positioning seemed rather like a jockey on a race horse holding reins. And the narrowness of the bars seemed a virtue leading to comfort, dexterity and less wind resistance; at least less of all these than I see today with everyone riding with these extremely wide handle bars. I have tended to prefer wide drops myself. But I went out and adjusted a bike with narrow drops and a long quill to this position of Bottechias, slipped the brake levers up a bit, and liked it, despite being 6'2" tall and average shoulder width for that height. It seems that wide bars not only weigh more, but would create a bigger frontal surface to push through the air. Further, wider bars locate a persons hands and arms out wider when staying near today's integrated brake/shifter controls and enhance the sail effect of the body. Why are wide bars so much more in favor now? Or have they always been and I've just been around alot of bikes with narrow drops for small riders?
Don Wilson
Los Olivos, CA USA