You've answered your own Q., Harry.
Hold the two levers next to one another and you noitice about a cm. + maybe
1/2" longer body section to accomodate the mechanism inside.
So, it changes bar, lever/handle, and stem relationship completely.
Guys like myself who have worked with fitting riders noticed this from the
very beginning and had to compensate accordingly.
The anatomic bars along with various forward throw bars have helped
alleviate some of the difficulties encountered at first .
Ted Ernst
Palos Verdes Estates
CA USA
> This seems a group with enough bikes, including some that are OT, that
> this
> question can be best answered here.
>
> I have the impression that OT brifters, Shimano especially, stretch the
> rider out if the bars had the same reach they used to, long ago,or if
> those
> mostly ugly stems for threadless headsets were as long as gracefull quill
> stems used to commonly be (120-130mm)
>
> Am I mistaken in this, having just grown older and less flexible, or was
> there a change? I'm interested, not just for the history, but because I
> don't recall seeing advice on fitting which would acknowledge and
> compensate
> for the change.
>
> Harry Travis
> Washington, DC
> USA