what angle should i set my bars at?
and are my ultrega brakes supposed to float? like i can pivot them left and right around the bolt but they straighten when you apply the brakes
thanks for the help
Road nOOb
brokezors
bar angle? / brake Q
road brakes should be mounted tight enough to grab firmly and swing a few degrees from side to side, but not float. If you can't get it tight enough by turning the hex mounting net, put a few washers under the brake. (Don't just brute force the nut on stronger).
I always align mine by manually grabbing the whole thing and pivoting, rather than using the tiny adjustment screw.
re: bars, do you mean what angle of stem you should use? use what feels comfortable… or do you mean what rotation angle of the bars? some people prefer really high hoods, other guys want deep drops, it totally depends on the person and the fit. If you want to play with stem length and angle on a existing bike (without getting a pro fitting) there's some places online you can pick up two or three budget type aluminum stems for $25 each.
"Bicycling is a healthy and manly pursuit with much to recommend it, and, unlike other foolish crazes, it has not died out."
- The Daily Telegraph (1877)
Set your bar at an angle that works for you. Basically, it depends on how much time you spend on what parts of the bar (hoods, tops, drops, curved part of bar).
Also, you have to look at your overall position on the bike. Reach and whether you can grab the levers well at your desired position should also play a factor in your decision. If you're racing, you might also consider aero position.
It used to be considered "cool" to have the tops of brake levers level with the tops of your bars, but comfort is far more important. I'd bring them up (rotate) your bars as far as you feel necessary, without creating a crazy angle on the drops relative to the ground.
"The song of a bird…We used to ask Ennesson to do bird calls. He could do them. How he could do them, and when he perished, along with him went all those birds…"-Return from the Stars, Stanislaw Lem
"We just walk around, and sometimes we go out and dance, and then we listen to the environment."-Ralf Hutter, Kraftwerk
yeah i think im gonna need a shorter stem as its quite a bit of a reach for the drops and my back was sore from myu short ride today. maybe its that im not used to the road position.
how much is a pro fitting and what would they do? where to get one? and is it worth it ?
thanks
brokezors
Back soreness isn't unusual if you're new to road riding. It may take some time to develop the flexibility to stay in the drops for a long time.
When you bought your bike, did you punch your numbers into a fit calculator? How do the measurements on your bike compare? A fit calculator isn't a replacement for a fitting, but it will give some baseline numbers to work with. Also, a fit calculator doesn't take into account the style of riding you do or how much experience you have as a rider.
"The song of a bird…We used to ask Ennesson to do bird calls. He could do them. How he could do them, and when he perished, along with him went all those birds…"-Return from the Stars, Stanislaw Lem
"We just walk around, and sometimes we go out and dance, and then we listen to the environment."-Ralf Hutter, Kraftwerk
Hard to say if a pro fitting is worth it. I'd say definitely go for it if you're clueless/ripe beginner or you're having biomechanical problems, or you're racing.
"The song of a bird…We used to ask Ennesson to do bird calls. He could do them. How he could do them, and when he perished, along with him went all those birds…"-Return from the Stars, Stanislaw Lem
"We just walk around, and sometimes we go out and dance, and then we listen to the environment."-Ralf Hutter, Kraftwerk
yeah i punched my #'s into the zinn one
it recomended a 51 but i got a 52 because it was cheap
im gonna leave it as it is for a while and see how it turns out. if its still bugging me i will go do somthing about it
brokezors
The Zinn calculator gives you a recommended stem length and top tube length. So you should know if your current reach is a little long.
If you're have a hard time reaching the hoods, levers and deep into the drops, get a shorter stem. You can always switch back later if you feel the need. It's really common to play around with stem length. If your LBS deals in road bikes, then they'll have a box of stems to choose from.
In the meantime, try rotating the bars up a bit.
"The song of a bird…We used to ask Ennesson to do bird calls. He could do them. How he could do them, and when he perished, along with him went all those birds…"-Return from the Stars, Stanislaw Lem
"We just walk around, and sometimes we go out and dance, and then we listen to the environment."-Ralf Hutter, Kraftwerk
How long is your stem now? If you're on a 52cm top tube length traditional geometry bike, and you need to get a stem shorter than 90mm, you probably have a bike that's one size too long. If you have a 110 or 120mm now, go smaller in 1cm increments.
"Bicycling is a healthy and manly pursuit with much to recommend it, and, unlike other foolish crazes, it has not died out."
- The Daily Telegraph (1877)
^^^Saying that a stem shorter than 90 mm is indicative of a too large frame is too broad of a generalization. Shorter riders frequently have to resort to such stems due to bike geometry issues. In fact, I ride an 80 mm stem on a 49 cm frame and it works perfectly for me. A rider with short arms relative to their torso length would also benefit from a shorter stem. Everybody is different.
Getting back to Chief's problem, how did you set your fore-aft position? That would affect your reach. Did you do the standard KOPS (Knee Over Pedal Spindle) measurement? While not definitive, it is a useful starting point for setting fore-aft position.
Do you also find yourself drifting toward the front of the saddle as your most comfortable position? That would indicate that a more forward saddle position would work for you. That in itself might improve your reach problems.
"The song of a bird…We used to ask Ennesson to do bird calls. He could do them. How he could do them, and when he perished, along with him went all those birds…"-Return from the Stars, Stanislaw Lem
"We just walk around, and sometimes we go out and dance, and then we listen to the environment."-Ralf Hutter, Kraftwerk
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