spokewrench
Well-Known Member
- Region
- USA
I shortened my 72cm Abound bar to a more traditional 54cm to make it easier to stay in control. Their back sweep of 24 degrees was too much after they were shortened, so rotated them down to reduce it to 10 degrees. That rotation produced anhedral, like the wings of a Hawker Harrier or a C5. That downward slope of my handles was about 16 degrees.
I was better able to maintain control with one hand, and handling was quicker. On the second day, I realized I wasn't slowing for known bumpy areas because bumps were no longer rough on my wrists.
To get rid of that anhedral, I bought and shortened flat bars with only 6 degrees of back sweep. Professional racers like short bars for quick handling but describe steering as "twitchy" if they're too short. The 54cm bars with anhedral felt stable, but the 54cm bars without anhedral felt twitchy. Also, the bars without anhedral were making my wrists sore at the bases of my thumbs. I reinstalled the bars with anhedral. Now I noticed the pressure on the heels of my palms (the side opposite the thumb). The rubber pads would leave prints, but that was okay because the heel of the palm can take pressure very well. There was no pressure on the thumb side. The heel sides of my palms bore the pressure.
The base of the thumb is farther inboard than the heel. When most of the pressure was at the base of my thumb, I figure that was like steering with a 38cm bar. That explains why it felt twitchy.
The trapezium is a tiny bone at the base of the thumb. Trapesiums often become inflamed, which can lead to permanent disability. Inflammation at the base of my left thumb was the big reason I hated my Radrunner and its tires. Where would I find alternate bars with a 9" rise? After 3 years, I found a pair with a handle angle that looked better to me. Suddenly, bumps were comfortable, but now had two other bikes.
Bars with anhedral were typical on cafe racers. A cafe racer sat much farther behind the bars than a bicyclist with low bars. That means he put more weight on low bars. Even with a suspension, hitting bumps at 100 mph would transmit shocks through the wrists. I think anhedral was a way to keep the pressure on the heels of palms and off the bases of thumbs.
Yesterday I assembled an Adventure 3 for a neighbor. The bars have laser markings to show the correct position for the bars. Rotated that way, they have significant dihedral. I rode the bike and found that the pressure was on the heels of my palms and not the bases of my thumbs. Dihedral did for me on that bike what anhedral does on my bike.
I was better able to maintain control with one hand, and handling was quicker. On the second day, I realized I wasn't slowing for known bumpy areas because bumps were no longer rough on my wrists.
To get rid of that anhedral, I bought and shortened flat bars with only 6 degrees of back sweep. Professional racers like short bars for quick handling but describe steering as "twitchy" if they're too short. The 54cm bars with anhedral felt stable, but the 54cm bars without anhedral felt twitchy. Also, the bars without anhedral were making my wrists sore at the bases of my thumbs. I reinstalled the bars with anhedral. Now I noticed the pressure on the heels of my palms (the side opposite the thumb). The rubber pads would leave prints, but that was okay because the heel of the palm can take pressure very well. There was no pressure on the thumb side. The heel sides of my palms bore the pressure.
The base of the thumb is farther inboard than the heel. When most of the pressure was at the base of my thumb, I figure that was like steering with a 38cm bar. That explains why it felt twitchy.
The trapezium is a tiny bone at the base of the thumb. Trapesiums often become inflamed, which can lead to permanent disability. Inflammation at the base of my left thumb was the big reason I hated my Radrunner and its tires. Where would I find alternate bars with a 9" rise? After 3 years, I found a pair with a handle angle that looked better to me. Suddenly, bumps were comfortable, but now had two other bikes.
Bars with anhedral were typical on cafe racers. A cafe racer sat much farther behind the bars than a bicyclist with low bars. That means he put more weight on low bars. Even with a suspension, hitting bumps at 100 mph would transmit shocks through the wrists. I think anhedral was a way to keep the pressure on the heels of palms and off the bases of thumbs.
Yesterday I assembled an Adventure 3 for a neighbor. The bars have laser markings to show the correct position for the bars. Rotated that way, they have significant dihedral. I rode the bike and found that the pressure was on the heels of my palms and not the bases of my thumbs. Dihedral did for me on that bike what anhedral does on my bike.
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