Salsa Poco vs. Short-n-Shallow

[bike4ever]

I'm using the Bontrager Fit VR's and I really like them. Nice small drop with a shorter reach. Visually, you might think they look a little funny; however, they sure are comfortable. One thing to keep in mind with these, they are only coming in oversized.

[KnottedYet]

Ummm, how do I know if my bike needs oversized or regular?

<knot scurries off to figure out the clamp size of her Bell Laps>

Edit: according to my handy-dandy sewing tape measure it looks like the diameter of my Bell Laps is about 26mm. My stem was a special order and took many weeks to get, so I won't be switching out the stem. Guess I'm outta luck for the Bontragers.

Eden - thanks for the Ritchey info. I might take a tour down to TiCycles, cuz I think I've seen Salsa Pocos there, too. I can fondle both...

[dex]

Mine are the Bontrager FIT, as well (purchased from bike4ever, actually...thanks, again!). And I did have to switch to an oversize stem for it, but I wanted a slightly shorter stem anyway, so it was no big deal for me to do that.

The Kalloy Shortreach is similar, but doesn't need an oversized stem. And everywhere I've seen them online puts them in the low $20s range in price. (Here's one example: http://www.jensonusa.com/store/produ...h+Roadbar.aspx) That's what I was going to try out when I decided I wanted to try a shorter reach bar, because the price was low enough that I figured it woldn't be a huge loss if I didn't like it...and then I found a great price on the Bontrager bar here on the forum.

If you don't want to order them online, maybe check and see if the guys at Recycled have a distributor that can get some in for you to check out? Given that they're so inexpensive, they probably wouldn't have a hard time selling it if you decided you didn't like it/want it.

[Starfish]

A bit of thread drift here, but related...let me know if this question had been done to death on TE...

I have very tiny hands, and the reach to the brakes is always a challenge. I'm currently double-shimmed, and it compromises excellent braking.

Do short/shallow bars help with actual finger reach to the levers, or does the short/shallow aspect only help with arm reach to the drops/bars?

I LOVE riding in the drops and use them often. My issue is really with the small size of my hands for the brakes (and I'm trying to avoid getting short reach levers on a bike I might not keep too long).

[KnottedYet]

Oh, wow! and only $22! Thanks, Dex!

I'm heading down to the U.W. today for some errands anyway, so I'll be stopping off at Recycled Cycles... just to look. Really. That's all I'll do.

If I get my new bar thru RC, they will give me store credit for my old bar.

Oooh, yeah.

[dex]

My issue is really with the small size of my hands for the brakes (and I'm trying to avoid getting short reach levers on a bike I might not keep too long).

I have little hands and really short stubby fingers. I switched my bars and my levers at the same time, so I don't have real evidence, but my instincts say that the bar on its own wouldn't have done much to improve my finger-reach to my levers. Even though the total reach is shorter, your hands and fingers are still the same distance from where they rest on the bar to where the levers are. (At least, that seems logical in my head.)

I found my Shimano shortreach levers on eBay. When I had them switched out, I kept the ones that my bike came with so that when I decide to get a new bike, I could just put the old ones back on this bike and take the short ones over to the new bike.

The change was great, though. Shifting is a breze, and I feel way more secure now...and going downhill no longer scares me, because I can confidently reach and handle my brakes.

[Starfish]

Hey, Dex, thanks! That does help.

[BleeckerSt_Girl]

Changing to a short reach bar does not shorten your hand reach to the brake levers. You'd need to get short reach brake levers or shims for that.

I really like my new Salsa Poco bars.

[divingbiker]

I found my Shimano shortreach levers on eBay.

So do the shortreach levers alone do the trick, or do you need special hoods too? I've already got shims in my levers, and I've got new Salsa Poco bars, but I still can't reach the brakes comfortably. Are shortreach levers what I need? Can you just swap them out without undoing handlebar tape etc?

I have no clue about this stuff...

[KnottedYet]

On my shortreach S-n-S bars I can reach my brake levers from the drops. On my regular bars I can't, not because the levers are too far away from the bars, but because they are too high above the drops.

If I scoot my hands waaaaaaay up above the ergo bump, I can wrap my fingers around the brake levers. Otherwise I'm barely able to catch the lever with the very tip of my index finger.

I have long fingers. In my case, what I need is a lower drop bar so that I can reach the levers from the drops. (bringing my hands up to the levers) I don't really need shims or short reach brake levers (essentially bringing my hands forward toward the levers or the levers backwards toward me).

I love my shorter reach brake-only levers by Shimano. But they are the ones I can't reach from the drops! How ironic! The hoods are shorter, if only because they are pure brakes rather than brifters.

I think hoods are pretty integral with the levers, but if you could switch out only the levers (are they more curved?) I don't think you'd need to unwrap and re-wrap the bars. You'd just have to pull the hood covers back and replace the lever itself. If you have to replace the whole she-bang, well, then you're looking at re-doing the bars. That really isn't too hard, it just takes a little time and patience. (ok, and a beer and some choice swear words and a couple breaks to pet the dog)