more handlebar help!! please

[aicabsolut]

I don't think the slight ergo bend of the Cinelli Little Wing bars will bother you like your current ones. They've got the short reach to the top, but they do have a mid-drop, so that might not make them enough different from yours. I like a very mild ergo bend for sprinting. It's a better platform for my hands when I don't care about reaching the brakes.

It's too bad about the Eastons. Have you tried measuring your shoulders? Get someone to put a tape measure behind you from the center of shoulder to shoulder (where the bone is). This measurement in cm is what you need to judge just how wide 40cm is for you.

I was thinking about your problem on my ride yesterday. My short reach/short drop bars make it easier for me to solidly grip the brakes from both positions. If you are doing fine when on the tops, then you can go with a mid-reach bar. Going to my short-reach bars also let me keep my stock 110mm stem. So, then I'd focus on getting the best drop number for your hands, which of your options means the Nittos if you don't go with Eastons.

[elk]

aicabsolut

i'm moved that I was on yr ride with you for a while!!

DH measure my shoulders to be about 34 from clavicle bump to clavicle bump...my 38s LOOK pretty much like a straight fit from my shoulders.

I'm not sure that the 40s though would be uncomfortable...I was imagining making the width a cm wider on each end and it seemed like it would be nice in come ways...

On my last 20 mile ride I discovered that I was alot more comfortable riding the hoods than the tops of the bars...and going downhill I went into the drops which seemed fine except for reaching the brakes part.

I also just got in the mail the shims for my brakes...so now I imagine it's a matter of fit more than ability to brake and shift---given the size range I'm looking at.

I'm going to go look at the Cinelliis today....and the easton in 40 is on ebay ending tomorrow....the NIttos are at SomaFab.