bar problem

[elk]

So...The Volpe came; Mr elk LOVES it...Now... After he took the drop bars and flipped them upside down so it looks like an antelope. The brifters are in the same position only higher...so he has hoods and the bar and and the space before the levers which curves down towards him.

I got him an adjustable stem w/the bike and he has that angled as high as it can go...but it wasn't enough. His seat, at the right height, is just above the bars. And at the right fore/aft was too far away from the bars for him.

He just wants to sit up higher...I'm not sure I like the aerodnamics of his solution...and think we can find a safer way...until he's ready to try the drop bars.

So. Available Materials, Possible Solutions. Oh....and he wants to KEEP the brifters. A google search revealed that moustache bars and brifters have worked together well.

get a new stem?
get a new headset?
get different bars? what kind? moustache?

[SouthernBelle]

I have no suggestions beyond a mustache or possibly an albatross bar and a longer stem.

However I would like a picture of his current setup.

[dex]

I'm not sure moustache bars are really going to end up being more upright. Many people who are converting older bikes to moustache bars end up putting a taller stem on it to get the bars up higher. And I know on my commuter, putting moustache bars on ended up stretching me out more (to reach the brake levers in the curves), which was fine, because it was a tad bit short in the top tube for me, but I think I could still use a taller stem to get my bars more even with my saddle.

You could try flipping some moustache bars over, so they rise up slightly, instead of dip down. Or, if you can find a way to make the STI levers work with albatross bars, that might be a better bet. (Or talk him into bar end shifters on albatross bars, which would probably be your best bet.)

[BleeckerSt_Girl]

So...The Volpe came; Mr elk LOVES it...Now... After he took the drop bars and flipped them upside down so it looks like an antelope. The brifters are in the same position only higher...so he has hoods and the bar and and the space before the levers which curves down towards him.

I got him an adjustable stem w/the bike and he has that angled as high as it can go...but it wasn't enough. His seat, at the right height, is just above the bars. And at the right fore/aft was too far away from the bars for him.

He just wants to sit up higher...

The volpe is a road bike, right? It's hard to set up a road bike to have you sitting totally upright. A touring bike (like your Jamis Aurora) or a hybrid would have him sitting more upright.

What is likely happening here is that his body is rebelling against the new position. It feels extreme to him, and very uncomfortable and awkward. This body adaptation can take weeks of riding, during which some feelings of discomfort and oddness are common. In the end, he may feel very comfortable on it or he may not. But one thing I can assure you of- his body is going to try to make the change if given some time on the bike.

[Flur]

When you say that the seat is just above the bars, do you mean the top of the bars where they connect to the stem, or the top of the bars in the new antelope position? If you mean in the new position, if I'm picturing it correctly, it sounds like the frame may be a bit small for him...

I'd also like to see a picture of this setup - that may help us to make recommendations.

[elk]

Lisa the volpe IS a touring bike...very similiar to my aurora....and it may be a wee bit small in height but not in reach....so we'll work with it...
He has also NEVER ridden drop bars and his body is mashed from cleaning out his father's house last week...so.... We need to just get those bars higher than the saddle....here: his seat height BTW looks very like the photo detail of the bike on the Bianchi

[Flur]

Given the pic, I would say albatross bars or a straight bar with a bit of a rise. I don't think he could keep the brifters with either of these options, but as he adjusts to the more forward positioning there's a good chance he'll want to go back to the drop bars.

[elk]

here's the Bianchi photo..odd set up for a touring rig...

[elk]

Given the pic, I would say albatross bars or a straight bar with a bit of a rise. I don't think he could keep the brifters with either of these options, but as he adjusts to the more forward positioning there's a good chance he'll want to go back to the drop bars.

why couldn't you use brifters?