flat (or dare I say it: hi-riser) bars on my old Paramount
 

I am such an old coot that I don't feel comfortable bending down over my drop bars anymore, and I never seem to ride down in the drops. So I am thinking I'd be better off with a moustache or North Road-type bar, or even a hi-riser bar. Of course I'd get called a bike dweeb, but they are already calling me that anyway.

Your thoughts, please?

retroguybilly

flat (or dare I say it: hi-riser) bars on my old Paramount
 

On 1/9/2018 10:10 AM, wrote:
I am such an old coot that I don't feel comfortable bending down over my drop bars anymore, and I never seem to ride down in the drops. So I am thinking I'd be better off with a moustache or North Road-type bar, or even a hi-riser bar. Of course I'd get called a bike dweeb, but they are already calling me that anyway.

Your thoughts, please?

retroguybilly


The bike you actually ride is the best bike. If that means a
different handlebar then go for it.

I first put stingray bars on a Paramount in 1973 for a guy
with a broken collarbone who was then able to ride all
summer as it healed.

--
Andrew Muzi
www.yellowjersey.org/
Open every day since 1 April, 1971

flat (or dare I say it: hi-riser) bars on my old Paramount
 

On 1/9/2018 11:10 AM, wrote:
I am such an old coot that I don't feel comfortable bending down over my drop bars anymore, and I never seem to ride down in the drops. So I am thinking I'd be better off with a moustache or North Road-type bar, or even a hi-riser bar. Of course I'd get called a bike dweeb, but they are already calling me that anyway.

Your thoughts, please?

retroguybilly


Well, changing from drop to flat bars usually requires changing brake
levers and possibly shift levers. Maybe cables as well. It's kind of a
pain, and maybe expensive.

Have you considered just installing a much taller stem and keeping your
current handlebars? Some people say if you rarely use the drops, your
bars are probably just too low.

Most of the "bike fit" rules of thumb seem to recommend having the tops
of drop bars level with the saddle, or maybe an inch lower. I see no
reason not to have them as high as you like. You can then ride with your
hands on the tops most of the time, but still have the other hand
positions available - for example, for climbing hills or grinding into
headwinds.

--
- Frank Krygowski

flat (or dare I say it: hi-riser) bars on my old Paramount
 

On 1/9/2018 8:10 AM, wrote:
I am such an old coot that I don't feel comfortable bending down over my drop bars anymore, and I never seem to ride down in the drops. So I am thinking I'd be better off with a moustache or North Road-type bar, or even a hi-riser bar. Of course I'd get called a bike dweeb, but they are already calling me that anyway.

Your thoughts, please?

retroguybilly

If it has downtube shifters then it's a pretty inexpensive proposition.

I bought a Mixte road bike for the spousal unit and she insisted on
riser handlebars. It was an expensive upgrade with the parts not readily
available in the U.S.:

Riser bars:
http://www.chainreactioncycles.com/us/en/nc-17-trekking-4-5-super-riser-bar/rp-prod15446

Steerer shim:
http://www.chainreactioncycles.com/us/en/thomson-x2-x4-stem-steerer-shim-37mm/rp-prod124047

Brifters:
http://www.chainreactioncycles.com/us/en/shimano-claris-r243-brake-8sp-gear-shifter-set/rp-prod112069

But there were few options. Mixte road bikes with triple cranksets are
few and far between in the U.S., though readily available in Europe.

flat (or dare I say it: hi-riser) bars on my old Paramount
 

On Tuesday, January 9, 2018 at 5:10:33 PM UTC+1, wrote:
I am such an old coot that I don't feel comfortable bending down over my drop bars anymore, and I never seem to ride down in the drops. So I am thinking I'd be better off with a moustache or North Road-type bar, or even a hi-riser bar. Of course I'd get called a bike dweeb, but they are already calling me that anyway.

Your thoughts, please?

retroguybilly

Why do people think that flat bars are more comfortable? They are awful. Just put your drop bars at a higher position maybe combined with a shorter stem so you are comfortable on the hoods and you are done. If you have a good day maybe you can get in the drops in that higher position. Since I have a cross bike with drop bars I rarely take my ATB for off road riding just because the cross bike has drop bars. They are an order of a magnitude more comfortable that flat bars.

Lou

flat (or dare I say it: hi-riser) bars on my old Paramount
 

Turning is body language..

Lookit a package of conversion, longer stem, variable degree bar clamp, ergo trekker upside down covered with foam tubing.

Mustache bars ? Backwards

flat (or dare I say it: hi-riser) bars on my old Paramount
 

On 2018-01-09 08:10, wrote:
I am such an old coot that I don't feel comfortable bending down over
my drop bars anymore, and I never seem to ride down in the drops. So
I am thinking I'd be better off with a moustache or North Road-type
bar, or even a hi-riser bar. Of course I'd get called a bike dweeb,
but they are already calling me that anyway.

Your thoughts, please?


I feel most comfortable with a slightly swooped MTB bar but shortened.
Haven't done it to my current road bike yet but if it's any comfort I
have also increased my personal "dweebness factor" by using MTB pedals
on the road bike.

If you use brifters they'd probably have to go when using anything other
than drop bars. As others already mentioned it could pay off to first
experiment with the handlebar height before taking the plunge.

Of course, this ought to be the ultimate handlebar :-)

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Choppe...er_bicycle.jpg

--
Regards, Joerg

http://www.analogconsultants.com/

flat (or dare I say it: hi-riser) bars on my old Paramount
 

On Tuesday, January 9, 2018 at 8:10:33 AM UTC-8, wrote:
I am such an old coot that I don't feel comfortable bending down over my drop bars anymore, and I never seem to ride down in the drops. So I am thinking I'd be better off with a moustache or North Road-type bar, or even a hi-riser bar. Of course I'd get called a bike dweeb, but they are already calling me that anyway.

Your thoughts, please?

retroguybilly

Did someone write "old Paramount"?
my thoughts:
Old Paramounts shouldn't get older, they should get the best of retro components with modern upgrades.
Found a '91 in Candy Apple Blue on Craigslist a few years ago, fell back in love with memories of my original one that got bent out of shape when a car hit it and me in '97. This one has been sitting unused in a garage since the mid-nineties, seemingly as if it was put away for me back then to find when the time was right.
Built it back up with take-off parts from a few other bikes. Now its the commuter/ touring bike with SRAM Red crank and rear derailleur, Phil Wood bottom bracket cups, Ritchey WCS alloy stem holding a TTT 199 alloy 40cm handlebar, on a Nimble (remember them?) rear wheel with 10 speed cassette and Ritchey front wheel, both over-engineered alloy wheels compared to higher profit carbon wheels at the same light weights) Reynolds Ouzo Pro -Aero front fork mounted through a Colnago tapered needle bearing headset, Cane Creek brake levers pulling SRAM Force brakes, Bontrager carbon weave reinforced ti-rail seat from a Discovery Team 2006 TDF bike, Easton carbon stem. Kept the original indestructible Shimano 105 front derailleur and downtube shifters with the click detent turned off to allow shifting the 10 speed rear.
Maybe that's a graphic way to say no, imho its defaming to put a wierdo shaped handlebar on an old Paramount. Raise up the bars with an angled stem and spacers on the steerer tube. Maybe go to a wider road bar, like 46cm, to allow wider hand spread and more open shouldered position.
Barry