Setting up bars and brake levers on 60s bikes- how?

[Black Sheep]

Hi,

I'm in the process of getting my 68 Carlton back on the road but can't quite get the bars and levers comfortable for me.

The bars, as I believe is fairly common for the era, are narrower than I'd run on a more modern bike and that's fine but should the levers be angled slightly outwards or inwards to compensate?

Where on the bend should the levers sit, or should it be that the lever itself sits vertically?

I've presumed the drop of the bars should point at the brake bridge as I've read a few places that this was the norm.

 

[midlife]

There's a few pics on how to set up bars and levers on someone's SBDU site, I'll have a Google.

 

[goldcoastjon]

What will make your bike more comfortable for you to RIDE? Your comfort should be primary when you set up your bike, even if it means removing the original bars, stem, or saddle (and keeping them for a future steward of your Carlton) and using something else. (Riding is a different priority than display or wall-hanging, for which one would simply leave the bike unmolested. But riding an uncomfortable bike seems heretical.)

How would you have set this bike up had you had just bought it new BITD or if you were not thinking of historical preservation/conservation?

Do you need to raise or swap out the stem and bars? Use a different saddle? Use a different bike set up to be comfortable than what was "period correct" or "the rule" BITD?

DO IT!

As long as you keep the original/period-correct parts of the bike that belong with it for future use - perhaps to display the Carlton at a show or a gathering - all is well.

 

[midlife]

Just for info here's the textbook version, Campag made the tools to do it lol
https://raleigh-sb4059.com/2019/12/...ynolds-531-moving-things-on-rebuild-part-two/

 

[Astore]

If you're going to ride it, make it comfortable for you. Although the bikes I ride pretty much all date from my youth (70s / 80s) I probably have the stem a little higher and the bars at a different angle, as my 60 year old self has different needs. I'd also swap the saddle for something more modern for the sake of my prostate. I've attached a photo of the last bar / lever set up I did; this is my preferred position these days.
If it's just going to be a Man-cave queen, keep it original, have a look at period photos and set it up from them.

 

[Once a Wheeler]

Van Steenbergen: up a bit and angled in. Van Looy (world champion): down a bit and straight ahead. Two greats from the 60s state their preferences — do what works for you.
More examples here.

 

[Black Sheep]

What will make your bike more comfortable for you to RIDE? Your comfort should be primary when you set up your bike, even if it means removing the original bars, stem, or saddle (and keeping them for a future steward of your Carlton) and using something else. (Riding is a different priority than display or wall-hanging, for which one would simply leave the bike unmolested. But riding an uncomfortable bike seems heretical.)

How would you have set this bike up had you had just bought it new BITD or if you were not thinking of historical preservation/conservation?

You're quite correct, swapping parts out for a better fit is good advice,
I've only had two road bikes, the first being this Carlton, another Carlton did a brief stint while re-building this one but having had the bars and levers off I can't get them back on in a comfortable place!

Should have marked them.

 

[raleighnut]

My Carlton has the bars set completely differently for comfort and the brake levers further down the drop for ease of use

 

[T4tomo]

It is pretty personal for comfort, the above would appall me, particularly that brake position, but clearly works for raleighnut.

It also depends on shape of your bars.. RN's shaped bars above its possible to get the tops and bottoms parallel to the ground. on mine below they have less that 180^ curve and should be set with the bottoms pretty much parallel to the ground (you could twist the bars so the levers rise slightly from this, but not as far as RN's above) .
Then position the brakes so you get some support on the hood. generally point them straight forward, or marginally toed in. If they are toed out they will hurt your wrists. (if you but your hands out in front of you and relax your wrists/hands will probably point in slightly)

I find on my vintage bikes I ride on the drops more than on my modern bikes, where I'm 80-90% on the hoods, but then vintage bikes tend to have a higher front end anyway (bigger saddle to bar drop)

 

[rogerzilla]

The convention for brake levers is that the ends of the levers should lie on the same line as the straight part of the drops. You can check with a ruler.

 

[raleighnut]

It is pretty personal for comfort, the above would appall me, particularly that brake position, but clearly works for raleighnut.

It also depends on shape of your bars.. RN's shaped bars above its possible to get the tops and bottoms parallel to the ground. on mine below they have less that 180^ curve and should be set with the bottoms pretty much parallel to the ground (you could twist the bars so the levers rise slightly from this, but not as far as RN's above) .
Then position the brakes so you get some support on the hood. generally point them straight forward, or marginally toed in. If they are toed out they will hurt your wrists. (if you but your hands out in front of you and relax your wrists/hands will probably point in slightly)

I find on my vintage bikes I ride on the drops more than on my modern bikes, where I'm 80-90% on the hoods, but then vintage bikes tend to have a higher front end anyway (bigger saddle to bar drop)
View attachment 625087

Up until 20 years ago* the top of the bars were flat but after another collarbone break they were angled up slightly to take pressure off my shoulders. When climbing 'out of the saddle'my wrists are straight and with a 42-22 bottom gear any hill will see you stood up.
As for the brake lever positioning well I like to stop and that means getting a minimum of 2 fingers on the lever even with the aluminium rims I fitted, anyone who tries braking 'from the hoods' as modern bikes can deserves to run into the back of that bus but this does mean a lot of 'recalibation' is needed, when I ride one of my bikes with modern brake calipers if a high speed front dismount is to be avoided.

* I've been riding that bike since 1975 and it has been in my keeping since about 77 it really still belongs to my cousin.) I gave up Motorbikes in 85 and that was my only transport up until the 90's when I started aquiring more bikes (did someone say 'Midlife crisis')