My New Sterling

[rafiki]

I have been running my new Sterling for less than a week and I love the bike and I'm getting used to the Rohloff (good job I'd read about the noise in low gears). However I dislike the handlebars. Firstly I think they are quite ugly but more importantly they are wider than I'm used to with my Mean Street hybrid and I seem to have to move my hands about over the bars like a concert pianist! I have to stretch to reach the two fingered brake levers and move my fight hand what seems a long way to change gear. I'd appreciate advice on how I might rearrange/modify the bars to make them more user friendly please:

[jags]

rafiki great looking bike ,but your wright get rid of those bars ,have a look at vik's nomad (on this site) really nice bars but for his choice of bartape (sorry vik)
oh and while your changing things ,emm that front mudguard need's a drop kick over the nearest hedge.

[vik]

rafiki great looking bike ,but your wright get rid of those bars ,have a look at vik's nomad (on this site) really nice bars but for his choice of bartape (sorry vik)
oh and while your changing things ,emm that front mudguard need's a drop kick over the nearest hedge.

The Titec H-bars Jags is referring to are an interesting option as they give you a few different hand positions, but they are quite wide so if wide bars don't make you happy the H-bars may not work for you.

safe riding,

Vik
www.thelazyrando.com

[rafiki]

Thanks both.

Front crud guard duly booted.  Kirtland bag fitted to rear carrier. New N17 pedals and Mt. Christophe clips and leather straps fitted. Bike already looks much better!

Before spending more money I think I'm going to have a go at rearranging the existing Easton EA30 medium rise bar. I'm going to remove the bar ends. I don't use them much anyway. Is it possible to lop off that spare bit of remaining aluminium bar if I don't need it? The Easton is 685mm wide (too wide for me). What is the recommended tool for mechanically challenged enthusiasts to do this cutting job successfully?

I'm going to try moving the RHS  XTR brake lever outboard of the Rohloff shifter. I'm not sure how this will affect quick gear shifting but it should make the brake levers easier to reach in a hurry. On the LHS there  is a foam spacer between the Ergon grip and the brake lever mount. I am going to remove that.

All the above should result in a better looking setup which will allow easier and quicker access to the brake levers but I'm not sure if access to the shifter will be impeded by the brake lever mount being between the grip and the shifter. We'll see.

[rafiki]

I'm going to try moving the RHS  XTR brake lever outboard of the Rohloff shifter. I'm not sure how this will affect quick gear shifting but it should make the brake levers easier to reach in a hurry.

Nah, that's not going to work I can see.

[julk]

rafiki,
The bends in riser bars get in the way for a narrow handlebar rohloff setup.
You may be better off getting a straight 0° or 5° bend bar with the bend near the middle. You will then be able to position the gear changer and brake nearer the middle and eventually trim the ends to suit.