Mark asked:
If you change the drops to regular uprights do you sometimes use the all-rounder bars like they we used to see on early Lotus bikes at Proteus? What is your favorite comfortable upright bar?
in reference to Brian's comment:
A lot of what you get out of your frame depends on how you set it up. I have several vintage Italian road bikes that are set up as "city bikes" pretty much the way ones sees retired racing iron being ridden by old men around the cafes of Europe. There are lots of possibilities for bikes and only a very small percentage of them are for racing. My racing days are over; I now ride strictly for fun and to be with my friends. I enjoy the bike and the experience every single time.
My personal alltime favourite for comfort are the Bianchi bars that were on a bike I supplied to Chuck. They allow enough forward lean to give a comfortable division of the weight between the shoulders and hindquarters, but don't oblige you to be in an all-out racing position. If on the other hand, you are looking for beauty, I could perhaps suggest the bars that I brought to the swap at Trexlertown: a set of alloy Ambrosio bars from what I guess to be the 40's or 50's with inverted brake levers, internal cables and bone grips. I had quite a few of the couriers and vintage collectors ogling them.
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Steven Maasland
Moorestown, NJ