Is it necessary to use a shim to fit 25.8mm 3TTT bars to a 26mm stem?

[LittleWheelsandBig]

I find my hands wander around the bars and even different positions and extensions on the hoods, rather than locking into a single location on the hoods. Maybe that makes the difference for me.

[Brucey]

slopey ramps are so uncomfortable that they cause professional cyclist to ride faster than normal.....?


 

cheers

[Oxford_Guy]

slopey ramps are so uncomfortable that they cause professional cyclist to ride faster than normal.....?

It perhaps doesn't look so comfortable, though. Interesting to see a mix of downtube shifters and STI shifters in that photo! 1990s?

[Brucey]

Sean Yates' 1994 moment of glory in yellow; you could have given him a saddle with nails in it that day and he would have ridden on it, smiling.

https://www.cyclingweekly.com/news/racing/moment-time-sean-yatess-day-yellow-tour-de-france-403368


He also had the brake levers set very low. and the drops set front-sloping.  The point is that whilst there is a fair degree of conformity regarding position of handlebar controls and handlebar shape, there are no fixed rules; Yates obviously liked that setup; he rode like that for years.

cheers

[Oxford_Guy]

Two other 26mm handlebars possibly of interest:

Simworks Co-Misirlou Bar - sort of a "semi-compact" design - 85mm reach (which is fine for me), but with a more gentle curve to the drops and deep drops (140mm), quite like the look of the shape of these, though the branding either side of the central section is a bit of a turn off and only single cable groove, at the front:

https://sim.works/collections/handle-bars-simworks-by-nitto/products/co-misirlou-bar?variant=23501980803

Nitto 176 Dream Bar - more of a traditional shape, but with a considerably flatter (though not completely flat) ramps. Reach seems to be either 100 or 110mm, depending on which web site you believe, which think is at least 10mm too long for me, though.

https://www.benscycle.com/nitto-mod-176-handlebar/drop_handlebar_nitto_mod176_870/product