I recognize a few segments from Jørgen Leth's "A Sunday in Hell" (1977) film on Paris Roubaix. Can you list the other films that you sourced the racing footage from?

Regarding getting bars in and out of a quill stem, we used to remove the stem clamp bolt and then put a coin in the slot to hold it slightly more open. Less likely to mess up the engraving on a nice Nitto or Cinelli bar.

“Bike rules” the ones I love are the unwritten rules.

I love the rando bars. I had a really comfortable cockpit setup on a modern compact bar with TRP Hylex brakes, which have an insanely long hood. When the caliper wore out, I decided to switch to mechanicals and then an ultra modern GRX Di2 on a semi-custom frame, and just fought hand numbness on the same bars I had run for years with the TRP hoods. I tried a few different types of compact bars and my hands would just fall asleep after 30 minutes no matter what I did. I went for a casual ride with a friend and noticed how much more room he had to move his hands around on the rando bars. Got to thinking about it, and the reason the compact bar with Hylex hoods worked, is the hood is so long it opened up a lot of hand positions for me. I switched to the rando bars, with their nice long ramps and hand problems solved. Beyond that, I spent so much time and money working with no less than 4 professional fitters, two of whom were physical therapists, and the last one used a lot of high speed motion capture equipment, to address some minor knee pain and it totally exacerbated a back pain issue I have fought the last ten years. It ruined the late summer for me as I just couldn't ride more than 20 miles without being in pain. I was looking at some photos from 2018, from right before I started seeing bike fitters again (a coach fit me when I raced years ago), and noted how much less saddle setback I had. Like probably 1-2 INCHES less saddle setback. Bike fitter/high speed camera brought me from straight seatpost with saddle a tad forward to slammed back on a set back seatpost. I kept moving the saddle forward and forward, went back to a straight seatpost, until the back pain went away. It felt like there was more pressure on my knees then there needed to be, so I experimented with moving my cleats back and that fixed the pressure on my knees. I know I am not in a totally optimal position, I could put out more power if I were further back, right until my back gave out. Anyway, my point is your spot on in this video, a little experimentation is sometimes what we need to find the best position for us.

Your videos take on a very original style, I really love that!

Thank you very much for the video about handlebars. You have dispelled some of my doubts. All the best!

"Ride upgrades, don't buy them" One of Eddy M's greatest quotes in regards to 'cycling technology'. I'll keep saying it, modern 'bicycle technology' is mere job security for mechanics like myself! I won't recommend much of it, but it keeps me really busy! That's one of the few good things I have to say about it. Want some really comfortable bars? Try out Nitto Noodles for something different.

The vintage racing footage was aces, as well as your info on handle bar tech and how it relates to body positioning. Thanks Henrywildeberry.

You said something interesting about wrist angles and comfort. I also noticed the old films and the riders wrist angle. I am an older rider and struggle with discomfort in the wrist, feet, back, shoulders. I would like to hear more, from you prospective, about wrist angles, Seat heights, stretch, and back positions for long distance, climbing and down hill.

I'm using the same bars, same size, with the same DiaCompe shifters only as bar ends. Favorite drop bar ever is the Soma Brevet Randonneur 130'ish drop and 80'ish reach. Discontinued as well. Very hard to find similar spec bars for 25.4 quill stems but available galore in 31.8 clamp size. Nitto's B135 seems to be the closest but with a longer reach.

Seeing Fausto Coppi @9:29 made me smile, Miss Cools riding style reminds me of him.

Hi Henry, I thought I might have saw you on my way home on Hwy 101 going south in a brown VW Westfallia van. Great video! 🤘🏼 keep riding.

Hey. Love the bar tape you put on. Looks beautiful

I watched you threading your bar through the clamp and it reminded me of a time I tried to thread a drop bar through a stem clamp that was probably not intended for a drop bar. I splayed the single bolt clamp open with a flat blade screw driver just enough to fit the bar through.

Thanks for the video. I’ve adjusted my bars for hand comfort at the hoods. If I tilt the bars too far forward I get excessive pressure on the heel of my palm and it causes hand numbness. As I’ve become more cycling fit I no longer have hand numbness issues. Never had a bike fit. I ride an 80s steel lugged bike but have gone to modern single speed ergo brake levers for more comfort. I use bar end friction shifters. Thanks again.

This is your finest work yet. I think it's the old Merckx scenes that win me over. Also, totally just did this exact thing and switched back to the Nitto rando bars. I think I use a slightly different one than you though, same one's that Ms. Cools is using. But in my case, it was a matter of getting my quill stem low enough. I've had to chop a few centimeters off the bottom of my quill stem, one of the issues with having such a short head tube, the stem will bottom out on the butted steerer. Anyway, loving the bars now, so much room to move around and find the right spot for the given effort. Thanks for the presentation, and the music rules as always, keep it wilde!

Comfort is key to happiness.

Got the Nitto B135 too : great and comfy ! I have adjusted like yours to have a flatter top. There is the VO "Grand randonneur" I really like too (a bit less flared on the drops) The only problem I've founded is the Berthoud's Rearviewmirror is a bit loose on it ;)

I have the same Nitto bars! Super comfy and it feels really nice in the drops, I think.

Thanks for the vintage video it takes me back to the days when we raced in wool jerseys and shorts. I have to chuckle when I see the progression of your bicycle. Its looking more like my 1973 Holdsworth with great Britain bars. I paid $ 125. New in 73. I haven't felt a need to buy a bicycle since. On of my many blessings.

Love the great Eddie Merxx! I still have the same model and width bars he used on my '78 Moulton. My everyday ride a fixed track bike has 42cm shallow drops. The saddle to bar drop measurement is slight. Hands touch at stem for headwind with elbows bent. Over speed, hands move out to imitate having brake hoods for control- about 110 rpm. Elbows out above that. 42 cm bars for leverage uphill. Stand at 10mph. Uphill into a headwind use the drops. Eddie Merxx had a choppy style made neccessary due to th narrow gear range available in his time. Unless you seek a challenge this isn't necessarily.

Great observation of the positions set on the bikes while they are in motion.

Nice video with a good sound track :)

Eddy Merckx, now that was one of greatest riders back in these days. Super cool how he is cooling is rear tyre/rim in the descent with water from his bottle. Like te Fitz bikes, they really look retro chic and classy. Kind regards, Eric.

Far out dude gnarly video and I like the trippy cool hat bro

Some of the minor features of a HB can be the crucial factor. Like a straight/sweep back top, top diameter, ramp length, or the slanting/flat drop section you mentioned. I personally prefer fatter top section, with sweep back, and short ramp. I find it much more comfortable for long ride.

On the retro 1975 Gitane I am using a 44cm Cinelli deep drop(150mm) bar and 130 stem. I had to file the original stem slightly to fit the fork and the bar would not fit the 25.4 diameter. I set the bar drops close to perpendicular to the head tube, so not quite parallel.The Dia Compe aero brakes levers were changed to modern Tektro which are beefier. The original MAFAC levers are torture devices with no padding! I am used to 30 deg flared bars on the gravel bike about 42cm at the hoods and 62 at the drops with shallow drop. These are comfortable as well.

If you get fatigue the best aerodynamic position counts nothing. Especially on everyday rides and if the only one you challenge is yourself. Enjoying the landscape, air and yourself does not necessarily need the highes speed. beautyful bike and bar and if there are "Velominati rules", do not give a f... . I am not sure but i guess the rotationangle of the bar is not in the Velominati rules, or is it? Liebe Grüße

nice old clips too love the flares on the trousers not the handle bars 😂🤣🚲 although my last bike had flared HB and I liked it got a Marin Larkspur 2 now as my only bike gone to comfort

Take care with 12 year old fit numbers. I found with age my numbers have changed though I was stubborn about it. I now fit for my high endurance low wattage reality. Of course you are still to young to worry about that. BTW you should include one day the opening bike service scene from A Sunday in Hell.

Indurain for me. Great video

If your elbows can’t flap like wings while holding the handlebars while riding more then likely you will have wrist problems, lest that’s what I have learned motorcycle riding , so I have integrated that onto my bicycle as well

Somebody is a Merckx fan!

Thanks for the video. Did you get a new video camera? The H D is super sharp and vivid colors.

I really wish that G.B. bar end mirror was domed slightly. I bought a $5 plastic version for another bike on ebay and it's sooo much easier to adjust than the $80 GB. Just need to aim it in the ballpark and you can see everything. With the flat mirror you need to be very precise.

In Randonneuring, long distance would be 750 miles!

Great old footage. What is Merckx trying to do with the water bottle (10:19)? Cool off the brakes or his foot?

Such a nice psychedelic cap! What's the brand ?

Great video! What is that song at the end??

You happy with that little bar end mirror?

Are these the Nitto B132AA, B135AA or B136AA? Thank you!

This is the only way I have to ask this ? How did Ms.Cools get her 11-46 cassette to work on her bicycle I tried to put mine on and broke the bolt that holds it on now I have to re order one it has to have a special link hook up to it but the metal is so weak what is the best way to install this on my bicycle?

The Nitto Noodle is a the perfect compromise...

I just got these bars and I was thinking that the drops can’t meant to be parallel to the ground. So they won’t be😉

Swoopy Bars?

Why not dispense with drop bars altogether? For many, myself included, they are terrible -- hard on wrists, back, neck and shoulders. And how people struggle to make them fit, to find the right variables, the right calibration. Time to recognize drops are a bad design with a great legacy. How good are they for your body? You might be much happier and ride better and healthier with a set of mustache bars. (I hear the groans now.)

why would/did you route the cable over the top of the bar ? it's bozo looking , just sayin'