# "Insert for large hands": Any users?



## kbwh (May 28, 2010)

The RKP blog entries on SR, DA and Red made me think about the reach adjustability on these groups. Both DA and Red lets the user adjust the levers closer to the bar after the hood position and angle has been decided.
Not so with the v3 Ergos. There is an "Insert for large hands" which alters the angle of the hoods as well as lever reach, but it has to be put on before mounting the controls.

My hoods and drops are horisontal, and my bars are the 3T Ergonova. I have reasonably long fingers but I do not use the inserts.

Have any of you experimented with them and do you use them?


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## bigbill (Feb 15, 2005)

I have two 11 speed bikes, one with Ergonova bars. When I built up the bike with 3T stuff, I tried the insert and it didn't seem to make any difference. I have large hands, I wear XXL cycling gloves but I don't have freakishly long fingers or anything. I think the insert was intended for the giants (>6'5") who ride campy and not for us mere mortals. 

My lever placement is typically level. I'm a diesel type rider so I don't need the levers rotated up for climbing or sprinting on the drops. I'm more along the line of the Sean Yates placement locations.


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## Kristatos (Jan 10, 2008)

I've been running the inserts on both my 11spd bikes. I don't tilt the bars up or down, and run the hoods at what I'd call a standard location on the bar - giving a smooth transition from the taped bar onto the hood. I like the feel of the setup with the inserts. I wouldn't say my hands are huge by any stretch. I wear a size L glove. It seems to me like the inserts prop the hoods up a little, so the lever is a little further out from the drop. In my case this may make it so I can run the hood a slight bit lower on the drop but still have the same transition between the hood and bar that creates the cradle my hands spend 90% of every ride in. To me the Campy levers with insert don't feel any different in reach than on other bikes I've ridden equipped with SRAM Red or DA 7900. 

Anyways, long story short, I like the feel of the inserts and put them on when I built up a friends bike and he's been happy with the feel too. Give them a try, it's not the end of the world if you decide to remove them...just a little time in the shop.


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## kbwh (May 28, 2010)

I tried. Smart move. With the inserts on I managed to angle the hood tops slighty upwards with the hoods mounted lower on the bars. I get a better wrist angle while cruising and the same brake lever reach as before from the drops.
Success.


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## campagnoloneutron (Sep 15, 2005)

*...a mis-named item*



kbwh said:


> The RKP blog entries on SR, DA and Red made me think about the reach adjustability on these groups. Both DA and Red lets the user adjust the levers closer to the bar after the hood position and angle has been decided.
> Not so with the v3 Ergos. There is an "Insert for large hands" which alters the angle of the hoods as well as lever reach, but it has to be put on before mounting the controls.
> 
> My hoods and drops are horisontal, and my bars are the 3T Ergonova. I have reasonably long fingers but I do not use the inserts.
> ...


I think that this item has been unfortunately been mis-named, either in translation from Italian to English or just an assigned mis-nomer. The name leads many people to discard the parts without even trying them. The insert parts change the angle of the levers when mounted to the bars ...depending on your preferences/riding style/type of bars used this may be good or not so good.

My cycling friend who has a medium hand size tried it and likes the result. I too have either a medium or large hand depending on the glove manufacturer like the change of angle as well. We spend a lot of time each ride on the handlebar tops and levers. So my advice would be to go ahead and try it and don't be deterred by the unfortunate name assigned to it. Its a relative easy switch back if you don't like the result. Good riding.


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## tom_h (May 6, 2008)

I'm using 3T Ergosum bars, with tops of bars horizontal.

I have 'average' size hands, usually american "L" gloves fit well.

While re-cabling the rear shifter, I decided to try the "large hand" insert on this shifter only.

As other have noted, this tends to rotate up the shifter body. 

I like it better. The benefit to me, is I can get a somewhat flatter profile from bar-top to hood-top, without compromising the reach to the thumb lever from the drops. The reach to brake lever has been increased about 1/4-1/2", but this is barely noticeable. I will do same to front shifter within a few days.

Still, I am not completely satisfied with the integration of the Ergosum bars with Campy 2009 Chorus shifters. I would like to get the hoods more level with bar tops, but then the thumb levers would be too high for my preference. Alternatively, I _may_ move the shifters further up the bar's curve for a flat transition, then rotate the entire bar down slightly -- just thinking about it, for now.

Note the electric Campy EPS system has thumb levers with a significant downward bend, so they appear much easier to reach, when hands are deep in the drops. Too bad that can't be applied to the mechanical shifters.


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## kbwh (May 28, 2010)

I was not satisfied with the integration of the Ergosum bars and the v3 Ergo thumb shifters myself, so I bought the Ergonovas. The Ergonova is of course not only shallower and shorter than the Ergosum. It is also flaring and has oval tops. 
I'm quite pleased with the Ergonova. In the drops there is still ample room for my hands and I can reach the thumb shifter easily. On the hoods the bar is some 3 cm narrower than an equal width Ergosum (that took a little time getting used to). I use size M gloves (Santini/Castelli/Assos/Bergamo) for my relatively narrow hands, but I need size L full finger gloves.

I'll get EPS for my next bike (maybe 2014), and chances are I'll end up with classic "Italian bend" bars then. I really like that shape, but reaching the mech thumb lever from the drops is too much of a stretch.


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## tztag (Aug 15, 2010)

I've found that the inserts smooth the bar transition when using compact bars with tight bends like FSA Wing, Soma Hwy 1 etc. They tip the hoods back just enough to tighten up the gap on those types of bars and I don't think they change the reach dramatically from the drops.


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