Help: I need your best brain

I have a problem with my arms. They are not the same length. I know what you are thinking: "that's a common complaint, get thicker grips on one side"

No, seriously.. the difference in length is 2.5cm, which is dramatic enough to cause me shoulder pain on my longer-arm side.

I need the handle-bars to compensate for this problem, or I am stuck riding pashley shoppers and cruisers for the rest of my days. Possible solutions needed please? Is there a place I can go that would modify handlebars for me, without costing the earth? Would it be a hard thing to bend some bars suitably? Should I sign up for a metal work course at my local college and try something myself? What's the best option here...?

If you have a quill stem, couldn't you get one of the modular quill stems such as the one blb offers (haven't seen them in the flesh so I don't know if the clamp stays horizontal)

http://bricklanebikes.co.uk/page/14

Scroll down and check out the blb components preview.

sounds like buy some used bars, and get them bent...

If you wanted to have a go yourself, various ways of bending bars.

Not sure I understand you. Anyway, it's a threadless stem.

Have you tried setting the bars so they are not straight?

Have you tried setting the bars so they are not straight?

Yeah. Doesn't work.

By the way, I'm getting bored of dealing with other mechanics and since I am technically-minded, I'm going to buy a bunch of tools. Might be worth getting a box full in one go.. would make life easier. I own allen keys, pedal wrench, adjustable wrench, lubes and screwdrivers. But for the price of a chain breaker, cable cutters, chain whip, spoke wrench... etc might as well plump for this. http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/IceToolz-New-Bike-Cycle-Advanced-Mechanics-Tool-Kit-/180825714338 or this if I don't need all the cone wrenches: Ice Toolz Essence Tool Kit What do you think?

Bull horns would be easy to modify to have the curve up at different points. Or as an interim measure, you could just hold the horns in different positions.

Alternatively, assuming you're on drop handlebars, how about using different sized hoods on each side of the bar. Some hoods are bloody massive and would give you at least 2.5cm compared with a small hood.

I had nitto bullhorns modified at a metal work shop- cut out the middle to make them 33cm and re welded together. You could take some old steel bars you nearly like and get them modified, or consider an extra hand hold for your short arm- some of the para team use bar ends or false hoods for an extra position

Some hoods are bloody massive and would give you at least 2.5cm compared with a small hood.

Or just ride on the hoods with different grips per side, I tend to have 2 fingers under the hood so switching to 1 or 3 would probably compensate for 1" difference in arm length.

Yeah. Doesn't work.

By the way, I'm getting bored of dealing with other mechanics and since I am technically-minded, I'm going to buy a bunch of tools. Might be worth getting a box full in one go.. would make life easier. I own allen keys, pedal wrench, adjustable wrench, lubes and screwdrivers. But for the price of a chain breaker, cable cutters, chain whip, spoke wrench... etc might as well plump for this. http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/IceToolz-New-Bike-Cycle-Advanced-Mechanics-Tool-Kit-/180825714338 or this if I don't need all the cone wrenches: Ice Toolz Essence Tool Kit What do you think?

it's difficult to tell without adding up all the figures, but it doesn't look like that good value for money from here (the first one). you probably won't need all those cone wrenches unless you're doing a load of different hubs, and cheap cone spanners are shit anyway..
you also probably won't need those torx keys either, and to be honest most of it seems like it will be obselete to you..

pasi: thanks.

The hood ideas are interesting. I have only flat bar bikes now but might get a drop bar.

What tools do I need to strip a handlebar?

-Allen Keys
-Compressed air container (get grips off)

That's it? Maybe some spare grips and hairspray in case I need to cut off the old grips.

Anyone got any pointers on this.

Anyone got any pointers on this.

Please do not use compressed air! If you want to get the grip off spray WD40 under the grip - use the thin plastic tube that comes with a can to work under the grip - and it will come easily off. You can also use WD40 to put and stick the grips back on as long as you leave it overnight without riding. That's my 2p ..

to get the grip off just use soapy water (warm)- sooooooo much easier

Mild green Furry liquid

You're all wrong.

Hairspray.

hair dryer to warm up / soften grips
thin screwdriver to break seal / open up a gap
warm soapy water

don't like WD40 - causes solvent swelling of polymers and subsequent degradation, whatever it says on the tin.

the answer

Spit. Pull the grips away from the bar a bit, spit down there, twist. And they'll drop off. Same for back on.

You're all wrong.

Hairspray.

+1 this. it also dries sticky so will help hold on the grips

Spit. Pull the grips away from the bar a bit, spit down there, twist. And they'll drop off. Same for back on.

Dirty boy.

would bullhorns not work? could have one hand slightly in front of the other? (unless you really want drops or more likely, I'm missing the point entirely)

I don't wan't drops. All my bikes are flat-bar. If bull horns worked I wouldn't be asking! ;)

Going to look at bending some bars. I'll try and talk to the guy who runs metalwork at my local college.

the answer

Where is this bike from?

I don't wan't drops. All my bikes are flat-bar. If bull horns worked I wouldn't be asking! ;)

Going to look at bending some bars. I'll try and talk to the guy who runs metalwork at my local college.

So I was missing the point!

Okay, I have gotten around to this again. Stripped my handlebar on one of my bikes. Bearing in mind I live in notting hill, where shall I go to get the bars bent? Just want to pay and get it done without damaging them.