1. Nino’s setup

There are many different handlebars available on the market with a variety of widths, sweeps, rise etc. On Nino’s bike we use a minus 25 negative rise stem to get the cockpit as low as possible at the front of the bike. The bars are 680mm wide and have 9 degrees backsweep. Nino rides a highly unusual minus 5 negative rise on his bars to get even lower. On a regular bar and stem we mount the bars upside down to do this.

2. Adjust the handlebar

To adjust the handlebar, I first take the bike out of the stand and place it on the floor. I have a look from the front with a table in the background which I use as a levelling guide and then tilt slightly up at the end to give a nice sweep towards the back.

3. Cockpit setup

I always measure 165mm from the edge of the handlebar to the matchmaker clamp on both sides in order to always have the same position for the riders. This gives the perfect symmetry between the hands.

4. Brake lever setup

For the angle of brake levers, I find it best to set it up when you sit on the bike, with your arms on the handlebars and with a straight line from your fingers straight through to the shoulders. You want to have one straight line for both hands and then tighten on both sides.

On the SRAM Level Ultimate levers that Nino uses you can adjust the reach. On his bike I measure always the point from the edge of the grip to the tip of brake lever and adjust to 65mm.

5. Adjust shifter

With SRAM components we have the opportunity for two positions for the shifter on the matchmaker clamp. One is a little bit further in towards the grips, the other a little further out. On Nino’s bike we use the position which is closer in to have a short reach to the lever.

6. Adjust the TwinLoc lever

On our SCOTT bikes we have the opportunity to adjust the suspension from the handlebar, it’s called the TwinLoc system and it is super handy. This lever we mount underneath the handlebar and as it is similar to a shifter, I want to do a similar setup, as close as possible to the shifter lever.

7. Cable management

It’s important to have the neatest setup possible and this applies to cable management too. I like a clean front end so I shorten all the cables as much as possible and to the correct sized loops.

Handlebar settings are mostly personal preferences. I hope these tips and tricks help you to reach the ideal handlebar setup and ultimately lead to a comfortable ride.