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Bars?

Old 07-16-20, 08:41 PM
  #1  
hamcereal
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Bars?

Wide bars? Narrow bars? Drop bars? Riser bars? Candy bars? Whats the deal? With wide bars, city riding can be a bit challenging if you're weaving through traffic. Input is appreciated!
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Old 07-17-20, 07:54 AM
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The most narrow bars I have are some riser bars at 22.5" wide. I didn't like them as much on my single speed as the current 25" wide North Road imitators. My shoulders had to get used to 22.5", my shoulders work with 24.5" to 25.5" more naturally.
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Old 07-17-20, 10:37 AM
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I have different widths depending on the bike.....24"/flat bar Hybrid, 420mm Bullhorns/single speed, 22"/flat bar Muirwoods.
But my favourite bars are the ones that have cold beer
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Old 07-17-20, 11:07 AM
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But my favourite bars are the ones that have cold beer
Yep, agreed.

But re bikes, I have had a sore/numb hands issue in the past. So, I was going to ditch my road drop bars for the wide swept bars, but after rewrapping with some foam rubber from a mouse pad under the wrap tape, I love this bar (shout out to Toby Keith).
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Old 07-17-20, 12:09 PM
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I have a MTB that I converted to a single speed. Because the dropbar I wanted to use would not fit trough the stem I ended up cutting it down quite a bit. The result was a 12 INCHES long handlebar. I found it surprisingly stable to ride.

I figure a handlebar about the width of my shoulders is a good all round length.

The 12" long handlebar on the single speed MTB.




The bike has cantilever brake calipers on the front and an under the chainstays rollercam brake on the rear.
Cheers
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Old 07-17-20, 04:18 PM
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I tried wide and standard MTB risers and flat bars. Lack of hand positions and upright cruiser like ride feel were deal breakers for me. It felt like I was riding a fixed gear hybrid. Open chest cavity, and stability were pluses, however.
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Old 07-17-20, 07:14 PM
  #7  
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I like something comfortable. Currently I am running ZIPP Service Course SL-70 Ergo 44mm bars on my 56cm Langster. My last Langster was ZIPP Vuka Alumina 42mm Base Bars which I kind of miss. My Single Speed/Fixed Gear RandoCross FunTime Machine based on a Cinelli Mash Work 55cm also has 42mm Ergo Bars from Cinelli that are OK but may eventually swap to my normal ZIPPs which I am running on 4 bikes now.
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Old 07-17-20, 08:27 PM
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Originally Posted by veganbikes
I like something comfortable. Currently I am running ZIPP Service Course SL-70 Ergo 44mm bars on my 56cm Langster. My last Langster was ZIPP Vuka Alumina 42mm Base Bars which I kind of miss. My Single Speed/Fixed Gear RandoCross FunTime Machine based on a Cinelli Mash Work 55cm also has 42mm Ergo Bars from Cinelli that are OK but may eventually swap to my normal ZIPPs which I am running on 4 bikes now.
Hey veganbikes....those are pretty narrow bars!
I know you probably meant cm's. Just busting your chops....
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Old 07-17-20, 09:20 PM
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Guide to Buying: Handlebars & Stems

Jump to What should I look for when choosing road bike handlebars?

.
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Old 07-18-20, 08:32 AM
  #10  
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Originally Posted by gios
Guide to Buying: Handlebars & Stems

Jump to What should I look for when choosing road bike handlebars?

.
A lot of it is personal taste, and depends on your age, fitness and flexibility, the type of roads you ride on, and whether you're trying to ride fast all or most of the time.

Drops give the widest range of hand positions. I find I seldom if ever use the lowest position ("on the hooks" or "on the drops") and would always choose compact drops rather than deep ones.
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Old 07-18-20, 11:13 AM
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Originally Posted by Speedway2
Hey veganbikes....those are pretty narrow bars!
I know you probably meant cm's. Just busting your chops....
Ooopsie Poopsie...yeah I did mean CMs. Bars that narrow and I wouldn't be able to breathe while riding. We had a kid at my old shop who ran bars with cut down Oury grips on them because they were so small, he got into a big wreck screaming down a hill and didn't quite see the problem when he brought in his bike to get fixed. "what do you mean my bars are too narrow and I don't have leverage" "I don't need brakes I can stop just fine"
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Old 07-19-20, 05:43 PM
  #12  
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For city riding, "condorino" bars, FTW. I had a set on my city bike and really liked them. I gave the bike to my son for college, where it got stolen.
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Old 07-20-20, 07:41 AM
  #13  
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Wide risers are pretty fun. They are a little more nerve racking in the city but you figure out what you can slide through and what you can't pretty quickly. My current ones are 700mm. I'd go wider but with a 25.4 quill stem your options are pretty limited. I've got some SimWorks MowMow bars.
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Old 07-20-20, 07:46 AM
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Originally Posted by JohnDThompson
For city riding, "condorino" bars, FTW. I had a set on my city bike and really liked them. I gave the bike to my son for college, where it got stolen.
I'd love to have a set of those. They remind me of the old "clubman" bars I had on my first motorcycle back in the day.
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Old 07-20-20, 07:56 AM
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I'm a drop bar guy, so I have my SSCX set up just like my other bikes. It happens to be a 44cm Ritchey Butano WCS, with which I am quite happy.
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Old 07-21-20, 06:51 AM
  #16  
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My daily commuter has Soma HWY1 drops on it, I think they’re 42cm wide.

I’m I also have a Nitto For Shred riser that’s 65cm - pretty dang wide. I had it on a 1x8 but I sold that bike and kept the bars. Going to put them on whatever my next SS/FG/track frame is.

I also have Soma Late Riser bar on my vintage Raleigh - but that’s not a SS. Great simple average bar though. They are 54cm wide and would be great for a SS/FG.
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Old 07-21-20, 10:20 AM
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Aren't those more like 75cm? Typo or did you cut down to 65cm?

Originally Posted by the sci guy
I’m I also have a Nitto For Shred riser that’s 65cm - pretty dang wide.
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Old 07-21-20, 10:35 AM
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Originally Posted by nightfly
Aren't those more like 75cm? Typo or did you cut down to 65cm?
75cm wide handlebars!!! Holy Moley.....they must be measured at the widest outside edge of the flared drops?
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Old 07-21-20, 11:24 AM
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Originally Posted by nightfly
Aren't those more like 75cm? Typo or did you cut down to 65cm?
No, they come in 2 sizes, 75 & 65cm.

Originally Posted by Speedway2
75cm wide handlebars!!! Holy Moley.....they must be measured at the widest outside edge of the flared drops?
It's not a drop bar, it's a riser bar:https://global.bluelug.com/nitto-for...ar-silver.html
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Old 07-21-20, 03:23 PM
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In the world of mountain bike riser bars, 75cm isn't even wide. People run well over 80cm.

I find that I probably wouldn't want to go much over 70 but there is a very different feel going from standard or narrow risers to wider 65cm+ ones. The leverage and control are pretty addictive.
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Old 07-21-20, 03:41 PM
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Originally Posted by JohnDThompson
For city riding, "condorino" bars, FTW. I had a set on my city bike and really liked them. I gave the bike to my son for college, where it got stolen.
Merry Sales Imports 'Soma' brand has some ...
https://www.merrysales.com/shop/prod...&category=1017
\
reminds me of what I had on my motorcycle in the 70's

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Old 07-21-20, 05:22 PM
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40-42cm drops. Risers, I'll go wider but not Mash wide.
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Old 07-23-20, 06:35 AM
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Originally Posted by Miele Man
I have a MTB that I converted to a single speed. Because the dropbar I wanted to use would not fit trough the stem I ended up cutting it down quite a bit. The result was a 12 INCHES long handlebar. I found it surprisingly stable to ride.

I figure a handlebar about the width of my shoulders is a good all round length.

The 12" long handlebar on the single speed MTB.




The bike has cantilever brake calipers on the front and an under the chainstays rollercam brake on the rear.
Cheers
Are you saying your shoulders are a foot wide? I don't get it. Why would anyone make their bars narrower than their shoulders? Mine measure in at around 21".
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Old 07-23-20, 07:25 AM
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Originally Posted by TugaDude
Are you saying your shoulders are a foot wide? I don't get it. Why would anyone make their bars narrower than their shoulders? Mine measure in at around 21".
No. I'm saying that a handlebar width the same width as my shoulders is my preferred width but this 12" handlebar on the single speed was becuae the curve of a dropbar would not go through that stem.

The 12" bar was a fun experiment.

Cheers
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Old 07-23-20, 08:35 AM
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Originally Posted by Miele Man
No. I'm saying that a handlebar width the same width as my shoulders is my preferred width but this 12" handlebar on the single speed was becuae the curve of a dropbar would not go through that stem.

The 12" bar was a fun experiment.

Cheers
Thanks for the clarification.
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