hybridbkrdr

OK, I might be annoying with my out-of-this-world kind of polls. But here's another one. I recently received Uno bars (640mm) and stem (90mm, 17 degree) and installed them. I know I read some mountain biker found he didn't want more than 31.8mm bars but no smaller. However, I installed this on a hybrid. And I think it looks a bit large. Then again the old 25.4mm style looks a bit small to my eyes. So what would you think of 28.6mm handlebars and stems for the rest of us (not racers, just recreational)?

(I'm going to try to include a pic of my bars/stem. For those curious, I have RFR grips, a Cateye bell and a Soma Lucas Mini front rack.)

640mm Uno bars 90mm Uno 17' stem

cxwrench

28.6mm handlebars? I have never in my life seen this. 25.4, 26.0, 26.4, 31.8...never 28.6. Seatposts are another story.

frogman

If I am more than a few feet away I can't tell the difference. Whats aesthetics have to do with it

notthe1freeman

I honestly don't focus on stuff that much

mack_turtle

if Sheldon doesn't recognize this "standard," it much be a typographical error.

Wildwood 

Part of the total aesthetic.
If you care.

Need the pic of whole bike from a couple of angles. Driveside and front view to show cables & routing & grips/barends


Sorry if I missed a pic. 1 stem&bar close-up gives no image of the whole motif.

Troul 

if you put a boombox on the rack, no one will notice the bars.

rosefarts

Not on a hybrid.

Classic vintage road bike 26.0, absolutely. Have done and would again.

bruce19

Aesthetic reasons? You mean like I do with lycra clothing?

commo_soulja

35mm, go big or go home

freeranger

I've been known to have mis-matched shifters on my mtn bike, when one broke and I had a spare in the "parts bin". So, no.

Reflector Guy

If you decide later that you bought the wrong size, you can probably cover most of it up with the largest and bulkiest smartphone holder you can find.

veganbikes

Go with whatever bars are comfortable and work well. Though 26.8 is not a bar size I am aware of. 31.8 and 26.4 yes but you might be off. A 31.8 bar is the most common size these days and you can find a good variety of bars out there so it is quite worth it if that is what you have. This is an excellent resource to compare different handlebars especially in the Alt variety: https://whatbars.com

79pmooney

Do we really need another standard?

blakcloud

No, you are getting this mixed up. The 28.6 refers to the steer clamp size or commonly 1 1/8" for the stem. This has nothing to do with the handlebar size which is 31.8.

hybridbkrdr

Actually I think visually 28.6mm would have been a "cooler" looking style in my opinion. But, as usual, some of my polls go nowhere. That's ok though because I like the idea of innovative ideas sometimes. If they don't catch on, then I know they won't work.

cxwrench

In post #2 of this thread I said that 28.6 is not a handlebar size. 8 days ago.

veganbikes

Your poll cannot really go very far as you are listing an incorrect size that doesn't exist except maybe in your mind?
https://www.sheldonbrown.com/cribsheet-handlebars.html
https://www.knog.com/how-to-measure-...ur-handle-bar/
https://bike.bikegremlin.com/3784/bi...ion-standards/ (partially copied from Sheldon but updated for 35.0 bars which are becoming popular on mountain and in rare occasions road)

Wanting odd sizes that aren't semi-standard and fairly easily available is always a bad idea. It is generally good practice to find something that exists and is made in reasonable quantity so if you do need to change or replace or something else you can do so. Having a bunch of custom made stuff in the odd size you make up sounds neat but when it comes time to replace or you need to change your fit or something and you have to spend a load of time and money to get new things made in your own special size just isn't practical. It makes some sense for a professional racer who is sponsored and has a lot of excellent connections but even then it all has to be available to the public (-ish) and even then they would want something a bit less proprietary.

blakcloud

Actually you didn't. You said you had NEVER seen one, not that they didn't exist. There is a difference.

cxwrench

Let me make it more clear...28.6mm is NOT a handlebar size. They do NOT exist.

Road Fan

no!

hybridbkrdr

lol, of course I'm talking about inventing a new size because I think the look would work. Like I said, most commuters who aren't racers may not need a specific size for performance reasons but if it looks better, why not?

shelbyfv

Well that's even more strange....

cxwrench

People like you are one of the big problems w/ the bicycle industry.

shelbyfv

Don't worry. He'll never get funding for this or any of the other bizarre pipe dreams.