Steve_sr

Hello,

I am looking for handlebars for a new gravel build and am having difficulty finding what I want. What used to be simple specs apparently no longer exist since manufacturers figured out how to contort aluminum into weird shapes, and of course now everything is turning to carbon.

Required:
1. Round top section to be able to mount a light and Rok Form phone mount as well as an Ortleib handlebar bag.
2. MUST be alloy as the Ortleib mound won't do carbon.

Wants:
1. Low drop, short reach as I have short arms.
2. Moderate flair (6-24 degrees) and sweep (0-12 degrees).

The Salsa Cowbell or Cow Chipper would be good choices except that the 31.8 clamp profile is not wide enough (or too wide if you consider using the 26mm section for mounting accessories).

Can anyone offer any suggestions on some bars that might fit the bill?

Thanks,
Steve

Iride01 

They still make aluminum drop bars. And round too. I just bought some from Specialized. However they only briefly came in stock and went out of stock just after I ordered them.

So maybe that is why you seem to think no one makes them any longer. They are just out of stock. You do know that COVID is real and that it's impacted supply chains at all levels don't you?

Not sure what you mean by 31.8 not being wide enough. 31.8 is a diameter. And that is what I'm use to being the larger size for a clamp diameter. Does your stem require a larger diameter than that for the bars?

thook

i think what he means is the clamp area is not wide enough...doesn't provide enough area/room to clamp accessories to.

@Steve_sr what size stem clamp do you need? and, how much width do you actually need? if 26mm clamp is an option, there's a few choices there. no sweep like the cowbell, etc. but they do flare a tad. eg. soma highway one, nitto m105, ritchey, and a couple others i know of

Darth Lefty 

Salsa brand bars typically extend the clamp diameter briefly to each side - maybe 50-70 mm from center - to mount lights or GPS. That’s in comparison to some others that make this space flat for aero or comfort or neck down immediately by the clamp. This is not limited to drop or aluminum bars either, you can find it on the carbon Rustler MTB bar for example or the same-parent-company Whisky brand. Just one of those features that fits with the brand ethos.

But it’s obviously got to neck down before it gets to the bends.

dsaul

FSA Adventure bars are my favorite. I have them on both of my gravel bikes and I even put them on my road bike, because I prefer the hand position over regular drop bars. https://shop.fullspeedahead.com/en/h...lloy-handlebar

Iride01 

Oh! You might be right. But what bike accessories are made for a 31.8 diameter? Those few that are that I might have like a out front mount also came with adapters for the smaller sizes.

I guess we'll have to see if the OP comes back.

Steve_sr

I am well aware of Covid and supply chain issues. I am going by what I have / haven't found on several bar manufacturers websites. I am mostly looking at product specs and not availability at the moment. Maybe I am looking at too high value manufacturers.

Steve_sr

Exactly... I need about 150-160mm of consistent clamp diameter for mounting accessories. The 31.8mm to 26.xmm neck down area is also not usable for mounting accessories.

Steve_sr

The alloy Salsa bars that I mentioned are 120mm before necking down. The carbon version raises that significantly... but I can't use carbon

Yea, the non-round "ergo" or "aero" bar tops are totally useless for mounting accessories.

Steve_sr

Current road bike is 26.2 round and I have a Cygolite headlight and Rok Form phone mount on this bar. If the bar is too small it can always be shimmed up with appropriate sized section of rubber hose.

Steve_sr

Another solution, and what I have on the road bike, is a 26.2mm bar stem clamp diameter. Is this size still available or has it been phased out? So far I don't recall seeing anything other than 31.8mm clamp diameter. I seem to recall that that Salsa used to make the Cow chipper and Cow bell in the smaller clamp diameter but saw no mention on their website.

thook

neither were ever made in smaller than 31.8. in 26mm and maybe 25.4mm, they did have the poco, the short and shallow, and at least one other i can't think of the name of off hand. all those have been discontinued for several years, though

Steve_sr

Don't quote me on the exact small bar diameter. I think at one time there were two different "standards" one for road and another for MTB. Sounds like these two have gone away (for whatever reason).

Iride01 

I am not understanding why you can't clamp to the smaller diameter part of the tube. Or make shim or bushing to give you the diameter you need from a piece of rubber or simply wrap tape around the bar to get that diameter for the clamp. Did the makers of what ever you are clamping not give you adapters. 31.8 mm bars for that long an area might be out there, but I've never noticed them. Though I only started riding 21st century bikes less than 2 years ago.

The Specialized bars I bought a few months ago appear to be back in stock.... https://www.specialized.com/us/en/sh...ext=21016-3040

The 31.8 mm diameter measures roughly 4¾" long. Though my bar tape is obscuring where the actual neck down starts.

thook

okay..i won't

at one time, there was 25.4 and 26 concurrently for road, as well. yeah, mostly they have gone away. i

ncidentally, salsa had the bell lap handlebar...the one i couldn't think of before.

Steve_sr

I looked at those but unfortunately have a non-round top section. I also looked at the rest of the FSA line up and didn't find any other alloy bars with a round top section.