stockholm

https://www.bikepacking.net/reviews/h...pper-by-salsa/

Has anyone tried this? Looks ideal as a replacement for the oh-so-wide and uncomfortable flat bars currently on my commuter.

Thanks.

fotooutdoors

I run it on my Salsa Fargo. I really like the bar, and have ridden it on singletrack and on the road. It isn't the ideal bar for really tough singletrack, but I am assuming you are thinking about less technical uses since you are on the commuting forum.

It does take some forethought as to setup. Unlike a standard road bar, the primary riding position is the drops. Because of this, it should be set up higher. The other consideration is reach; the primary position is in front of where the stem attaches to the bar, like any other drop bar. Because of this, you need to shorten your top tube (impossible if you already have the frame) or get a shorter stem to achieve a similar reach as a flat bar.

If you go with this (or any other dirt drop bar), do some reading beforehand on setup to make sure you can get a good fit with your rig. I do recommend this bar for commuting, though, especially if you don't have a need to fly.

enigmaT120

I'm picking up my Fargo today. I agree with fotooutdoors, the drops felt very comfortable so I imagine that I will spend most of my time there. I'm looking forward to heading up into the woods, but it will be my main commuter.

GP

I haven't tried the Woodchippers but have had Salsa Bell Laps on two bikes. Very comfortable.

FrenchFit 

I have these on my vintage Schwinn Voyageur touring bike, traditional quill stem. They just kind of found their way onto that bike, (I rejected them for a dirt bike). Tricky to get on a stem without a faceplate, but remarkably comfortable for the geometry of that bike. Keepers.

TimmyT 

I just put a set of Woodchippers on two weeks ago and then promptly had to go out of town. I've got about 30 road commuter miles on them.

My first impressions are that I'm off the hoods and cross bar a lot more in favor of the drops. The drops are huge: lots of real estate down there with about three positions in terms of angle from my shoulder to the bar --- forward, midway, and the back of the drops. The back position has A LOT of power for climbing, and it's pretty clear why a lot of people have good things to say about these bars.

Tilting the brakes like I've done moves them *away* from your hands. If I had known this, I would have gotten the short reach levers.

I agree with the post about wanting to raise the stem. I did this and it makes it easier. I probably also would have bought a longer stem given that the fork rises towards the cockpit area, making everything closer when it's higher.

I just took these tonight:

greaterbrown

Great bars.
+1 re: footoutdoors comments.
I rode my 'chippers for almost two months (with temporary spots of bar tape) so that I could experiment and tweak the tilt and the position of the levers.
After several hundred miles, I settled in on a likable system, put proper tape on and have loved them ever since.
(a not-very-helpful side shot on my Surly link below)

iforgotmename

I run them on my Vassago Fisti single speed, great bars. I find that I ride over the hoods the most but the drops are a must for any off roading. I also have some WTB Diurt drops on the LHT and I find the woodchippers to be a bit more comfy.

stockholm

Thanks for the replies, everyone! I think the reach will be too long for me, which is a pity because I really liked the look of the wiiide drops.

Again, thanks. You saved me some $.

JiveTurkey

I don't think this thread is completely cold, so I'm resurrecting it.

I was just considering these bars for a mid-90s MTB turned commuter/utility/loaded off-road tourer.

For those that have them, how is it riding on the hoods? (I'd be using old STIs.) These appear to keep the brake levers much more vertical compared to other flared drop bars. Do they feel more or less like the same hoods on a traditional drop bar?

I'd like these bars if I could ride primarily in the hoods.

fotooutdoors

It's doable to ride on the hoods, and decently comfortable. However, I have my bars set high because they are on a mountain bike and I want to ride the drops on technical stuff. So, the hoods are really high which means I only ride them for a change of hand position. Riding the drops with them is very different than riding drops on a road drop bar. Unlike with some road drops, it is very easy to shift from the drops using STIs. I would have no problem recommending them for your intended uses.

One other note. I am assuming your bike has a quill stem. Most quill stems do not have a removable faceplate, which makes it near (if not totally, I have read of both) impossible to put on the woodchippers. In short, you will probably need a new stem as well.

Airburst

+1, I was lucky enough to have an old quill stem with a removeable faceplate lying around when I fitted a set to an old MTB, they just wouldn't go through the single-bolt stem that was on the bike. You might get lucky, though.

JiveTurkey

I'm planning on running these or a traditional drop bar with the tops of the bars about even with the saddle. Are you running them higher than this? I'd like to use the hoods primarily as this bike will see way more pavement than trail.

Wondering if anyone else has them set up with hoods in a good place for the primary hand position and how it feels.

Lastly, do hoods end up on the 42's at about the same width as a traditional drop bar? I ride a 42 on the road bike and like narrower MTB bars (58 cm). I'd like the hoods to be at or a little wider than on the road bike, but the overall width of the 46's at 630mm (vs 590 on the 42's) seem really wide, but maybe they don't feel so wide in the bends?

I'm going to check out the LBS' in town to see if anyone has these later today as I'd like to feel them before committing.

CliftonGK1

I raced my whole CX season on a pair of Woodchippers and I wouldn't give 'em up for anything. I have a pair of Tektro R200 levers mounted just at the break of the curvature so the bars lead into the ramps, just like you would on a standard road bar. With all the tight turns and quick handling involved in CX, I spent much of my time on the hoods and only went to the drops for sprint straightaways or long bumpy stretches where I didn't need to be on/off the brakes a lot. I set it up so braking was actually more comfortable from the hoods.
I used an Easton EA50 stem and a buttload of spacers to hike the bars up where I wanted them. In part, there are so many because my frame is only a 60cm and I typically ride a 62 or 64 (but try finding a CX frame bigger than a 58cm without going custom!)

I also do a lot of light MTB trail riding on this bike, some commuting, and I've done a couple 50 mile charity rides on it. The only difference is that I throw a pair of 38mm all-terrains on it instead of my skinny racing knobbies. (Those are 32mm IRD CrossFires in the picture)

JiveTurkey

Clifton, when you say you jacked up the bars, where did they end up relative to the seat?

Edit: You probably have a more aggressive setup on your race bike than I'd have on my bike.

CliftonGK1

This was a pic right after I finished building it. The bars actually ended up 1 spacer higher (10mm) than where they are in the picture. It's not a really agressive setup as far as racing bikes go, but many 'cross bikes aren't. Because of the terrain, most people spend their time on the hoods so they can shift quickly (grass to pavement to gravel to mud, short punchy hills, etc.) I ride singlespeed, but the comfortable position for me is on the hoods so I set mine up the same.

tjspiel

Anyone know if the bar's name comes from the featured method of body disposal in the movie "Fargo" ?

If so, that alone would make me want to buy them.

enigmaT120

Wow, I never made the connection. I did read somewhere that Salsa picked the name Fargo for the bike after the movie, not the town. So I bet you are right.

After a few hundred miles I still like mine.

mlugo

These bars are very comfortable. I just converted my Trek 7.5FX to drop bars(along with a few other items...almost done) and can't ride it enough now. I wanted these bars after seeing them on a Surly LHT on the Ecovelo website.

FrenchFit 

Re traditional quill stem: It took about 5 minutes to get the Woodchippers on a vintage nitto-esque stem. I had to take the stem off the bike, lube the bar curve, and use a yankee tipped screwdriver to spread the clamp so it'd offer just a little more ID around the curves. Patience was rewarded when it just found the sweet spot and slide on past. There is one bad curve in those bars for the traditional 25.4 quill, but it can be managed.

JiveTurkey

Thanks. I ordered the 42 cm bars yesterday. I'm hoping I can get it to work with the current stem as it seem perfect and I'd rather not have to buy another stem.

I'll post up a pic of my rig when it's done.

lubes17319

I run the biggest size & love'em.
I ride 80% hoods; 15% flats; 5% drops

Barrettscv 

My 46cm wide Moto Ace Woodchipper handlebar arrived and I installed it to check fit. It will easily take Shimano brifters and bar-end shifters. Reaching the lever on the brifter is easy even if the hand is in the middle of the lower portion.

I can imagine six hand positions (starting near the stem and working out & down): cross bar, upper bend, on-the-brifter (or brake lever housing), inside-the-bend right behind the lever, middle of the lower bar, and at the back of the lower bar.

The lower bar is long and the spread is very wide, providing multiple hand positions. However, the reach to the lower bar is very easy, the bend in the bar is very tight, shortening the reach.

The 46 size bar is much wider than my 44 size FSA Compact bar! Even bigger guys (I'm 6 foot and broad shouldered) should consider the 42 size for commuting and on-road touring.