Comments on: Handlebar Side Thoughts : Continued

By: Rob55

Rob55 — Thu, 15 Sep 2011 04:45:41 +0000

I converted a 30 year old trek 830 to a townie /commuter, It has a nitto 50×225 stem extended as far as the front brake cable allows and Mary bars. I ride heads up in traffic between 10 mph and 20 mph very comfortably. Try it, you might like it.

By: Alan

Alan — Wed, 07 Sep 2011 20:02:04 +0000

The butterfly/touring bars appeal to me but I’m unclear as to how it should be set up. assuming I have comfortable flat bar, should the back of the butterfly be in a similar position so I can stretch out a bit to the front bar? Is that the idea?

By: JonP

JonP — Fri, 15 Jan 2010 14:37:04 +0000

I am definitely interested in the results of this, as I am trying to decide between a OV Tourist, a Soma Sparrow and possibly a Civia Loring.

I’ll be especially interested in the measurements. I am looking for something with some nice sweep to it and room for twist shifters but as narrow as possible. The results of this test are going to help me immensely!

By: jdc

jdc — Wed, 13 Jan 2010 14:30:52 +0000

I went ahead and tried the Jones H bar in order to decide whether our shop should stock them. Two of our local riders have tried and dumped them as well. It’s a LOT of money for a bar that doesn’t “work”. We found that the best situation that these bars will work in is on a singlespeed bike or on a geared bike using thumbies. We wondered why Jeff Jones uses an expensive STI setup on his personal bikes. Where to locate the shifters is a big problem, as you will soon discover on your Titecs. You’ll need a monsterously long stem because the backfacing “barends” shorten the perceived toptube length by a considerable amount, leaving the cockpit very cramped and uncomfortable, and this is where your hands will be for most of your riding. We also found that the Jones bars produce incredible leverage and cause the stem to flex and twist while sprinting or climbing. We tried them on both an old road bike and a mountain bike, both with gears and singlespeeded. They’re either weird or cool looking, depending on your taste, but that’s about it.

By: Ringer

Ringer — Thu, 07 Jan 2010 13:46:56 +0000

Thanks, John B. Much appreciated.

By: davidg

davidg — Thu, 07 Jan 2010 05:47:47 +0000

Agreed the LHT requires a steep rise stem to mount the m-bar in the right position. I use a salsa 35deg x 105mm, works well but have occasional issues with knees and bar end shifters. Currently mulling over the pros/cons of the albatross bar.

By: Bike Shop Girl

Bike Shop Girl — Thu, 07 Jan 2010 04:26:47 +0000

No moustache bars on this bike. The setup is wrong, even did a quick install of just the bars, and I would need a very steep rise stem to match what is needed.

Albatross maybe, but it didn’t make my short list due to many of the others having the same fit.

By: UNIBIKER

UNIBIKER — Thu, 07 Jan 2010 04:08:00 +0000

I ride a Long Haul Trucker 25 miles daily on my commute back and forth to work even in the Wisconsin winter. The bike was built with a Bontrager road style handlebar. Hated it.. I switched them out to Nitto rm-016 moustache bars with bar end shifters and road brakes out front on the bar bends. I love it.. This allows me to turn my wrists in several positions and helps my them from getting numb on long rides. In the further most extended position, even with a fully loaded messenger bag, It is very comfortable. In a more upright position I have much more control than I did with those road bars witch helps in snow and ice.

By: John B.

John B. — Thu, 07 Jan 2010 03:55:22 +0000

I would dispute the idea that most commuters use a North Road style handlebar. Maybe in Amsterdam. Certainly not anywhere in the U.S. The overwhelming majority of commuters I’ve seen have either a mountain bike flat/riser bar or a road drop bar. Probably because the overwhelming majority of commuters are on mountain bikes or road bikes.

Bike Shop Girl – No Albatros Bar? I realize you can’t please everybody, but given the cult following of that particular bar, I’m surprised its not on your list. Mustache bar too, maybe.

Ringer – go to the touring section of roadbikereview.com or any Surly LHT discussion board and you’ll find 26″ vs. 700c debated ad nosium. In a nutshell, 700c wheels on small frame sizes raises the BB too much and compromises the touring geometry. So, Surly uses 26″ wheels instead. BTW, the Rivendell Atlantis is the same way. Just like on mountain bikes, 26″ wheels spin up quicker and are usually lighter, but 700c wheels hold momentum better. Which one you prefer is purely personal preference. For touring, many people like 26″ because wheels and tires are more widely available, especially in remote rural areas, if you need to replace anything on tour.

By: Ringer

Ringer — Tue, 05 Jan 2010 21:02:13 +0000

I have a somewhat related question. I was just talking to my LBS owner about buying a Long Haul Trucker, for many of the reasons discussed in these bike build entries. I didn’t realize until today, though, that, based on my frame size needs (I fit a 54 cm most comfortably), the LHT only comes with 26 inch wheels. I was assuming I’d be able to get 700c’s, which I’d prefer.

I’m wondering, though, what people think. Is there a definite benefit to having 700c’s over 26′s? Or does it not really matter? I’m hoping to use the bike for touring.

And thoughts would be welcome. And sorry to hijack the discussion. If folks would prefer: jeff dot ringer at unh dot edu