Weird handlebar idea

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Zack Medow

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Jul 28, 2020, 11:48:51 AM7/28/20
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Ok so for me the perfect road handlebar would allow me to run drop bar break levers in the typical way for “endurance” riding, then with back sweep to allow me to sit up and change my back angle. Basically I’m visualizing this as an albastache bar but with the break levers vertical instead of horizontal. Or like a dirt drop, but with all the hand positions existing on the same plane.

I could see how you’d do this by bending the tubes down in the way you typically would on a drop bar, and then sideways and back for the sit-up position. Has anyone ever seen a bar like this? Is this a very stupid idea?

Dave S

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Jul 29, 2020, 8:58:59 AM7/29/20
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spencer robinson

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Jul 29, 2020, 1:22:41 PM7/29/20
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I used those Origin 8 drop bar ends on a couple different bikes and they do work to give you a lower aero choice. I never tried to use them with Road bike brake levers though. For those bar end drops to work well, the handle bar has to have little or no sweep, unless you slide them way inside...
Mostly they are nice on a MTB when you might be doing some road miles as part of the route.. 


On Tuesday, July 28, 2020 at 11:48:51 AM UTC-4, Zack Medow wrote:

Paul Brodek

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Jul 29, 2020, 2:57:36 PM7/29/20
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I'm sorry to be dense, but I'm having trouble visualizing this. You can sit up and change your back angle with drop bars and 'cross interrupter levers. How is that different from what you're wanting to accomplish? Do you want to keep your hands/wrists at the same angle that they would be on the hoods?

Paul Brodek
Hillsdale, NJ USA

Kelly Knobby-X w-Cross Levers - Med.jpg

Gunnar '11 Crosshairs w-Cross Levers - Med .jpg




On Tuesday, July 28, 2020 at 11:48:51 AM UTC-4, Zack Medow wrote:

Drw

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Jul 29, 2020, 3:01:53 PM7/29/20
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I’m also having a hard time envisioning. Is something like the soma condor 2, kind of what you’re going for?

Rob Kristoff

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Jul 29, 2020, 7:19:42 PM7/29/20
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but not the riv/nitto noodle? do you want it wider? Maybe the crust towel rack?

RK

Takashi

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Jul 30, 2020, 3:38:34 AM7/30/20
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Put TWO handlebars on your bike, and you can have whatever position you like!


Takashi

Josh Brown

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Aug 5, 2020, 5:56:10 PM8/5/20
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Koga Denham? 

On Wed, Jul 29, 2020, 7:19 PM Rob Kristoff <robkr...@gmail.com> wrote:
but not the riv/nitto noodle? do you want it wider? Maybe the crust towel rack?

RK

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Zack Medow

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Aug 8, 2020, 11:53:11 AM8/8/20
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So I maybe didn't describe this well enough. Just imagine a mustache bar but with the brake hoods in the standard position for a drop bar. So it's like a normal dop bar, but all parts of the bar are on the same plane. The idea is to have a normal hoods position, plus a swoop back part of the bar that's on the same level with the drops. 

On Wed, Jul 29, 2020 at 3:02 PM Drw <drewbe...@gmail.com> wrote:
I’m also having a hard time envisioning. Is something like the soma condor 2, kind of what you’re going for?

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Andrew Stevens

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Aug 8, 2020, 11:53:11 AM8/8/20
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https://surlybikes.com/parts/truck_stop_bar
https://bikepacking.com/news/ride-farr-supa-wide-handlebar/

I guess the way I'm reading it is you want a narrow road position and a wider upright position. The general trend in backpacking has been to widen the bars and to include upsweep from the stem so that its a riser bar with a wide drop position, so that inverts what I perceive to be your preferred position, but this trend seems much easier from an engineering standpoint. I just got those Ride Farr bars: they are wide, but as they are short reach, with a shorter stem, they feel very natural, and nowhere near as wide as the widest bars out there nowadays.

You could also go the Jones route, and ride in the "aero" position: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YGwBvzvIhhs

Patrick Moore

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Aug 8, 2020, 3:02:36 PM8/8/20
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I laugh at this question (in nostalgic exhilaration, not scorn) because I've had the same dilemma for dirt surface bikes. I want a low, narrow cruising position for tarmac, and a wide, closer-up position for dirt.

What all this reminds me of is: the original issue Moustache Bar. Though I tried close and high, I didn't like it, and always went back to low and far; IOW, set them up much like road drop bars. This gave me a narrow, long-reach position on the hoods (set up per Grant's original suggestion), and a much wider and closer position by sitting up and holding on to the ends of the bar. 

These 2 positions are very good, but -- and this is me, only -- my left palm is so sensitive that only the ramps and hoods of a road drop bar setup (I tried 6-7 different, wide, flared offroad drops and hated them all) is comfortable for more than a few miles, thus ruling out the M-bar for anything ridden for over 10 miles.

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Patrick Moore
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Jim M.

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Aug 8, 2020, 4:44:17 PM8/8/20
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On Saturday, August 8, 2020 at 8:53:11 AM UTC-7, Zack Medow wrote:
So I maybe didn't describe this well enough. Just imagine a mustache bar but with the brake hoods in the standard position for a drop bar. So it's like a normal dop bar, but all parts of the bar are on the same plane. The idea is to have a normal hoods position, plus a swoop back part of the bar that's on the same level with the drops. 

I've been intrigued by Velo Orange's Crazy Bar, though I don't know if you can put drop levers on those horns: https://velo-orange.com/collections/handlebars/products/crazy-bars-1 



Philip Williamson

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Aug 9, 2020, 11:38:07 PM8/9/20
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It sounds like you want to rotate the lever mounts 90 degrees on a mustache bar. I’ve never seen this done, but it seems feasible. You might want to adjust the mating surface of the lever with a half-round file.

Disclaimer: I didn’t even visit the bike shed to look at the pieces.
UPDATE (DIS-disclaimer): I put the chickens away and put upright levers on a moustache bar. Easy. I don’t see an advantage over a normal moustache setup, but it’s possible.

“Pictures or it didn’t happen” as Manny used to say:
https://www.instagram.com/p/CDsZVYll1UB

Philip
Santa Rosa, CA

Eric Daume

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Aug 10, 2020, 6:31:58 AM8/10/20
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Philip's picture matches my understanding of the OP's image. Somehow I don't think this will catch on.

Eric

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Zack Medow

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Aug 11, 2020, 10:48:59 AM8/11/20
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Philip,

You’ve got it!! This is exactly what I’m looking for. I’m going to try it with my next mustache bar (I don’t currently have one).

This is awesome, I didn’t think it’d be possible. Anything special to note with how you did the conversion?

Cheers,

Zack

> On Aug 9, 2020, at 11:38 PM, Philip Williamson <philip.w...@gmail.com> wrote:
>
> It sounds like you want to rotate the lever mounts 90 degrees on a mustache bar. I’ve never seen this done, but it seems feasible. You might want to adjust the mating surface of the lever with a half-round file.
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Addison Quarles

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Aug 11, 2020, 10:49:00 AM8/11/20
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Jim M.: 
IIRC The horns of the Crazy Bar have a 23.8mm OD and a ~20mm ID to accommodate common bar end/TT brake levers, so running road levers would work if one wanted to save the bar end real estate for something else. A duo of mirrors? Bar end shifters? a couple knocks to make a slingshot?   

Philip Williamson

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Aug 12, 2020, 11:56:19 PM8/12/20
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Hey, I’m glad it helps. I didn’t do any modifications, but...
You might want to use a half-round file to match the lever body to the bar. Simply turning the lever 90 degrees digs sharp corners of my example lever body into the bar. Someone predicted this setup would slip, but regular sideways levers on m-bars don’t slip.

Philip
Santa Rosa, CA

tuolumne bikes

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Aug 13, 2020, 12:25:30 AM8/13/20
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You can't do this (attached) with Crazy Bars unless you have hinged brake levers. The relaxed hand position is palms at about 45 degrees with thumbs around the bar ends and heel of the hand on the handle bar. On sketchy descents you have a standard straight bar with two finger braking. Shifting and braking are accessible in either position. I'm not currently using this, but it worked for several years. Using Northroad variations now since my wrists like the 45 degree angle.

I realize this photo may disturb some folks, but the thread is called weird handlebar idea.

Carl

On Saturday, August 8, 2020 at 1:44:17 PM UTC-7 Jim M. wrote:
big blue bars.jpg
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