Bar68 - Not a swept back but not a flatty

[Ben R]

Last year around the spring I took a pair of Albatros bars and bent them out.  the shape ended up being pretty sweet, but I ended up dimpling the bars and didn't feel safe to use them.

I was talking to James about the shape and he mentioned to me how they had a "new bar" in the works.

fast forward a few months and he had a pair on his platty.  I got to ride it around and it felt good but didn't really catch my attention as Im into wide(r) bars.  I actually rode it like a total of 4X from other times.

anyways I ended up picking up a pair in last weeks release.  finally got to get them out on a proper ride and not just around the block.

-not a swept back bar but not a flat bar.  the rise feels nice.

-threw in some 20mm bar extension to get the width I wanted.

-they feel great. a tad not as big as the crust Juan martins I was running. the extenders turn it from a "bent out albatross" to a "bent out billie bar".

-the ramps and little extra space in the grip area feels good for climbs.

-will go back to Ergon grips as the angle of the bar and esi grips didn't get along with my arthritic hands.

-was skeptical at first and thought I would end up selling them after one ride but 10/10 they will probably stay on for a while...

surprised it hasn't been brought up in RBW yet.

[Drew Fitchette]

Nice one, Ben!

I ordered these but since I’m in the east coast they aren’t supposed to arrive till Wednesday. 

How long of a stem are you running on the Susie? Was curious to see where these land as far as coming back toward you. 

[Ben R]

ahhhh I guess that's why it hasn't been posted yet is because people haven't gotten them yet.

im running an 85mm nitto fillet brazed 4 bolt stem.  feels about right.  not too close but not too far for me.

[John Paz]

Following! 

Got mine, but need to secure a shorter stem than the 12cm I already have. If anybody has an 8cm nitto 90-190 let me know

John

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[Nick Shoemaker]

Those look great! I've been riding the seemingly-very-similar*  Soma Osprey on my Clem for about 3 years now - I'm totally sold on these sorts of Jones-esque semi-swept bars for bikes that spend a significant amount of time on singletrack. (I ditched the Ergons since this picture was taken and replaced them with ESIs that have been better in every way; stem is an 80mm Dirt Drop)

*I haven't found the sweep for Bar68 posted publicly yet - would be curious to know how it compares!

Specs:

Osprey: 40° sweep, 710mm width, 12mm rise

Jones: 45° sweep, 710mm width, 13mm rise

Bar68: __° sweep, 680mm width, 35mm rise

[Bill Shaw]

Adding the Crumbworks KT bar as it's very similar and hard to locate: https://www.magiccomponents.work/product-page/nitto-x-crumbworks-kt-bar

Osprey: 40° sweep, 710mm width, 12mm rise

Jones: 45° sweep, 710mm width, 13mm rise

Bar68: __° sweep, 680mm width, 35mm rise

KT Bar 39º sweep, 720mm width, 40mm rise 

Thanks,

Bill 

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[Drew Fitchette]

Wills e-mail listed it at 50 degree sweep!

Osprey: 40° sweep, 710mm width, 12mm rise

Jones: 45° sweep, 710mm width, 13mm rise

Bar68: 50° sweep, 680mm width, 35mm rise

KT Bar 39º sweep, 720mm width, 40mm rise

- Drew

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[Nick Shoemaker]

Nice - thank you both for the additions. Clearly a great time to be alive if you're into semi-swept handlebars!

[Tom Powell Davies]

These bars look great! They are also very close to the Velo Orange Granola bar, which I've always loved, and should be added to the list:

Osprey: 40° sweep, 710mm width, 12mm rise

Jones: 45° sweep, 710mm width, 13mm rise

Bar68: 50° sweep, 680mm width, 35mm rise

KT Bar 39º sweep, 720mm width, 40mm rise

VO Granola bar: 60º sweep, 650mm width, 30mm rise 

To view this discussion visit https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/rbw-owners-bunch/CALATEHgA%3DSUGKFW5aFkZTu22xhOMnc2YXVL8e0ry_DNaCFkC7A%40mail.gmail.com.

[Doug H.]

I will buy your Bar68 if you don't like it. 

Doug

[Bry]

I have one I may be interested in selling for what I paid. Never installed. I realized it may not be for me, I ultimately want the KT bars so if anyone has one for trade let me know!

To view this discussion visit https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/rbw-owners-bunch/7db85bb3-3dae-4946-874d-55fd0d8daae7n%40googlegroups.com.

[Ben R]

People LOVE the KT bar. I have 3 friends with them and one has 2 sets on two different bikes. 

The semi looking “BMX” style bar bothers me for some reason. I think I don’t like how the rise looks on them?

Another bar that was brought to my attention was the sims works JJJ bar. 

https://www.sim.works/products/sycip-designs-x-simworks-jjj-bar

Doug - If I sell them I’ll keep you in mind. I’m sure I’ll list it here but I wanna give them a ride for a bit. I’m enjoying them.  I do think having to run shims because my stem is a 31.8 bothers me but not enough to fully ditch them already. 

Ben R

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[Drew Fitchette]

I’d add to this list the Moth bar for those who like them wide!

Osprey: 40° sweep, 710mm width, 12mm rise

Jones: 45° sweep, 710mm width, 13mm rise

Bar68: 50° sweep, 680mm width, 35mm rise

KT Bar 39º sweep, 720mm width, 40mm rise

Granola bar: 60º sweep, 650mm width, 30mm rise 

Moth Bar: 60º sweep, 745mm width, 50mm rise

[Drew Fitchette]

Got my Bar68 on my Atlantis yesterday, and took it out for a quick ride to make some minor adjustments. I really enjoy them so far, it's nice as this iteration of the Atlantis has a shorter top tube and it gets me leaning a little further forward. I'm running with a 120mm stem in this picture. Excuse the excess cable lengths as these were measured for Moth bars I had before. 

[Huston]

Drew,

Lot's to like about your Atlantis, including the Bar68.  But, I have to give you extra credit for what looks like a Crystal Fellow (S65) stem to match your seatpost.

--Huston

Lexington, KY

[Drew Fitchette]

Thanks Huston! 

It's about as flashy of a bike as I've built, but I adore the matching Nitto stuff. I've got the same seat post in 27.2mm for my Saluki too. 

- Drew in ATL

[Aaron Richards]

I also got the bar68 bars and plan to use them on a future project. I am curious however if anyone knows of a similar bar but rise in the 8-10 cm range. The nitto hi-rise B483AA would be ideal however I would like more width. 

Aaron

El Cerrito CA

On Mar 4, 2026, at 1:25 PM, Ben R <ben.r...@gmail.com> wrote:



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[Ryan M]

I'm on the hunt for a set of Bar68s for my first Rivendell build (51cm Appaloosa in Lime Olive). Missed the original drop. If anyone is interested in selling, please let me know – I'm located in the Bay Area.

Ryan

[John Paz]

Nice! How do you like the 12cm stem? Do you think shorter would be better? 

John

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[Drew Fitchette]

John - I definitely think their suggestion for stem lengths on the site/newsletter is accurate. My atlantis is a 2018 56cm with shorter reach than the current frames. If I had a newer 55cm I’d probably run a shorter one(80-90mm). 

I also have a long torso, so this puts me in a nice slightly leaned forward position. If I moved these to my 56cm Susie I’d go with an 80mm. 

[Richard Rose]

LOTS of good stuff regarding the “68” & similar handlebars. All of the usual suspects listed with one BIG omission IMHO. The “Albacore” handlebar commissioned by Hope Cyclery from Philly based LekerLeks. I recently visited Keystone Bikes in Philly & they have several of his bars in stock/on display. His shop is close to Keystone - so MUSA!

Albacore is 785 wide with 50 degree sweep & about 20 rise. 22.2clamp size which is part of the secret sauce according to me. Two advantages; the bar has a subtle flex & it works best with a 22.2 stem though it comes with shims to go to 31.8. But 22.2 gives one all the excuse needed to get a Paul Boxcar stem. No brainer.

This bar/stem defines my Gus. Thus equipped the Gus is a “Mountain Bike”. None of this hillibike nonsense.:)) The beautiful forward bend transitioning to the backsweep is very useful & comfy & works so good with the stubby stem. I know the bar is WIDE! It’s perfect for singletrack. That said he makes the “Albalite” which of course is narrower. He also makes whatever you want. They are not heat treated aluminum so not lightweight. But he is now making them in titanium & selling those for just $222.00 - insane for Ti!

Sent from my iPhone

On Mar 7, 2026, at 7:44 AM, Drew Fitchette <drewfi...@gmail.com> wrote:

John - I definitely think their suggestion for stem lengths on the site/newsletter is accurate. My atlantis is a 2018 56cm with shorter reach than the current frames. If I had a newer 55cm I’d probably run a shorter one(80-90mm). 

To view this discussion visit https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/rbw-owners-bunch/e5b2d986-7fc1-4ce9-990b-e7323a34b7e6n%40googlegroups.com.

[Tom Powell Davies]

Looks like here is another option, for people who like the bar68/Granola bar shape, but want to go wider!:

https://global.bluelug.com/wilde-buckaroo-bar-nickel.html

To view this discussion visit https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/rbw-owners-bunch/55AB78E6-D5AE-4737-BFE6-7CEFE2D9D3A2%40gmail.com.

[David Ross]

I'm running custom Doom ti bars on my Gus and I couldn't be happier. I'm also running a 50mm BMX stem, although I've also run a Paul Boxcar on a previous pair of 22.2 bars. I would note that, for anyone doing serious off-road riding, running a stem with shims is far from optimal. No matter what you do, you'll never get the bars as secure as a bar will be with an appropriate stem clamp diameter. Also, the BMX stems have a huge amount of clamping surface, which I believe also helps prevent bar spin. The only reason I can probably get away with such a short stem is that I'm at the lower size for someone riding a 57cm Gus. 

To view this discussion visit https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/rbw-owners-bunch/CA%2BgtOtQQHAhNWRe_DRkJK9iksY3nfO2-c2aRacV5r9rikNA05g%40mail.gmail.com.

[Ben R]

That’s my biggest fear running shims with the b68 since I ride pretty much all dirt.  Nothing super crazy but still weirds me out a tad. 

I guess at worst if I get freaked out I’ll go back to the Juan Martins.  🥲🫠

Ben R

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[Richard Rose]

That’s interesting. I am decidedly on the small end of getting a large (57?) Gus to work but work it does. My Boxcar is of the 35mm variety. I love the bar/stem combo. Additionally, I despise shims. But I had to resort to using them on my old 26” MTB converted to a rigid single speed. They have not slipped on me yet but they do worry me. I like to see a pic of the doom equipped Gus.

Sent from my iPhone

On Mar 16, 2026, at 4:40 PM, David Ross <dros...@gmail.com> wrote:



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[David Ross]

This is my current set-up. The bars are custom Doom titanium that are basically a blown up version of a Rivendell Albatross. They measure approximately 700mm in width. I have another Doom bar that is steel and is basically the same geometry as a Crust Ortho but with tighter bends and more useable grip area. They're heavy, but they are unbelievably comfortable. As an aside, I'm still running a fully steerer as I expect to have to raise my bars as I age. 

To view this discussion visit https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/rbw-owners-bunch/7A45B6CB-2AD5-43A6-A440-6221598BC3D0%40gmail.com.

[David Ross]

I forgot to mention that I built a simple visualizer that allows me to plug in various bars and see what my reach will be. I have pretty severe neck issues and am working on a new build that will likely either have another set of custom bars or stock bars that I'll modify by cutting down a bit. 

[Polipop]

I made a curve profile comparison of some 40-45º sweep back handlebars.  Currently, I have VO Klunker bar on my A. Homer Hilsen and I like it so much.  It felt really good, stable and made the ride a lot more fun.  So, I'm considering Bar68 as well because it have the same dimensions.  But being in Asia, I guess I will have to wait and cross my fingers hope that Blue Lug will have a secret batch from Nitto for sale.

[iamkeith]

Here are a couple of pictures that some might find useful.  I just received a Wilde Buckaroo bar (mentioned above) that I plan to use on my Appaloosa from the forthcoming batch.  Superimposed here with a Jones Loop bar and a Surly Open bar that I happen to have.  Sorry I don't have an actual Bar 68 anywhere yet. 

The Jones is the "wider" 710 version, but that's kind of a misnomer.  It's the same as the original version, but with the ends extended - not actually a wider bar, which was always a frustration to me.  

This Backaroo bar looks ridiculously wide, but feels great in hand.  I guess I won't know if it's roo much until it's on an actual bike.  I should mention that it's kink of heavy, thick tubing, which I guess should be expected from a BMX manufacturer.  Not the same thin-wall tubing like the steel Nitto bars. I 've moved to steel bars on so many of my bikes now, that aluminum feels sketchy to me though, so I guess weight is just the price I have to pay for a bar this wide.

[Armand Kizirian]

If anyone wants to sell their bar68 please e-mail me! 

[Danny]

Armand, I sent you a PM.

Danny
Madison, WI

[Will Mill]

@ ahboyd, how did you make that diagram?  Those are several of the bars I had wanted to compare, but WhatBars no got'em -- useful!  

Any word on when the next run of Bar68s might be?

[CW Springer]

I have found this post really helpful for bar geometry.

https://bikepacking.com/index/comfort-mtb-handlebars/

[Andrew Konkol]

Trying to dial in the best setup for myself I’ve become a bit of a handlebar addict.

I’ve been building a tool similar to whatbars but I’ve been hesitant to promote this tool to the group because its not all riv related ;)

Here is a link comparing bar68 vs jones loop 710 vs surly open 666 : https://www.whichbars.com/?compare=149+36+95

Would also love your feedback if you have any!

To view this discussion visit https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/rbw-owners-bunch/255f89d8-f02e-4c85-aa73-c54e1ba2d996n%40googlegroups.com.

[John]

Oh this is excellent! Bookmarked. Whatbars is great but I do find it lacking bars I'm interested in occasionally. Very nicely done.

I love a good visualization tool - shoutouts for Bike Insights and Stem Comparison Tool, two of my favs.

Back on topic...interesting to see the overlay of the old (666) Surly Opens with the new Bar68s. I've got two pairs of the Surlys floating around and have had them on all kinds of different bikes (presently on my Riv styled Cross Check). Their bend isn't the most elegant but I keep coming back to them. Their sweep combined with Ergon grips makes my wrists very happy, plus an extra-ish hand position. An excellent allarounder.

John in Minnesota

[David Ross]

Great tool. I noticed that whatbars stopped updating long ago. I built a similar tool that allowed me to change stem lengths and bar shapes because I’m in the process of a build that will require a custom bar. How do you figure out what the bend radius is on the various bars? Cool if it’s just an estimate, but I was just wondering. 

To view this discussion visit https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/rbw-owners-bunch/CAC-6DCHtihDR9MrWev1b5WFsVyMPyWcraA-icn6YoAQ9WJh4eg%40mail.gmail.com.

[derek zeitel]

Is the sweep on the Bar68 45 or 50 degrees? I'm seeing it listed as both on this thread and looking for clarification.

Thanks!

Derek Z

[David Ross]

You probably already know this, but the Jones Curve bar is almost identical to the Bar 68, but has a 31.8 clamp. 

To view this discussion visit https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/rbw-owners-bunch/2e0bc188-ed0a-4de4-a7ed-146b23bf3a8an%40googlegroups.com.

[Jim in Mpls]

Andrew, thanks for doing this!

Would you be able to make it so you can slide the bar images up/down?

For instance, I'd like to be able to slide the Riv choco  bar up to see how it looks when the bends line up with the brake lever area on the noodle.

It could be helpful in determining stem extension?

Jim in Mpls

[Tom Powell Davies]

Hi Andrew,

Thanks so much for putting this together. I always felt very sad that what bars has ceased adding new bars, so you have done us all a great service!

Tom

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[Eric Kidwell]

I love the overlay comparison. I’d love to see the ortho and the Davos bull nose added.

I just placed an order for my Appa in green/olive.

Sent from my iPhone

On Apr 15, 2026, at 2:30 PM, CW Springer <cwspr...@gmail.com> wrote:

I have found this post really helpful for bar geometry.

To view this discussion visit https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/rbw-owners-bunch/f0ebe113-390f-4f81-a424-5dfb2abebe4fn%40googlegroups.com.

[der_amerikanische_freund]

I can't visualise the Bar68 on whichbars.com. Does anyone else have the same problem? It's listed in the menu but when I click on it nothing shows up on the screen.

Slightly off-topic but always related to Bar68, has anyone attached a Fabio's Chest to it? And if so, is the front "clamp" area wide enough for the massive velcro straps?

Thanks

[Andrew Konkol]

I've got orthos up on the site, would gladly add Davos (Nitto) Bullmoose B907 if I could get a large high quality birdseye photo of one ;)

To view this discussion visit https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/rbw-owners-bunch/2BA784BB-856F-4F28-9BE9-C85D4357418B%40gmail.com.