Billie Bars?

[Ryan M.]

So, anybody using Billie Bars on their Rivendell, or any other bike, and would like to give me their impressions?  I've used Noodles, Albatross, original mustache bars, Choco-Moose bars on the Appaloosa, bunch of flat bars among others. Right now flat bars are giving me a lot of wrist/thumb/arthritis trouble on my mtbs and on drop bars I rarely actually use the drop portion so they are almost wasted on me; I do like having several hand positions though.

Here's the deal...I got a Trek Crockett frameset sitting in the garage that I'm going to be building up single speed for after work gravel rides. The bike will live at my office so I don't have to drag one here everyday. Of course, traditionally I would be sticking a set of drop bars on it and calling it good, but I've thought about going with something different and I would have to get brake levers for drops (I have sweet Paul Comp. flat bar brake levers already). Thought about flat bars from one of the mtbs I have laying around and am not using but that wrist thing gets in the way. Though about something like the Velo Orange Klunker bars, but those might rise too much for this frame. So, my searching has led me to the Billie Bars that I didn't know existed until about ten minutes ago. They look pretty swell, like an upgraded albatross with room in front and behind the brake levers. I could get a shim so I can run these with a 30.6 stem, which I have already, and go ride around in total bliss. But, I am not sure I would like them, hence my asking for impressions and reviews from others.

thanks!

[Adam Leibow]

ryan, i have these on my sam hillborne & i really like them. an improvement on the albatross, imo. 

[Reid Echols]

I have the Billie bars on my Appaloosa, and really like them for road/town/path riding. That said, if your gravel rides include even slightly technical terrain (or you plan on riding aggressively out of the saddle) I’d highly recommend Albastache bars, which I have run on my sscx bike with great success. The security of the hooks is welcome on technical descents, and the outer handles work great for leverage when climbing out of the saddle. The Billies come back a bit far for this kind of use, imo. If you still want to use flat bar levers, ive heard great things able the Salsa Bend bars in a 20 degree or so sweep.

Reid in Austin

[Lester Lammers]

If you think Albas would work on the Trek ,IMHO, Billie's are an improvement. I have them on a MIT Atlantis and like them a lot. You do get two good hand positions and possibly three. If they don't work on the Trek put them on your Joe. You may need a longer stem with them on the JA. My 2 cents.

[Justin, Oakland]

I would also consider a sweep bar like the Jones (loop or no loop), MapAhearne or upcoming Wavvie (gravy?) bar. I find that my experience with the angle of Albatross grips is not conducive to the control I want when doing anything but upright cruising. This might not be your experience but is worth considering.

-J

[Ryan M.]

Does anybody know when the Wavie Bars will be a realty? They could work too. Thanks for all the suggestions.

[Lester Lammers]

On Sunday, August 5, 2018 at 2:12:39 PM UTC-4, Justin, Oakland wrote:

I would also consider a sweep bar like the Jones (loop or no loop), MapAhearne or upcoming Wavvie (gravy?) bar. I find that my experience with the angle of Albatross grips is not conducive to the control I want when doing anything but upright cruising. This might not be your experience but is worth considering.

-J

FWIW, the Billie bar has a different grip angle than the Albatross. That does not mean it would work for you. ;-)

[scott minor]

I went from albatross to billies on my 60cm chev and now that I’ve ridden it for a couple months (road/path) have to say I prefer the roominess of the billies, and also the more angled hand position when back on the grips. The billies put your hand/wrist less thumb-forward than the albas which works well for my and my fussy AC joints. I also changed the stem from 11cm w albatross to 12cm w billies. I do love albatross bars though, been riding them for more than a decade and will keep that cockpit for another bike someday. I also went from bar-ends on the albas to stem shifters w the billies. A local hunq rider friend likened the stem shifter setup to pre-ripped jeans, haha! too funny. i get it but the cleaner bars and ‘easy enough’ stem-shifting is working for me on this bike. But mostly, being 6’4” (95 pbh) on a 60 chev, I’m enjoying the extra room of the billies!

[Tom Wyland]

I have bars very similar to the Wavie that came on my Handsome Devil. Mine are pretty wide (60cm?) and they don't come back much at all. With the same stem you are going to be more stretched out on the Wavie compared to the Billie.  I would say the Wavie is not much closer than the top part of a noodle bar, but wider to give more control with a front load or in loose stuff. 

[scott minor]

Took some cockpit photos today of billie bars on my chev, thought I’d share. Stem is 12cm simworks, Silver/IRD stem shifters, Dia-comp brakes. I’m really enjoying this setup!

https://flickr.com/photos/147564748@N06/sets/72157698354507761

[Paul Choi]

Scott, that is a great looking bike. I like the shifters mounted on the stem. I just got the Billie's for my Cheviot. They are really nice :)