Albastache vs moustache, haters, likers

[clyde canter]

Do you like the Albastache and not the moustache?

If so why?

Best,

Clyde Canter

[Deacon Patrick]

Grant describes it quite well when saying the Albastache is a cross between an Albatross and a Moustache. Albatross = great bar for more upright, non technical riding of all types, but if you want to be in the curves and have brakes you're outta luck (Mama bear's porridge). Moustache = great bar for aggressive riding, having brakes in the curves, but it's too narrow and drops too much for my comfort (Papa bear's porridge). Albastache = best of both worlds (Baby bear porridge).

With abandon,

Patrick 

[Will]

My Atlantis came with Moustache. I replaced with Albastache. I like them both. The moustache is a more aggressive bar, narrower and more forward. The Albastache is wider, a tad higher, and the bends are more relaxed. I like the albastsache more, but I an 62 y.o., if I was 25 y.o., I think the moustache would suit better. It really depends on your riding. Ride on roads: albastache. Ride single track and woods: moustache.

I think albastache are the best bars I've ridden in many years. I would put them on all my bikes, execept my bike stems are 25.4 and the new albas are 26, so I'd need to replace stems too... A real bite... 

[Joe Bernard]

I couldn't get either shape to work for me. The curve lands in just the wrong spot in my palm, creating tingling and pain after anything more than 10 miles. But I'm a road-only rider at this point; either bar would be good for mountain-bikey-type terrain as an alternative to flat bars.

[Clayton]

I preferred the Albastache, but neither bar worked for me. The brake levers cannot be rotated down far enough (the curve interferes), for my stiff wrists.  I had to lift my fingers off the bar, rotate my wrist down to get my fingers in the right spot and then brake. Splat! I just ran into that pedestrian.....dammit.

Clay

On Thursday, December 10, 2015 at 6:07:49 AM UTC-8, ccanter wrote:

[drew]

as mentioned, mustache is narrower and more forward.  i thought that the differences with the albastache would be fairly minimal, but it really is a cross between an albatross and a mustache bar. i had mustaches on a fastish bike and liked them a lot. my big touring bike had albatross bars which lacked a more forward position, so i swapped them for albastache and it seems like a really comfortable middle ground. i still get the semi uprightness of a low albatross, but have a much more comfortable forward leaned position. i mostly ride with my hands right before/semi-in the hooks, which is a position i have not been able to replicate on any other bar and really enjoy. the width is also great for front loads. 

like will said, i'd put them on all of my bikes, but i have a weird ocd thing where each bike needs to be set up differently. 

[clyde canter]

Thanks all for the input.  I'm going with "I probably won't like the Albastache much either.  A cheaper scenario for certain.

 

Long shot...anybody got an alba to trade for a mous?

[Surlyprof]

I've had and liked both.  I've also had Albatross, Bosco and several drop and mountain bars.  I love the Albastache and will probably never give it up unless I need to get even more upright (saving the replaced Albatross should that day arrive).  I've never felt more comfortable with a set of handlebars.  There are times when I wish I could sit a little more upright but those times are far outweighed by the comfort when cruising or dropping into the front curves for a more (but not too) aggressive position.  I liked the mustache bars I used to own but not as much as I love the Albastache.  They were much more aggressive and nice on trails.  I wouldn't consider the Mustache an upright bar at all since I never felt I could sit upright with them.  The ends of the bars just don't extend far enough back and the angle of drop is too low to ever feel upright.  That said, I did like the deeper drop of the front curves.  They felt more ergonomically correct than the flatter Albastache.  

I'll keep the Albastache as long as I can.  Love 'em!

John

On Thursday, December 10, 2015 at 6:07:49 AM UTC-8, ccanter wrote:

[Jeff Lesperance]

On Thu, Dec 10, 2015 at 9:07 AM, clyde canter <clyde....@gmail.com> wrote:

Do you like the Albastache and not the moustache?

If so why?

I tried moustache bars twice on a couple different bikes several years ago, and I tried to love them, I wanted to love them, but I could never get comfortable on them for more than short rides around the hood. I struggled to find a height, angle and reach for them that didn't represent discomfort in some way. I recently built up an AHH with albastache bars as I was hoping they would represent the answer to my problems of the past. They worked well.... for almost everything. I rode them on my short commute for a few weeks and found that I rather enjoyed them. Then I took them on an s24o over ~120 miles and they stopped working well when I got a bit fatigued or just less careful about my bike posture. 

I recently traded the albastache bars out for my favorite bar, a 46cm Nitto noodle, and I'm happy and comfy again at any distance. If I had a dedicated short-distance/townie bike, I'd probably embrace the albastache, but I like the option to mix longer day or multi-day rides on my primary bikes, and I think the moustache/albastache just isn't a long-distance bar for me. 

-Jeff

Silver Spring, MD

[Jim D Massachusetts]

I ride shorter distances, on roads, paved and dirt. I did not like having the brakes on the curves, the more aggressive position. I like the brakes on the back of the bar, the more relaxed, upright position. I think the ideal bars (for me) would be the choco bars on the Joe Appaloosa. I hope Riv stocks them sooner rather than later.                  Jim  D.                     Massachusetts

[masmojo]

I've had the original mustache bars on my XO-1 since new, I don't ride that bike much anymore, because the hand position I like most is just in front of the back flatd with my forefinger or two fingers on yhe brake lever & it's a bit more aggressive position then I can manage for long periods now
I have the Albatross on my Surly Cross Check, I like it OK, but feel like maybe it's not aggressive enough, same with the Bosco on my Clementine.
I would love to try the Albastache based on my experiences with the other bars I think I would love it!
Thinking I might put some on the Cross Check . . . . ?