Thinking of switching handlebars on my AHH

[Rex Kerr]

Questions summarized without all of the rambling at the end, if you want to just jump to the meat of this long post. :-)

When I built up my AHH I was trying to reproduce the feeling of a bike that I'd recently crashed that had been my favorite to date.  Unfortunately, I think that I overlooked some important details, that, while I knew about them, weren't prominent enough in my mind.  For that reason, I'm having difficulty getting really comfortable on the AHH, so it's time for a change.

• On the Schwinn I had used Nashbar Mustache bars.  Wanting to recreate the same feeling, I did the same on the AHH.  Problem is, I'd forgotten that they didn't have the wider ones in stock when I built the Schwinn, so I bought a wider bar for the AHH, giving me a bigger bar with longer reach.

• The AHH has a longer top-tube, by about 1 cm.

• The Nitto stem (forget which one, it's the one they used to sell like the Dirt Drop, but with 25.4 mm clamp) has a slightly longer reach than the original stem, plus I'm not really liking the aesthetic.

etc... all adding up to about 3 or 4 cm further reach, and I had already been stretched to my maximum comfortable position on the Schwinn [I have long legs relative to my torso].  The wider bars also mean that the aft position near the bar-end shifters doesn't raise me up much, doesn't change the angle of my back from the hood position, and seems to compress the area between my shoulders.

So... my questions are:

How many hand positions on the Albatross bar?  Are the forward positions on the flats and around the bends usable?

Do you find the Albatross bars sufficient for full 100 mile century rides?

How much shorter is the reach on the Albatross bar vs. the Nashbar mustache bar?  Or, alternatively vs. the Nitto version, which I know is different, but at least similar.

Do you tend to install Albatross bars higher than mustache bars?  I already have storage problems at work [no longer able to keep it outside of my cube, now under the raised section of my desk] and can only spare about 1" of additional height.

For reference:  http://www.flickr.com/photos/rexkerr/5934743783/in/photostream  http://twowheels.us/blog/wp-content/uploads/2009/02/0226091728.jpg

[rcnute]

The Albatross is great, good for long rides and will absolutely help
if reach is too long (because they don't extend nearly as far) or bars
are too low (because they have approx. 2cm of upsweep).

Ryan

On May 22, 4:04 pm, Rex Kerr <rexk...@gmail.com> wrote:
> Questions summarized without all of the rambling at the end, if you want to
> just jump to the meat of this long post. :-)
>
> When I built up my AHH I was trying to reproduce the feeling of a bike that
> I'd recently crashed that had been my favorite to date.  Unfortunately, I
> think that I overlooked some important details, that, while I knew about
> them, weren't prominent enough in my mind.  For that reason, I'm having
> difficulty getting really comfortable on the AHH, so it's time for a change.
>

>    - On the Schwinn I had used Nashbar Mustache bars.  Wanting to recreate

>    the same feeling, I did the same on the AHH.  Problem is, I'd forgotten
>    that they didn't have the wider ones in stock when I built the Schwinn, so
>    I bought a wider bar for the AHH, giving me a bigger bar with longer reach.
>

>    - The AHH has a longer top-tube, by about 1 cm.
>
>    - The Nitto stem (forget which one, it's the one they used to sell like

>    the Dirt Drop, but with 25.4 mm clamp) has a slightly longer reach than the
>    original stem, plus I'm not really liking the aesthetic.
>

> *etc*... all adding up to about 3 or 4 cm further reach, and I had already

> been stretched to my maximum comfortable position on the Schwinn [I have
> long legs relative to my torso].  The wider bars also mean that the aft
> position near the bar-end shifters doesn't raise me up much, doesn't change
> the angle of my back from the hood position, and seems to compress the area
> between my shoulders.
>

> *So... my questions are:*

>
> How many hand positions on the Albatross bar?  Are the forward positions on
> the flats and around the bends usable?
>
> Do you find the Albatross bars sufficient for full 100 mile century rides?
>

> How much shorter is the reach on the Albatross bar *vs*. the
> Nashbar mustache bar?  Or, alternatively *vs*. the Nitto version, which I

[Peter Morgano]

Bosco Bars,  not as pretty but will have more positions and more rise.  I have albas and am making the switch.

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[Rex Kerr]

On Tue, May 22, 2012 at 4:12 PM, Peter Morgano <uscpet...@gmail.com> wrote:

Bosco Bars,  not as pretty but will have more positions and more rise.  I have albas and am making the switch.

I've been looking at those.  I'm not sure, though, whether I want more rise.  I do like the wider fore-section though, as it seems that it'd still allow a nice wide grip while down low to avoid the wind.  That said, it seems that riding on the bend would also give a nice wide position when stretched out.  I rode a bike with Albatross bars while at Rivendell HQ, but don't remember how much space there was to do that.

[Peter Morgano]

Albas dont have many different positions unfortunatley. I can stretch out on the curves but the middle is too narrow for larger sized hands like mine. So they have maybe 3 real positions that I can reasonably use. 

--

[Mike]

Rex, I think if you're looking for an uprightish kind of bar with
multiple hand positions then you should probably consider the Bosco
bars. I had Albatross bars on my commuter for a bit over a year and
really liked them. I then switched to the Surly Open Bar which I liked
more. The Surly bar also felt stiffer.

I tried Moustache bars briefly and they just weren't for me. I'd
definitely use Albatross bars over m-bars.

Grant posted pictures on the Blug a few post back of his Hilsen with
Albatross bars and I gotta say it looks really nice. I'm sure it's a
great set-up and since I still have my Albatross bars I'll probably
try that set-up myself in the fall or winter. I'm wondering how the
Bosco would feel on a Hilsen. I'm sure someone will chime in once
they're available. It seems like a nice alternative to the Albatross.

One thing about the Albatross though, I once went on a 40 or so mile
ride with them and noticed that my hands did feel a little numb. So
perhaps the Bosco is the best choice. Call the folks at RBW and talk
to them and see what they suggest.

--mike

[Jay LePree]

Hi Rex,

I have a Rambouillet. I recently installed VO Porteur Bars with the
Guidonette brakes. This set up is the most comfortable bar/brake
combination I have tried (including mustache bars, noodles, etc). It
affords several hand positions, allows me to sit upright or lean over
and allows braking from all these positions. It was one of those "why
did I not do this before?" moments.

Jay

[Rex Kerr]

That's an interesting idea...   do you have any pictures of it set up?  I do like the shorter reach without excessive rise.  Since they're fairly flat they'd still raise me up more in the aft position than in the fore position (unlike my current bars, which drop just enough to be nearly equal).

How do the brake levers feel?  Any excessive play?  Do they feel like you could snap them or twist them if braking from the tips?

Doesn't solve my "how should I spend my Rivendell credits?" problem, but I guess there are worse problems to have.

[Jay LePree]

Hi Rex,

Sorry I do not have pictures, but they bars look great. The brake
levers feel very solid from all points (front to tips). In fact, they
feel more powerful than the Ultegra drop bar levers that I had on the
noodles. I wrapped them with cork tape from the end to within 2
inches of the stem.

Jay

[Garth]

I thought of the Bosco bars for a minute, until I realised they had zero forward reach, unlike the Albatross. I use bar end brake levers and thumb shifters so I get TONS of room for my hands to move around. I use all that is taped in the photo. I don't see where people are saying the Bosco bars have more hand positions than an Alba bar, either set up like mine or traditional. Sure , you can put your hands in the middle of a Bosco bar . .  but it would be of little or zero comfort from my perspective of using flat portions in the middle .

What you get of the Bosco bar is a higher potential position and not as far forward as the Albatross. It depends on how much reach and height you want .
Compared to your Moustache bars .. the Alba are higher and less reach.  Consider your kneesalso .. if you get the bars too swept back , there is a potential for knee-bar end contact.

[Garth]

http://farm5.staticflickr.com/4073/4860392084_69e20e8533_b.jpg
On Saturday, May 26, 2012 10:00:02 PM UTC-4, Garth wrote:

[Peter Morgano]

I am sorry, I have albas, totally wrapped just like yours and I only see 2 hand positions that are reasonable. I dont think moving my hands back or forth an inch count as "different positions."  And like alot of high bar riders I dont worry about knee strike but that could be an issue for people who for some strange reason want thier bars lower. As for the middle part, I dont see how holding on there is any different for holding on to the flat part of drop bars, so you have the flat part of the Bosco bars like the drop bars but you have sweep back instead of drops.  I still love the Albas but I think this is a straw man argument against the Bosco bars. I will put them on to know for sure though, I think the 60 buck investment is worth it, personally.  I will be moving the albas to my MB2 to give it a bit more cruisability around town since it rairly sees a trail any more. Win Win!

On Sat, May 26, 2012 at 10:00 PM, Garth <gart...@gmail.com> wrote:

http://farm5.staticflickr.com/4073/4860392084_69e20e8533_b.jpg

On Saturday, May 26, 2012 10:00:02 PM UTC-4, Garth wrote:

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[René Sterental]

I think the hand position thing is highly personal. As long as you are comfortable and so are your hands, different people will prefer different configurations. I don't know if the Bosco has more, the same or less hand positions that are usable. Some will prefer it to the Albatross and some won't. I couldn't get used to the Albatross when I tried them and we'll see about the Bosco in a few weeks after some recurring use.

What color is your Bombadil? I looks beautiful.

René

[Joe Broach]

On Sat, May 26, 2012 at 7:00 PM, Garth <gart...@gmail.com> wrote:

I thought of the Bosco bars for a minute, until I realised they had zero forward reach, unlike the Albatross. I use bar end brake levers and thumb shifters so I get TONS of room for my hands to move around.

How do the reverse brake levers work for you, especially off pavement? Neat setup. For quite a while, I ran bar end shifters with MTB levers out on the front curve. I really loved all the room to roam but missed being able to brake with my weight back.

Best,

joe broach

portland, or

[charlie]

Here is another option not many think of and it worked nice for me but
a quill stem would have given me more of a height option....it might
really work well for you. More positions like the mustache but a reach
that is closer at the cork grip area......the curve of the bar is very
similar to a mustache feel and is your more aero stretched out
position.

https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=1173002051446&set=a.2522635871448.2142301.1419870581&type=3&theater

https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=1185548845108&set=a.2522635871448.2142301.1419870581&type=3&theater

On May 22, 4:04 pm, Rex Kerr <rexk...@gmail.com> wrote:

> Questions summarized without all of the rambling at the end, if you want to
> just jump to the meat of this long post. :-)
>
> When I built up my AHH I was trying to reproduce the feeling of a bike that
> I'd recently crashed that had been my favorite to date.  Unfortunately, I
> think that I overlooked some important details, that, while I knew about
> them, weren't prominent enough in my mind.  For that reason, I'm having
> difficulty getting really comfortable on the AHH, so it's time for a change.
>

>    - On the Schwinn I had used Nashbar Mustache bars.  Wanting to recreate

>    the same feeling, I did the same on the AHH.  Problem is, I'd forgotten
>    that they didn't have the wider ones in stock when I built the Schwinn, so
>    I bought a wider bar for the AHH, giving me a bigger bar with longer reach.
>

>    - The AHH has a longer top-tube, by about 1 cm.
>
>    - The Nitto stem (forget which one, it's the one they used to sell like

>    the Dirt Drop, but with 25.4 mm clamp) has a slightly longer reach than the
>    original stem, plus I'm not really liking the aesthetic.
>

> *etc*... all adding up to about 3 or 4 cm further reach, and I had already

> been stretched to my maximum comfortable position on the Schwinn [I have
> long legs relative to my torso].  The wider bars also mean that the aft
> position near the bar-end shifters doesn't raise me up much, doesn't change
> the angle of my back from the hood position, and seems to compress the area
> between my shoulders.
>

> *So... my questions are:*
>

> How many hand positions on the Albatross bar?  Are the forward positions on
> the flats and around the bends usable?
>
> Do you find the Albatross bars sufficient for full 100 mile century rides?
>

> How much shorter is the reach on the Albatross bar *vs*. the
> Nashbar mustache bar?  Or, alternatively *vs*. the Nitto version, which I

[charlie]

Oh ! forgot, its a Albatross bar mounted upside down..........

On May 26, 11:46 pm, charlie <cl_v...@hotmail.com> wrote:
> Here is another option not many think of and it worked nice for me but
> a quill stem would have given me more of a height option....it might
> really work well for you. More positions like the mustache but a reach
> that is closer at the cork grip area......the curve of the bar is very
> similar to a mustache feel and is your more aero stretched out
> position.
>

> https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=1173002051446&set=a.252263587...
>
> https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=1185548845108&set=a.252263587...

> > For reference:http://www.flickr.com/photos/rexkerr/5934743783/in/photostreamhttp://...

[Tony]

Hi Rex,

I use mostly two positions on my Albatross:
- regular (toodle-do, ,look at that bird!)
- on the flats just inside the bend (I think I can, I think I can)
I have done three centuries so far - no problem, no numbness.

Sometimes coming down steep dirt roads I lock fingers around the brake
levers.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/51959000@N08/sets/72157624329734105/show/

Tony

On May 22, 4:04 pm, Rex Kerr <rexk...@gmail.com> wrote:

[Garth]

Hi Rene ,

   It's Dupont Imron #4418 Lt. Frost Green Metallic .  I like colors that sparkle in the sun ! 
http://farm5.staticflickr.com/4076/4952416848_a31bc7751d_b.jpg
http://farm5.staticflickr.com/4075/4860362770_e81b8b02f2_b.jpg

On Saturday, May 26, 2012 10:58:32 PM UTC-4, René wrote:

I think the hand position thing is highly personal. As long as you are comfortable and so are your hands, different people will prefer different configurations. I don't know if the Bosco has more, the same or less hand positions that are usable. Some will prefer it to the Albatross and some won't. I couldn't get used to the Albatross when I tried them and we'll see about the Bosco in a few weeks after some recurring use.

What color is your Bombadil? I looks beautiful.

René

On Sat, May 26, 2012 at 10:00 PM, Garth wrote:

http://farm5.staticflickr.com/4073/4860392084_69e20e8533_b.jpg

[Garth]

Sure Peter .. to each out own !  One's passion is anothers poison.  As I said, I've used flat portions in the middle of a wide bar on my Stumpjumper and found the position to be uncomfortable . And yes ..they are different than using a drop bar, as drop bars DROP from the middle to the swept back part, Bosco bars RISE. This is for ME of course.  We're just sharing opinions here, and there's never anything to be sorry about !

[René Sterental]

Thanks! Very nice indeed.

[Rex Kerr]

On Sat, May 26, 2012 at 11:47 PM, charlie <cl_...@hotmail.com> wrote:

Oh ! forgot, its a Albatross bar mounted upside down..........

Ah... that was my guess, but I was looking and looking wonder what exactly you were trying to show. :-)

I actually noticed something... after posting those two pictures I got to looking at them and saw that the bar angle was different on the AHH than it had been on the Schwinn.  I rotated the bar (tips down) on a ride the other day and have been much happier and might even rotate a bit more.  I do find, though, that I'm sliding forward on the saddle, so reach is still an issue and I may consider something like you've done.

[Garth]

Hi Joe,
 
     What I really love about bar end levers is I can activate the brakes anywhere my hands are on the bar very easily, weather I'm back or forward on the bars, something I could never do with a standard lever. I can use them with just my pinkie if needed.  I have no desire to ever use standard mtb levers again !  The standard levers more/less limit you into one way to use them .. while these offer more leeway.  I think the only reason more people don't use it is they get used to the "standard" way or they prefer bar-end shifters.
---

On Saturday, May 26, 2012 11:47:06 PM UTC-4, joe b. wrote: