Bullmoose fitting, what's it similar too?

[Mark Reimer]

I've been considering purchasing the bullmoose bar for my Atlantis. With some 2.2" tires that'd make a real fun rough road bike packing setup. I see they are only available in a 150mm reach. I'm curious if anyone is using them here and how that reach compares with other bars?

For reference, I'm comfortable with the following:

- Nitto albatross with 120mm stem

- Nitto noodle with 110mm stem

- Soma Portola dirt drop with 100cm dirt drop stem

Based on that, any ideas how the bullmoose would fit in? 

[Deacon Patrick]

I'll piggyback on this question, as I've wondered if the bull moose is comfortable as an all-day/multi-day bar on roads and trails v. albastache? Any experience appreciated My ideal bar would be an ablamoosestache! Grin.

With abandon,

Patrick

[Mark Reimer]

Hah!!! An albamoosetache, I'd buy that for the name alone!

[Zach Duval]

Isn't the choco basically an albamoosetache?

[Shoji Takahashi]

Hi Mark,

I have a bullmoose for my Hunqapillar. (I'll have to check the extension-- I don't recall the measurement. Riv carried two or more different extensions at some point.)

I have a few sets of bars for the bike:

bullmoose (unknown extension)

albatross (120mm)

48 noodles (100mm)

moustache classic (70mm)

The bullmoose works fine for me as do those other bars. It is quite wide, which is fine for some situations, but not so much for commuting in the city. As far as comfort: longer rides aren't very comfortable to me. My wrists start to ache, and they prefer the angle of albatross or the ability to wander to different positions (a la noodles, moustache).

One thing to note: I find the rise a bit high. I'd like a bit more aggressive position with the flat bar, but I can't get it any lower. Here's a side view of my bike to see the relationship of the bars and saddle:

https://www.flickr.com/photos/stakx/13087352004/in/album-72157634163491121/

For reference: it's a 48cm Hunapillar. Saddle height is ~70cm. 

Good luck!

Shoji

[drew]

my experience is limited to a vintage nitto set. i think the effective reach is 130mm on mine. (available for sale). they look badass, but i did not like them for a few reasons. I think those reasons are sort of amended/fixed in the newer rivendell offering.  the older ones are, more or less, flat/straight bars. there is very little sweep to them. also, the quill length doesnt allow them to be raised very much, so i ended up being in a pretty aggressive position on a flat bar with one hand position. i also felt like they put my body in a position where my legs had to work harder. i can see how they would be good for mtb stuff where you need to be able to really manhandle the front end. i dont have much call for that type of riding, so i disliked them so much that i doubt ill even try the updated riv bullmoose. its just not a shape that i see working for me on really long or super casual rides, which is mostly what i end up doing. 

this is the progression that my 84 trek mtb went through. 

-albatross, 120cm stem- too uprighty and hand painy over long periods

-map/ahearne- 120cm stem- good mix of upright vs forward leaning. wide enough for control and hand movement. 

-vintage bullmoose

-return to map/ahearne happiness. 

like patrick, on my hunq i have albastache bars with a short stem and am coming to the realization that these are probably the best bars for me. 

i bought the choco bars to try out (since sold them), and i wouldnt compare them to the albastache. if anything, they feel like a flat bosco or an albatross that comes back even further, but gives you a slightly more comfortable forward position than albatross since there is minimal rise. with a 13cm (the longest) tallux, the choco bars retreated toward the saddle at least 9-10cm more than the albastache on a stem with a 6cm (the shortest) effective reach. 

[Brian Campbell]

I have the Bullmoose on my Hunq. and even though the bike is new to me, I have used the same set of bars on two other bikes. For rough riding I think they are great. On my 61cm AHH, I use a 46cm Nitto Noodle with/ a 90mm stem.

Using the cork ergon grips on the bullmoose allows you to dial in the angle at which your wrists fall and given that they attach using an allen bolts are easily adjustable, to find the sweet spot for comfort. I rode mine for over 3 hrs yesterday and had no pain or stiffness. I have not run them too much longer than that so as to all day non stop riding, I am not sure. I am thinking of removing about an inch from each end as the width can be a blessing and a curse. It allows you to maneuver the bike pretty strongly if need be but they can be a bit wide on tighter trails.

Mine are set up with the grips about saddle height and they are the 150mm version. FWIW, since I "grew up" on straight bars on mountain bikes, I do not like drops or Albas for off road riding. I never feel I get the leverage I need when I need to lift or move the bike a substantial amount. The problem for me with straight bars though, is the weight distribution that creates pain in my wrists, palms & shoulders. I get none of those with the bullmoose. There is also no flex in the bar stem combo when you hit rough terrain or washboard. I never feel afraid that I am going to wrench the bar loose from the stem if I hit a drop off the wrong way or plant in a hole.

As a test yesterday, I put my hands on the cross section of the bar above the supports and was able to steer confidently when the road was smooth. So I guess that could be a second and slightly aero position?

[Joe Bernard]

They sweep back quite a bit, so should work for you based on the stem numbers you list for other bars. I didn't like them much for street riding, though: The fixed position leaves the grip-ends at an oddly up-turned angle I didn't like, plus they're WAY too wide for my short arms (this can be fixed with a hacksaw). They're probably fine for trail riding, which is what they were designed for (and I don't do).

[Jeremy Till]

This illustration that Olipop did a few years ago may be helpful: 

https://www.flickr.com/photos/olipop/8915626620/in/album-72157640907162813/

He expresses uncertainty about which reach of Bullmoose is represented, saying it may be a 200mm (the other size, which they don't offer anymore).  I would guess that it's a 150mm from the relative extension with the Bosco Bullmoose.  I had a pair of the old 200mm ones and the extension was really long.  

-jeremy

[Jeremy Till]

This is what the 200mm ones looked like.  Long.  

https://flic.kr/p/dcfHyN

[ian m]

So what are we assuming the stem extension is for the other bars in this image?

[Jeremy Till]

Well, the only two bars in the picture that have a stem presented are the Bullmoose and Bosco Bullmoose, since they were the only two at the time that came as one piece with a stem.  The rest of the bars have their stem length equalized at the clamping area, which Oli superimposed over the cross bar of the Bosco Bullmose, which is 120mm from the stem quill on that particular bar.  So for comparing to the probably-150mm Bullmoose, you could say that the rest of the bars are represented on an imaginary 120mm stem.

[Takashi]

I have 150mm version.

Pictures:
https://www.flickr.com/photos/77318553@N08/8626592972/
https://www.flickr.com/photos/77318553@N08/17334138289/


Some thoughts, in random order:

- I also have Noodle with Dirt Drop 80 stem. (Effective horizontal length of DD80 is about 70mm)
I feel a little bit stretched with Noodle, but not so with Bullmoose.

- Bullmoose is pretty much curved, thus sweeping back. It lets you be in either upright position or forward-leaned position.
Of course, difference between "upright" and "leaned" on Bullmoose is smaller than that of drop bars.
If you are comfortable with Noodle/110mm stem, then 150mm Bullmoose MIGHT feel a bit too upright.

- I put Dia Compe knob grips on it.
They let me rest my hands on bar more comfortably, and also let me put more power on pedals if I grip them hard.

- My longest ride with Bullmoose was about 60 kilometers.
I expected that my hands will be numb on such distance, but I was comfortable than I expected, and my hands were not numb.
On another day, when I bombed down a very steep & rough road, my hands were numb.
But maybe any handlebar would have made my hands numb on such a rough descent.

- It is a very wide bar. I feel it's a little too wide when riding easily on paved road.

- Maybe I should try riding longer distance to see how it works. I've yet to do it...


Takashi

[Mark Reimer]

Very cool, thanks for the input everyone! 

[Deacon Patrick]

Seconded! Thank you.

With abandon,

Patrick

[Brian Campbell]

150's on mine, which is a 58cm.

[URL=http://s91.photobucket.com/user/bylar13/media/Hunqapillar/IMG_20160306_084750357_zpsvudp1o8y.jpg.html][IMG]http://i91.photobucket.com/albums/k292/bylar13/Hunqapillar/IMG_20160306_084750357_zpsvudp1o8y.jpg[/IMG][/URL]

[URL=http://s91.photobucket.com/user/bylar13/media/Hunqapillar/IMG_20160306_085931962_zps4lht8yd0.jpg.html][IMG]http://i91.photobucket.com/albums/k292/bylar13/Hunqapillar/IMG_20160306_085931962_zps4lht8yd0.jpg[/IMG][/URL]

[URL=http://s91.photobucket.com/user/bylar13/media/Hunqapillar/IMG_20160306_111833957_zpsjr5uml6f.jpg.html][IMG]http://i91.photobucket.com/albums/k292/bylar13/Hunqapillar/IMG_20160306_111833957_zpsjr5uml6f.jpg[/IMG][/URL]

[URL=http://s91.photobucket.com/user/bylar13/media/Hunqapillar/IMG_20160306_084738945_zpsdy7sxfb1.jpg.html][IMG]http://i91.photobucket.com/albums/k292/bylar13/Hunqapillar/IMG_20160306_084738945_zpsdy7sxfb1.jpg[/IMG][/URL]

[URL=http://s91.photobucket.com/user/bylar13/media/Hunqapillar/IMG_20160306_084714624_zpshk8anynt.jpg.html][IMG]http://i91.photobucket.com/albums/k292/bylar13/Hunqapillar/IMG_20160306_084714624_zpshk8anynt.jpg[/IMG][/URL]

[dst...@nycap.rr.com]

Mark-I've got a pair from my Bombadil if you want to try them. If you keep them we can work out a deal. They swept back too far for me and we're going for sale this week anyway.

[El Sapo]

Love them. Nice smooth fillet like my Ritchey

On Monday, March 7, 2016 at 9:33:30 AM UTC-8, Mark Reimer wrote:

[sameness]

A+. Those bars look like they grew there.

Jeff Hagedorn
Los Angeles, CA USA

[Takashi]

Forgot to mention one thing:

When I am climbing steep and bumpy (unpaved) ascent, gripping near center of the bars for forward-leaned position allows little leverage, so I have some difficulty maneuvering my bike.
When I grip ends, my hands are too far apart, and my body is in too much upright position, so I have difficulty putting more power on pedals.

If you're resorting to LCG (=walking), no problem. (Though you'll have to watch out so that wide handlebar don't hit your ribs)
Once you reach the highest point, wide handlebar lets you descend with confidence.

Good luck!

Takashi