52 aluminum Bosco vs. 55 cromo Bosco bars

[Bicycle Belle Ding Ding!]

Hi Friends,

I’m pretty sure my 2019 Clem L has 55 cm Bosco bars in steel. That bike is in the shop getting tubeless wheels and dyno (so I can’t even measure right now) and I’ve been riding a 2015 Clem H, which I’m pretty sure has 52 cm steel bars. I like the width of those a LOT better. I have a couple questions, if anyone knows and would be willing to chime in:

1. I have a 50 mm stem - will the narrower bars make my stem feel different? I like that 50 a lot...

2. How much lighter would 52 alu be than 55 steel bars? I’m on a campaign to lighten up my Clem where I can, and bars could be an easy way to do it.

One day I will get my bikes figured out and you will be free of my many questions. Fingers crossed!

[ted]

I doubt the narrower bars would make the stem feel different, and if it did I’d bet on it seeming shorter which could be easily tweaked with a 60 stem

[ted]

Oops, and re bar weight, buy the al ones, they will be lighter and since you didn’t weigh your new wheels I’m guessing the particular numbers aren’t that important to you. Hey you’ll “know” you made your bike lighter

[Joe Bernard]

I don't know the numbers, either, but the weight difference between alu and steel Boscos is noticeable when I've swapped them. I think the 52 would work great.

[Leah Peterson]

Ted,

Ha! I know I’m disappointing. I was hoping someone less disappointing than me would have real numbers, as Rivendell declined to provide them. I hope I get the new bars in time to bring to the shop while they work on my bike. Otherwise, I suppose I can do it, but yuck.

Well, regardless, I’m tired of hitting our vehicles with my giant Bosco bars as I wheel my bike out of the garage. Backing it up is hard because it’s looonnngg, and fitting it between are vehicles is hard because of the wide bars. I really have wanted 52 for a long time and if I’m getting 52s I might as well get the light version, right? Also, I’m planning to drive north to see my family in July, and putting 3 bikes with Bosco bars on my vehicle bike rack is daunting. I’ll be very happy to have narrower Boscos for THAT.

All these little things make a noticeable weight difference. I have been riding the 52 Clem H and that’s not a small, light bike, but it feels like it since it has so little gear on it. I can’t be without my essentials on the Clementine, but if I can trim the fat off things like wheels and bars, I will.

Up next: pedals.

Leah

Sent from my iPad

> On May 24, 2020, at 6:03 PM, ted <ted....@comcast.net> wrote:
>
> Oops, and re bar weight, buy the al ones, they will be lighter and since you didn’t weigh your new wheels I’m guessing the particular numbers aren’t that important to you. Hey you’ll “know” you made your bike lighter
>
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[ted]

Lea,

If either of us is disappointing it's probably me. I swapped the stoker bar on our tandem from a steel 55 bosco to an al 52 bosco and never weighed either one.

Sorry about that.

Hope your new bar comes in time for the shop to take care of it for you. But if not, don't fret. It's really not that bad to do yourself as the change should be small enough to avoid altering the cables and housing. Probably won't even need to undo the brake or shift cables.

ted.

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[masmojo]

Leah, the difference between the weight of the Steel & Aluminum bars typically is minimal; I at one time had both the steel & aluminum Albatross bars and while the Aluminum ones were slightly lighter, they were also noticeably stiffer.  The aluminum bars have a much thicker walled tubing in order to make them strong enough, this also makes them stiff.

I much preferred the steel bars, they rode so much better and I can't help, but think the Bosco's will behave similarly. Especially on a narrower bar.

[Ed Carolipio]

> 2. How much lighter would 52 alu be than 55 steel bars? I’m on a campaign to lighten up my Clem where I can, and bars could be an easy way to do it.

We have both and I've run them on the same Clem L. Sorry, I didn't get to weigh them and the 52's are on the bike ATM. For me, it was the road feel that was different. The 52cm felt more taught and snappier, while the 55 was more mellow. It wasn't a world of difference: you'll definitely notice the narrowness much more, specially when maneuvering between cars.

I used the same stem when bar swapping and didn't find the need to change the length.

--Ed C.