[RBW] Growing my moustache (bars)

[Andrew]

I miss the bar-ends on my Quickbeam, where I'm used to gripping and resting my hands on the other bikes. So I made some plugs out of aluminum, to give back the extra length that you get with bar-end shifters. They match the external diameter of the bars (24.0) and have a very snug hand fit inside. These aren't done - I need to hollow them out, and I haven't decided whether just to use strong Loctite, or to rig a screw & cone internal stopper.

I figured out flikker: http://www.flickr.com/photos/71141757@N02/6566387189/in/photostream

But still prefer SmugMug: diesel.smugmug.com/Bici/M-Bar-plugs/

Once I get them attached, I'll finish up the rest of the cockpit (stem, tape, brake cable routing, VO bell mount). But for now, they stay in, and they ride great!

- Andrew, Berkeley

[Rex Kerr]

Are they merely friction fit?  I don't see any expander mechanism.

 

In the past I've created expanders by using a rubber plug with a hole through the center and a large washer on the other side.

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[Rex Kerr]

Actually, I take that back... my expander was a bit different than that... I remember now that I used some of those threaded table leg inserts for allowing you to put adjustable feet on the bottom of table legs.  They have sharp spikes that poked into the rubber plug to keep them from rotating while I was tightening or loosening.  I'm looking for pictures, but they're in a deep dusty corner of my website from years ago...

[Rex Kerr]

OK, one more post. :-)  Here's how I made the expander...

 

http://twowheels.us/bicycles/vrex_headlight.html

[Andrew]

Friction fit, with permanent loc-tite, was my first thought. That lets me hollow them out all the way through. Your suggestion of an expander butt-plug is good, and I have been tinkering with that, too. Would probably run a rubber donut against the end, with a washer and captive nut on the far side, and then bore out most of the extender, but leave a face inside that a small bolt could face against, to tighten the washer - and bulge the rubber donut. We'll see.

- Andrew, Berkeley

On Thu, Dec 29, 2011 at 10:33 AM, Rex Kerr <rex...@gmail.com> wrote:

[Andrew]

I ended making my own inner expansion plugs, with some synthetic cork (Ravenswood Zin) and a metric "T" nut that pressed the cork against the aluminum plug. It holds tight, and the result is perfect, the bars come back exactly the right amount. All's left to do is a new layer of tape, and some cork bumpers in the rear-facing holes.

http://diesel.smugmug.com/Bici/M-Bar-plugs/20738018_ZK2cTv#!i=1673001452&k=njMpntG

- Andrew, Berkeley

[Rob]

Very nicely done. 

The non-aero levers always look good with a moustache bar. Whenever I see that combo it makes me want to try a moustache bar again!

Rob in Seattle

[Joe Bernard]

Agreed. I just set up my Mini Velo with moustache bars and non-aero Superbe levers that look just like that. Keeping part of the bars unwrapped is an interesting move. You don't grab them there, so it makes sense..I hadn't thought of it.

[William]

Four-jaw AND three-jaw chucks both contribute for a winning DIY combo.  Round bar-stock?  Never heard of it.  Love it.  

[Smitty-A-Go-Go]

Those bar ends are great! Cool to have the skills and tools to make such an item. 

I've only been riding M-bars for a few months. At first I wrapped from the brake levers out. That was the only part of the bar I used. More recently I've been playing with different hand positions... if only to stretch/ change positions briefly. I wanted to try a different color/texture tape too, so I wrapped the whole bar this time around. Will see if the center section of the bar gets used. 

[Andrew]

Well, my round stock on hand was either too small, or way too big, so I just worked with some handy 1.25 plate and turned it to size. Overall, I spent WAY too much time in the basement, but it gave me great satisfaction to produce those plugs. They really do finish the bars, but there's probably not a market out there for such things.

- Andrew, Berkeley

[William]

I know how that goes, Andrew.  My dad and I are working on a set of Grip King pedal cage attachments that will make the platform as wide as it is long.  And by "my dad and I" I mean I sketched the design, and he's in his garage/machine shop making them.  He's going to make ten pairs of them.  I figure that if I pay him $5 an hour, then I should retail these cages for about $750 a pair.  :/

It gives him something entertaining to do, though.  

[Rex Kerr]

On Thu, Jan 19, 2012 at 1:19 PM, Andrew <asht...@gmail.com> wrote:

I ended making my own inner expansion plugs, with some synthetic cork (Ravenswood Zin) and a metric "T" nut that pressed the cork against the aluminum plug. It holds tight, and the result is perfect, the bars come back exactly the right amount. All's left to do is a new layer of tape, and some cork bumpers in the rear-facing holes.

http://diesel.smugmug.com/Bici/M-Bar-plugs/20738018_ZK2cTv#!i=1673001452&k=njMpntG

Awesome... just curious... did my post showing my rubber plugs w/ t-nuts influence your design, or had you already encountered them?

-Rex

[Andrew]

You bet. I knew it have to be *something* like that, and when I saw your pictures, it became perfectly clear the way to proceed. I was also glad to find small metric T-nuts, to match my stainless bolts. Thanks for the suggestion!

- Andrew, Berkeley

On Thu, Jan 19, 2012 at 11:26 PM, Rex Kerr <rex...@gmail.com> wrote:

Awesome... just curious... did my post showing my rubber plugs w/ t-nuts influence your design, or had you already encountered them?

-Rex

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[Rex Kerr]

On Fri, Jan 20, 2012 at 7:13 AM, Andrew <asht...@gmail.com> wrote:

You bet. I knew it have to be *something* like that, and when I saw your pictures, it became perfectly clear the way to proceed. I was also glad to find small metric T-nuts, to match my stainless bolts. Thanks for the suggestion!

 

That's great!   That's been sitting on my website for about a decade {notice how all of the links to the original pics are broken... :-(  } and I've never heard any feedback... glad to see that it helped somebody!