Hey folks,
A few weeks ago Soma brought out a new edition of their Clarence bar that included a pair of bar "ends" or extensions. The extensions utilize oversize clamps with shims so they can be mounted inboard of the forward curves on the bar. The extensions can also be rotated on their mounts. All of this adjustability means that you could set up everything from something resembling a Jones bar to something resembling a Velo-Orange Crazy Bar, or pretty much anything in between. You could also move run them as more traditional bar ends but with an angle that is more appropriate for a swept-back bar like the Clarence. They call the extensions "Cletus" and are selling the combo as the "Clarence/Cletus," and you can only get the extensions by buying the bar combo:
When I saw them I thought they were pretty nifty, so I ordered a pair, but didn't really have an immediate intention of mounting them on anything. I pulled them out of the package to look at them, but they are still sitting in the original shipping box in my garage.
Now, a few weeks later, I find myself curious to try something narrower than the 710mm Jones bars I have mounted on my Clem. I have narrower bars on a couple of other bikes and they seem to work well for me. Unfortunately, the Clarence isn't substantially narrower, especially since the way I have my grips set up, I tend to grip the bar well inwards from the ends. Thus, I find myself eyeing the Ahearne/MAP handlebar, whose grips are at a similar angle to Jones bars but are narrower, at 610mm. I do think I would want the wider of the two versions of the Ahearne/MAP, since I have large hands and still need to mount brake levers, a shifter, and grips.
Thus, I'm looking to trade my new-in-box Clarence/Cletus for a pair of the 610mm Ahearne/MAP bars. My ideal would be the 31.8mm version in black, but I'm open to either color or clamp diameter as long as they are the 610mm version.
Alternatively, I would sell my Clarence/Cletus for basically the cost of a new Ahearne/MAP, so $100, including shipping in the lower 48.
Let me know if you're interested either way!
-Jeremy Till
Sacramento, CA