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For those of you looking into swapping out your drop bars for something new, Whisky Parts Co’s new offerings might be of interest to you. The new No.7 aluminum and No.9 carbon bars come in a variety of shapes, thanks to the 6, 12, and 24º flair options, as well as widths up to 46cm. With the two material options, there’s something for any build, so head to Whisky to check out the details and your local dealer for ordering.
It’s happened more often than not; finding a bar that I really love but perhaps it comes in just shy of my preferred overall width. On a MTB bar that margin is in actuality quite small. Earlier this year, I came across the Control Tech Terminator bar extender plugs. They’re a simple design, with an expanding clamp that inserts into your favorite MTB bar and tightens down, adding 2cm to either end of the bar, and 40mm in overall width. Using simple math, that takes a bar that is 760mm to 800mm. Or in the case of my Hunter rigid 29’r with 710mm wide Nitto Bullmoose bars – which always felt a little narrow for my broad shoulders – into more comfortable 750mm overall. They come in two clamp sizes; 22.2mm and 23.8mm. They’re a little product with a big impact and at around $20 for a set, won’t dent your wallet. The only bad news is it appears they’ve been discontinued, so your shop will have a hard time tracking them down, but luckily, they can still be found online and on eBay…
Bicycles. They’re a work in progress, especially ones that are derivative of a particular activity which in itself is evolving. Take bikepacking and touring for example. It seems just about every month, a company makes a new product which therein makes the act of touring eaiser or at least more enjoyable. When I first began talks with Kris Henry of 44 Bikes for this rigid mountain tourer, which I’ve come to call my “Ute” – an Aussie term, short for a utility vehicle – I had a vision for what touring meant and means to me. Leaving pavement and accessing trail, both in double and single track variety, means a fully loaded bike needs to be stable, comfortable and still maneuverable. Since this bikes inception, I’ve been sold on the Jones Bar, mostly due to the amazing leverage, riding position and varying riding positions. The thing, however, that didn’t work so well for me was the very thing that makes the Jones so unique: the hoop design and lack of rise. Also, the Jones bar has proven to be problematic with bikepacking and touring bags, which was slightly evident on my Death Valley tour. That Fabio’s Chest wanted to sag a bit too much with that setup.
Check out more below.
Ever wondered about the Jones Loop H-Bar? I know I have. Here’s a video where their unique shape is explained.
Photo by Olivier Chételat
If you’re not following Olivier on Flickr, you’re missing out on a lot of beautifully capture cycling photography. From landscapes to roads and even components like these Bosco Bullmoose bars by Nitto. If you’re on a 1″ threaded frame and looking for a more relaxed position, look no more. Head over to Rivendell… Also, follow Olivier!
If you’ve been looking for the middle ground between the Salsa Woodchipper and Cowbell handlebars, today is your lucky day. Salsa just announced the birth of the Cowchipper bar, a cross-breed bar that, you guessed it, lands right in between the Woodchipper and Cowbell in terms of flare.
For those spec-obsessed, here ya go:
The Cowchipper has 24º of flare, 120mm center section, 79.2mm of reach, 129mm drop, in sizes 40cm – 44cm and available now through your local Salsa dealer.
Jones Bikes is known for their expressive mountain and fatbike frame offerings that can be dialed in to fit just about any excursion. Now, even more-so with their new Carbon Loop H-Bar.
Check out more below!
If you’ve been paying attention to the bars a few of the Long Beach riders are on, you’ll recognize these. Machete Bike’s new handlebars are available now via their online store. I’ve been meaning to try out a setup like this and their unique design is tempting! Scoop them up here, at Machete Bike.
LH Thomson, small arms and bicycle component manufacturer has been buzzing for months now in anticipation for this date. Yesterday, when scoping out X2 stems, I saw a new tab on their site: handlebars! All who are looking for an All-American cockpit need to look no further (well, in 2015 anyway). For now, these carbon bars are manufactured in Taiwan but Thomson plans on moving fabrication to the States in 2015. I’ll admit to being a little bummed on that note…
Wonka’s signature two-piece bars are now available at the Grime web store. If anyone can stand behind a bar design, it’s Wonka. The dude goes big and has man-handled every other bar he’s tried. These 4.9″ rise, 28.5″ wide, low cross handlebars have a “wrist saver” sweep and are $75.00 at Grime.
Fyxation is on the move with yet another contest. This time, all you’ve gotta do is “like” their Facebook page to win one of their handlebar setups for 2012. Personally, I dig this flipped Alterra Cafe bar and yes, the photo has a little to do with it. Nice shot Pete!
Mitchell Silva’s ID project entitled Glowbars takes some relatively off the shelf technology and adds a little pizazz to it. LEDs are a simple and energy efficient light source and Mitchell has made a prototype handlebar that incorporates them into the front of the drops. I’d love to see how Deep Local would interpret this. Personally, out of all the stupid safety shit we see coming out, it’s nice to see someone actually do something with a real world application. I mean, randonneurs have been doing the same thing for some time, although, not as tech-savvy.
