Cinelli 65 bar clones w/31.8?

[Lewis Moon]

The track bike I just bought came with a set of steel NJS Nitto B123 bars. I'm looking for a set of bars with less drop/reach and in aluminum, but with the same type of shape. The Cinelli 65 has always been a favorite but they only come in 26.0. I could use shims or a quill stem, but FMOI, are there any "compact", quality track style bars with in 31.8?

[cachagua]

Sounds like you've got a stem picked out?

I'd consider getting a stem that fits the bar you want, instead of vice-versa, but to each they own. Eddy knows I make some, ahem, idiosyncratic choices about how I put my bikes together, and in the end, that's one of the things that makes bikes great: they're a place where you can express yourself.

[Lewis Moon]

Originally Posted by cachagua

Sounds like you've got a stem picked out?

I'd consider getting a stem that fits the bar you want, instead of vice-versa, but to each they own. Eddy knows I make some, ahem, idiosyncratic choices about how I put my bikes together, and in the end, that's one of the things that makes bikes great: they're a place where you can express yourself.

It's more like I have a box full of 31.8 stems.

[nooneline]

You're more or less out of luck. There are 2 types of track-specific bars that come in 31.8 - generic deep-drop sprint bars modeled after the B123, and modern super-shallow sprint bars like the 3T Scatto.

But, check out the B125 - it comes in aluminum, it's the same shape as a classic sprint bar, but fair amount shallower. Pretty similar to Cinelli Criterium bars - but it doesn't come in 31.8. However, there are still good 26.0 stems out there, and a 26.0 -> 31.8 shim is totally reasonable. I saw plenty of those on British Cycling bikes not too long ago.

[11.4]

Nitto actually makes their classic alloy track bars (like the B125) in a 31.8 clamp size now. I'm pretty sure they make a shallow-drop Criterium-like drop (as in the B125) in the oversize clamp diameter.

Before you get too invested in this, check around to see how modern drifters do (or don't) match up to Criteriums. The levers are in a rather odd position with the points of the levers extending rather far outboard, and you may not like the look. I rode a pair of B125's set up with Dura Ace 7900 levers set low enough that they hung vertically, but they were really low and you had a long section of the curved descending transition in the bars where you had to brace your hands before they had any support from the levers. It didn't work all that well, at least for me.

[Lewis Moon]

Originally Posted by 11.4

Nitto actually makes their classic alloy track bars (like the B125) in a 31.8 clamp size now. I'm pretty sure they make a shallow-drop Criterium-like drop (as in the B125) in the oversize clamp diameter.

Before you get too invested in this, check around to see how modern drifters do (or don't) match up to Criteriums. The levers are in a rather odd position with the points of the levers extending rather far outboard, and you may not like the look. I rode a pair of B125's set up with Dura Ace 7900 levers set low enough that they hung vertically, but they were really low and you had a long section of the curved descending transition in the bars where you had to brace your hands before they had any support from the levers. It didn't work all that well, at least for me.

I'll be riding with a set of cross top levers that I can easily remove for the track. On my road bike, I ride the hoods about 95% of the time and I'd like to make myself ride the drops when I'm working it on this bike. Too easy to fall back into old habits. I think I'll probably opt for the 65s and pop for a 1A stem or find a quill track stem.
The 65s seem to be a kind of a compromise bar between the Zipp SL70s I ride now and real track bars.

[11.4]

Originally Posted by Lewis Moon

I'll be riding with a set of cross top levers that I can easily remove for the track. On my road bike, I ride the hoods about 95% of the time and I'd like to make myself ride the drops when I'm working it on this bike. Too easy to fall back into old habits. I think I'll probably opt for the 65s and pop for a 1A stem or find a quill track stem.
The 65s seem to be a kind of a compromise bar between the Zipp SL70s I ride now and real track bars.

The 65's are quite flexible and the shape isn't really necessary for riding in the drops on the road. They are so shallow that they won't be a way to acclimatize yourself to track drops. I'd suggest you get a 25.4mm-clamp threadless stem (the Thomson Elite MTB stem is really good for this with the alloy Nitto bars) and do the B125AA's. You can also get them in narrower track widths.

BTW, if you get the steel B125's, you can't use them safely with most modern stems. The ferrule on the steel bars is rarely round and modern stems rely on a round ferrule to clamp properly. You end up getting cracks in the stem. There's a great threadless stem from Nitto, the CT-80, a fillet brazed chromed model, that you can get to fit the 25.4 steel bars.

However, and one last warning about the steel bars, when they swing around, they do so with a lot of force exerted on your top tube. There's no better way, including a pipe wrench, to bash a nice dent in your top tube. Honestly, I don't recommend them any longer.

[Lewis Moon]

Originally Posted by 11.4

The 65's are quite flexible and the shape isn't really necessary for riding in the drops on the road. They are so shallow that they won't be a way to acclimatize yourself to track drops. I'd suggest you get a 25.4mm-clamp threadless stem (the Thomson Elite MTB stem is really good for this with the alloy Nitto bars) and do the B125AA's. You can also get them in narrower track widths.

BTW, if you get the steel B125's, you can't use them safely with most modern stems. The ferrule on the steel bars is rarely round and modern stems rely on a round ferrule to clamp properly. You end up getting cracks in the stem. There's a great threadless stem from Nitto, the CT-80, a fillet brazed chromed model, that you can get to fit the 25.4 steel bars.

However, and one last warning about the steel bars, when they swing around, they do so with a lot of force exerted on your top tube. There's no better way, including a pipe wrench, to bash a nice dent in your top tube. Honestly, I don't recommend them any longer.

Looks like the B125aa might be the ticket.

[carpediemracing]

The crit-like bend 3ttt Gimondis and Mavic 315 bars (both are crit bend) I have both have 15 cm drops. Compared to my FSA compact bars that's a 3 cm deeper drop. I don't know the 65s off hand but I think they're similar.

I put shims in a 31.8 to use my 3ttt Gimondis. I stopped for two reasons. First, wrong reach (I was experimenting with a longer reach). Second, flexible as heck. Went back to the much more rigid compact bars with a 3 cm lower stem/clamp point and it was much better.

Hard to tell there's a spacer in there. Apologies for the tape. I simply swapped stems, left the old tape on.


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