How does one choose a handlebar in the internet age?

[Mzilliox]

and if you ride a 42, i have a couple you can try and buy the one you like while sending the others back, just like mr cleant39s offer. happy to help a brotha find a bar. PM me if interested.

[pdmtong]

When carbon bars have shaping on the flats I have found them more comfortable than the traditional round 26.0 bar because now I have more surface area to rest on.

An unexpected result was no longer wanting padded gloves - I use non-padded Giro Zero or Rapha Pro Team which allow me to almost get that "no gloves" feeling but of course with the palm abrasion protection of gloves.

[Clean39T]

FWIW - I've got 42cm wet-black WCS Evo Curve bars available too - aluminum..

They match the Yamaguchi stem perfectly - as does the wet-black 27.2 post I have NIB.

$100 shipped for the pair

[sokyroadie]

I really like the FSA wing compact bars - have both carbon & Alum. Blindfolded I would not be able to tell the difference.

Jeff

[exapkib]

Originally Posted by pdmtong

When carbon bars have shaping on the flats I have found them more comfortable than the traditional round 26.0 bar because now I have more surface area to rest on.

An unexpected result was no longer wanting padded gloves - I use non-padded Giro Zero or Rapha Pro Team which allow me to almost get that "no gloves" feeling but of course with the palm abrasion protection of gloves.

The complex shapes that carbon can be convinced to assume seem to be one of the primary advantages of the material in fabricating handlebars

Originally Posted by Clean39T

FWIW - I've got 42cm wet-black WCS Evo Curve bars available too - aluminum..

They match the Yamaguchi stem perfectly - as does the wet-black 27.2 post I have NIB.

$100 shipped for the pair

Another generous offer! At this point, I've pretty much decided to just use the bar I have (the Ritchey Classic) until the aesthetic issues really get to me (or enough people make disparaging comments about the setup). I may yet try one of they new-fangled carbon bars, but I think that time is still a ways off for me. Really I'm just desperate to get this bike out on the road already!

(Also, my Yamaguchi stem is 26.0, so it's part of an entirely different handlebar conversation.)

[Clean39T]

Originally Posted by exapkib

The complex shapes that carbon can be convinced to assume seem to be one of the primary advantages of the material in fabricating handlebars



Another generous offer! At this point, I've pretty much decided to just use the bar I have (the Ritchey Classic) until the aesthetic issues really get to me (or enough people make disparaging comments about the setup). I may yet try one of they new-fangled carbon bars, but I think that time is still a ways off for me. Really I'm just desperate to get this bike out on the road already!

(Also, my Yamaguchi stem is 26.0, so it's part of an entirely different handlebar conversation.)

Right on!

[doomridesout]

I'm an alloy bar guy, but I also prefer a round top. The 3T Ergosum is my sweet spot. Shape trumps anything, but particularly reach for your fit... some compact bend bars are longer reach than others. I like the 3Ts because the bar shoulder is a bit longer than some other brands, allowing one to move around between the hoods and the bar shoulder.

[Ken Robb]

If you find bars that suit you and they are not available in black I would use them anyway. Once you wrap the bars and put on a computer there isn't much bar showing.

[jtbadge]

I'm curious which Ritchey Classic bars you have - there have been at lest 3 different shapes with that name -
-the original (WCS/) Classic - a shallow drop traditional bend
-Classic Curve - the silver finished compact drop
-NeoClassic/the current Classic drop - a circular round bend with flat hood transitions

[Technobuyer]

Originally Posted by 54ny77

count me among the "can't tell a damned bit difference" carbon vs. alu. handlebar & stem club.

on one bike, i had a high zoot ritchey carbon stem and easton carbon bar (the one with flat top, finger dimples and red on a good part of the bar). they came with the bike. one afternoon i was putting on new cables, tape and repositioning the levers. when i had it all set and was cinching down the stem clamp bolts slowly but surely (and in proper sequence), while still UNDER torque spec i heard a very faint crackling sound. thank goodness i didn't have the garage stereo on, or i'd have never heard it. backed it off and tried tightening again, it sounded like the faintest rice crispies.

didn't like that one bit. immediately pulled it off, swapped everything out for a pro vibe 7s traditional round bend compact aluminum bar, a pro vibe 7s aluminum stem that i had on hand, and presto. done. not once do i ever think or worry about carbon torque issues. ever. and frankly, the front end feels stiffer and better with that setup. it's dialed. no issues whatsoever with more or less fatigue, numbness, buzzyness, yadda yadda.

alloy bars & stems used for gazillion years, and......they're still quite good.

I had this exact thing happen to me last night with the exact same bar. Swapped out a stem for a new one. Using torque key, proper technique, etc... Cruuuunch. Not happy, but ordered a alloy 3t Ergonova this morning. Hopefully won't notice much difference either, but can't justify sinking that kind of cash again.

[pdmtong]

Originally Posted by Technobuyer

I had this exact thing happen to me last night with the exact same bar. Swapped out a stem for a new one. Using torque key, proper technique, etc... Cruuuunch. Not happy, but ordered a alloy 3t Ergonova this morning. Hopefully won't notice much difference either, but can't justify sinking that kind of cash again.

Not sure why you got Cruuuunch while I've never had that happen. Lots of metal 31.8 bars come shaped too. Save $200 over carbon and give up some grams

[jeremy.b]

Style wise you "have" to go carbon, black at the least

[stien]

For the above: Sounds like the "ticking" of unlubed metal on metal (bolts to faceplate?). Probably fine.

I too couldn't tell much difference between carbon and alloy bars. I wanted to try narrower bars so I pulled the trigger on a $20 set of aero bonty bars on eBay. Love it.

Have a 42cm Ritchey Neo Classic bar collecting dust.

[exapkib]

Originally Posted by jtbadge

I'm curious which Ritchey Classic bars you have - there have been at lest 3 different shapes with that name -
-the original (WCS/) Classic - a shallow drop traditional bend
-Classic Curve - the silver finished compact drop
-NeoClassic/the current Classic drop - a circular round bend with flat hood transitions

I'm pretty sure I've got the Classic Curve. It's got a compact bend--128 drop and 73 reach. Love the shape.

[jtbadge]

Originally Posted by exapkib

I'm pretty sure I've got the Classic Curve. It's got a compact bend--128 drop and 73 reach. Love the shape.

That'd be the same shape as the Comp Curve or WCS Curve, if you just want a matte black version of the same bend. The WCS is lighter weight, to boot.

https://ritcheylogic.com/wcs-curve-blatte-road-bar