Looking for Perfect Handlebar

[Wiley J]

Does anyone make a bar that has a horizontal transition from the tops to the hoods, and drops that are also horizontal, or very near to it? I would like the drops to be long enough to rest my whole hand on the bar end. All the bars I've looked at, if you tilt the bar up so there is no drop fom the top to the hoods, your wrists are tilted up at an uncomfortable angle when in the drops. The tilt also moves the bar ends away so the drops are too short.

I tried a pair of FSA Wing Pro Compacts. These were the perfect shape from the side view, but the 44cm are actually 42cm at the hoods. They flare out at the ends of the drops to 44cm. I felt too cramped on these when riding on the hoods. I would prefer round bars over the flat wing shape.

I also don't like bars that gradually curve from the stem to the hoods. This turns your wrists in at an angle, instead of straight ahead. I want a bar that makes a sharp 90 degree turn fom the tops to the hoods.

Some pictures of your bars would be great, If you think they match my preferences.

[goonster]

If it's a flat transition to the hoods you're after, the Nitto Noodle is the champ of ramps.

http://www.planet-x-bikes.com/road/images/pagemaster/16111.jpg

Available in widths up to 48 cm, c to c.

[old_school]

Easton used to make an EC 90 Equipe round bend bar (pictured below) in carbon that sounds like what you are after. It is now out of production, but I have one that is basically brand new (mounted, never even taped, taken for one ride). 31.8 x 44 with 75 reach and 130 drop. Drop me a pm if you are interested.

[BdaGhisallo]

Yep the Easton EC-90 Equipe Pro bend was THE perfect bar. Sadly it is no more. I am on the lookout for one or two 42cm c-c bars if anyone knows a source. I am continually hunting Ebay for them.

[rnhood]

The Deda Supernatural will get you fairly close to what you are looking for. I wish the bar end was just a bit longer but, I can still adequately get my hand on them and, it's a good riding position where I spend about 80% of the time. The bar to hood is horizontal and flat, as is the bar ends with this bar. Unfortunately, you will need 46 to get 44. So, if you want a true 46 bar then write these off because I don't believe they come in anything bigger than 46.

[dave thompson]

Bontrager makes (made?) a series of bars they called the 'Flat Top'. They are designed exactly as you describe; horizontal across the tops through the curve to the shifters, wide across the tops with a somewhat sharp curve, when viewed from above, at the transition to the shifters. They run true to size across the hoods. The bars in the pic are 44CM c-c across the drops and where the shifters would be mounted.

I've used these bars for a couple of years and they are my favorites.

[Wiley J]

I like the looks of those Bontragers. My LBS sells Trek. I'll see if they have some leftovers. Maybe check Ebay. Do you know what the drop and reach they are, Dave?

[dave thompson]

I like the looks of those Bontragers. My LBS sells Trek. I'll see if they have some leftovers. Maybe check Ebay. Do you know what the drop and reach they are, Dave?
Bontrager's site: http://www.bontrager.com/Road/Components/Handlebars/5747.php

[PoppaWheelie]

I had all the same criteria and ended up liking the Syntace Racelights. They have some funkiness to the tops (they sweep back similar to a Nitto 177...a bar that I knew I liked) but they are reasonably flat on the drops. This is, of course, if you must have carbon in 31.8...

What about the Nitto "Dream" from Rivendell...?

[93legendti]

Does anyone make a bar that has a horizontal transition from the tops to the hoods, and drops that are also horizontal, or very near to it? I would like the drops to be long enough to rest my whole hand on the bar end. All the bars I've looked at, if you tilt the bar up so there is no drop fom the top to the hoods, your wrists are tilted up at an uncomfortable angle when in the drops. The tilt also moves the bar ends away so the drops are too short.

I tried a pair of FSA Wing Pro Compacts. These were the perfect shape from the side view, but the 44cm are actually 42cm at the hoods. They flare out at the ends of the drops to 44cm. I felt too cramped on these when riding on the hoods. I would prefer round bars over the flat wing shape.

I also don't like bars that gradually curve from the stem to the hoods. This turns your wrists in at an angle, instead of straight ahead. I want a bar that makes a sharp 90 degree turn fom the tops to the hoods.

Some pictures of your bars would be great, If you think they match my preferences.

http://www.bontrager.com/Road/Components/Handlebars/24336.php

These look like the FSA Compacts, without the flat tops. I just ordered one.

[3chordwonder]

Does anybody know if Dave's Bontragers can achieve the same positioning with current Campy brifters? They look perfect.

After years of riding Shimano I recently took the plunge and got a bike with 07 Record, and I'm having some trouble finding a handlebar that works with Campy as the OP described.

I had Deda Newtons with the ergo bend and the ramp was perfectly straight but the angle in the drops was too acute to be genuinely comfortable for long hauls in the drops; currently trying Ritchey biomax bars which have a good wrist angle in the drops but getting a straight ramp to the brifters means the levers are pointing up and way in front from the bar.

I suspect that both those bars would work a treat with Shimano, but I'm starting to realize why I see so many photos of pro bikes equipped with Campy where the brifter positions are angled up so far that the levers are sticking out way towards the front.

I can see that's an advantage as an offensive weapon in the peloton but personally I like being able to reach my brakes when riding in the drops...

[pdmtong]

Ritchey Carbon Evolution

[Climb01742]

http://www.bontrager.com/Road/Components/Handlebars/24336.php

These look like the FSA Compacts, without the flat tops. I just ordered one.

when they arrive, could you post a photo from the side? curious about the length of the drops. thank you! do the flat tops of the FSA bug you too? they put odd pressure points onto the palms of my hands.

as a previous poster noted, supernaturals have a great ramp position but the drop is too short for my mitts. it is SOOOO hard to get the hoods flat AND get the drops flat and long enough. i love deda's old school long flt drops but it is a challenge to get the hoods flat.

my best balance is with the now-discontinued ec90 equipes.

[93legendti]

when they arrive, could you post a photo from the side? curious about the length of the drops. thank you! do the flat tops of the FSA bug you too? they put odd pressure points onto the palms of my hands.

as a previous poster noted, supernaturals have a great ramp position but the drop is too short for my mitts. it is SOOOO hard to get the hoods flat AND get the drops flat and long enough. i love deda's old school long flt drops but it is a challenge to get the hoods flat.

my best balance is with the now-discontinued ec90 equipes.

Will do. I like the FSA's enough that I have 4 of them. Problem is the bars seem to be made slightly different each time, 'cuz the flat part of the mjtops are not all in the same position when I line up the brifters the way I like them. When I can get the tops flat, or just slightly tilited towards me, I am REALLY happy. The bars and Bontragers gel tape seem to be a match made in cycling heaven.

[Climb01742]

Problem is the bars seem to be made slightly different each time, 'cuz the flat part of the mjtops are not all in the same position when I line up the brifters the way I like them.

that's the challenge for me, to get 3 things in synch: flat top, brifters placed right and drop relatively horizontal. getting all 3_just_right is made tougher by the flat top. round bar tops avoid this issue.

[Wiley J]

I really want to see a picture of those Bontrager Fit VR when 96LegendTi gets his. I have Race lite VR's right now and the drops are not long enough. If they would add about an inch or so to the bar ends, they would be almost perfect. My wrists are tilted up enough that I'm not comfortable for long periods of time. If only I could slide back a little to a more horizontal position. Does everyone make the drops so short to try to save a few grams of weight?

The FSA wing tops are not comfortable to me. They are very wide and curve to the hoods almost immediately from the stem. This turned my wrists inward, which I did not like. It helped if I didn't wrap my thumbs behind the bars, but I was worried about hitting a bump and my hands slipping off the bars.

[Dave]

The Easton EC-90 Equipe anatomic meets the OP's description and works fine with Campy ergo levers. The only downside might be that although the ends will be horizontal or very close to it, the straight end section is quite short - only about half the width of an average palm, so it does not provide a suitable hand position near the end. I never ride in that position, so they work fine for me.

http://www.eastonbike.com/PRODUCTS/BARS/bar_road_ec90_equipe.html

The new Easton EC90 SLX might also do the trick, even being offered in Campy and Shimano specific models. The downside I see if the return of the odd bend off the straight top - a 45 degree straight section with a sharp bend at each end instead of the normal large radius bend. Folks with large hands will find the heel of the hand has no place to rest.

http://www.eastonbike.com/PRODUCTS/BARS/bar_road_ec90_slx_'06.html

Easton bars also position the hoods closer together than the stated bar width.

Years ago, I found the Deda 215 to be close to perfect, but the anatomic drop section was short even for my small hands. Not sure it the Newton's bend is much different.

I've got one bike set up with the new FSA K-force Compact. They're not bad, but I'd rather have a round top than the flat/wing design. They also place the brake hoods closer together than the stated bars size.

http://www.fullspeedahead.com/fly.aspx?layout=product&taxid=41&pid=792

For those complaining about Campy brake levers swinging too far away from the hook section of the bar, that can be fixed. No more than 10 minutes of work with some 5-minute epoxy putty can have the lever reach as close as 60mm from the front of the bar to the front of the brake lever. I haven't found a bar yet that did not require me to make this modification in varying amounts. The FSA K-force compact bars are the worst I've seen in this regard.

[William]

http://www.pacificcoaststar.com/pcs/images/Handlebar/handlebar_carlini_ape.jpg




:rolleyes: ;)


William

[bfd]

If it's a flat transition to the hoods you're after, the Nitto Noodle is the champ of ramps.

http://www.planet-x-bikes.com/road/images/pagemaster/16111.jpg

Available in widths up to 48 cm, c to c.

It should be noted that for you "weight weenies," Riv also sells a *lightweight* version called the Nitto 177-LT Soba bar:

http://www.rivbike.com/webalog/handlebars_stems_tape/16168.html

[3chordwonder]

"For those complaining about Campy brake levers swinging too far away from the hook section of the bar, that can be fixed. No more than 10 minutes of work with some 5-minute epoxy putty can have the lever reach as close as 60mm from the front of the bar to the front of the brake lever."

- Dave, care to elaborate on how that works?