Easton TKO bars = Easton Equipe Pro bars

[11.4]

Just got a pair of the Easton TKO track bars in. They are identical in design to the old non-anatomic shallow-drop Easton Equipe Pro's except in having a more substantial layup and thus weighing more. A pair of 40 cm Equipe Pro's I have weighed in at 228 grams and the same size in the TKO's weighed in at 314. On the other hand, they are extremely stiff -- not like the Easton track bars, but a good bit stiffer than the Equipe Pro. I wouldn't characterize the stiffness as so obnoxious as to be troublesome on the road, and Easton does approve the bars for clip-ons and for all four-bolt stems. Graphics are not as pretty as on the Equipe Pro -- just a small TKO logo on the front -- but the carbon itself is a very nice job and the wall thickness is clearly thicker. I'd say these make a decent replacement on the road for Equipe Pro's. There was a thread sometime back inquiring about these, so this is just a quick follow-up.

[Ti Designs]

Just got a pair of the Easton TKO track bars in. They are identical in design to the old non-anatomic shallow-drop Easton Equipe Pro's except in having a more substantial layup and thus weighing more.

As always, I'm confused. If Easton TKO track bars are identical shallow-drop Equipe Pro's, they aren't really track bars, are they?

[musgravecycles]

11.4 a bit of thread drift here. You mentioned across the hall something about seeing the new Shimano stuff... Are you allowed to confirm whether or not DA-7900 has multi-click up shifting?

[BdaGhisallo]

The TKO bars are intended for the mass start endurance riders on the track, not the sprinters, who usually use regular road bars.

[jerk]

As always, I'm confused. If Easton TKO track bars are identical shallow-drop Equipe Pro's, they aren't really track bars, are they?

most track events are not match sprints.

jerk

[Climb01742]

according to the easton site, these only come in 40. darn them.

[11.4]

Not only are most events not match sprints, but even in sprints there are a lot of riders for whom traditional track drops have too much reach and drop. Easton is acknowledging that traditional track drops were generally made for taller riders or for very short events, and that isn't really the market.

Easton only made its traditional track drops in a 40 cm c-c for the longest time. They finally came out with a 38, but oddly enough, did the narrower bars in a completely different design, more like the Compe bars of the 80s. For track a 40 cm bar is pretty common. I'm personally an advocate of somewhat narrower bars than the wide standard so common these days. I've posted about this elsewhere, but the basic point is that you have a more aero position with narrower bars set farther forward, your rib cage is raised above your diaphragm so you actually get more lung capacity than with wider bars set short, and from a leverage standpoint it doesn't make sense to be pulling on bars outboard from the lines followed by the force vectors of your pedaling. Unless you're flipping the bike around a lot and moving your rear all over the place (which you don't want to be doing), it's like picking up a heavy weight well in front of your body.

[Ti Designs]

The TKO bars are intended for the mass start endurance riders on the track, not the sprinters, who usually use regular road bars.


So do we define bends based on the shape of the bar or how we use them? Is a Cinelli 64 a track bend if used on the track? I climbed Mt Washington with a pair of Cinelli 65's, yet they clearly say "Criterium" on them - did I miss a turn somewhere? It would be less confusing if people would call a bar with a track bend a track bar, a bar with a road bend a road bar, and the Black Rose and irish bar...

[Grant McLean]

So do we define bends based on the shape of the bar or how we use them?

I think Easton defined the bar as a track bar based not on it's shape,
but by it's stiffness. Given that a +300 gram carbon bar is hella stiff,
and the shape and width is popular with the riders, what's the problem?

-g

[Ti Designs]

I think Easton defined the bar as a track bar based not on it's shape,
but by it's stiffness. Given that a +300 gram carbon bar is hella stiff,
and the shape and width is popular with the riders, what's the problem?

It tosses the definition and distinction of "track bend" out the window. There's a reason for track and crit bend bars. The industry changes based on trends, doing away with many definitions and the parts that go with them. Name a good crit bar made today...

[Grant McLean]

It tosses the definition and distinction of "track bend" out the window. There's a reason for track and crit bend bars. The industry changes based on trends, doing away with many definitions and the parts that go with them. Name a good crit bar made today...

Ya But that's ok. I don't think people ever followed, for example,
the cinelli lingo for bar shape anyway. The "reason" for shape is personal preference.
For 20 years I rode model 65 bars, never raced criteriums, and I can't sprint
worth shiite. I just liked the angle of the levers, and the transition to the hoods.

The bend is the bend. Doesn't matter what's is called, and use whatever you
want, for whatever you like.

-g

[Ti Designs]

The bend is the bend. Doesn't matter what's is called, and use whatever you want, for whatever you like.

This thread is chasing it's own tail. So if everyone just uses what they like and calls it what they use it for, how does one request a certain type of bar? Example: you hate anotomic bars, so you call up your LBS and ask them to put a non-anotomic bar in your width aside for you. When you get there it's got all kinds of weird reverse bends in the hooks and it's 2cm too wide. You ask what's up, I say "it didn't fit any part of my anatomy, and I've been using my tape measure as a quickdraw at the local climbing gym so my version of 40cm is what you would measure as 42cm - but it's just what you asked for." My point is when you say track bar people think track bend. When you say crit bar people think Cinelli 65's 'cause there are no crit bars made - not to say nobody races crits. If we can anything or anyone what we like I'm gonna call everyone on the forum Bruce from now on.

[Grant McLean]

My point is when you say track bar people think track bend.

But why is a rounded shoulder bar the only "track bend"?

Where I'm coming from is a bar is a "track bar" it's designed for use on
the track... whatever form it takes.

-g

[11.4]

This thread is chasing it's own tail. So if everyone just uses what they like and calls it what they use it for, how does one request a certain type of bar? Example: you hate anotomic bars, so you call up your LBS and ask them to put a non-anotomic bar in your width aside for you. When you get there it's got all kinds of weird reverse bends in the hooks and it's 2cm too wide. You ask what's up, I say "it didn't fit any part of my anatomy, and I've been using my tape measure as a quickdraw at the local climbing gym so my version of 40cm is what you would measure as 42cm - but it's just what you asked for." My point is when you say track bar people think track bend. When you say crit bar people think Cinelli 65's 'cause there are no crit bars made - not to say nobody races crits. If we can anything or anyone what we like I'm gonna call everyone on the forum Bruce from now on.

Got it, Bruce.

The point of this thread was just to let folks know about the bars. Most people are just going to use them in lieu of the no-longer-available Equipe Pros. As for others, if you go to the track you'll see more non-"track" bends than "track" bends, so your point becomes a bit irrelevant. You may have an idea what a track bend is, but most people have to check twice to know. Heck, I've seen track bends with 85 mm reach and track bends with 140 mm reach. There are ergo "track" bends and non-anatomic "track" bends. Don't you want to differentiate those into different categories? That much range in reach is probably more of an issue than the shape of the tops. And what's the standard clamp size of a "track" drop?

I'd simply maintain there's no standard for any of these things any longer. Road bars are the same way -- ergo, compact, non-anatomic, wing, randonneur, and who knows what else. These bars are nearly a hundred grams heavier than their predecessor road bar. I personally wouldn't ride these for power events because I need forearm clearance, even if I can get the bars down to the right drop. But for madisons they are quite nice, and for most massed start racing they are just fine. There's a lot more crossover between track and road than many people who don't race track seem to realize. So people riding track don't bother with hard definitions like this. You can't really do it on the road either -- aren't your #65's really track bars? Many people rode them on the track back when they were current.

The Aussies and others are experimenting with "track" bars for massed-start track events that are like road bars but with an upward bump around where you'd otherwise be grasping the brifter. They look weird as heck, but they make road riders on the track more comfortable. What do you want to call those?

[giordana93]

track bar, as I recall, offers: a)almost no usable section on the tops for resting or climbing, cause you're always in the drops and b) almost no reasonable position to mount brake levers, esp. newer sti/ergo (i.e. one in which the drops are still usable. without pointing to the ground)

thanks for the heads-up on the new bar, btw, as there are so few non-anatomics available these days. The Oval bar mentioned in past threads in this respect for example (courtesy of e-richie as I recall), is it still available? haven't seen it anywhere locally or on-line. I'm still looking for a traditional bend that allows an easy reach to ergo brake levers from the drops without the epoxy mod

[Grant McLean]

The Oval bar mentioned in past threads in this respect for example (courtesy of e-richie as I recall), is it still available? haven't seen it anywhere locally or on-line. I'm still looking for a traditional bend that allows an easy reach to ergo brake levers from the drops without the epoxy mod

yes, oval still makes the R700 classic bend. It's measured for width c to c.
E-mail Richard, he'll hook you up with as many as you need.

-g