BMC making 36cm bars mainstream

[rice rocket]

https://www.bmc-switzerland.com/eu_e...01-one-23.html

On a gravel bike nonetheless!

[Davist]

yikes aero gravel to the extreeeeeeeeme!

not for me, I have shoulders for one thing! (and old/fat/slow for another!)

[pgrizzwald]

Looks like they are mimicking the Enve SES Aero bars.

[mstateglfr]

Yeah, CT podcast mentioned another brand last week with absurdly narrow bars. I just dont get it. If the narrow tip of users actually needs bars like that, then offer them separately.

The last thing I want on a curving gravel decent with some possible loose sections is 36cm bars.
This is like if a brand decided to spec PNW Coast 520mm bars with drops that are 604mm apart. That may be desired by a few people, but not many.


The first thing I toss when I build up an old 80s road bike are the comically narrow bars. No 64cm frame should have 36cm bars stock.

[avalonracing]

Just wait a year or two. The trend will be super-wide flats with drops on the inside. Kind of makes more sense actually. Damn, I should patent that now.

[fredd]

Finally!

As someone with narrow shoulders who prefers 36cm bars, one of the issues with the new crop of integrated bikes to me is the absence of 36cm bars as stock.

[Mark McM]

There's been a move toward flared bars on both gravel bikes and road bikes. The difference is, gravel bars tend to be normal width at the hoods, and flare out at the drops, whereas road bars tend to be normal width at the drops, and flare inward at the hoods. This new BMC gravel bike looks like it has road handlebars, which seems a bit questionable.

And to top it off, due to the internal cable routing system, this bike only works with the proprietary BMC one piece handlebar stem. Due to the special square steerer tube, you can't fit a standard stem on this bike, which further means you can't use a standard handlebar either.

This all makes me wonder if the handlebar used was actually designed for road bikes, and not having a gravel bike version of the bar/stem, they ended up using the road version on the gravel bike.

[robt57]

Been using slight flare Easton AX-70s on road bike for a few years. 40CM with wider drops. I ride 60CM bike fwiw. My new go to for everything is the Zipp XPLR, using 40s and 42s and have 3 of those and the AX70s still on the first road/disc/helix narrow experiment.

My brain thinks I will be a touch more aero arm tighter on hoods.
With Di2 remotes all over, not on the hoods all that much anyway.

Usually tops @ stem for same reason, or drops to get my clyde sail lower JRA in what constitute a TT mode for my old slow ars.

Pick your poison...

If you are a saddle steerer as I am, the less leverage on hoods won't be too disturbing. Sprinting is a drop position anyway.

Lots in the Peloton same thinking, although these narrowest of the Peloton of JWvS are a bridge too far for me.

And near 4" on me too as Jan-Willem van Schip stands 194cm / 6ft 4in, but his bars measure 32cm center-to-center at the hoods

Originally Posted by rice rocket

On a gravel bike nonetheless!

Leads one to surmise 'they' think there won't be anything BUT gravel bike selling.

[mstateglfr]

Originally Posted by Mark McM

There's been a move toward flared bars on both gravel bikes and road bikes. The difference is, gravel bars tend to be normal width at the hoods, and flare out at the drops, whereas road bars tend to be normal width at the drops, and flare inward at the hoods. This new BMC gravel bike looks like it has road handlebars, which seems a bit questionable.

Those bars flare outward. They are a 12.5deg angle flare and the drops are 420mm apart.

[spoonrobot]

Perfect for midwest gravel events, where the course may have a dozen turns in 50 miles, the roads are straight as an arrow, and the descents can be measured in seconds.


Bar width doesn't really matter when even the tip of the spear takes dry, firm corners like they're on ice.

[jamesdak]

Originally Posted by mstateglfr

The first thing I toss when I build up an old 80s road bike are the comically narrow bars. No 64cm frame should have 36cm bars stock.

So true and a point reemphasized for me Saturday. I did 25 miles on a 80's Bianchi with my standard 42cm bars and all was well. As soon as I got back with that one I hoped onto the Kuwahara with bars that are may 38cm. Right away I felt the difference and by about 10 miles into that 25 mile lap I had that familiar pain at the base of my neck in between my shoulders. Narrow bars just don't work for me.

[robt57]

I still have a few Nitto Rando drops laying about, sorta the same design except they have a mile of reach...

[rice rocket]

Originally Posted by jamesdak

So true and a point reemphasized for me Saturday. I did 25 miles on a 80's Bianchi with my standard 42cm bars and all was well. As soon as I got back with that one I hoped onto the Kuwahara with bars that are may 38cm. Right away I felt the difference and by about 10 miles into that 25 mile lap I had that familiar pain at the base of my neck in between my shoulders. Narrow bars just don't work for me.

How often do you ride your 38cm bars though? Is it just lack of usage of those different muscle groups?

I spend probably equal time between 360/380mm, 400/500mm, and 420/420mm bars, I can't say I notice it past the first 5 minutes, minus my forearms hitting the curved part of the 360mm bars because there's not enough flare.

[mstateglfr]

Originally Posted by spoonrobot

Perfect for midwest gravel events, where the course may have a dozen turns in 50 miles, the roads are straight as an arrow, and the descents can be measured in seconds.

Bar width doesn't really matter when even the tip of the spear takes dry, firm corners like they're on ice.

More of this. How neat.***

[Mark McM]

Originally Posted by mstateglfr

Those bars flare outward. They are a 12.5deg angle flare and the drops are 420mm apart.

I was being metaphorical. It is a matter of perspective, but flared gravel handlebars could be described as standard width at the hoods and wider at the drops, while flared road handlebar can be described as standard width at the drops and narrower at the hoods. The BMC handlebar follows the pattern of flared road handlebars, not flared gravel handlebars.