Help me pick components! Stem/post/bars.

[JMacII]

New steel road frame coming later this year, I’m working on getting all the stuff in advance. Group will be 12 speed chorus w/ disc brakes if it matters. Frame will be orange, trying to stick with black components. Struggling on cockpit. I’m leaning towards trying the Ritchey Stream carbon wing bars. I don’t really care about the aero per se (or do I?) but I like flat tops as I do a lot of climbing and riding there. Currently on Thomson carbon bars on my ride and I like them but looking to try something different. So open to other bar recommendations as well but let’s assume those bars…I’ve never used any of the Ritchey stuff. But I like the idea of matching the bar/stem/seatpost so I’d be looking at the Ritchey one bolt seatpost. After battling two bolt seatposts I ended up with a moots post on my current Ti ride and it’s awesome. Barring some miracle I’m not going back to two bolt posts. But I don’t think I’d want a ti post on painted orange steel…thoughts on the Ritchey post? I’m not in love with the Enve components, their stems are too bulbous for me and I’m not sold on carbon stems. So what else should I waste my time looking at this winter? I don’t mind spending some coin here as this is my first new bike in nine (!) years! I’ve always liked the Thomson stems but not their seatposts. I really want the stem/post to match and probably doesn’t matter as much that the bars are from the same company.

[Lovetoclimb]

I find the Easton products look clean and nice on most bikes. Stems and bars are normal shapes and sizes while not being prohibitively expensive. The carbon post I previously used was a bit bulbous but I’m sure the alu version would not be so.

Have you considered having your Moots post painted to match the frame? If you like it I say keep it on the bike.

[Upcountry]

It really depends on the aesthetics of the frame & fork. I often gravitated towards Zipp stems and seat posts, as the "Beyond Black" color way was subtle and didn't have logos visible from more than 3 feet away. But on slimmer tubed(steel) bikes, the stem is a bit too "thick", although it can look good with the right fork and head tube(44mm).

On my Cielo I went with S-works Stems and Seatposts. With that combo, you have a ton of options, as they offer straight and setback posts, with both carbon rail clamps or standard round clamps. The posts are really comfortable, lightweight, and almost no markings on them aside from some subtle fonts on the front and back. The lines of them work really well with steel bikes. And up front, they offer 80mm-130mm stems with angles of plus or minus 6, 12, and 17 degrees, so you can get one to fit just right without having to compromise. Many brands offer only two stem angles, typically -6 and -17. So that one in the middle is a really nice offering. Currently I have 7 S-works stems and 8 Zipp stems in varying lengths and angle combinations from 100mm to 120mm so that I can dial in my fit.

And in regards to bars... its just not worth sacrificing ultimate comfort/fit to make sure the brand of them matches the stem... Ride the bars you find most comfortable, with the features you need. You mentioned flat tops, but not necessarily "aero" bars. Zipp SL70 Ergo, or SL80(shown below) Ergo are both nice options with a slight ovalized top to them, but still a nice looking drop shape if you're not looking to spend $300. Black Inc have a nice top section, but are a bit flexy(which can be nice on a non-race bike). Both those are subtly branded as well.

[one60]

I've always liked my Thomson cockpit...stem, seatpost and seat post clamp. They work great and the seatpost is one of the best two bolts out there.

As for orange and black...it okay

[rustychisel]

Just say no to bent seatposts

[mcteague]

I'm a fan of the Ritchey cockpit. The one bolt seatpost can be a bit finicky to setup but, once done, stays put. I've never had their carbon stuff but the aluminum parts are reasonably light and durable. Ritchey customer service has been stellar as well when I needed some spare parts.

Tim

[soulspinner]

Originally Posted by rustychisel

Just say no to bent seatposts

[soulspinner]

Originally Posted by mcteague

I'm a fan of the Ritchey cockpit. The one bolt seatpost can be a bit finicky to setup but, once done, stays put. I've never had their carbon stuff but the aluminum parts are reasonably light and durable. Ritchey customer service has been stellar as well when I needed some spare parts.

Tim

Ive gone Ritchey also. No issues at all using a torque wrench.

[fredd]

I quite like Deda for cheap bars/stems. Good quality, easy on the eyes, nice shape for the bars. Can't comment on their posts though.

[JMacII]

Thanks all for the great comments. I’ll check out the sworks lines, the sheer variety of stem options is a plus. Love the orange Basso you have there!

[sevencyclist]

For me, the bar shape is probably the most important, with my preference for carbon bar which seems to dampen some vibration for me.

I personally like a flat top profile which alleviates my hand pressure.

Two of my favorites bars now are:

Pro PLT Ergo Carbon
2021-12-24 15.57.21 by sevencyclist, on Flickr

Black Inc Handlebar
2022-01-08 12.15.50 by sevencyclist, on Flickr

Personally I do not like 3T Ergonova as much as those two.

For stem, alloy gets the job done, so no need for carbon. However, Black Inc does have a nice carbon stem to match as well as carbon seatpost with 25mm and without setback if you are into whole set.

For alloy stem, I liked Zipp Service Course SL. No need to get carbon unless you are into the bling. They do have posts in alloy and carbon to match the stems.

[Ozz]

Originally Posted by JMacII

.... I really want the stem/post to match and probably doesn’t matter as much that the bars are from the same company.

I am running FSA stuff on my Seven, and it looks great. I'd worry less about the bars...they are under bar tape, so you can't really see the brand anyway.

The FSA are an OK shape, but I really liked the Thomson bars that came with it...too narrow for me though, so I replaced them.

What size stem are you looking for? I have a FSA OS-99 CSI Stem (120mm) that is in great shape.