KnottedYet
12-29-2007, 07:45 AM
I love my aluminum Salsa Pocos with a throbbing burning passion. http://www.salsacycles.com/handlebars_road.html (scroll down)
So why would I switch them for a pair of steel Nashbar mustache bars? http://www.nashbar.com/profile.cfm?category=600092&subcategory=60001049&brand=&sku=13586&storetype=&estoreid=&pagename=Shop%20by%20Subcat%3A%20ATB%20Handlebars
Because I am a fickle, fickle woman. And I really liked riding a borrowed bike with mustache bars.
Switching the bars was easy enough, finding the "perfect" placement was easy enough. Brake cables were a fine fit, but I did have to get my Surly Cross Check to the LBS to have the shifter (bar end) cables replaced with longer ones.
The ride: blissful. The first time I rode with these bars I intended to be out for only an hour. (needed to ease into getting used to the new bars, y'know) I ended up riding for 4 hours. My first impression was that the bar cut out a LOT of road buzz. I don't know if it was the steel or the shape of the bar, but things definitely felt smoother.
The width of the bar wasn't an issue like I thought it would be. Plenty of hand placements, and even moving in to ride on the hoods. I had the hoods farther apart than Grant Petersen suggests, mainly because I had one spot on the curve that felt great for braking and control and I wanted to have a comfy reach to the lever from that spot.
Moving in/forward to brake felt perfectly natural. Being braced in the curve to brake felt like a good secure position for hard braking and turning. One of the things that caused me to fret on my commute on drop bars was the hand placement I needed to see and steer well in traffic didn't feel all that secure for braking or abrupt swerves.
Shifting was plenty convenient on my Pocos, but even more convenient on the mustache bars. It just took sliding the hand along the bar, no need to let go of the bar and reach. Again, a bit more secure feeling for riding in traffic or on cruddy pavement.
The bar can be wrapped as close to the stem as you want. I wrapped just a bit beyond the brake levers to give myself a good grip while riding on the hoods. (not actually *on* the hoods like on drop bars, but you can rest part of your hand quite comfortably there) That left me plenty of bare bar for bell, light, and computer.
Edit: I'll post a pic once I get my camera working again.
So why would I switch them for a pair of steel Nashbar mustache bars? http://www.nashbar.com/profile.cfm?category=600092&subcategory=60001049&brand=&sku=13586&storetype=&estoreid=&pagename=Shop%20by%20Subcat%3A%20ATB%20Handlebars
Because I am a fickle, fickle woman. And I really liked riding a borrowed bike with mustache bars.
Switching the bars was easy enough, finding the "perfect" placement was easy enough. Brake cables were a fine fit, but I did have to get my Surly Cross Check to the LBS to have the shifter (bar end) cables replaced with longer ones.
The ride: blissful. The first time I rode with these bars I intended to be out for only an hour. (needed to ease into getting used to the new bars, y'know) I ended up riding for 4 hours. My first impression was that the bar cut out a LOT of road buzz. I don't know if it was the steel or the shape of the bar, but things definitely felt smoother.
The width of the bar wasn't an issue like I thought it would be. Plenty of hand placements, and even moving in to ride on the hoods. I had the hoods farther apart than Grant Petersen suggests, mainly because I had one spot on the curve that felt great for braking and control and I wanted to have a comfy reach to the lever from that spot.
Moving in/forward to brake felt perfectly natural. Being braced in the curve to brake felt like a good secure position for hard braking and turning. One of the things that caused me to fret on my commute on drop bars was the hand placement I needed to see and steer well in traffic didn't feel all that secure for braking or abrupt swerves.
Shifting was plenty convenient on my Pocos, but even more convenient on the mustache bars. It just took sliding the hand along the bar, no need to let go of the bar and reach. Again, a bit more secure feeling for riding in traffic or on cruddy pavement.
The bar can be wrapped as close to the stem as you want. I wrapped just a bit beyond the brake levers to give myself a good grip while riding on the hoods. (not actually *on* the hoods like on drop bars, but you can rest part of your hand quite comfortably there) That left me plenty of bare bar for bell, light, and computer.
Edit: I'll post a pic once I get my camera working again.