Women Ergo Handlebars

[Caroline]

Hello -

I am looking for new handlebars for my Specialized Ruby Pro. The ones I have at the moment have been crashed a few times and, at that stage i think ot will be wiser to replaced them. I was looking at the Specialized website for replacement, but the full carbon ones are a bit pricey for me at the moment. I was looking at the standard alloy specialized ones, but I was wondering of any of you ladies knew any other women specific short reach oversized 38cm handle bars less than 50/60 GBP or 60/70 Euro or 100 dollars.

Many thanks ;)

[Triskeliongirl]

The bontrager FIT VR is very short reach and in your price range in OS aluminum.

Another nice bar is the 3T ergonova (available in carbon or aluminum). This is not marketed as womens specific, but is a compact bar with short reach and shallow drop (I have these in carbon).

Many here like the salsa poco, also available in either aluminum or carbon. I personally don't like the ergo bump but its quite popular.

[Caroline]

Thanks :) I have been looking at the 3T ergonova for a while, I have heard and read great comments about them, I will order them in the morning !

[Triskeliongirl]

I love the 3T ergonova, but be warned its one of those that is sized by the measurement at the end of the drops which flare a tad, so if you order a 40 cm, it will be 40 cm from center of drop end to center of drop end, but 38 cm from center of brake hood to cener of brake hood.

[aicabsolut]

I like the Specialized Dolce (ergo shape versus the standard WSD aluminum bar), but my next set of handlebars will probably be 3T. I also like the carbon Specialized ones on my crit bike, because the drops are deeper, but it has been a pain getting the hoods to stay put without tightening them too much. Carbon paste isn't quite cutting it on the left one for some reason.

[BleeckerSt_Girl]

Many here like the salsa poco, also available in either aluminum or carbon. I personally don't like the ergo bump but its quite popular.

Yes I love my aluminum Pocos on both my bikes.
They are very short reach and the ergo bump feels great to my hands. :)

[alimey]

Love my FSA compacts - nice flat top for comfy climbing. Short reach, shallow drop (no ergo bump). They look in proportion to the bike. They come in aluminium & carbon. Have tried a very wide range of bars & these are my favourite.

alimey

[SnappyPix]

Another recommendation for the FSA Wing compact. Mine are 38mm and they've revolutionised my riding position. I can't rave enough about them!
Mine were £25.99. Worth every penny. :D

[Caroline]

I ordered the Ergonova pro today. I am quite excited about them. I hope I hope I received them before the weekend. I am also waiting on a set of headset bearings, my bike in pieces as we speak :) but the weather in Ireland is quite crap at the moment. Won't stop raining, so I prefer cycling on the fixie when it's that bad... or sleep :)

[dianne_1234]

I also like the carbon Specialized ones on my crit bike, because the drops are deeper, but it has been a pain getting the hoods to stay put without tightening them too much. Carbon paste isn't quite cutting it on the left one for some reason.

aicabsolut, you might want to make it a priority to solve that issue - a brake lever that slips down the bar (on a bump for instance) can lock up the wheel (The brake lever pulls the cable as it slips) and can cause you to crash. Happened to Lance in the Dauphine Libere in (I think) 2003?

I've found all the following to help:
1. clean the bar and lever interface with acetone
2. assembly paste
3. torque wrench

The torque wrench was a hard one to figure out since the nut is recessed in the lever body. I don't remember how I did that now...?!?

This is usually not a problem on aluminum bars - carbon seems to have a much lower coefficient of friction.

[aicabsolut]

Yes, I know. I had my front brake closed by such an event. Luckily, I ride with my brakes pretty loose, so it was not catastrophic. I think I've got it handled now with extra carbon paste, but the left one still creaks a little. I will definitely do an overhaul if it slips again.

I haven't figured out the torque wrench either, because they won't fit down in that space in the hood. I've been carefully hand tightening. I guess I may have under-tightened at first, but the left one has come loose a few times since the shop re-did it after the major slippage incident.

I've never had a problem with my aluminum bars. I think the 3Ts weren't out then (I was doing the build when 09 stuff was just being released). Or at least I didn't know about them for a few more weeks. I couldn't get the same Dolce bars I have on my other bike, and I wanted to try a slightly deeper drop, so I went with these which only came in carbon. I am pretty nervous about having carbon bars on principle, but I got a really good deal from the shop that sponsors my team.

The part of the bend where the clamp attaches is rough (has a textured finish), but apparently that isn't enough.

[OakLeaf]

Long hex socket (http://buy1.snapon.com/catalog/item.asp?P65=&tool=all&item_ID=2352&group_ID=11478&store=snapon-store&dir=catalog). (I think the lever clamp is 5 mm? Or is it 4? Anyway both are available. I think Sears/Craftsman has them too, just couldn't find it on their website. :)

[aicabsolut]

thanks. it's 5mm.