Salsa Poco 38cm to Nashbar Mustache 52cm

[KnottedYet]

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?c...B%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.

[sandra]

I want to see a picture.

What kind of stem did you use? did you use the one you already had? Do you think these bars compare with the Moustache bars that Rivendell sells?

I'm considering these for the Legnano mixte.

[KnottedYet]

I used the stem I already had. The curve and hood placement I used put the hoods in almost the same position relative to the stem that they were on the Pocos.

I don't have the Nitto/Riv/Bridgestone mustaches that Grant Peterson designed handy to compare, but remembering how the ones on Trek's mixte (Grant's) felt, I like the Nashbars better. They are slightly narrower (2 cm), and I do like steel just as a matter of principle. The straights don't seem to flare out quite as much, which my wrists like.

These are ridiculously comfortable and convenient bars. Yeah, after 4 hrs I was getting a little sore and tired, but it *was* the first time I'd ridden with them. I think they will be staying on my commuter. (and drops will stay on my zoom-zoom)

[sandra]

Good enough. I just ordered them. Fast huh?

I'm going to put them on this bike. I may be able to keep the same stem. Darn, I should have ordered new grips at the same time.

[KnottedYet]

I used bar tape rather than grips, and set the bar up so the straights are lower than the curves. If you need more rise, you could always flip the bars over so the straights are higher than the curves (but then you won't be able to use the curves as comfortably)

Trek's LBS did a very cool thing, and put her brakes thru TT levers attached to the ends of the bars. (then you are braking from the straights rather than from the curves)

[sandra]

thru TT levers attached to the ends of the bars

TT levers? please explain.

[KnottedYet]

Time Trial brake levers. They look like mtb levers, sort of (no hoods) and with them attached to the ends of the mustache bars (instead of the ends of Time Trial bars where they normally go) Trek's LBS was able to give her braking from the straights without interrupting the lovely curves of the mustache bars.

(I would like to see a mustache bar with TT levers at the ends and cyclocross interrupters in the middle, that could be very cool. But I'm not spending the $$ to put it together!)

Hers is the only bike I've ever seen with levers set up like that. I'll quick ask her to put up a close-up of her mixte's mustache bars.

[sandra]

I plan on using the brake levers that are already on the bike. I hope they work. I know I may have to put longer cables and housing, but I don't want to go into an expensive overhaul.

edited to add: mine don't have hoods.

[Trek420]

Trek's LBS did a very cool thing, and put her brakes thru TT levers attached to the ends of the bars. (then you are braking from the straights rather than from the curves)

I could not find the photo in my files but it's post #7 here

http://forums.teamestrogen.com/showthread.php?t=19096

[sandra]

ummmmmm. wow. I've never seen anything quite like that! That is an interesting setup.

[sandra]

hummm. looking at your stem, I'm wondering if my stem will work. See how mine is not flat, it has a rise to it? What do you think? It is my DH's bike and he is taller than I am. I'm just wondering how the bars will look with that stem.

[Trek420]

ummmmmm. wow. I've never seen anything quite like that! That is an interesting setup.

Chris said he's done this often. I agree, I'd never seen it. Bring your bikes to CA and I'll introduce you to my LBS guy. those are Cane Creek TT levers.

[sandra]

Looking at my picture, do you think my stem might work???

[Triskeliongirl]

Hey Knot, interested in selling your salsa poco bars? A friend of mine bought his son a new bike for christmas, and it came with really wide long reach bars. I think your salsa poco bars would be perfect for him. If you are interested in selling, please PM me how much you would want with shipping to san antonio texas. I can pay in advance with paypal. He is also in the market for a shortish stem (6-7cm if you have one).

[KnottedYet]

Sorry, but I'm gonna keep my Pocos. They fit me so well I think I need to buy another bike to put them on!